At a private dinner Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged tech executives to keep their companies in the city, even as industry leaders raised concerns about rising rents and violent crime to city officials.
Over steak, halibut or pasta and copious amounts of wine, Adams “made an impassioned plea for tech executives to stay and invest in New York,” one attendee said. He told the more than two dozen tech leaders in attendance: “New York City wants and needs tech companies,” another attendee said., City officials said they want tech companies to “help grow the economy of this city.”
Adams spokesman Fabien Levy confirmed that the mayor had spoken to the tech executives, but said, “Mayor Adams was not at the dinner.”
“While we don’t discuss it in private, Mayor Adams always welcomes and encourages businesses to come to NYC,” Levy said in an email. “During his remarks, he spoke about the importance of technology to NYC and the importance of government innovation.”
The group was “impressed with the reach and understanding of their industry,” said one attendee.
Those who spoke about the dinner did not want to be named to talk about a private incident. Adams’ move to encourage tech leaders and companies to stay in New York comes amid complaints from city officials about skyrocketing rents and crime.
Median asking rents on active listings in most of Manhattan and Brooklyn jumped 40% or more in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to Bloomberg. NYC’s Board of Rent Guidelines recently voted to raise rents for people living in rent-stabilized apartments, NBC New York reported.
New York City’s crime statistics show that since early July, shootings across the city have risen from last year, the city said last month.
However, according to the city’s crime statistics, shootings in August were down 30 percent from the same month last year. At the same time, there was a year-on-year jump in other crimes during the same period, including theft, robbery and grand larceny.
Longtime angel investor Ron Conway co-hosted the event with Josh Mendelsohn, managing partner of the tech-focused investment firm, Mike Ference, partner at Hangar, and Julie Samuels, founder of New York tech advocacy group Tech:NYC. List of hosts and presenters for CNBC.
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, who runs the company that owns Le Pavillon, stops by to chat.
“It was a great way for him to meet tech CEOs.” Conway said in an interview, Noting the importance of civic engagement for technology leaders and companies. Mendelsohn, Ference and Samuels did not return requests for comment. Representatives of all the people involved in the dinner declined to comment or did not return requests for comment.
Those attending the dinner can help Adams as he approaches his re-election bid in 2025. City campaign finance records show Adams has raised more than $850,000 for his 2025 re-election campaign.
Alan Patrikoff and Conway were among the prominent political fundraisers at the dinner. Both have helped raise at least $100,000 for President Joe Biden’s 2020 White House campaign, according to the non-partisan Open Secrets.
A partial list of dinner attendees:
Alan Patrikoff, co-founder of Greycroft
Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel
Julie Samuels, founder of Tech: NYC
Josh Mendelsohn is a managing partner at Hangar
Mike Ference, Hangar partner
Josh Vlasto, former chief of staff to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and advisor to Hangar
Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, CEOs of Warby Parker
Mario Schlosser, founder of Oscar Health
Valerie Jarrett, former adviser to Barack Obama and member of the board of elevators
Steve McDermid, Managing Director of Emerson Collective
Michael Zuckert, general counsel of Silicon Valley Bank’s financial group
