Grand Central Tech | NYC Flagship Tech Accelerator Grand Central Tech [Scroll Down] Grand central tech About Space Partners Ongoing Support Mission FAQ Portfolio Blog As Seen In: About Transforming promising companies into extraordinary ones GCT is a community of startups and strategic partners that breaks from the traditional accelerator model by providing an unparalleled value proposition. Accepted companies receive FREE office space for a YEAR with ZERO equity fee to participate. We surround these companies with the best possible resources in a program tailor-made to each. Our model looks something like this: Attract best-of-breed startups focused on transforming their given industries and are savvy and accomplished enough to want to preserve their equity and initial capital. Above and beyond any of the other resources GCT provides, the trust, support and camaraderie of true peers is the most valuable. Provide an exhaustive package of perks and services that goes well beyond the standard, including access to an in-house recruiting team to source premier talent Bring to bear an influential Strategic Advisory Board, mentors and mentor companies, a broad network of interested VCs and Angels, and top-flight corporate partners Weve done this successfully for years now. Its a model that channels NYCs unrivaled institutional advantagesFortune 500 companies, top schools, preeminent advisors, global networks of investorsfor the benefit of our community of startups with exemplary results. Space 15,000 sq ft overlooking Grand Central Terminal Facebooks former NYC headquarters, our beautiful wide-open space in the heart of the city. Partners Strategic Advisors Weve carefully assembled an exciting group of Strategic Advisors that are instrumental in selecting participating startups, providing guidance, and generally shaping our program. Our advisors come from a wide array of professional backgrounds, but all have a wealth of experience and deep connections throughout the technology landscape. An initial (though still growing) list is as follows: Joe Lonsdale Eight Partners Michael Milstein Boylan Bottling Harry LeFrak LeFrak Justin Rockefeller Addepar Andrew Rubin Illumio Danl Lewin Microsoft Lance Braunstein Aperture Group Andrew Yang Venture for America Anita M. Sands Symantec and ServiceNow David Famolari Verizon Ventures Rachel Wiess LOreal Barbara Chang City of New York Corporate Partners Our Corporate Partners represent the very best of New York and global business. Facilitating two-way dialogue between emerging and established companies creates lasting benefit for both, and the broader NYC economy. Growth Partners Starting a company isnt easy. And while some tasks are more vital than others, every company needs to be buttoned up when it comes to their foundational documents and term sheets, their tax and accounting policies, and their strategy for making themselves known to the world. The best way to cover these bases is by working with the pros. So weve assembled some of the best in the game: Programming Partner Legal Tax Accounting Strategic Communications Community Partner Travel Recruiting Educational Partners Fostering the next generation of tech talent and broadening access to the benefits of the tech economy is in our DNA. Weve partnered with some of NYCs premier high schools to place their best recent graduates as interns with GCT companies and leverage the advice and influence of their alumni as mentors. We also work with and support a number of programs that bolster and expand STEM instruction and/or provide exposure to the NYC tech economy for talented young people from public schools around the city. Ongoing Support The first day a company starts at Grand Central Tech is the last day they have to worry about their real estate needs, doing away with a massive headache/distraction for the foreseeable future. In fact, you can think of GCT as just step one in what is a vertically integrated startup ecosystem addressing the needs of technology companies throughout their lifecycle. Build is our 40,000 sq. ft. coworking space into which GCT companies graduate. Space is guaranteed here for GCT companies and offered at favorable rates, allowing our community to continue to grow and work together beyond their one year term at GCT. Build includes private office suites, open desks and plenty of separate spaces. Learn more here. The Hub@GCT reflects GCTs commitment to supporting entrepreneurs that are addressing the worlds most critical AND most lucrative challenges. Built in partnership with the NYC EDC, the Hub consists of 50,000 square feet of custom built, flexible office space offered at highly discounted rents to growth stage companies focused on Urban Tech and smarter city challenges. Learn more about the Hub here. More broadly speaking, The Hub is representative of Grand Central Techs commitment to supporting our companies throughout their lifecycle including their Growth stage the point at which theyve outgrown traditional coworking spaces but are growing too unpredictably to sign a 5-10 year lease. For these types of companies we offer a variety of private office formats throughout the building ranging in size from 2,000 to 40,000 square feet. All of our communities GCT, Build, Hub@GCT are purpose-built to work together often and collaboratively, constantly building and reinforcing one another to establish what is effectively a Center of Excellence for New Yorks premier technology companies/entrepreneurs. Mission Grand Central Tech is guided by a two-part mission. First, to create a single point of density of the best technologists and entrepreneurs in NYC by leveraging all of the ecosystems key advantages in their favor. In particular, it is our goal to not only accelerate them by removing headaches that otherwise encumber a startup (including space, legal, accounting, etc), but to provide them with the competitive advantages of access to customers, mentors, talent and investors. Drawing in the scale of resources from our corporate partners is a key component of driving these advantages. Success in this regard will increase the efficiency of the energy and resources being poured into innovation by both the corporate and startup worlds. But were not doing this in a vacuum. We appreciate the socioeconomic opportunity inherent in the economic shift towards technology were undergoing and intend to ensure that the broadest possible range of beneficiaries stand to benefit from the energy and resources being poured into the tech sector, and the opportunities that are coming out of it. We do this by selecting for a diverse community of tech companies without in the least sacrificing on quality and then challenging/enabling that community to engage in good corporate citizenship via our code of conduct and a number of outreach efforts most notably our signature internship program that draws in young people from across the socioeconomic spectrum and provides them internships with our member companies. Last, in all cases, we would prefer to be working with and on technologies that are advancing the human condition; that are aiming for big, important goals but which also have a credible path towards achieving them. Portfolio Were thrilled to announce this years GCT class! 2015 Class 2014 Class FAQ FREE rent and ZERO equity fee? Sounds too good to be true; is it? Nope. Believe it. We only ask two things: One, to be a great community member and to take on at least one intern from our internship program. In the past, 85% of our interns have been offered ongoing, paid work with their companies. They are great. Two, to commit to staying in the building after your year in GCT provided doing so is not deleterious to your business. Weve built a highly configurable, 40,000 square foot coworking space to fit your companys needs as they grow and our rates are competitive with the market. Our intention in making this request is to maintain the most valuable asset youll acquire during your time at GCT the camaraderie and support of your peers. There are hundreds of tech accelerators out there, why should I go with yours? Because you will get access to absolute best-in-class resources at the best possible rates: FREE. Our community of mentors and advisers, the resources weve assembled, and the companies/potential customers and investors we will expose you to will give your company the very best chance possible at success. And, once your time in the Accelerator is completed, we have ensured you will retain connectivity to an enduring, supportive community focused on value creation and building the foundations for tech growth in New York City. Nothing like Grand Central Tech exists. Is my company required to take up full time residency in Grand Central Techs space in order to participate? Yes. When should I apply; When are the deadlines? You should apply as soon as your materials are ready. Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. All applications are due by end of day April 28th (thats 11:59pm EST). What does the application review process look like? We review every single application and conduct interviews where appropriate on a rolling basis beginning in April, running through May, with final decisions made in June. When does the program start and end? GCTs 2015 class will kick off the first week of July. The program will run through June of 2017. Can I come tour the space? Yes! We will host an open house on April 5th so you can meet the team and check out the space. Sign up for our mailing list and follow us on Twitter (@gctech) for updates. What is your evaluation criteria? We look at 5 key areas for each applicant: 1.) Team dynamic and composition 2.) Scope of the idea (We especially like big, important ideas attacking big, lucrative markets) 3.) Traction 4.) Strength of underlying technology 5.) Community fit I have more questions; where can I go to ask them? hello@grandcentraltech.com Team As Seen In As Seen In: Grand Central Tech © 2015 | 335 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017 | Hello@grandcentraltech.com For press inquiries please contact press@grandcentraltech.com Sign up for Updates Subscribe to our mailing list and keep up to speed on key developments as they happen application dates, big events, new corporate partnerships, etc. (no spam, we promise). * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name × Joe Lonsdale Joe is a Partner at Formation 8, a fund which invests in top startups and connects them with Asian conglomerates to drive innovation at a global scale. Joe co-founded Palantir Technologies, a multi-billion dollar software company which develops mission-critical analysis systems used by government and financial organizations around the world. He is also the founder of Addepar, a leader in private wealth management technology. × Michael M. Milstein Michael M. Milstein is the CEO of Boylan Bottling Co, an artisanal beverage company, and Co-Founder and Chairman of Grand Central Tech. He is also a partner at New York Private Bank Trust and a partner at Milstein Properties and is on the boards of The Nicklaus Companies and Ostendo Technologies. Philanthropically, Michael serves on a number of boards including the Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership Foundation. × Justin Rockefeller Justin Rockefeller runs Special Relations at Addepar, a company reinventing the tools to aggregate and analyze financial data. In March 2013, Justin cofounded The ImPact, a nonprofit/NGO membership organization comprised of investors who pledge to make impact investments, track their social impact and financial progress, and share those data with others who have made The Pact. He is also a Venture Partner at Richmond Global, a global venture capital firm. × Harrison LeFrak Harrison is a Vice Chairman of LeFrak, a privately owned firm engaged in the ownership, management, and development of real property, the exploration of energy, and investments in securities. Over the past decade, he has helmed LeFraks growing activities in the technology investments space and established himself as one of New Yorks leading technology thinkers. × Andrew Rubin As chief executive officer and founder, Andrew is responsible for the overall strategy, vision, and funding of Illumio. With expertise in the areas of network security and compliance management, Andrew is a frequent participant in panels, articles, and podcasts for leading industry events and publications. Prior to Illumio, Andrew was president of Cymtec and led Business Development for VoiceNet, where he was responsible for sales strategy, business development activities, and customer relationship management. Andrew graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BSBA in Finance. × Andrew Yang Andrew Yang is the author of Smart People Should Build Things and the Founder and CEO of Venture for America. Previously, Andrew was CEO and President of Manhattan GMAT, acquired by the Washington Post/Kaplan in 2009. He was named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2011 for his work with Venture for America and one of Fast Companys 100 Most Creative People in Business for 2012 2013. He is a graduate of Columbia Law and Brown University. × Anita M. Sands Dr. Anita M. Sands is a global technology and business leader, public speaker, and advocate for the advancement of women. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of two public companies Symantec Corporation, the worlds leader in computer security, a Fortune 500 company; and Service Now, the enterprise IT cloud company. Her career to date in Financial Services saw her being appointed as the youngest ever Senior Vice President at the Royal Bank of Canada, where she served as the Head of Innovation and Process Design. × Rachel Wiess Rachel Weiss is an award-winning digital professional and recognized thought-leader with vast experience in emerging technology and digital marketing practices. Currently, she is responsible for creating digital marketing and innovation strategy focusing on mobile, social, content and disruptive technologies across LOréal USA. She is also responsible for new digital business ventures and partnerships at the company. Weiss leads relationships with VC firms and entrepreneurs to identify first-to-market opportunities for the beauty industry. Weiss is the founder of one of LOréal USAs key initiatives Women in Digital. This program supports women in the digital space by identifying and celebrating female entrepreneurs advocating digital and IT careers for women along with mentorship programs and testing opportunities. × Dan'l Lewin Danl Lewin is a Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, leading the companys work in civic tech, campaign technologies and academic outreach, which promotes the work of scholars leading the dialogue on technology policy issues. Lewin has executive and site responsibility for the companys operations in Silicon Valley, which currently employ more than 2,000 people. Lewin has spent more than 30 years as a Silicon Valley-based executive, leading sales and marketing divisions for companies including Apple Computer Inc., NeXT Inc. and GO Corp. Lewin is on the Corporate Advisory Board of the National Venture Capital Association. He holds an AB in politics from Princeton University. × Lance Braunstein As the Chief Information Officer of Aperture Group, Lance is responsible for developing and implementing the overarching technology strategy needed to support the long term growth of the business. Lance leads a team of technologists that drive software architecture, development and production support as well as infrastructure stability, reliability and security. Prior to joining Aperture Group, Lance was Managing Director, Global Head of Investment Banking Technology at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, responsible for infrastructure and development organizations in Wealth Management. Lance earned his BA in Mathematics from the University of Rochester, an MS in Physics from Colorado State University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. × David Famolari David Famolari is a Director at Verizon Ventures. Prior to Verizon, David was Vice President at Rutberg Company, a mobile-focused investment bank, where he headed the private company practice. He also co-founded GoodCompany Ventures, a venture incubator that uses the tools and resources of the venture capital community to help entrepreneurs implement innovative ideas for social impact, and served as a mentor to the Women Innovate Mobile Accelerator program and to the Pipeline Fellowship. David sits on the Technology Advisory Board at Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Employer Advisory Board at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. David brings extensive product and engineering expertise to Verizon Ventures, having spent more than 12 years in advanced R D creating new technologies, leading joint ventures and overseeing innovation programs for commercial, military, and federal clients at Telcordia Technologies, Bellcore and Bell Labs. David has authored more than 50 published papers and is an inventor on over 70 granted and pending patents. David earned a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers followed by an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. David is based in the New York metro area. × Barbara Chang Barbara has over 30 years of nonprofit management experience in the NY-metropolitan area. She is currently the Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Development in the Mayors Office, City of New York. Barbara is responsible for engaging leaders from the private sector, agencies, labor unions and community-based organizations to help New Yorkers build skills for in-demand occupations. She also plays a key role in steering the Citys Workforce Development Board and the Center for Youth Employment. Previously she was CEO of Code to Work, an employer-focused nonprofit venture whose mission is to seed greater diversity in the IT sector by introducing qualified diverse job candidates to employers through a skills-based hiring approach. She also served as Executive Vice President of Per Scholas, the largest IT workforce development organization in New York City, overseeing fundraising and the training program. Barbara began focusing on workforce issues when she was CEO of NPower National and Executive Director of NPower New York. Previous to NPower she held senior leadership positions at the Primary Care Development Corporation in New York City and Planned Parenthood in Nassau County. She holds a Masters in Administration from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a Bachelors degree from Johns Hopkins University. ×