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Julie Samuels, President & CEO
You can’t deny the New York startup scene has been on a tear. But I remember when that wasn’t always the case, and certainly not a given. It’s part of why we originally launched Tech:NYC — to capture the early energy we saw and lock in New York’s potential as a top destination for new tech talent.
Consider that mission well-achieved. But as Tech:NYC itself continues to mature alongside the broader ecosystem, we’re ready to bring that mission into focus for one of the fastest-growing segments of our network:
We’re thrilled to announce Startup:NYC, a community for New York’s next superstar founders.
We’re building this community to assemble more tailored resources and forge closer ties to funding networks for emerging and underrepresented founders building in New York City. Startup:NYC will offer all of the benefits you’d expect — curated gatherings, industry briefings, mentorship opportunities — but its defining differentiator is that it’s all powered by a vanguard of New York’s next leading investors equally committed to our ecosystem’s future. Meet Startup:NYC’s VC Council here.
We want to help NYC’s next visionary checkwriters go deep with NYC’s next rocketship companies — and do it early.
But why now? Because NYC already has a head start and we shouldn’t waste it. Data we compiled in 2022 found that Black and Hispanic New Yorkers make up 20.8% of New York’s tech sector workforce, compared to 8.5% in the San Francisco Bay Area and 9.7% in the Boston/Cambridge area. That’s notable progress, but it’s still far off from the city’s demographic numbers overall. And when it comes to founders specifically, there is, of course, a stagnant drip of VC dollars that needs more creative solutions.
We know we aren’t the first to take on this work — and we’re grateful to count many other aligned programs as generous supporters. But to truly level the playing field for founders of diverse backgrounds, we need a new approach that’s shared, interconnected, and actionable. We believe that’s good for tech and good for New York.
Access to the Startup:NYC community is now open by application here. We’re planning to move quickly, and we’re excited to welcome the first group of founders to join us very soon. As it gets rolling, we’ll be sure to report out key insights along the way.
