Higher or Hire Ed? As I talked about in my Frank article, college tuition is absurdly high. What else is absurd you may ask? The fact that many students are expected to pay that same high price for a fraction of the college experience. As many colleges stay predominantly online for the foreseeable future, and tuition remains pretty much the same, students can’t help but ask themselves, is it really worth it? Zoom University was maybe cute and quirky the first week. However, soon many people realized the strain and drain from sitting at a computer all day, all alone, trying to focus on less than engaging classes. Even before…
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SquareFoot
The Office or THE office? So you’ve got your awesome start-up idea, and you have a great group of people ready to work with you – seems like everything’s falling into place! You’ve been working from home but decide that you’d like to have a centralized space where you can work together – your bedroom just doesn’t suffice anymore. It’s time to step into the real world and get an “office.” Okay, okay, I admit it’s convenient being able to take a quick nap, but sometimes that ends up doing more harm than good. Anyway, now you’re ready to venture into the city. However, as we’ve already seen, real estate…
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Voor
We are fashion or VR Fashion? See that dress she’s wearing – beautiful isn’t it? Getting it there is quite the process – perfecting clothing takes iterations, that makes a lot of sense. What we often overlook, however, is how many resources are used to perfect that dress, or any article of clothing for that matter. Dozens of samples are used and then just tossed away. But what if there was some way for designers to virtualize their designs, still have them in 3D with accurate textures and colors, and virtually (literally) eliminate the waste generated by sampling? That’s exactly what Voor is doing. Voor is a virtual fashion company…
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Nooklyn
There’s nothing like real estate in the city…. So you finally make it out to the concrete jungle, your dreams are coming true. But there’s one tiny problem – where are you staying? Between finding something affordable, finding a decent roommate, or finding a good location, getting a place in the city can prove to be a challenge and is often what turns people away from NYC. Get a group from diverse backgrounds and experiences that want to solve this issue and you get Nooklyn. Nooklyn is a real estate company focused on the New York City area. They enable users to navigate available listings, find roommates, and get virtual…
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Tabula Rasa
Let’s take a trip to the VC World… Today on Techs and the City I bring you something a bit different – after 10 articles on NYC start-ups, I decided it would be fun to mix things up and write about Venture Capital. Because Venture Capitalists (VCs) are the ones typically investing in these start-ups, this seemed appropriate. However, this is not your typical VC firm. You could say I was truly psyched to write this piece on Tabula Rasa Ventures and Marik Hazan. Tabula Rasa Ventures (TRV) is a venture capital firm that invests in start-ups in the psychedelics industry. They hope to build a stronger foundation in the…
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UGE
Riding the solar coaster and making a h(UGE) impact In 2006, one of the first films about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, was released. Surprise, surprise, ignorance was certainly not bliss when it came to the environment and all of a sudden people were concerned about Earth heating up at an alarming rate. One of these concerned people was Nick Blitterswyk, founder of UGE. UGE is a commercial solar company focused on the mid-scale space, including warehouses, distribution centers, and schools. A platform and execution company, they build, develop, engineer and finance solar technologies. Originally from Canada, UGE founder Nick Blitterswyk came to NYC for his first job. An actuary…
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Battlecard
Ready for Battle(card) Picture this: two debate competitors from rival high schools in Orlando end up having to work on a math project together. Mortal enemies turn friends, they realize they click and work well together. They decide to be co-founders and work on various start-ups together. No, this is not the plot of a new Netflix Original Movie – this is the story of Mathew Pregasen and his start-up Battlecard. Battlecard is a software tool that helps sales teams improve their playbook documentation process and also practice for sales presentations. It allows users to organize the different aspects of a sales playbook in a clear way, and keeps everything…
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DotCom Partners
The sweet life of Zach and Corey (and Sergio)…. A golfer, visual effects artist and graphic designer walk into a Walmart. The golfer works with ice makers, the artist with irons & steamers, and the designer with washers & dryers. No, this is not the beginning of a long-winded joke, but of DotCom Partners. There is no punchline about these former Walmart category specialists – the only line here is the one that exists of companies eager to use their services. DotCom Partners is a digital consulting company that provides Walmart account management services. They work with both large corporations and small businesses to help them thrive inside the Walmart…
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Season Three
These boots were DEFINITELY made for walking… As you run from meeting to meeting, then decide to go for a hike or walk in the park to get away from the hustle and bustle, you look for a trusty companion to provide you comfort from the stiff heels and dress shoes you’ve had on all day – something for a literal change of pace. Or maybe you want to change your typical office style for something a bit more outdoorsy. In any of those cases, Season Three has you covered. Season Three is a brand that takes inspiration from a professional lifestyle intersected with the outdoors as well as contemporary…
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Lumhaa
A true light in the dark…. When writing this blog, the biggest difficulty I’ve found is, well, writing. Capturing the essence of each unique company as well as the brilliant people behind it by just using written words has proven to be incredibly challenging. That’s why I was so thrilled when I spoke with Shriya Sekhsaria, whose start-up is basically aimed at capturing essence – specifically through memory jars. Lumhaa is an app that allows users to create virtual memory jars using photos, videos and audios. These can be transformed into physical jars as well. The goal is to be deliberate in keeping track of memories, as the app allows…
