This is the January 2018 edition of the Tech:NYC newsletter. If you're not already getting this in your inbox, sign up now.

Every new year is another chance to hit the reset button and set big goals, no matter how ambitious. Start a new company, get more sleep, read more books, or run the New York City Marathon—all of these are ways to help reinvent yourself or your routine. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant, dynamic environment here in New York that makes it easy to build big things.

Here at Tech:NYC we’ve got big plans for celebrating and supporting New York’s inspiring tech scene in 2018. We hope you’ll join us!

Policy Developments

Both New York City and New York State have recently made bold moves in the fight to preserve net neutrality. Recently, Governor Cuomo signed an executive order to challenge the FCC’s rollback of net neutrality. On top of this, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has filed a lawsuit alongside 21 other state attorneys general to block the FCC’s decision and New York Assemblymember Patricia Fahy recently introduced legislation that would require local governments to only do business with Internet Service Providers that adhere to net neutrality.

Governor Cuomo delivered his annual State of the State address earlier this month, outlining his proposals for New York. It was 93 minutes of dense policy and politics, and we’ve broken down the highlights—including workforce development and improvements to voting.

Additionally, Governor Cuomo’s Fix NYC advisory panel released a long-awaited proposal that recommends a congestion pricing framework where vehicles in Manhattan would pay surcharges that would be used to fund much-needed fixes to the subway. Read about it here.

What We’re Up To

New Year, New You! Check out five of our member companies who can help you tackle your personal and professional goals in 2018 in this month’s edition of companies to watch. They include Clubhouse, Hive, Planted (pictured), Roomi, and Troops.

Earlier this month, we also announced that Tech:NYC Executive Director Julie Samuels has joined NYCx’s Technology Leadership Advisory Council, along with Tech:NYC friends and other leaders, including Brian O’Kelley, Fred Wilson, Kevin Ryan, and Michelle Peluso. NYCx, overseen by NYC CTO Miguel Gamiño Jr. and Deputy CTO Jeremy Goldberg, is the world's first municipal program to transform urban spaces into hubs for tech collaboration, research, and more.

What Our Community Is Up To

• Our member WorkMarket was acquired by ADP, yet another show of strength for NYC’s booming B2B startup scene.

• Last week, Amazon chose New York City as a top 20 finalist for its second headquarters. Few cities can compete with everything NYC has to offer.

• Leadership Council member Dan Teran, CEO of Managed by Q, writes about why we need Congress to pass legislation to protect the DREAMers now.

• Our members Beeswax, Citizen, Hubble Contacts, Intersection, JackPocket, Roomi, and Zola made Built In New York's list of top NYC startups to watch in 2018.

• Tech:NYC board member Michelle Peluso was spotlighted in Forbes for her reinvention of marketing at IBM.

• NYC has hired Atlanta CIO Samir Saini as the new commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, with current commissioner Anne Roest retiring.

• New Yorkers can now get a master's degree in cybersecurity for $15,000 from the new Cyber Fellows program from NYU Tandon and New York City Cyber Command.

• Squarespace has teamed up with the New York Knicks to create the Make It Awards, which will support local businesses who embody the hustle and grind of New York. Businesses must apply by January 31 for a shot to win a $30,000 grant.

• Our members Dovetale, Hive, Justworks, and MongoDB made G2 Crowd's 2018 list of top B2B services in NYC tech.

• The latest issue of New Lab's monthly zine, Tech Fancy, features a look at food and sustenance through a lens of science and technology. It highlights companies who are innovating in ag tech, creative tech, and conservation, including our member Farmshelf.

Community Events

February 5: Brooklyn Bridge Ventures Founding Partner Charlie O'Donnell is hosting a series of “Fix Your Startup Pitch” events that will raise money for various charities. Startups are invited to make a donation and O’Donnell will help them improve their pitch. Three more events will be held in February.

February 12: Our members Sidewalk Labs and Civic Hall are hosting a conversation on how cities can foster entrepreneurship and leverage cutting edge digital technology. Speakers include Shaina Doar from Sidewalk Labs and Bruce Lincoln from Silicon Harlem. Register here.

February 13: At a cybersecurity event hosted by Tech:NYC and Knotel, Lydia Parnes and Beth George of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati will discuss recent privacy and security regulatory actions, the most common causes of data breaches, steps that every company should take to protect themselves, and more. Register here.

February 13: AppNexus is hosting a discussion with Democracy Works, an NYC-based team that is building tools to upgrade the infrastructure of our democracy and improve the voting experience. Come find our more about the organization and how you can get involved. Register here.

February 28: The CornellTech@Bloomberg series will be hosting a panel with the next generation of female VCs featuring Beth Ferreira of FirstMark Capital, Rebecca Kaden of Union Square Ventures, and Ellie Wheeler of Greycroft. Registration is not yet open but keep an eye out via Tech at Bloomberg.

Welcome to Tech:NYC

Say hello to our newest members!

• ARISE: The self-care gift box that offers hand-curated products to support those who are grieving or burnt out.

• Adjacent: Helps early stage entrepreneurs connect with co-founders, mentors, service providers, and investors to build a personalized community of crowd-sourced mentorship and support.

• Buster: The only all-in-one place to plan, price, and book group transportation.

• CredSimple: Use data-driven processes and technology to address longstanding inefficiencies in healthcare credentialing, ongoing provider data management and compliance.

• Cruise Automation: Building the world’s best autonomous vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about.

• Curie Co: An enzyme engineering company that develops sustainable consumer healthcare products.

• DART Technologies: Accelerating mobility by crafting cross-platform mobile, internet of things, and augmented / virtual reality applications in the information revolution.

• DojoMojo: The one stop home for partnership marketing.

• Doorport: Doorport is a smartphone video intercom platform.

• German Accelerator: Supports high potential German technology startups and emerging companies to enter the U.S. market and develop into global market leaders.

• Glimpse: An online network creating an easier and more relatable experience for young adults when planning their next date.

• homeBody: The free communication app for landlords, tenants, and neighbors.

• Irene: Simple, honest, and debt-free way to help you benefit from your home equity.

• Kinvolved: Offers an app that supports K-12 attendance improvement, which leads to elevated student achievement.

• NYC Train Sign: Handmade LED matrix signs that display real-time public data, customized for your home or business.

• Pienso: The machine learning platform for non-programmers.

• PowerToFly: The fastest growing global platform connecting women with companies that value diversity and work-life balance.

• Tally: Brings unbiased, bipartisan legislative information to you in a digestible, actionable way.

• TechHub NYC: Curated membership for tech product companies, with workspaces, events, and support programs.

• Tellic: An NYC-based startup that offers AI technologies to pharmaceutical companies seeking to increase data science velocity and improve R&D productivity.

• YieldStreet: An online marketplace for investing in alternative asset-based loans.

Join Us

If you’ve been thinking about joining Tech:NYC as a member, now’s the time. Check out our membership page, and let us know if you have any questions.