We shine a spotlight on some of the people that are responsible for the transformation of New York's technology and startup ecosystem.
Please visit http://alleywat.ch/awesomenyc to see the entire list.
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20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You Need to Know About
2. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
They’re mentors. They’re facilitators. They’re connectors. And they’re always
ready, willing and able to help entrepreneurs wherever and however they can.
You may have seen on panels, but these are the people who spend most of
their time working behind the scenes and front and center to keep the New
York tech community thriving and growing.
We at AlleyWatch felt it was high time that someone shined a spotlight on
these shakers and movers. They’re the people who help to make sure the
trains not only run on time, but that the startups and/or the entrepreneurs
fortunate enough to cross their paths, stay on track. A round of applause for
the true backbones of the New York tech scene – each and every one of them
is nothing short of awesome!
3. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
Bradley Harrison, Founder, Scout Ventures
That’s sir, to you. No, he hasn’t been knighted, although he is
arguably an absolute prince among investors. Before beginning
his career in venture capitalism, the founder and managing
partner of BHV (now Scout Ventures) was a cadet at the United
States Military Academy at West Point (1990-1994), graduating in
the top 1% of his class with a B.S.E. in Quantitative Economics
and a concentration in Systems Engineering, and a Distinguished
Honor Graduate award. He then went on to serve in the United
States Army for 5 years, beginning his military career as a
second lieutenant and retiring as a captain, while earning both
Airborne and Ranger qualifications.
An MIT grad, Harrison holds an MBA from Sloan and is also an
active participant in the Columbia Business School’s Greenhouse
Program and has served as an executive mentor for the school’s
Launching New Ventures course with Brendan Burns. But you
don’t have to be an MBA candidate to catch his ear or a few
minutes of his time. And that’s just one of the reasons why we’re
saluting him here for being awesome in New York!
4. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
Brian Cohen, Chairman, New York Angels
Brian Cohen is not only Chairman of the New York Angels. He’s also
considered the father of science and technology communications,
having founded tech PR agency Technology Solutions, Inc. in 1983
(and bought by the McCann Erikson Worldgroup in 1997). And he’s
been supporting startup tech companies, primarily in New York,
ever since.
He is also author of What Every Angel Investor Wants You To Know:
In Insider Reveals How To Raise Money For Your Billion-Dollar Idea,
and can frequently be found on one investor panel or other
dispensing pearls of wisdom in any given fortnight in New York.
Then again, he has always been generous with his time and happy
to give advice and share his experiences with entrepreneurs.
He’s a rainmaker and so is his boat, Rainmaker, an ocean-worthy
catamaran, which may be one of the reasons you haven’t seen
Cohen speaking on quite as many panels as usual, of late. Look, he
recently co-founded a company called Launch.it with son, Trace.
We should have suspected… But summer will be over soon enough
and Cohen will once again be one of the biggest New York tech
community supporters, investors and mentors on dry land.
5. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
Kay Koplovitz, Founder, Springboard Enterprises
As if founding USA Networks wasn’t enough, Kay Koplovitz then
launched the Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy Channel – whatever),
bringing smiles to the faces of techies everywhere. It doesn’t stop
there – far from it. Koplovitz then created Springboard Enterprises
to raise venture capital specifically for women entrepreneurs. And
may we just add that companies selected and represented by
Springboard have raised over $5.5 billion and have had positive
liquidity events for investors, including IPOs.
And for the record, it was Koplovitz who launched major
professional and collegiate sports on cable television by
negotiating the first contracts and creating first cable coverage for
Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and
the National Hockey League.
Her latest: Springboard Enterprises is one of the partners behind
the New York Fashion Tech Lab, fostering early and growth stage
companies that are innovating at the intersection of fashion, retail,
and technology. All of which makes her legendary and nothing
short of awesome!
6. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
Murat Aktihanoglu, Managing Partner, ER Accelerator
Technologist, author, entrepreneur and investor, who in New York doesn’t know
whom you mean when you say the name, ‘Murat?’ He’s one of the few people
in tech in New York who’s easily identifiable by the mention of just his first
name.
Currently the Founder and Managing Director at Entrepreneurs Roundtable
Accelerator, Murat Aktihanoglu is one of the true backbones – and moving
forces - of the New York tech community.
Never mind that ERA has fostered 60+ early stage companies in its brief
existence. The accelerator was inspired by Entrepreneurs Roundtable itself, a
non-profit Aktihanoglu launched in 2007 to help entrepreneurs and investors in
New York connect through monthly pitch events. The event expanded to
Tokyo, Istanbul and Philadelphia. Over 17,000 entrepreneurs and investors
worldwide have attended the events.
He’s an advisor to The Startup Foundation, and the MIT Enterprise Forum of
NYC, a Partner for US State Department's Global Entrepreneurship Program,
founder of the Turkish Technology Network, co-founder of the Turkish Founders
Club, a board member at Turkish American Business Forum, an advisor to the
Turkish Women's International Network and co-author of the book, Location-
Aware Applications.”
That’s Murat. And one of his favorite words is ‘Awesome.’
7. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
Matt Turck, Partner, FirstMark Capital
Matt Turck is another New York investor who always makes time
to speak on panels, and review startups at the numerous pitching
events around the city. We’ve personally been in the room to
catch his very informed opinions at Entrepreneurs Roundtable,
Ultralight Startups’ Investor Feedback Forum, Global Innovators
and Orrick Total Access – and that’s just for starters.
A partner at FirstMark Capital and the previous Managing
Director at Bloomberg Ventures, Turck is a mentor at Techstars
NY, DreamIt New York, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator,
First Growth Venture Network and NYC Venture Fellows. And he
also finds the time to organize of two large monthly tech
community events, Data Driven NYC and Hardwired NYC.
Did we mention that he’s an angel investor as well?
We don’t know when he finds the time to sleep, but all of the
energy he devotes to the New York startup scene is just
awesome!
8. 20 Awesome People in the New York Tech Scene You
Need to Know About
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