STOP BY, SAY HI Internet Week has the city’s tech community feeling even more welcoming than usual, and so many names you’ll recognize are participating in WalkaboutNYC, this Friday from 12 to 6pm. Tumblr, Gilt Groupe, Spotify, 10Gen, Facebook, CodeAcademy, and pretty much everyone else you can think of will be opening their New York offices to the public. Most are offering tours at particular times, but a few–Sonar, Sidetour, Warby Parker–are having traditional open houses. However you will need to RSVP and several are already sold out, so get moving.
TALK TO ME Engag.io is evolving: Originally something of a social media inbox, it’s now a “social conversations network.” How’s that? The addition of a new discovery dashboard, allowing users to see and engage with friends’ conversations all over the social web. The company has also debuted a new Chrome gmail extension and now allows single users to manage multiple accounts (for all the beleaguered brand managers out there).
MAKING MOVES Just last week social advertising platform Adaptly launched its latest solution, with the code-name-style moniker of Evergreen. The offering converts content generated for brand pages into paid advertising, and Kraft Foods has already signed on. The company also announced a $10.5 million Series B led by Valhalla Partners, which, among other things, will help finance that snazzy new product.
CROWDFUNDING FUN Lucky Ant is on the move again. The nabe-based crowdfunding platform has expanded to the East Village, where the non-profit, arts-supporting FAB Café needs cash to replace its decrepit old floors, and the West Village, where farm-to-table Scandinavian restaurant Smörgås Chef wants the scratch to raise more chickens. They’ve also racked up another success story, having helped 65-year-old The Living Theater come up with $24,000 to stay in its Clinton Street home.
NOT SO PHOTO SHY Among the latest to decide to jump on in because
EXPO EXCITEMENT Announced last week, NY Business Expo is making sure the city’s startup scene feels included. The Expo has four major components: a show floor, Startup Central, small business classrooms, and an after-hours networking event. Startup Central will feature mentors ready to consult one-on-one with entrepreneurs. Also, for the bootstrappers, both Startup Central and the show floor are free to attend. November 14 – 15 at the 69th Regiment Armory.
GAME ON Live for the glory of combat? Fitness social network Fitocracy has launched Duels just for the hyper competitive among you. The new feature allows users with a paid “Hero” account to issue one-on-one challenges to other individual users. For when you want the world to look more like Mortal Kombat (which we assume is every day).
MORNING GLORY Not feeling the walkabout? Investigate the Brooklyn Tech Triangle for yourself at Friday’s Dumbo Tech Breakfast. No pre-assigned topic of conversation, other than tech gab.
