We Heart the Queens Tech Community

Last night, Meg and I attended the Queens Tech Bash at MOMA PS1, which was a blast.   Organized by the Coalition for Queens, who’s mission is to “foster the Queens Tech ecosystem to increase economic opportunity and transform the world’s most diverse community into a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship,” we saw all of these elements come to life.  It was especially invigorating to learn and meet the talented folks involved in this organization, including entrepreneurs who’ve launched many successful tech businesses.  I was personally astounded by how much innovation and development is going on in Queens and the percolating talent we’re surrounded by, which will no doubt make Queens a major tech hub in years to come.

A big highlight of the evening was the festive atmosphere in the MOMA PS1 performance dome, which provided a really fun nightime vibe.  The weather was so mild and comfortable, that lots of folks circulated in and out of the main party space to enjoy the property grounds.

It was fun to see lots of our friends from the community including our friend Tyson, from the Arrogant Swine who provided his signature whole hog BBQ treats, Natasha and Alex from Bear, Lisa and Alex from LIC Market and other awesome Astorians and LICers.  Here are a few of our photo highlights.  We hope to see you at the next one!

We loved stepping into the mysterious performance dome that made the night feel so magical!

Our friend Tyson from the Arrogant Swine represented for whole hog enthusiasts everywhere with his delightful pork and cole slaw medley.

It was great to see Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky and Alex Pogrebinsky from Bear giving attendees a little taste of Russian sophistication.

The folks from LIC Market showed up with a beautiful looking (and tasting) heirloom radish salad that was crunchy, light and always local.

I was really jazzed to see that the Korilla BBQ truck made it out, as I love their take on Korean street food.  Indulging in their tasty grub a number of times before, I was eager to try something new and went for the spicy tofu taco, which was bursting with flavor.  The tortilla was also nothing to sneeze at.

Ending things off in a sweet way, we were excited to see the folks from Ice & Vice serving up their inventive ice cream flavors such as goat cheese, pumpkin seed and coffee.

And now…for the very talented Queens Tech Bash honorees (from left to right):  Elias Roman from Songza, Marleen Vogelaar from Shapeways, Dion Ridley from CreativeWorx, and of course the one and only Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer.

Coalition for Queens founder, Jukay Hsu with last night’s honoree, Elias Roman from Songza.

Thanks for putting on a fantastic event, Coalition for Queens!  We can’t wait to see more of the positivity and entrepreneurship you inspire throughout the borough.