Tech:NYC Digest: May 11

Tech:NYC Digest: May 11

May 11, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 

In today’s digest, Mayor Adams launches Pandemic Response Institute, where to pick up free at-home test kits, and why child care benefits are the key to the future of the workplace.

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 10,087    

    • New positive cases, NYC: 3,816

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 4.8 percent (+0.1 percent)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress: 

    • New Yorkers with at least one dose: 90.3 percent

    • New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 77.1 percent

In today’s latest:

  • As more New Yorkers return to social life around the city, one reminder: At-home test kits are available for pickup, free or charge, at libraries, museums, and cultural institutions across the city. More on locations and hours here.

  • New research from University of Texas researchers found that smaller indoor events are more likely to spread COVID than larger, outdoor ones. (Axios)

  • Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of the New York City Pandemic Response Institute, which will apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to future urgent public health and climate-related emergencies. The city has partnered with Columbia University and CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health to launch the Institute. Learn more here.

  • City officials plan to launch two fully virtual schools in response to high rates of chronic absenteeism and pandemic learning losses. (Chalkbeat New York)

  • A ‘70s-themed roller disco experience, the DiscOasis, is coming to Central Park’s Wollman Rink this summer. (Gothamist)

In other reading:

  • Feel Like NYC Restaurant Reservations Are Impossible to Get Right Now? You’re Not Alone. (Eater NY) 

  • Stoops Are Coming to New York’s Open Streets Program. Here’s A First Look. (New York Times)

  • They Have Sold Pot for Years. Now They Want to Go Legal. Can They? (New York Times)

Since passing the baton as CEO of Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani has been spending much of her time leading Marshall Plan for Moms, a campaign focused on the economic participation of mothers. 

Today, the campaign released a survey of 1,000 workers in partnership with McKinsey & Company that found child care benefits will be key to accelerating the return of women to the workforce. (New York Times)

  • According to the report, 1.1 million women are still out of the labor force as of January 2022, even though men have recouped all pandemic-related job losses in the same time.

  • 45 percent of women cited child care availability or expenses as the reason for leaving the workforce — compared to 14 percent of men — and 57 percent said they have passed on professional opportunities due to child care responsibilities.

“Companies are scrambling for talent. Our report shows that you can attract, retain, and advance women in the workforce only through the provision of offering child care benefits,” said Saujani.

  • It’s an idea other tech leaders are backing, as well: Seven Seven Six founder and former Reddit chairman Alexis Ohanian yesterday announced he was matching Robin Hood’s $25 million investment towards NYC’s “Child Care Quality and Innovation Initiative”, for a total of $100 million.

As employers continue seeking ways to attract top talent, Saujani’s campaign is pushing them to make their own commitments: She has launched the National Business Coalition for Child Care, a group of companies who have committed to provide a child care subsidy or benefit to their employees.

  • Synchrony, Patagonia, Gibson Dunn, and several others are already signed on. If your company would like to be involved, you can find more information here.

In other reading:

  • ​​The “Future of Work” Still Sucks. Just Ask Working Parents (BuzzFeed News)

  • The Pandemic Has Been Punishing for Working Mothers. But Mostly, They’ve Kept Working. (New York Times)

  • Dear CEOs: It’s time to prepare for the fall of Roe. Here’s how (Fast Company)

  • Chainalysis, a NYC-based blockchain analysis company, raised $170 million in Series F funding. GIC, a sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, led the round. (TechCrunch)

  • Material Bank, a NYC-based architectural design marketplace, raised $175 million in Series D funding. Brookfield Growth led the round and was joined by 9Yards Capital, Echo Street, Bain Capital Ventures, Durable Capital Partners LP, General Catalyst, BOND, Raine Ventures, Lead Edge Capital, Fifth Wall, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and RXR. (Bloomberg)

  • Ness, a NYC-based fintech app that rewards users for healthy behavior, raised $15.5 million in seed funding. Will Ventures led the round and was joined by Core Innovation Capital, Accomplice, Digitalis, GFC, Portage Ventures, Refactor Capital, RiverPark, and Atypical, as well as a group of individual investors. (Newswire)

  • Talos, a NYC-based digital asset trading technology provider, raised $105 million in Series B funding. General Atlantic led the round and was joined by Stripes, BNY Mellon, Citi, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, DRW, SCB 10x, Matrix Capital Management, Fin VC, and Voyager Digital. (Newswire)

Primary Venture Partners is accepting applications for the fifth cohort of its Founder Fellowship. The program is a six-month, part-time immersion in business creation for aspiring entrepreneurs. Learn more and apply here.Justworks is accepting applications for grants to organizations supporting underrepresented founders. The program awards five grants of $50,000 each to 501(c)(3) organizations supporting entrepreneurs of early-stage businesses through education, technical assistance, capital, or other resources. Learn more and apply by May 27 here.Firefly Innovations, in partnership with the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, is accepting applications for its 2022 Public Health Accelerator. The accelerator is an eight-week, all-online program for teams with at least an initial prototype that are looking to move to the next stage of its product. Learn more and apply by May 27 here.Newlab, in collaboration with NYCEDC and ConEdison, is seeking applicants for the next cohort of its Resilient Energy Studio. Early-stage hardware and software companies with energy storage concepts will get the opportunity to test their technologies in real-world urban environments. Join the info session on May 3rd here and apply by June 1 here.The Black Ambition Prize, a fund created by Pharrell Williams, extended its deadline for its next awards cycle. Black and Latinx entrepreneurs with businesses in consumer, healthcare, web3, and media/entertainment are invited to apply for $1 million and access to a network of mentors. Learn more and apply by June 20 here.Andreessen Horowitz is accepting applications for its a16z START Program. The program is open to founders in the earliest stages of company formation in fintech, consumer, enterprise, gaming, and other verticals. The program invests up to $1 million and provides a network of other resources and support. Learn more and apply here.

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