Tech:NYC Digest: November 18

Tech:NYC Digest: November 18

November 18, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Thursday, November 18, 2021

In today’s digest, pandemic restrictions could return to New York this winter, the MTA prepares for a surge in holiday travel, and how tech companies can better attract Gen Z talent.

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  • Gov. Hochul has threatened to reimpose pandemic-related restrictions amid climbing average positivity rates, particularly in Western New York where the seven-day average positivity rate has risen to almost nine percent. (Newsday)

    • NYC maintains the best numbers of all the state’s regions, with an average 1.4 percent positivity rate. 

    • Case counts are also rising in a majority of states nationwide, and officials are concerned holiday travel and gatherings this winter will contribute to another seasonal surge. (Axios)

  • Gov. Hochul today called on employers to bring their workers back for “a majority of the week” after New Year’s to support “small subsidiary businesses” like coffee and lunch spots reliant on office traffic. (CBS New York)

  • The MTA is offering increased service options next week in anticipation of increased travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. (NY1) Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North service is being expanded, and public transit options to LaGuardia Airport will be free for most of the week. See more details (plus information on Thanksgiving Day service changes) here.

  • Bike parking startup Oonee launched its first Oonee Mini, the first pod in a plan to deploy a citywide network of secure bike infrastructure. The first pod was unveiled today in Domino Park, where it’s free to register your bike and unlock it with your phone or a fob. (CBS New York) 

  • The longest partial lunar eclipse of the 21st century happens in the wee hours of the morning, beginning around 1am. If you’re inclined to stay up that late, here’s how to see it.

In other reading:

  • Must This Swab Go That Far Up Your Nose? (New York Times)

  • The Pandemic’s Next Turn Hinges on These Three Unknowns (The Atlantic)

  • Can COVID Winter Be Merry and Bright? We Asked the Experts. (New York Times)

In yesterday’s digest, we delved into the pandemic-propelled adjustments companies and candidates alike should expect around recruitment — particularly for Gen Z talent.

And according to a new report, if companies want to gain the confidence of their youngest employees, they have a lot of work to do:

The study reflects changing attitudes around work that could have implications for businesses and their ability to attract talent. Among the highlights:

  • Mental health is a greater priority: 67 percent said they were moderately to extremely worried about their mental health, with 42 percent feeling depressed or anxious due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The value of a job goes beyond salary: Almost two-thirds — 63 percent — said it was very or extremely important to work for an employer that shares their values. More Gen Z employees now prioritize enjoying the work they do (69 percent in 2021 vs. 62 percent in 2019) and making a difference (39 percent vs. 33 percent) over money.

  • Taking a stance matters: Young talent is more involved in activism about issues they care about and expects their employers to be as well. Workers increasingly feel an obligation to be involved in social issues (49 percent in 2021 vs. 29 percent in 2019), and an overwhelming majority said racism (85 percent) and climate change (81 percent) remain significant problems.

In other reading:

  • Taming the Wild West of AI hiring tools (Axios)

  • The Great Resignation rages on: CEOs are quitting their jobs, too (Fast Company)

  • ConsenSys, a Brooklyn-based developer of apps and tools based on Ethereum, raised $200 million in new funding. Investors included Marshall Wace, Third Point, ParaFi Capital, Think Investments, Dragonfly Capital, Electric Capital, Spartan Group, DeFiance Capital, as well as insiders Animoca Brands, Coinbase Ventures, and HSBC. (FinSMEs)

  • Nexar, a New York City-based provider of analytics based on dash cam footage, raised $53 million in Series D funding. Qumra Capital led the round and was joined by State Farm Ventures, Catalyst Investments, Banca Generali, Valor, Atreides Management, Corner Ventures, Regah Ventures, and Aleph. (TechCrunch)

  • Yieldstreet, a New York City-based multi-asset alternative investment platform, raised $50 million in Series C follow-on funding. Mayfair Equity Partners led the round. (BusinessWire)

  • November 30: Virtual: #notapitch: Unofficial Feedback on Your Idea/Prototype from a VC, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures partner Charlie O’Donnell. Register here.

  • December 8: Virtual: Founder Office Hours, with Tribeca Venture Partners’ investment team. Register here.

  • December 9: Virtual: Building in the Open, with Cockroach Labs CEO Spencer Kimball, Solo.io CEO Idit Levine, Timescale CEO Ajay Kulkarni, and others. Hosted by Work-Bench. Register here.

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