- Contrary, a Silicon Valley venture firm has recently opened a New York community space for tech workers.
- It is our goal to make it easy for professionals to find each other.
- Here’s a closer glimpse inside the space.
New York City is full of exclusive venues. There’s the famous — or infamous, depending on your perspective — Soho House, a members-only club with screening rooms and event spaces that This caters to people with creative minds.
Zero Bond is also available. These are frequented by more business-minded individualsLike Elon Musk, ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Kim Kardashian.
Contrary, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, added another space in September.
Contrary NYCThe club bills itself as a Soho House for technologists. It is a club for members only where coders and entrepreneurs can meet up.
However, unlike other places to gather, there aren’t any pools, hot tubs or lounges. Contrary, however, is a large, open-concept workspace.
Contrary has hosted comedy events, brunches for founders and featured speakers since its opening. It’s attracted many famous faces like Serena Williams.
Contrary’s head, programs Benjamin Laufer said that the goal is to recreate the encounters and “serendipitous interaction” you have in grade school or college.
Laufer explained, “You leave college and live a very atomistic life. You’re confined to your roommates or co-workers and the people with whom you interact.”
Contrary means to build long-lasting relationships.
Until recently, the space has mostly been accessible to people already associated with the firm— investors, founders, and fellows. They are now open to applications from the wider community.
Contrary’s founder Eric Tarczynski said they’re seeking people that are “ambitious,” entrepreneurial, kind, and generous. He said that these three words will result in an acceptance rate between 5% and 8%.
“There are people who I feel like. Let 500 people join a Slack group and call it a community. Tarczynski stated. “Community is, for us, like a living breathing organism where people feel a feeling of home and purpose as well as with their tribe.”
I paid a visit to Contrary during the second week of October, the tail end of New York Tech Week — five days of events dedicated to the city’s growing startup ecosystem. Manhattan was bustling with venture capitalists eager to make new deals and founders of startups looking for funding.
It was the right moment to witness the space in action. Here is a closer look at the results.
