Tech:NYC Digest: June 7

Tech:NYC Digest: June 7

June 07, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 

In today’s digest, NYC hotels will be converted into affordable housing, the candidates for Governor square off, and why networking platforms are the new job recruitment hotspots.  

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 4,631

    • New positive cases, NYC: 2,604 

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 5.0 percent (-0.1 percent)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress:

    • New Yorkers with at least one dose: 90.7 percent

    • New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 77.5 percent

In today’s latest: 

  • The MTA will join other state agencies in lifting weekly COVID-19 testing requirements for unvaccinated workers beginning today. (Bloomberg)

  • Even as Gov. Hochul signed into law a package of bills tightening gun measures in the state, New York officials are bracing for a US Supreme Court ruling that could strike down a century-old state law that places strict limits on the carrying of handguns. (New York Times)

  • Gov. Hochul signed into law a bill that will allow underutilized hotels in NYC to be converted into affordable housing units amid a tight housing market. (New York Daily News)

  • The state began rolling out a new benefit this month that will provide all NYC public school families $375 per child in food benefits to help cover the costs of meals from last summer during the pandemic, regardless of income or immigration status. (Chalkbeat New York)

  • The three leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates for the June primary will debate for the first time tonight night. Here’s a primer on what to expect, and tune in at 7pm here.

In other reading:

  • Punctuality Is Having a Moment (New York Times)

  • My Family Got COVID. So Why Did We Test Negative? (New York Times)

  • The kids who have never known life without Covid-19 (Vox)

A lot has been written about the “Great Resignation” and the race for talent, but an overlooked part of the trend is how job quitters — or more aptly, job switchers — are finding their next opportunity.

The answer doesn't necessarily lie in LinkedIn or various jobs boards, but Slack. (Wall Street Journal)

  • Slack is a well-known workplace tool, but it also supports standalone channels for people who don't work together. As a result, Slack-based networking groups have risen in popularity in the last two years, allowing users to share career advice and recommendations.

Job searchers are turning to these invite-only networking channels to find new jobs — often far faster than they could through standard job applications.

  • Because they have a personal connection through the groups, job hopefuls who connect with hiring managers via Slack may be expedited through the application process.

The pandemic unleashed a wave of tools that make it easier for companies to connect with candidates. (Fast Company)

In other reading:

  • Castor, a NYC-based data catalog startup, raised $23.5 million in Series A funding. Blossom Capital led the round and was joined by Frst and a group of angels. (TechCrunch)

  • CreativeX, a NYC-based creative data platform for brands, raised $25 million in Series B funding. Guggenheim Investments led the round and was joined by Beringea, Brandtech, and Conviction. (FinSMEs)

  • Culina Health, a NYC-based nutrition startup, raised $4.75 million in seed funding. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and Healthworx co-led the round and were joined by Rethink Impact, Tensility Ventures, Alpine Meridian Ventures, Knightsgate Ventures, Graham & Walker, Arkitekt Ventures and Redo Ventures. (FinSMEs)

  • Nfinite, a New York-based visualization and e-commerce merchandising startup, raised $100 million in Series B funding. Insight Partners led the round and was joined by insider US Venture Partners. (TechCrunch)

  • June 8: Virtual: The Road Ahead for Private Companies, with Sequoia Capital partner Pat Grady and Kalorama Partners managing director Harvey L. Pitt. Hosted by Axios. Register here.

  • June 8: Virtual: The Evolution of Money: Cryptocurrency Regulation, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Haun Ventures global chief policy officer Tomicah Tillemann, and others. Hosted by the Washington Post. Register here.

  • June 8: Virtual: Bloomberg Technology Summit, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra N. Mawakana, Accenture CTO Paul Daugherty, and others. Hosted by Bloomberg. Register here.

  • June 16: In-person: Cornell Tech Fest, with Tech:NYC director of Tech Year NYC Bethany Crystal, Lunchbox CEO Nabeel Alamgir, Primary VC principal Sam Toole, and others. Hosted by Cornell Tech. Enter code “technycmem” in the “Admin Use Only” field for 50 percent off tickets. Register here.

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