June 29th Newsletter

Tech:NYC Heads to Albany and Other Updates

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It’s been another busy month at Tech:NYC! We’ve been up to Albany and ventured seven stories underground. We’re gearing up to support our members working hard to preserve real net neutrality rules, and we're looking forward to some rest and relaxation over the holiday weekend. We hope you are too.What We’re Up ToEarlier this month, several our members joined Tech:NYC at the New York State Capitol for the first Albany Policy Labs, where we met with many of our elected officials to discuss tech policy and issues important to the tech community. We think it’s critical for our elected representatives to know what our members are up to, so watch this space for more Albany adventures.We were lucky to get an opportunity to take a tour of the East Side Access tunnel, a massive $10.2 billion infrastructure project to bring the Long Island Rail Road into a new station that’s 120 feet below Grand Central Terminal. It includes excavating two caverns that are 65 feet high and as long as the Chrysler building is tall. When the project is complete, an additional 162,000 riders will be able to travel through Grand Central.Last week, we partnered in presenting an All in Together event tailored for the tech community, which featured many women who are leading change and social innovation in tech and government. Speakers included Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen, NYS Chief Innovation and Technology Officer Kristen Titus, Bloomberg Beta Partner Karin Klein, Etsy Global Policy Director Althea Erickson, and Tech:NYC Executive Director Julie Samuels. Big thanks to our member Microsoft for hosting an inspiring and successful event.Last week, many Tech:NYC members joined an effort supporting the re-introduction of the Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership (EESO) Act. This legislation, if passed, would make it easier for employees at startups to gain the value of their equity compensation by allowing them to defer taxes that would otherwise be due immediately upon exercise of options.On Wednesday, July 12th, many of our members, including Etsy, Kickstarter, Shapeways, Twitter, and Union Square Ventures, will be participating in the “Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality.” During this day, websites, individual users, and online communities will sound the alarm about the FCC moving away from net neutrality. Many popular sites and services will alert their users using videos, banner ads, push alerts, emails, and other tools to rally people for this cause. We encourage all tech companies to consider participation in the day of action. Also keep in mind that all public comments must be submitted to the FCC by July 17th. Email us to get more involved or if you have any questions.What We’re Reading-This week, the Supreme Court said it will allow parts of the Trump Administration's travel ban against citizens of six countries to go into effect until it weighs in fully in October. Tech:NYC (read our statement) and many of our members continue to oppose the ban, CNN reports.-On a related note, the Trump Administration’s order to review the H1-B visa program may ultimately harm New York, writes the New York Daily News.-The Trump Administration reportedly plans to scrap the new International Entrepreneur Rule. We urged the administration to retain the rule on the Tech:NYC Blog.-The legislative session in Albany ended last week, but Governor Cuomo called a special session to address extending mayoral control of NYC schools, reports the New York Times.-It’s time for New York to open its doors to homesharing companies, writes Julie Samuels in City & State New York.-With its New York Works jobs plan, the de Blasio administration has proposed some new ideas for further growing tech jobs in NYC, writes Julie Samuels on the Tech:NYC Blog.What Our Members Are Up To-The Wall Street Journal recently released its list of the top 25 tech companies to watch, which includes our members Andela, Lemonade, Via, and Zola.-Several of our member companies joyously participated in NYC Pride this past weekend, including Citi, Foursquare, Google, Squarespace, and WeWork.-Jessica Rovello, CEO of Arkadium and a member of our Leadership Council, discussed that one time her company became illegal overnight in Business Insider.-Our friends at Shutterstock just acquired Toronto-based custom content company Flashstock for roughly $50 million, writes BetaKit.-Oscar made some big moves this month by expanding its insurance in New York and filing to expand it in five states in 2018.-NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and Lehman College are the first RFP winners for NYC's upcoming AR/VR Lab, reports Engadget.-Roosevelt Island will come of age with the soon-to-open Cornell Tech campus, reports Crain’s New York.Welcome to Tech:NYCLet’s say hello to some of our newest members!

• MetaBronx - A new startup accelerator in the Bronx

• Storefront - An online marketplace for renting short-term retail space

• Good Call - Using tech to make the arrest process and aftermath less painful and harmful for those that are detained and their loved ones

• Totally Pregnant - A full pregnancy service for moms-to-be

• Datacoup - Helps you reclaim and unlock the value of your personal data

• PieShell - A crowdfunding service for food and beverage projects

• CleanTech Methods -  Software and services for a distributed energy future

• Fitnescity - A startup for data-driven personal training

• Jackpocket - The first mobile app that lets users buy official lottery tickets on your phone

• Avve - This startup makes layaway easier with automated payment plans

Join Us

If you’ve been thinking about having your company join Tech:NYC, now’s the time! We’d love to talk. Check out our membership page, and we can start the conversation.