The New York City tech scene is growing at a rapid pace. In 2019, 60 percent of 740 global technology industry leaders surveyed told analyst firm KPMG they believe in just a few years, NYC will usurp Silicon Valley as the epicenter of global innovation. But it’s not only tech giants like LinkedIn, Amazon and Facebook that are setting up shop locally.
The following eight professionals, who work at companies representing a diversity of industries shaping the future of tech, shared what life working in the Big Apple is like. And they’re all looking for talented tech candidates to join their ranks.
What they do: Dashlane is a mobile and desktop app that allows users to search the web more seamlessly, storing all of their information in one place and autofilling it into forms when necessary. That information is kept safe and inaccessible, even to Dashlane. The company helps users change old, weak passwords without having to keep track of each one manually.
One thing that would surprise people about Dashlane: Frequency of collaboration. “You will always find employees problem-solving together, which is not always quick and painless,” Staff Accountant Elya Shavrova said. “Most times it’s difficult. I have found in my career that many issues are swept under the rug. But at Dashlane, these opportunities are faced head-on and in the open.”
One trait all team members prioritize: Efficiency. Employees are encouraged to get a project or task done in the least amount of time, with the least amount of resistance for the best results. “In order to be efficient, you have to understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and who your ultimate audience is,” Shavrova said. “On my team, once we research and understand the task at hand, we’re motivated to put together the most efficient and long-term solution.”
What they do: Narmi partners with existing banks and credit unions to automate processes, grow their brands and support their employees. The API-enabled platform gives clients the ability to offer digital account openings, as well as mobile and online banking options.
One thing that would surprise people about Narmi: Its reach across the United States. “As a company, everything we do revolves around our three product pillars: building an open-banking platform, being dependable and focusing on the financial story,” Co-Founder Chris Griffin said. “Focusing on the financial story is our way of improving financial literacy. We want our users to better understand how they spend so that they can take control of their financial futures.”
One trait all team members share: Creativity. “From sales to engineering (and everything in between), each of us is constantly tinkering, solving problems and thinking outside of the box,” Griffin said.
What they do: Haven Technologies provides users with life insurance they can access online, with coverage issued through MassMutual. A $250,000, 20-year Haven Term life insurance quote starts at $14.99 a month for a healthy 30-year-old woman. Curious about the two life-size plastic skeletons the team has in its office? They serve as “mortality humor,” a joke based on the product.
One thing that would surprise people about Haven Technologies: The company’s approach to bonuses. “Our bonus is based on annual company performance, set goals and targets,” said Software Developer Peter Wolfenden said. “The fact that the percentage is the same for each person explicitly recognizes that our goals are shared across the organization and gives everyone a clear incentive to collaborate early and often.”
One trait all team members share: They’re comfortable asking and answering the question “why?” in meetings and in one-on-one conversations. “My team has four devs, a dedicated QA engineer, one product owner and three business analysts,” Wolfenden said. “Our professional experiences vary widely both in terms of what we have done and how long we’ve been doing it. Our personalities are also quite different.”
What they do: Hydrant sells packets of a hydration mix that users add straight to water. The solution is flavored with real fruit juice and contains sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. The company also offers a caffeine-based one-off product and subscription models.
One thing that would surprise people about Hydrant: Co-Founder Jai Jung Kim consumes six to nine packets of Hydrant a day. “He’s definitely an outlier at the company, but everyone in the office drinks at least a pack a day,” Co-Founder John Sherwin said. “It feeds into our drive for excellence in product. We get daily feedback from the team on aspects that could be improved in current and future iterations.”
One trait all team members share: A growth mindset. “Everyone is proactive about bettering themselves and learning new skills or concepts to move Hydrant forward,” Sherwin said. “Whether it’s finding a mentor at a company a few years ahead of them or taking a course that can help them to grow in their role and move the whole team forward, everyone knows they can (and should) be learning.”
What they do: Tipico is the largest sports-betting operator in Germany, currently expanding in U.S. markets. The company, founded in 2004, offers access to bets on more than 30 sports online and through its app.
One thing that would surprise people about Tipico: While Tipico is a sports technology business, its growing U.S. team has joined the company from a variety of industries, including financial services, fashion, politics, direct-to-consumer brands and more. “We welcome and appreciate the diverse thinking that talent from backgrounds and industries beyond sports and gaming can bring,” Head of U.S. Marketing Keith Gormley said.
One trait all team members share: Curiosity that comes with being strategic by nature. “We’re all high performers, looking to maximize our impact on Tipico and grow our careers,” Gormley said. “But what sets apart the talent across our organization in the U.S. is how they all find success by digging into important questions and discovering insights that lead to solutions.”
What they do: HomeAdvisor connects individuals with contractors for tasks like drywall insulation and kitchen remodels. The marketplace is meant to bring security and clarity to the process of home repairs and renovations.
One thing that would surprise people about HomeAdvisor: People genuinely enjoy being around their co-workers. “When most of my friends talk about ‘going to work,’ it’s typically in a negative context,” said Training Director Corey Allen. “Here, co-workers become actual friends who you can build life-long relationships with.”
One trait all team members share: Adaptability. “We are always willing and even eager to learn new information and tactics in order to source the best talent,” said Sales Recruiter Victoria Valenti. Her team identifies valuable sales professionals who can help the company build a successful future. “Along with this adaptability comes our industry knowledge, which is derived from spending hours researching how we can best position ourselves as more efficient and distinct from our competitors,” Valenti added.
What they do: MANTL is an enterprise software company built to support banks and credit unions. Its clients can open omni-channel accounts that integrate with its core services.
One thing that would surprise people about MANTL: “Banks need better customer-facing products or they will disappear,” VP of People Lauren Slutsky said. “We’re starting with the regional and community banks in the U.S. that are reliant on crumbling legacy infrastructure. They need our help to give their customers and their employees modern tools and experiences.”
One trait all team members share: The ability to think big and raise the bar in order to develop innovative solutions that exceed customers’ expectations. “As a company, we value transparency, accountability and collaboration both internally and externally,” Slutsky said.
What they do: Citizen’s app combines location information with 911 intelligence to keep people out of danger. Citizen sends users safety alerts accompanied by live stories, real-time updates and user-generated content to help them stay safe.
One thing that would surprise people about Citizen: The company measures its success by the number of lives they impact. “Our team celebrates these occurrences — which we call magic moments — when people use Citizen to stay safe,” Head of Product Keith Peiris said. Alerts have evacuated people from burning buildings, diverted school buses from nearby terrorist attacks and led to reunions of abducted children with their families.
One trait all team members share: Courage. “Our deep curiosity and commitment to an authentic mission breeds one of the most creative environments I’ve ever worked in,” Peiris said. “Talented people are drawn to work at Citizen because they are up for the challenge of pushing boundaries to solve problems that haven’t been solved before.”
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