At a private dinner Wednesday at New York’s posh Le Pavillon, New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged tech executives to keep their companies in the city, even as industry leaders raised concerns with city officials about soaring rents and an increase in violent crime.
Over entrees of steak, halibut or pasta and copious amounts of wine, Adams made “an impassioned plea to tech executives to stay and invest in New York,” one attendee said. He told more than two dozen tech leaders, “New York needs and wants tech companies,” another attendee said, adding that city officials want tech companies to “help grow the economy of this city.”
Adams spokesman Fabien Levy confirmed the mayor had spoken with the technical executives, but said: “Mayor Adams was not there for dinner.”
“While we do not discuss private conversations, Mayor Adams always welcomes and encourages businesses to come to New York,” Levy said in an email. “During his speech, he talked about the importance of technology to innovation in New York and government.”
The select group of attendees felt “incredibly impressed with his accessibility and understanding of their industry,” said one attendee. The people who described the dinner declined to be named to discuss the private event.
Adams’ attempt to encourage tech leaders and companies to stay in New York comes after City Hall officials fielded private complaints from tech leaders about skyrocketing rents and rising crime rates.
Average asking rents for active listings in much of Manhattan and Brooklyn jumped 40 percent or more in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to Bloomberg. New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board recently voted to increase rent for those living in apartment-stabilized housing, NBC New York reported.
New York’s crime statistics have also been changing since early July, when shooting incidents in the city increased from the previous year, the city said last month.
But shootings in August were down about 30 percent from the same month last year, according to city crime statistics. But there was an annual spike in other crimes over the same period, including burglary, robbery and grand theft.
Longtime angel investor Ron Conway hosted the event with Josh Mendelsohn, managing partner of tech-focused investment firm Hangar, Mike Ference, fellow partner at Hangar, and Julie Samuels, founder of New York tech advocacy group Tech:NYC , according to a list of hosts and attendees provided to CNBC.
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, who runs the company that owns Le Pavillon, stopped by to chat, according to attendees.
“It was a nice way to [Adams] to meet with tech CEOs,” Conway said in an interview, noting that it is important for technology leaders and companies to be civically engaged. Mendelssohn, Ference and Samuels did not respond to requests for comment. Representatives for all the other people listed as attending the dinner either declined to comment or did not return a request for comment.
Those who attended the dinner could also be helpful to Adams when he is up for re-election in 2025. City campaign finance records show Adams has raised just over $850,000 for his 2025 re-election campaign Mr.
Alan Patricoff, co-founder of the venture capital firm Greycroft, and Conway were among the attendees at the dinner, which was a prolific political fundraiser. Both helped raise at least $100,000 for President Joe Biden’s 2020 White House campaign, according to the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
Partial list of dinner attendees:
Alan Patrikoff, co-founder of Greycroft
Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel
Julie Samuels, founder of Tech:NYC
Josh Mendelsohn, Managing Partner at Hangar
Mike Ference, Partner at Hangar
Josh Vlasto, former Chief of Staff to former Governor Andrew Cuomo and advisor to Hangar
Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, co-CEOs of Warby Parker
Mario Schlosser, co-founder of Oscar Health
Valerie Jarrett, former adviser to Barack Obama and Lyft board member
Steve McDermid, Managing Director of Emerson Collective
Michael Zuckert, general counsel in Silicon Valley Bank’s financial group