By Gigi Etienne, Master of Science in Technology Management student
One perk of going to graduate school in New York City is that the city has so much diversity, not only in industries and companies but also in people, opinions, interests, and behaviors. This diversity is also what makes the city’s tech sector so unique.
As part of our M.S. in Technology Management program at Columbia, we’ve had the opportunity to visit companies in New York City’s tech industry, including coworking spaces for start-ups (e.g., Betaworks) and venture capitalist (VC) firms. These off-campus visits, organized by the program for all students, support the program’s mission to “train professionals for equal fluency in tech fundamentals, business operations, and ethical leadership.”
“It's so important to us to expose our students to the amazing tech community in NYC,” says Dawn Barber, the program’s industry liaison. “Having them see thriving tech innovation spaces and hear from successful tech leaders in real life is a unique opportunity for them to be able to envision themselves as part of this vibrant ecosystem after they graduate.”
In June, students and alumni visited Union Square Ventures (USV) as part of Professor Cristina Dolan’s capstone course. This 20-year-old firm, cofounded by Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham, is one of the world’s leading VCs. It has invested in more than 130 start-ups, including Stripe, Duolingo, Coinbase, SoundCloud, Stack Overflow, Etsy, Twitter (now X), and Meetup. Its last core fund was $275 million.
Nick Grossman and Lauren Young from USV hosted our group at their beautiful new office space in the iconic 817 Broadway building near New York City’s Union Square.
We first heard from Grossman, a partner at USV. He gave us an overview of the history of the firm, the industries it focuses on, and how it operates, particularly regarding its unique approach to venture capital and building its crypto investments. He talked about crypto’s huge potential for payment and digital identity solutions based on its decentralized physical infrastructure and data ownership. He expressed his excitement for the future of crypto, and he made it clear that USV is paying close attention to these start-ups.
One of the start-ups USV has invested in is Station Labs, an engine that enables developers to power decentralized networks, which was just sold to Coinbase. The impressive Tina He, the founder of Station Labs, who currently runs Base at Coinbase, recounted her entrepreneurial journey and the challenges of navigating an industry that evolves almost weekly.
Speakers Bethany Crystal, Aaron Wright, and Tina He
Bethany Crystal, a fractional worker in the crypto space and former USV network general manager, gave a comprehensive overview of how to get started in Web3, a concept for the next generation of the World Wide Web that incorporates blockchain technology, decentralization, and token-based economics.
Her recommendation to get started with crypto: “Get curious, get a crypto wallet, and get building.”
Aaron Wright is CEO and cofounder of Tribute Labs and a Cardozo School of Law professor who helped build the legal structure for the launch of Ethereum and cowrote Blockchain and the Law: The Rule of Code, published by the Harvard University Press. Aaron talked about the emergence of Etherium; the importance of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and digital assets; and our future in a world where we have nonproprietary ways of dealing with money.
After a fascinating event and a networking reception, we bade farewell to the beautiful Union Square Ventures office. Until next time!
About the Program
Columbia University’s Master of Science in Technology Management is designed to respond to the urgent need for strategic perspectives, critical thinking, and exceptional communication skills at all levels of the workplace and across all types of organizations.
