Tech:NYC Digest: May 16

Tech:NYC Digest: May 16

May 16, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Monday, May 16, 2022 

Happy Monday — hope you’re staying dry out there! In today’s digest, NYC expected to raise COVID alert level, what to know about New York’s newly drawn congressional maps, and why companies’ own ERGs are the best way to combat the Great Resignation. 

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 6,912

    • New positive cases, NYC: 2,629

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 4.7 percent (+0.2 percent)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress: 

    • New Yorkers with at least one dose: 90.4 percent

    • New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 77.2 percent  

In today’s latest:

  • NYC health officials are preparing to raise the city’s COVID alert level from “medium” to “high” in the coming days amid ongoing spikes in cases and a noticeable increase in hospitalizations. (Bloomberg)

    • Based on CDC data, NYC is one of the few places in the state that hasn’t officially reached the  “high” status levels, but the city’s Dept. of Health is proactively urging residents to wear high-quality (KF94, KN95, N95) masks in public indoor settings. (New York Times)

    • NYC is also significantly expanding its distribution of free at-home test kits and masks, making them available for pickup at schools, libraries, museums, and other organizations. (amNY)

    • Here’s the full list of New York counties where masks are currently recommended. 

  • New York’s court-appointed special master today released an updated map of congressional districts for this year’s election cycle throughout the state, creating more competitive swing districts than the original map proposed by the state legislature. (New York Times) 

  • Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to make NYC a global hub for the digital games industry. The plan includes a partnership with CUNY to create a new Bachelor’s degree in digital games design and a $2 million investment to create additional digital design career pathways programs. (Harlem World Magazine)

  • In response to the horrific shooting in Buffalo this weekend, GoFundMe created a centralized hub of verified fundraisers for those looking for ways to help. Learn more here.

  • Lastly, NYC residents: Don’t forget to grab free lunch tomorrow, courtesy of Grubhub!

In other reading:

  • Why the pandemic has made it so hard and exhausting to make decisions (Washington Post)

  • Summer vacation is going to be expensive (Axios)

  • ‘What New York Is All About’: Welcome Back to the Piano Bar (New York Times)

This month marks two years since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer — a tragedy that led to a wave of companies making public commitments to DEI standards in their hiring and retention objectives.

Last year, however, those goals collided with a new reality: the Great Resignation, writes Crain’s New York Business.

  • Even organizational psychologist Anthony Klotz, the person who coined the term “Great Resignation,” says “we’re not going back” and the pandemic-fueled trends we’ve seen over the last two years have changed workplaces for good. (CNBC)

Executives, recruiters, and hiring managers were met with concurrent challenges: How to manage job market churn and fill positions while creating and maintaining a diverse workforce. 

  • Some workers specifically cited the lack of DEI initiatives as the reason they left their current roles. Even more cited DEI as important for recruitment, retention, and the financial success of the business. (Forbes)

To get it right, more tech companies are turning to their own ERGs. Several NYC-based tech companies are emphasizing their employee resource groups as part of their overall diversity and inclusion strategy.

  • Greenhouse, a recruitment technology company, recently hosted a virtual DEI event: “Having a space to go virtually where you can build connection and belonging made it easier to bring people together across different regions," said DEI head Jamie Adasi. 

Others have created new pathways to attract workers. According to a survey from Tech:NYC and Accenture, 72 percent of leaders said they were seeking more partners in workforce development programs, and almost two-thirds said they were boosting their focus on internal upskilling to ensure their workforces are more inclusive at all levels of the company.

Our takeaway: If your company isn't putting inclusion at the center of its growth strategy, it'll be almost impossible to win the war for talent. 

In other reading:

  • AboveBoard, a NYC-based tool for diverse board and executive hiring, raised $6 million in seed funding. Talent marketplace platform True led the round. (TechCrunch)

  • RAIN, a NYC-based developer of voice tech experiences for brands, raised $11 million in Series B funding. Participating investors include Valor Capital, McLarty Diversified Holdings, and Burch Creative Capital. (VentureBeat)

  • Sustain.Life, a NYC-based sustainability management software provider, raised $16 million in seed funding. Tapestry VC and Sustain.Life co-founder Mike Hanrahan co-led the round and were joined by Active Impact Investments, Kompas, Agya Ventures, and Seyen Capital. (Axios)

  • US Mobile, a NYC-based mobile service operator, raised $19.5 million in Series A2 funding. Volition Capital led the round and was joined by a group of individuals. (US Mobile)

  • May 17: Virtual: Examining the Cyber Threat Landscape in 2022, with Rep. John Katko (NY-24), Belfer Center Cyber Project executive director Lauren Zabierek, and Google director of data governance Kate Charlet. Hosted by Axios. Register here.

  • May 19: Virtual: What’s Next for New York State’s Budget, with City & State City Hall bureau chief Jeff Coltin and deputy state politics reporter Rebecca Lewis. Hosted by ABNY. Register here.

  • May 24: In-person: The Collision Between Web3 and Consumers, with Unlock VP of business development Patrick Workman and Fenwick partner Vejay Lalla. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. Register here.

  • May 25: In-person: The Business of Biodesign, with AlgiKnit CEO Tessa Callaghan, TomTex chief scientific officer Ross McBee, and Werewool CEO Chui-Lian Lee, and others. Hosted by Newlab and the Biodesign Challenge. Register here.

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