Thursday, May 8, 2025

May 08, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Thursday, May 8, 2025 

Happy #NationalHaveACokeDay! In today’s digest, mayoral queries, subways to the beach, and increasing managerial productivity. 🤓

Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

  • Where do the NYC Democratic mayoral candidates stand on the issues? Crain’s New York Business asked each of the candidates a series of 12 questions — ranging from e-bikes, rezoning, AI (!), and more. (Crain’s New York Business)

    • Don’t forget: Election day is June 24, and early voting starts June 14. 🗳️

  • We’re in for a beautiful Mother’s Day treat this weekend — perfect weather for outdoor activities and celebrations! But before the sunshine arrives, expect one more bout of rain in an already prolonged stretch of grey skies.  (NBC New York)

    • The forecast calls for a rainy and cooler Friday, followed by clearing skies and breezy, warmer weather on Saturday. ☀️

  • Speaking of warmer weather, the A train and Rockaway Park Shuttle are coming back, just in time for beach season. (PIX 11)

    • A train service, suspended since January, will return May 19, right before New York City’s beaches open for swimming on May 24. 🏊

In other reading:

We’re entering a new era of work. AI is transforming every industry in its path, according to a new Gallup report. But how can we make sure that AI sparks growth in a way that elevates  worker potential? Let’s dive into the roadmap Gallup outlines below. 

Why it matters: Last year, global employee engagement fell, costing the world economy $438 billion in lost productivity.

  • The causes? A drop in manager engagement. 

  • Since the pandemic, managers have been asked to square the circle of new exec demands and employee expectations — and the impact is spreading to employees. 

📊 By the numbers: The U.S. workplace today is faring better than global averages on engagement, life evaluation, and job market, but U.S. employees still experience higher levels of daily emotions like stress than other countries around the world. 

  • Engagement: 31% of U.S. employees are engaged — above the global average (21%).

  • Wellbeing: 52% of U.S. employees are considered "thriving," but that's down four percentage points compared to previous years.

  • Stress: 50% report daily stress, one of the highest globally.

  • Job climate: 57% say it’s a good time to find a job, but that’s dropped nine percentage points since 2023.

  • 50% are actively looking for new job opportunities, which aligns with the global average. 

Gallup’s roadmap to a global productivity boom:

  1. ✅ Train all managers: Fewer than half of the world’s managers have received training. Cutting extreme manager disagreement in half starts with education.

  2. ✅ Teach coaching skills: Effective coaching can boost manager performance by 20–28%. Some managers are natural leaders, but most need help developing people.

  3. ✅ Increase manager wellbeing: Ongoing development can improve manager wellbeing by 32%. When employers invest in training, thriving levels rise.

In other reading:

  • Netflix to revamp TV app interface, launch AI-powered search for iOS users (Reuters)

  • This U.S. company just successfully tested a reusable hypersonic rocket plane (Wired)

  • How to build a better AI benchmark (MIT Technology Review)

  • Inductive Bio, an NYC-based developer of AI models for small molecule drug discovery, raised $25 million in Series A funding. Obvious Ventures led the round and was joined by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, Lux Capital, S32, Character, and Amino Collective, and angel investors.

  • Jericho Security, an NYC-based cybersecurity training platform, raised $15 million in Series A funding. Era Fund led, joined by Lux Capital, Dash, Gaingels Enterprise, and Gaingels.

  • May 9: Founders NYC, by Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, First Round Capital, and BoxGroup, bringing together NYC’s best builders from the most iconic companies — founders from MongoDB, Warby Parker, Ramp, Ro, and others — to talk about lessons learned, off-the-record-tips, and well-trodden tales with the goal of helping NYC’s big next wave. Apply to attend here.

  • May 13: Watches and Wearables, a happy hour by Remedy and Ganance for anyone excited to chat watches and wearable tech, featuring drinks, hands-on product demos, and a fireside chat. Register here.

  • May 14: OpenAI and the AI for Nonprofits Sprint present Advanced Features for Nonprofits: ChatGPT's Next-Level Tools, a webinar to learn how to go beyond simple chats and explore ChatGPT’s next-level capabilities for more efficient and impactful work. Co-sponsored by the Tech:NYC Foundation. Register here.

  • May 14: Unlock LATAM by nocnoc, for VIP execs from leading U.S. companies looking to tap into Latin America’s $100 billion+ e-commerce opportunity. Register here. 

  • May 15-16: Black Women Talk Tech hosts its 9th Annual Roadmap to Billions Conference, a platform to forge connections, expand your knowledge, and drive generational wealth for you and your community. Register here and save 20% with code RTBPARTNER20.

  • May 20: Grow and Secure Your Business with Google, an in-person session on essential digital tools to grow your business, improve operational efficiency, and protect your business against cybersecurity threats. Register here.

  • May 22: Brderless’ May Founder Breakfast: Fundraising Readiness Beyond the Deck, for early-stage founders to gain insights from experts and connect with other founders going through the fundraising process. Register here.

  • May 23: NYPL’s free job fair & expo, focusing on tech sector jobs. Employers can apply to table at the event here. Job seekers, register to attend here. 

  • May 28: Go for Growth: Mastering Strategy, Technology, People, and Culture for Long-Term Success, a virtual event for pre-IPO and growth-focused companies to get insights, connections, and a roadmap to scale. Register here.

  • May 30: NYC Coffee Club for early-stage B2B SaaS founders & funders, a no-stress way to connect with NYC VCs and founders. Register here.

  • June 2: AI Startup Pitch Day, where NYC’s top pre-seed AI startups will take the stage to pitch their startups to a roomful of 100 investors with a grand prize of $50K. Investors, register here. Startups can apply to compete here.

  • June 4: Generative AI in the Built Environment, a networking breakfast and panel exploring how generative AI is reshaping design, development, and operations across the built world. Register here.

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.