Inside A New Duo Taking The NYC Tech Scene To The Next Level

Source: Somya Gupta

While many people in the city say that powerful networking events have yet to fully blossom to pre-pandemic levels, others lament that those that are happening—particularly in the tech space—are not nearly as innovative as the attendees themselves. Enter Somya Gupta and his partner Ishaan Das, a rising, dynamic tech networking event-producing duo who are creating a major buzz in the city.

These two recent graduates of New York University barely have time to sleep. In fact, in the last seven months alone, they have hosted more than 38 events for over 5,000 founders and investors at various venues around NYC, in addition to running their own startups. Gupta is the founder of Context, an AI-powered learning platform that lets professors convert knowledge into courses. Das is the founder of TechBrig, an embedded product studio that turns bold ideas into production-ready software and guides legacy companies toward AI-native operations. At his monthly founder-and-investor gatherings, Das curates a collision of early-stage builders, seasoned operators, and traditional firms exploring automation.

Source: Somya Gupta

While such demands might overwhelm most people, the partners thrive on the pace. Says Gupta, “I have two main goals: transforming education using AI and making NYC the biggest startup ecosystem in the world.”

The two seem well on their way to the latter, with more and more of the NYC technorati clamoring to get into their events, which range from startup pitch nights to bowling, rooftop happy hours, and more.

“Events totally changed my life,” explains Das. “They got me into starting my own business, helped me find my cofounder, and I made tons of great friends. But I kept seeing that people still needed help making real connections, so I decided to do something about it!”

And do something he did. They now host at least one event every week. It’s this consistency—and ingenuity—that has created a Pied Piper–like following of those fiending for what’s next on the tech scene. But not just any tech scene—the one right here in NYC.

“Actually, San Francisco is the biggest startup hub in the world because everyone knows everyone—it’s like one big, tight community,” Gupta explains. “NYC doesn’t have that right now. The startup scene here is all scattered. So we’re hosting these events so people can actually meet and build real relationships. That’s how you find co-founders, get your first investors, all that good stuff.”

Source: Somya Gupta

While their current events are racking up raves, the duo has its sights on even bigger goals, such as including hackathons and hacker houses. They are also focusing on encouraging a youth demo to build projects. Their WhatsApp group is as hot and prestigious as any cool private club in the city.

It’s all about making the city a more powerful tech hub. Indeed, Gupta says that he fell in love with NYC the moment he arrived. “This city,” he explains, “completely turned my life around. Over the past two years, I’ve changed so much. I started a company, made friends from all over the world, and found what I’m passionate about. NYC helped this lost kid figure things out. Now I want to give back to the city that gave me everything.”