New York City Economic Development Corporation Announces the Start of NYC Tech Talent Draft

On-Campus Information Sessions at Leading Universities Provide NYC Start-Ups with Critical Recruitment Opportunities

Part of Bloomberg Administration Efforts to Grow Top Talent Within the City’s Technology and Innovation Sector

New York City Economic Development Corporation today announced the start of NYC Tech Talent Draft, a series of on-campus career information sessions to provide New York City start-up companies with an opportunity to recruit top computer science and engineering talent from leading universities in the region. The sessions – which begin this week and run through the end of October - are designed to connect the founders and executives of these innovative start-ups with students, leading to opportunities for full-time jobs and internships. Campus events are scheduled at a number of world class institutions, including Cornell University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University. NYC Tech Talent Draft is the next step in the Bloomberg Administration’s series of initiatives designed to establish a critical mass of top technology talent in New York City in order to ensure that the City becomes the world’s leader in innovation for the 21st Century.

"NYC Tech Talent Draft is an important component of our ongoing efforts to expand applied science and engineering talent here in New York City," said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. "By ensuring that the City becomes a magnet for the best and the brightest, and by helping to pair this talent with innovative New York start-ups, we will continue to grow our critical technology sector and position our overall economy for success in the 21st century.”

The NYC Tech Talent Draft schedule is as follows:

Brown
September 19, 5:30-7:30 pm (following Brown Fall Career Fair)

UPenn
September 19, 6-8 pm

Princeton
September 21, 3-5 pm (following Princeton General Interest Career Fair)

MIT
September 21, 5-7 pm (following MIT Fall Career Fair)

Cornell
September 28, 2-8 pm (including a special NYC Tech Talent Draft Career Fair and kick-off for Cornell Startup Weekend)

Carnegie Mellon
October 23, 4-6 pm (following CMU Spark career event)

Among the more than 30 technology start-ups represented at the various campus events are: Appboy, AppNexus, Artsicle, Behance, Betterment, Birchbox, Bit.ly, Codecademy, CB Insights, Cureatr, Flatiron Health Inc, Fog Creek, GroupMe, Honest Buildings, kikin, Local Response, Meetup, nRelate, Sailthru, SecondMarket, Shelby.tv, Songza, thumb, and Yipit

Prior to this launch of NYC Tech Talent Draft, NYCEDC organized five successful NYC Tech Talent Draft pilot events in the spring of 2012, reaching 300 computer science and engineering students at Cornell, Princeton, MIT, Harvard, and Carnegie Mellon University.  Panels featured leaders from companies such as Birchbox, Next Jump, Ahalife, Pivotal Labs, Everyday Health, Conductor, Harvest, Collective[i], Aereo, Sailthru, ChatID, Ordr.in, and Movable Ink.

NYC Tech Talent Draft is part of the Bloomberg Administration’s larger efforts to capitalize on the considerable growth taking place within the technology sector in New York City. Employment in New York’s technology sector grew by nearly 30 percent between 2005 and 2010, with total employment now at nearly 120,000. In 2009, New York surpassed Massachusetts as the number two recipient of Venture Capital tech funding, and according to recent Venture Capital data, between the second quarter of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012 the number of deals in New York City is up nearly 43 percent. In recent months, the City has built partnerships to create three world-class institutions which will dramatically increase New York City’s capacity for applied science and engineering, including a groundbreaking, 2 million square foot tech campus project led by Cornell University and the Technion which will be built on Roosevelt Island. In addition, partnerships were created with an NYU-led consortium to develop the Center for Urban Science and Progress in Downtown Brooklyn, and a partnership with Columba University to create a new Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering.

For more information or to register for the NYC Tech Talent Draft, visit www.nycedc.com/techtalent

About NYCEDC

New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City's primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC's mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City's competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City's many opportunities. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or visit our blog to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.