Tech:NYC Digest: March 6

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Monday, March 6, 2023

Welcome back! In today’s digest, meeting straphanger demand at NYC’s newest train station, the biggest concern for US CEOs in 2023, and Commissioner Zach Iscol’s wish list for how tech can support asylum seekers in NYC.

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• After reviewing feedback from the first week of LIRR service in the new Grand Central Madison station, the MTA is increasing rush hour service to Brooklyn with a goal of service every nine minutes during peak hours. More than a dozen trains going into Penn Station will also be lengthened to increase passenger capacity. (Gothamist)

• New York is doubling the number of cannabis dispensary licenses, from 150 to 300, it will award to business owners adversely impacted by prior marijuana-related convictions. (PIX11) 

• Columbia University became the first Ivy League school to drop its SAT/ACT testing requirement in an effort to deprioritize standardized testing scores in the admissions process. (Forbes) 

• Lastly, are you a Cubicle Cat or a Couch Koala? Test your office personality with this quiz.

In other reading:

• The Biggest Concern for US CEOs: ‘Workforce, Workforce, Workforce’ (Bloomberg)

• ‘15-minute city’ planning is on the rise, experts say. Here’s what to know. (Washington Post)

• Watching the Russia-Ukraine War from New York (Curbed)

New York is approaching the anniversary of what has become a year-long influx of asylum seekers arriving to the city from the southern border.

• In the spring of last year, approximately 4,000 migrants arrived, triggering a round of emergency contracts with local agencies and organizations to provide the necessary support services. More than 40,000 additional asylum seekers have arrived since then.

• NYC is the only large city in the country required by law to give shelter to anyone who asks.

We recently gathered a cohort of Tech:NYC member companies to speak with NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol about the response efforts so far — and how we shift from daily emergency management to long-term care and services:

• A top issue is employment authorization: Tech has been a leading employer of those with all types of immigration statuses, and while many asylum seekers have the professional skills to find work in NYC, current federal rules require them to wait at least five months to even apply for employment authorization. Getting approval can take months longer.

• New York Rep. Dan Goldman is co-sponsoring new legislation to reduce the waiting period for asylum seekers to apply for work permits from 180 days to 30 days.

The New York tech community is already rallying around the city’s efforts:

• Airbnb donated $1 million to support community-based organizations providing care to asylum seekers in NYC.

• DoorDash provided app credits to nonprofit partners to purchase essential goods for arriving migrants, and Lyft worked with nonprofit partners to offer transportation credits to impacted families. 

Where more help is needed: Iscol told us he’s particularly interested in tech solutions that mitigate what remains a high caseload volume.

• Tools that aid case management and help provide information to arriving migrants — especially those with integrated language translation features — go a long way in helping migrants access city services and receive reminders for submitting work authorization applications.

• Free access to online educational programs for both children and adults, in multiple languages, are also in high demand while city officials work to enroll families in the city’s public school system.

And, of course, volunteers are always needed. Commissioner Iscol is working with Team TLC NYC to coordinate those interested. 

If your company has a tech solution and/or employees interested in being involved in the city’s response efforts, reach out here and we’ll get you connected to Commissioner Iscol's team directly.

In other reading:

• 5 keys to manage a reshuffled team after layoffs (Fast Company)

• What Does Workplace TikTok Look Like During Layoffs? It Gets Weird. (New York Times)

• Apple iPhone Messages Are Finally Coming to Windows (Bloomberg)

• Kindbody, a NYC-based provider of women's fertility services, raised $100 million in new funding. Perceptive Advisors led the round.

• Renovate Robotics, a NYC-based automated solar installation company, raised $2.75 million in pre-seed funding. Alley Robotics Ventures led the round and was joined by Grit Ventures, SOSV’s HAX, Newlab, Uphonest Capital, and Climate Capital.

• SpotDraft, a NYC-based contract lifecycle management solution for startups, raised $26 million in Series A funding. Premji Invest led the round and was joined by Prosus Ventures, 021 Capital, Arkam Ventures, Riverwalk Fund, and 100x Entrepreneur Fund.

• March 8: In-person: International Women’s Day ClimateTech Showcase, with Future Acres CEO Suma Reddy, Cadence OneFive CEO Bomee Jung, Streetlife Ventures CEO Sonam Velani, and others. Hosted by WE NYC, NY Climate Tech, and others. Register here.

• March 9: In-person: Innovating for Financial Inclusion in Fintech, with Alinea Invest co-CEO Eve Halimi, SoLo Funds director of growth Nicole Bayard, and Bolder Money co-founder Amy Schultz. Hosted by WIN NY and Rise, created by Barclays. Register here.

• March 14: In-person: How and When to Raise Venture Capital, with The Fund managing partner Jenny Fielding, Forum Ventures managing partner Michael Cardamone, NY Ventures investor Momo Bi. Hosted by Stacklist and betaworks. Register here.

• March 15: In-person: NY Enterprise Technology Meetup, with Haystack partner Semil Shah, Cowboy Ventures partner Amanda Robson, Streamdal CEO Ustin Zarubin, and others. Hosted by Work-Bench. Register here.

• March 15: In-person: NY Product Meetup, with Regal co-founder, CTO, and head of product Rebecca Greene. Hosted by Productboard. Register here.

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