Last night’s New York Tech Meetup was a really great time. Not only did we get to see awesome demos from Makr and Bubble, we totally got to see Mayor de Blasio introduce New York City’s first ever CTO Minerva Tantoco. Crazy, right? Here are some highlights:
1. Flatiron Co-founder Avi explained why we’ve started teaching high schoolers to code.
In a nutshell, coding is a skill that can transcend all sorts of boundaries and empower high schoolers with new ways to engage with the things they love. Avi also shared this video and announced Flatiron After School, our new coding program for high schoolers.
2. The amazing Julia Taitz, a senior in high school and Flatiron grad, talked about why she learned to code and demoed her app.
Julia demoed the app her project team built while they were students at Flatiron School. Modern Mind is a collaborative drawing app based on the game Exquisite Corpse that lets users make art together. She also took this selfie, and made everyone smile.
3. Heat Seek NYC showed all the progress they’ve made, as they prepare to tackle NYC’s heating crisis.
Heat Seek NYC was started by Flatiron Alums William Jeffries, Tristan Siegel, and Daniel Kronovet (Tristan and Daniel not pictured)—but many more folks, like Design Lead Andrea Acevedo and Hardware Engineer Harold Cooper, have signed up to make it a reality. Heat Seek uses sensors to help tenants back up claims against landlords who refuse to keep their apartments’ heat above the minimum temperatures required by law. In the last few months, the team has updated their website and their hardware—with the goal of keeping the sensors as affordable as possible. Hearts got as warm as NYC apartments will be this winter.
They’re fully funded on Kickstarter, but don’t let that stop you from backing them. Every extra dollar goes toward buying sensors for New Yorkers in need. Read more about Heat Seek NYC here and here.
4. Mayor de Blasio talked NYC tech and gave some hard-earned praise
Mayor de Blasio joined to celebrate New York Tech Meetup’s 10th anniversary. He shared his administration’s current work and future plans to enrich tech in New York City, including accessible wifi and a new CTO. He also gave Heat Seek NYC a shoutout and, with his “Mayoral Power”, a meeting with the Commissioner. Congrats!
5. We were introduced to Minerva Tantoco, New York City’s very first CTO.
As Mayor de Blasio put it, “Our City’s digital infrastructure should reflect the 21st Century innovation hub we want New York City to be.” Appointing a New York City CTO is a major step toward becoming a modern, connected government.
At Flatiron School, we feel so lucky to be able to work with New York City, NYC Workforce1, and the Department of Small Business Services. Nights like last night make us extraordinarily proud not only to be Flatiron School educators and staff, but also to be New Yorkers.
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