Thursday, March 19, 2026
In today’s digest, new subway cars are on the way, New York preps for an AI-driven workforce, and a recap of the Digital NY Summit. 🗽
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced today the launch of the FutureWorks Commission to advise on how AI will reshape jobs, and how workers can get AI training. 🧠 (CBS Albany)
As part of the launch, Gov. Hochul also announced programs that will focus on expanding access to AI training, particularly for underserved communities.
Proud moment: Welcome to Chinatown — an alum of Tech:NYC’s Decoded Futures initiative, which empowers the social sector to scale their impact with AI — will provide specialized AI training to small businesses and entrepreneurs as part of the program.
Read Tech:NYC’s statement on the launch here.
From state news to city news: Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today the creation of an Office of Community Safety in City Hall, which will address violence and hate crimes and provide mental health support. 🦺 (Gothamist)
The office, led by former city official Renita Francois as deputy mayor for community safety, will begin with about $260 million in funding.
The MTA is kicking off the largest subway car upgrade in NYC history, ordering more than 2,300 new trains to replace aging fleets across major lines. 🚇 (PIX 11)
The overhaul will refresh roughly one-third of the entire system, covering lines like the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6.
The new cars come with modern control systems, real-time maintenance data, and upgraded accessibility features — but riders won’t see them roll out until the early 2030s.
In other reading:
Digital NY Gets Practical
In more tech and gov news, at City & State’s Digital NY Summit today, the clearest theme was whether government can make systems work better for New Yorkers, and whether it can do that at city and state (😉) scale.
A few takeaways for the NYC tech community:
🔑 Infrastructure is key: Across workforce, cybersecurity, and public-private panels, speakers returned to the same point: modern government runs on data systems, cloud platforms, connectivity, and the people who manage them.
Access is part of the core build: The panel on expanding digital tools pushed beyond the usual digital divide framing and into design, disability access, and whether public systems are usable in real life.
Thierno Diallo, Manager, Information Technology Services, Digital Transformation Office noted that agencies need to “build accessibility from the beginning,” not patch it in after launch.
🤝 Coordination is still the hard part: New York does not suffer from lack of ideas. The real challenge is fragmented agencies, siloed data, and uneven execution.
That’s why New York State Director of Security and Intelligence, Colin Ahern’s line landed during the keynote address: “We can either succeed together or we can fail separately.”
Best of the rest:
Workforce came up again and again: new tools only matter if staff are trained to use them.
Speakers were honest that coordination across agencies, vendors, and institutions is still the hard part.
👉 The main takeaway: The next civic tech wins will come from teams that can connect systems, widen access, and make government feel less like a maze.
In other reading:
Meta bets on NYC with flagship (Retail Dive)
How to follow the game, even when you can’t see it live (NY Times)
How to stand out to C‑suite recruiters (HBR)
Edra, an NYC- and London-based developer of AI that learns how enterprise teams work and automates their workflows, raised $30 million in Series A funding. Sequoia led the round.
Deeptune, an NYC-based developer of “training gyms” for AI agents, raised $43 million in Series A funding. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, joined by 776, Abstract Ventures, and Inspired Capital.
GlobalComix, an NYC-based digital comics publishing platform, raised $13 million led by SBI US Gateway Fund and Point72 Ventures.
Meadow, an NYC-based online funeral planning startup, raised $9 million in a Series A round led by Lachy Groom and Haystack.
Posh, an NYC-based events platform, raised $37 million in Series B funding. FirstMark led the round, joined by Causeway Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Companyon Ventures, and Epic Ventures.
Sequen, an NYC-based provider of in-session personalization solutions, raised $16 million in Series A funding led by White Star Capital and Threshold Ventures, with Greycroft participating.
Featured events:
⭐ March 26: Tech:NYC’s Decoded Futures Demo Day, a showcase of creativity, collaboration, and innovation, featuring social sector leaders who have been exploring, over our 8-week program, how AI can scale their work and impact. Register here.
⭐ March 31: Runway AI Summit, bringing together industry leaders across media, technology, consumer brands, robotics, and more to explore how AI is reshaping how work gets done — and what comes next for enterprise. Register here with promo code TECHNYC50 for 50% off.
⭐ April 6-9: HumanX’s conference for AI leaders in San Francisco, uniting 6,500+ leaders, builders, and investors driving real transformation. Discover cutting-edge innovations and accelerate your impact through networking opportunities. Register here with promo code HX26P_TECHNYC to get $$$ off your pass.
Other great events:
March 20: Keeping It Urban Summit, featuring 10+ powerhouse panelists on media interfaces, robotics, and civic innovation, 5+ early-stage startups, and creative tech artist talks. Register here.
March 21: Anti-Slopathon, a hackathon where participants use AI to build tools, games, features, and experiences, but show how they’ve listened to their user and applied taste and design judgment. Register here.
March 25: Speed Pitch, where every founder meets with three matched investors in one-on-one eight-minute sessions. Register here with promo code TECHNYC20 for 20% off.
March 25: FinTech Running Club ft. Rain, a casual run that’s open to everyone, from first-timers to seasoned runners. Register here.
March 25: Equitable AI for Outcomes: Moving From Principles to Practice, a one-day virtual convening bringing orgs together (including Tech:NYC’s Decoded Futures!) to explore what equitable AI adoption looks like in real-world practice. Register here.
March 26: How The Nation’s Top Law Enforcement Organizations Are Navigating Disruption, a discussion with leaders of organizations representing state Attorneys General on how they’re equipping their members and offices with the resources needed to uphold law and order during times of disorder. Register here.
March 26: American Fintech Council’s inaugural Marketing and Communications Cocktails & Conversations, hosted in collaboration with Tech:NYC, CLYDE, and Current. Register here.
March 26: Make It in Brooklyn Ag Tech Pitch Contest, bringing together local Ag Tech startups, early-stage founders, seasoned investors, and industry leaders to spotlight solutions that will define agriculture’s next chapter. Register here.
March 27: Free Social Coworking Session at The Yard (Gowanus), a chance to work in a focused but social environment with other remote workers. Register here.
March 31: Climate Scaling Summit, a keystone convening where you can connect with thought leaders in manufacturing, supply chain, and workforce development alongside growth-stage startups that have already made the post-pilot leap. Register here.
March 31: Building at the Frontier, a panel with the builders and operators pushing deep tech forward, featuring Fauna Robotics’ Rob Cochran and Radical AI’s Joseph Krause. Moderated by Eric Newcomer. Register here.
April 2: Building the American Century, part of Deep Tech Week, featuring fireside chats with David Ulevitch, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and co-leader of the American Dynamism practice, alongside key members of the team. Moderated by Hyperstition Incorporated’s Andrew Cote. Register here.
April 2: NYU Wagner’s 20th International Policy and Planning Summit, bringing together academics, practitioners, and students to explore cross-sectoral solutions to the interconnected global challenges of climate change, migration, and global urban resilience. Register here.
April 14: Govtech Happy Hour, for govtech founders and operators, civil servants past and present, and policy enthusiasts. Register here.
April 14: April Nexus Cocktail Mixer, an executive mixer designed for leaders driving operations, technology, and growth at top brands and retailers. Register here.
April 16: Construction Robotics Summit: From Dirt to Data, bringing together the builders, technologists, and decision-makers advancing robotics across the built environment. Register here for early-bird pricing before March 31.
April 28: Rillet Recon, a full-day program on the future of AI-native finance. Register here.
Daily Digest Rewards 🎁
Treat yourself: Send subscribers our way, and we’ll send swag your way.
1 Referral: Shoutout in the Digest
5 Referrals: Obviously NYC Hat
10 Referrals: Obviously NYC Tote Bag
25 Referrals: Obviously NYC Sweatshirt
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or share your personal link with others: {{ rp_refer_url }}
Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.
