MAYOR BLOOMBERG LAUNCHES NEW "WE ARE MADE IN NY" INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT NEW YORK CITY'S THRIVING TECH INDUSTRY AND CONTINUE RECORD JOB GROWTH Initiative Includes Advertising Campaign, New Website with Job Opportunities at More Than 900 Local Tech Startups, and Expansion of "Made in NY" Logo Beyond Film and Television

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Media & Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver and Chief Digital Officer Rachel Haot today launched “We Are Made in NY,” a multi-platform initiative promoting the city’s thriving technology and digital sector. The initiative includes a comprehensive website that brings together City resources to help entrepreneurs and attract new startups to New York City, such as a map of employment opportunities with the more than 900 local startups that are currently hiring for over 3,000 jobs; an advertising campaign that highlights Made in NY tech companies through digital ads and ads on subways and buses; and an expansion of the “Made in NY” logo program beyond the film and television industry. The Mayor was joined by members of the local tech industry at the headquarters of BuzzFeed to unveil the initiative.

“Growing our local tech industry is an important part of our economic development strategy to bring new businesses to our city and more jobs opportunities to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The city offers the ideal location for talented people with ground-breaking ideas to start their companies, and the ‘We Are Made in NY’ initiative is the latest step we’re taking to help them grow here.”

“Under Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership, New York City has become a global tech hub, with thousands of new jobs created in the last decade in the tech sector,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel. “This new campaign will showcase the vibrancy of the City’s tech and digital ecosystem.”

“At the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, we’ve been committed to making the ‘Made in NY’ logo a mark of distinction given to the hundreds of films and TV shows that call New York City home and support our local economy,” said Media & Entertainment Commissioner Oliver. “The initiative has been incredibly successful and recognizable and has become a source of pride in the entertainment industry, and our goal is to instill those same feelings of pride among the tech community and celebrate this growing tech sector.”

“There has never been a better time to launch and grow a digital company in New York City,” said Rachel Haot, Chief Digital Officer. “The ‘We Are Made in NY’ initiative will link jobseekers to career opportunities, and connect startups to a wide range of resources and benefits spearheaded by Mayor Bloomberg’s administration. We are proud that over 900 digital companies make New York City their headquarters, and thank them and our many partners in the initiative for helping to make our City the digital capital of the world.”

“‘We Are Made in NY’ is an innovative initiative that will help to support job creation and ensure New York’s standing as the tech capital of the world,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “I thank Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Oliver for their continued efforts to grow our City’s tech industry and to connect startups to the talented New Yorkers who can help their businesses thrive.”


The “We Are Made in NY” website – www.WeAreMadeinNY.com, also accessible from www.NYC.gov – brings together in one convenient online location all of the various resources and services provided by the City of New York to help technology businesses build and grow here. Included on the site are links to finding subsidized office space, applying for broadband connectivity and competing for grants to expand in Lower Manhattan and participating in technology community events, among others. The website also includes the Made in NY Digital map, an interactive map that shows where hundreds of local tech companies are located and which ones are hiring; educational and networking resources; and a video section where local tech companies are encouraged to record a short video profiling their businesses to give New Yorkers a ‘behind the scenes’ perspective of their work and why New York City is a great place to start a business. Companies with at least 75 percent of their development based in New York City are encouraged to join the “We Are Made in NY” initiative and apply to add the hyperlinked “Made in NY” mark of distinction to their website. The “Made in NY” initiative was first launched in 2005 but limited to the film and movie industry.

The “We Are Made in NY” initiative features some of the more than 900 local startups in the City and their employees. Among the companies featured are AppNexus, an open and customizable advertising technology platform; DoSomething.org, the largest U.S. organization for teens and social change; Etsy, an online marketplace where people can buy handmade and vintage goods directly from makers; Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects; LearnVest, a unique personal finance platform; and Songza, a music streaming service providing expert-made playlists. The initiative can be currently be seen online, on subway platforms, on bus shelters, on the sides of buses, and on Taxi TV. The initiative was also made possible with the support of a range of partners including: Advertising Age and Creativity, BuzzFeed, Clear Channel, LinkedIn, Mashable, Netted, New York Tech Meetup, Reddit, Shutterstock, Songza, and Wordpress.com VIP, who donated resources in the effort to promote the City’s tech industry.

“The technology sector is growing and thriving in New York City, and NYC Business Solutions Centers are here to help with free services including business courses, financial assistance, recruitment and more,” said Rob Walsh, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “We are excited to build on the work we are doing with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment to help train and strengthen small business owners and employees in the media and entertainment industry.”

“Under the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg, we are working to cultivate our technology sector in order to position New York City as a leader in innovation for the 21st Century and strengthen our economy,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Kyle Kimball. “The 'We are Made in NY' initiative will highlight the many resources that make New York City the most lucrative place in the world to launch an innovative startup, attracting new technology-based companies and helping existing companies to grow.”

“New York City is the media capital of the world,” said Jon Steinberg, President & Chief Operating Officer of BuzzFeed. “If you are building a news and technology company, it’s simply the only place to headquarter. BuzzFeed’s employees, clients and partners are just a walk or subway ride away from each other. That only happens in New York, and we are thrilled to be the media partner for the latest Made in New York campaign.”

“New York offers an unmatched opportunity for emerging companies looking to innovate and grow their businesses,” said AppNexus CEO Brian O'Kelley. “AppNexus has built one of the country's premier technology companies here thanks to the fantastic and diverse talents the city has to offer, as well as proximity to the world's largest advertisers and media companies eager for new technology solutions. We look forward to contributing to our vibrant community by hiring aggressively in the NYC market for years to come.”

“We are thrilled to be one of the homegrown tech companies featured in the latest Made in NY campaign,” said Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy. “Etsy’s headquarters have always been in Brooklyn, and we are proud to call this city home. Our employees and our community benefit because New York City is a nexus of creative industries like media, fashion and advertising. The different perspectives found here echo the diversity of our 22 million members around the world.”

“DoSomething.org is proud to be one of the not-for-profits identified as a tech startup as part of Bloomberg’s Made in NY Campaign,” said Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org. “Technology is extremely important when running a not-for-profit, especially when your audience targets the smartest techies out there: teens. We invest major resources into making sure we attract the best talent, who in turn can attract amazing teens to affect social change through our campaigns.”

“LearnVest is very proud to be a part of the Made in NY campaign,” said Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO of LearnVest. “As a finance and media company, the decision to plant our roots here was easy. Being included in the fast-paced world of New York tech startups has been incredibly exciting, and we look forward to growing our business here.”

“We were often asked about why we based Songza in Long Island City as opposed to Silicon Valley or even Manhattan,” said Elias Roman, CEO and co-founder of Songza. “Now, thanks to the support of the Bloomberg administration, New York City and specifically Queens has become a leading place to be for tech companies like Songza.”

“As the New York technology community has experienced exponential growth over the past few years, NY Tech Meetup have been especially proud to showcase the overwhelming number of companies that are truly made – coded front-end and back-end – in the city of New York,” said Jessica Lawrence, Managing Director of New York Tech Meetup. “We are excited to continue that work in partnership with the City of New York and the Made in NY program.”

“I did my time on the west coast, but coming back to New York two years ago was one of the best personal and professional decisions I’ve ever made,” said Alexis Ohanian, investor, entrepreneur and Internet activist. “I’m proud to be Made in NY (Fort Greene to be precise!) and thrilled be part of a vibrant industry that has not only been hiring New Yorkers, but hiring them to help change the world. This campaign reinforces the Bloomberg administration’s commitment to NY tech, which is already one of the pillars of our economy and yet still has much more to grow.”

The “Made in NY” logo, designed by @radical.media, a transmedia company based in the City, also represents a mark of distinction given to films and TV shows where at least 75 percent of the overall production is made within the five boroughs. The logo has appeared in the end credits of over 200 productions, highlighting the fact that they were filmed in New York City and employed local crews. The Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, part of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, also brands its various programs under the umbrella of “Made in NY.” From workforce development training like the “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program to educational initiatives like the “Made in NY” Industry series, a free series of panels featuring industry professionals, the “Made in NY” mark brings together everything that makes the City and its media, entertainment and digital industries unique. In the coming months, the “Made in NY” Media Center, a centralized hub for the local media industry to collaborate and grow, will open in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Operated by the Independent Filmmaker Project, the center will provide workspace, educational programs in partnership with General Assembly and networking events for content creators and entrepreneurs.



The “We are Made in NY” campaign comes at a time when New York City’s tech sector has increased significantly in recent years. Between 2007 and 2011, the number of employees at digital media companies grew by 80 percent. Since 2007, 486 digital startups have received funding. Of the tech startups founded in NYC since 2007, 82 companies have raised more than $10 million in investments. Venture capital deals in New York grew 52 percent from 2007 to 2012 while decreasing in other regions. In 2012, New York City saw over $8.3 billion in technology company acquisitions, ranking second in the nation.

Examples of the “We Are Made in NY” creative elements are available on the NYC Mayor’s Office’s Flickr page.