By Grand Central Tech on September 22, 2016, originally published on their website in News
When Grand Central Tech started in 2014, we did so with the goal of creating a single point of density of the best technology companies in NYC. And with that goal came a twofold mission:
First, to provide GCT companies access to key resources at the very best terms possible, and materially accelerate their progress. Earlier this week, we announced the ongoing evolution of this component of our mission with the opening of the Hub, which expands our footprint to over 100,000 square feet and allows us to work with even later stage companies working on what we think are some of the most important challenges facing the world today. Apply here.
Second, to set an example for how New York could “do tech differently” by more fully integrating the tech sector into the broader economy/community that surrounds it in a way that wouldn’t detract from any company’s likelihood of success – but would in fact augment it.
To date, this twofold mission has been adopted enthusiastically by all of our participating GCT companies — something we’re deeply proud of. Last summer alone, we took on about 50 interns from local schools (thanks to GCT company Code2Work!), of which over 80% came from either 2 or 4 year community colleges. Drawing interns from a broader talent pool isn’t just “nice” to do; across the board ~80% of these interns were offered jobs afterward… Challenging preconceived notions around where talent comes from and what it tends to look like creates a strategic advantage for companies smart enough to do so.
Today, we’re excited to announce that Grand Central Tech is partnering with Pledge 1% — a global movement to integrate giving back into the DNA of companies of all sizes as early as possible. Launched a little over a year ago, over 900 companies in 30+ countries have taken the pledge to donate 1% of time, equity, profit, and/or product including Twilio, Atlassian, General Assembly, Salesforce, Box, Yelp, MediaMath, Appnexus, and Okta.
As part of our partnership, all GCT companies automatically qualify for inclusion in Pledge 1%, in recognition of all the hard work and time they’ve committed to giving back to the community and making New York the best place in the world to start and build a company.
We’re proud to partner with Pledge 1%, and encourage you all to take the pledge too. It only takes 30 seconds, and together we can continue to be an example to the rest of the world about how New York does tech. And, if you/your company can’t necessarily take the pledge outright, you can sign up to be an Ambassador!
To read the original article and to learn more about Grand Central Tech, visit: http://www.grandcentraltech.com/grand-central-tech-is-proud-to-partner-with-pledge-1/
You can also get involved and join our growing community at www.pledge1percent.org.
