Enterprise Software Founders Are Coming From Inside the Companies They Sell To

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

By: Jay Kt

A small but real shift is changing the kind of founder getting funded in enterprise software, and it has more to do with operating history than category positioning.

A pattern has been taking shape across enterprise software over the past several years, and it has not made many headlines. The most closely watched new entrants in categories from people management to enterprise architecture are not arriving from accelerators or repeat-founder networks. They are arriving from inside the organizations whose problems they are now solving.

In any single funding round, the shift is small enough to look like an outlier. Across enough rounds, it stops looking like noise. Senior operators with a decade or more at large companies are leaving stable careers, building tools to address problems they could not get fixed from the inside, and finding customers who recognize the work immediately.

Why is the shift showing up now?

The shift reflects a structural change in how enterprise tools get built. Distributed work, AI-driven modernization, and the integration of compliance into nearly every back-office workflow have raised the level of context required to ship enterprise-grade software. Founders who have spent years inside large companies, navigating procurement cycles, internal tooling, and the day-to-day reality of cross-functional rollouts, are arriving at the market with a more grounded view of what enterprise buyers will actually use.

Some of that is fatigue. After more than two years of AI-first pitches, enterprise buyers have learned that a model in the demo does not translate to a deployable tool. The category is too crowded for differentiation to land. Buyers are filtering based on what the product actually does within the workflow they already run, and that filter favors founders who can describe the workflow before the technology.

Investors have followed the pattern. Recent seed and Series A rounds in enterprise SaaS have included several first-time founders with more than a decade of operating experience within the industry their companies now serve, according to publicly available company announcements and disclosed funding records. The shift is most visible in categories where the buyer is also a practitioner, such as people management, enterprise architecture, and developer infrastructure, and where domain knowledge is harder to fake than category positioning.

What the new founders share

What these founders share is a sequence rarely emphasized in venture coverage: years of operating experience first, capital second, and distribution earned through customers who recognize the problem from the inside.

That sequence is harder to manufacture than it looks. It is not a playbook. It is more like a slow accumulation of frustration that eventually turns into resolve. By the time the founder decides to leave and build, they have already pressure-tested the problem within their previous employer for a decade. They are not learning the buying journey from a research call. They have already taken it themselves.

For enterprise buyers, the upside is concrete. Founders who arrive at the market this way tend to know the procurement cycle, the compliance constraints, and the political terrain of the buying team. They know which features matter inside the rollout and which are theater. They tend to scope the product narrowly because they remember what it felt like to be sold something too broad.

Three current companies illustrate how the pattern is playing out across different categories and geographies.

How the pattern looks in practice

Jennifer Dulski held executive roles at Meta, Google, Yahoo, and Change.org before founding Rising Team, a San Francisco company building a platform that helps managers run structured team sessions across distributed teams. The company has raised $11 million in disclosed funding. “Connected, high-performing teams are not a function of headcount or budget. They are a function of how well managers run the time they already have with their people,” Dulski said.

Arsalan Ellahi spent years inside enterprise architecture programs before founding Syntroper AI in Auckland, New Zealand. The platform uses AI to continuously map system dependencies inside large enterprises, addressing a recurring problem in transformation work: outdated documentation that derails modernization timelines. Ellahi was nominated for a Global Banking Architecture Award and is backed by New Zealand-based venture investors. “Modernization programs do not fail because the strategy is wrong. They fail because no one has an accurate picture of the systems they are modernizing,” Ellahi said.

Sam Seely spent more than twelve years building products, including at Frame.io prior to its acquisition by Adobe in 2021, before co-founding Knock in New York. Knock is a developer-first notification platform that gives engineering teams a managed alternative to building cross-channel messaging infrastructure in-house. “Notifications are the kind of infrastructure every product needs and no engineering team wants to maintain,” Seely said.

What this means for enterprise software

Three companies in three categories, built in three cities by founders who spent years inside the problem before they tried to sell software around it. None of the three is framed as an overnight success. None are pitching new categories. What links them is a posture toward enterprise software that has been out of fashion in the venture market and is now returning to the buyer’s preference.

Enterprise software has spent the last decade rewarding founders who could describe a new category. The next decade may belong to founders who can fix an old one. The shift is still small enough to feel like an outlier signal, but the funding patterns, the customer conversations, and the founder profiles are all pointing in the same direction.

The buyers writing the checks have started to recognize their former colleagues on the other side of the table. They tend to know the difference.

Disclaimer: Funding amounts, company details, timelines, and other metrics referenced in this article are based on publicly available information and company-provided materials at the time of writing. These figures may vary over time.

Understanding Lead Paint Risks in Homes

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

Could hidden lead paint in older homes harm families and children today? Lead-based paint on walls, doors, and windows may remain in older homes. When this paint cracks or breaks, harmful dust and particles can easily spread throughout homes.

Lead exposure can harm health, especially for young children and pregnant women in affected homes. Understanding warning signs and safety concerns can help homeowners make better property maintenance and repair decisions. Indoor air quality and long-term health depend on safe inspection and removal.

Lead paint risks, health concerns, and safe home maintenance are covered in this guide. Keep reading!

What Lead Paint Is

Lead-based paint was widely used before it was banned under modern safety laws. It was valued for its long-lasting, water-resistant properties in older homes and apartments around the world.

Broken lead paint may not look dangerous, but it can let harmful dust into your home. Lead is more likely to get into homes through peeling paint and renovations.

Health Risks Linked to Lead Exposure

Toxic lead exposure is especially bad for kids, whose bodies are always changing. Common problems include difficulty learning, behavioral changes, headaches, and slower physical growth.

Other symptoms adults may have include high blood pressure, tiredness, and problems with memory and focus. Long-term health problems can result from exposure to lead dust that is not properly managed.

Common Places Lead Paint Is Found

Lead paint is often found on the walls, doors, stairs, windows, and wooden trim of older homes. High-contact surfaces let out more dust because the paint chips and wears off.

A lot of people look for lead paint removal in NYC in their older apartments and newly renovated homes. Before repairs or remodeling, professional inspections can uncover hidden problems.

Why Professional Testing Matters

Professionals can test for lead and identify hazardous areas in homes without spreading dust. Certified inspectors have the right tools to assess paint, surfaces, and air quality in affected homes.

Renovations must include testing because removing old paint quickly increases the risk of lead exposure. Accurate inspections help people make repairs and moves that are safe for their families.

Safe Lead Paint Removal Methods

Carefully clean up before removing lead-based paint to prevent harmful particles from spreading. The people who do the removal use special tools, barriers to keep people safe, and safe ways to clean up.

When used without protection, sandpaper or scrapers can release harmful dust. Hire professionals to reduce health risks, keep people safe, and protect nearby homes.

Preventing Future Lead Exposure

Upkeep can prevent lead paint from chipping and indoor pollution from occurring. Keeping living spaces healthy means fixing peeling paint and cleaning surfaces right away.

Without taking safety precautions, families should not do renovations that disturb old painted surfaces. Household health and safety are improved by preventative care and inspections.

Creating Safer and Healthier Living Spaces

To protect families, keep homes healthy, and avoid long-term health problems, people need to understand the risks posed by lead-based paint. Older homes may have lead-based paint that can be dangerous if disturbed during repairs. Today, safe removal and professional testing reduce harmful exposure and improve indoor safety.

Homes are healthier for kids and adults when they get regular maintenance and preventative care. Stopping the risk of lead paint early can give many families peace of mind and make their homes safer.

Did you like this guide? Great! Please browse our website for more!

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical, legal, or professional remediation advice. Homeowners should consult certified lead inspection or abatement professionals and qualified health providers for guidance based on their specific situation.

Black Rok’s Marketplace Approach to Small Business Funding

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

Access to funding has been a persistent challenge for small business owners in the United States. The gap between what businesses need to grow and what traditional financial institutions are willing to provide has left many entrepreneurs searching for accessible alternatives. Black Rok was established to address that gap, operating as a funding marketplace that connects small businesses with lending solutions tailored to their specific circumstances rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approval system.

With over 25 years of experience in the business financing space, Black Rok has built a platform designed around the realities small business owners face. The company operates nationwide and serves businesses across every major entity structure, reflecting a commitment to accessibility across the full spectrum of how American businesses are organized. That commitment is the founding principle behind every product, process, and partnership decision the company makes.

A Platform Built Around the Business Owner

What distinguishes Black Rok from traditional lending institutions is its structural approach to matching businesses with funding. Rather than evaluating applications against a single set of internal criteria, the platform connects applicants with a network of over 300 lenders who compete for the business. A single secure application routes the business owner’s profile to multiple qualified lending sources, generating competitive offers without subjecting the applicant to repeated credit inquiries or redundant documentation requests. For business owners who have experienced the frustration of submitting the same information to multiple institutions and receiving inconsistent responses, this approach represents a departure from the standard experience.

The application is designed to be completed in five minutes or less. Business owners provide fundamental information about their company and financing needs, and the platform handles the rest. The result is a process that respects the time constraints of operators while delivering access to a broader range of options than any single lender could provide. A business owner who spends five minutes on the application has effectively submitted to a wide lending network simultaneously, which is the model Black Rok is built around.

Revenue-Based Financing and Alternative Small Business Loans

Black Rok facilitates a broad spectrum of financing products, ensuring that businesses at different stages of development and with different capital needs can find appropriate solutions. Revenue-based financing allows businesses to access capital in exchange for a portion of future receivables, with repayment structured around actual business performance rather than fixed monthly obligations. This model is well-suited to businesses with strong revenue but unconventional credit profiles, as qualification is based primarily on demonstrated cash flow rather than historical credit scores that may reflect events unrelated to the current business.

Beyond revenue-based financing, the platform connects businesses to term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, SBA-backed programs, invoice factoring, and working capital solutions. The breadth of product availability means a business owner does not need to identify the right product category in advance. The platform evaluates the business profile and surfaces options likely to result in a funded outcome, which is a more efficient path than requiring the business owner to identify the right product without guidance.

Strategic Partnerships That Strengthen the Network

A meaningful part of what allows Black Rok to serve a wide range of business profiles is the quality of the lending relationships it has cultivated across its network. Among the partners Black Rok works with is Fundivi, a direct lending platform that brings technology-driven underwriting to the network and supports funding decisions on a same-day timeline.

The mix of direct lenders and more traditional financing sources within the Black Rok network is what allows the platform to deliver across the full range of small business funding needs. The shared philosophy across these partnerships centers on speed, transparency, and a focus on client outcomes.

Who Black Rok Serves

The qualification framework at Black Rok is inclusive by design. Businesses that have been in operation for at least six months with consistent monthly revenue are positioned to access the platform’s network. The evaluation process looks beyond credit score to assess the overall health of the business, including cash flow patterns, revenue consistency, and operational history. This approach opens the platform to business owners who may have been declined by traditional lenders despite operating healthy companies.

Asset-light businesses, service-based operators, and businesses in industries that institutional lenders tend to underserve are among the profiles that benefit from Black Rok’s network-based approach. The platform does not apply a single approval threshold across all applicants. It matches each business profile with the lenders in its network likely to offer appropriate terms, accommodating a broader range of business situations than a single-lender application process. The matching function is central to how the platform serves a diverse client base.

Security, Savings, and Ongoing Support

Black Rok has built its platform around three core principles. Security means that business owners share their information once through a protected application rather than submitting redundant documentation across multiple lenders, protecting sensitive financial information while streamlining the submission process. The savings principle reflects the competitive nature of the platform. When multiple lenders evaluate the same application, the resulting competition can produce more favorable terms than a direct application to a single institution, giving business owners more offers to compare. Ongoing support extends beyond the initial funding transaction through credit monitoring resources, budgeting tools, and personalized recommendations that help business owners manage their financial position over time.

Black Rok in the Alternative Lending Market

The combination of a 25-plus-year operating history and a network of more than 300 qualified lenders positions Black Rok within the alternative small business lending space. For business owners who need access to capital without the friction and timeline of traditional bank lending, the platform offers an alternative to the standard application path. Black Rok’s longevity in the market reflects the way it has adapted to the changing needs of the small business community. Over more than two decades, the alternative lending market has evolved considerably, and Black Rok has integrated new lender partners and new product categories as they have become relevant to the businesses it serves.

The marketplace approach Black Rok takes is what has shaped its place in the alternative lending market. Business owners who have encountered difficult funding environments and found a productive outcome through Black Rok return when their next capital need arises, knowing the platform will surface available options across its lender network. That recurring engagement is one of the measures the platform uses to evaluate its model. To explore funding options, visit www.blckrok.com.

Disclaimer: The information presented is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or business advice. Black Rok operates as a funding marketplace and is not a direct lender. All funding offers are originated by third-party lenders within its network and are subject to each lender’s underwriting criteria, qualification standards, and final approval. Rates, terms, and conditions vary based on the applicant’s business profile and the specific lending partner involved. Submission of an application does not constitute a commitment to lend, and approval is not guaranteed. Readers should evaluate any financing option independently and consult a qualified professional before entering into a financing agreement.

What Your Dog Already Knows

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

On the hidden world of canine loyalty, indigenous knowledge, and the novel that bridges them

James S. Wynecoop’s What Dogs Remember

Some dogs guard homes. Others guard the boundaries between worlds. Step into the haunting, unforgettable storytelling of James S. Wynecoop, where loyalty, memory, and ancient truths come alive with every page: James S. Wynecoop on Amazon

There is something dogs do that has never fully made sense inside the clean categories of animal behavior science. They position themselves between us and the door at night. They lift their heads toward sounds we cannot hear and hold them there, unmoving, until something passes. They press their weight against our legs after moments of invisible distress; not because we asked, but because they knew. Long before we had words for what they were doing, dogs were doing it.

James S. Wynecoop’s What Dogs Remember is, at one level, a supernatural thriller. At another, the level that lingers longest after the final page, it is an extended meditation on exactly this: the question of what dogs carry for us, and whether we have ever truly understood the terms of that arrangement.

The World Has Layers

The novel’s narrator is a man grounded in the practical. Former law enforcement. Experienced. The kind of person who notices exits and reads rooms and trusts observation over speculation. When his dog Sydney begins having vivid, intense dreams, he notices, with the same careful attention he once paid to a crime scene, that something is happening he cannot explain.

What he discovers, through a trusted elder named Allen and an ancient preparation passed down through generations, is that dogs do not simply dream. They go somewhere. They carry something. And they have been doing it; faithfully, silently, at enormous cost, for as long as human beings have kept them near.

The presence that tests Sydney’s boundaries across the novel is never named. Never fully described. It is experienced as a smell; wet stone, cold ash, something patient and old. It is not evil in a simple sense. It is what happens when people stop paying attention to the places where attention is owed. Where the old agreements have been forgotten.

“The world has layers. And some of those layers have teeth.”

Dogs Stayed When We Stopped Listening

The most quietly devastating line in What Dogs Remember comes from Allen, when the narrator asks him why dogs are the ones who maintain these boundaries, these ancient watches. “Because they stayed,” Allen says. “When we stopped listening, they didn’t.”

That single exchange carries the thematic weight of the entire novel. Wynecoop is not writing a book about supernatural danger, though the danger is real and felt. He is writing about memory, specifically the kind that lives below language. The kind that is held in instinct, in loyalty, in the body of a sleeping animal whose paws twitch while you watch television and think nothing of it.

This is territory that indigenous storytelling traditions have mapped for centuries and that Western literary fiction has largely ignored. James, drawing on his heritage and his years living and working within Tribal communities, writes from inside that tradition rather than around it. The result is a novel that does not explain itself in borrowed terms. It simply shows you the world as dogs have always known it to be: layered, alive, and full of things that require tending.

What the Book Leaves with You

The experience of reading What Dogs Remember is cumulative and slow-burning in the best sense. Wynecoop never rushes the dread. He builds it the way the natural world builds weather: pressure, shift, stillness, then something that changes everything. By the time Sydney stands at the narrator’s door in the dead of night, facing something the reader cannot see but can absolutely feel, you understand exactly what is at stake.

And then there is the chapter called The Gathering Place: a dream sequence that is, quietly, one of the most moving pieces of writing you’ll encounter in contemporary fiction. Without giving it away: dogs guide the dead. They remember who belonged where. And they never stop working, even when no one is watching.

It would be easy to read What Dogs Remember as a story about the supernatural. It is easier and more accurate to read it as a story about attention. About what we lose when we stop listening to the old knowledge. About what dogs have always known and what they continue to do for us, in the dark, without credit, without complaint, with nothing but an ancient faithfulness that we have never deserved and have always needed.

The next time your dog lifts her head in the night toward a sound you can’t hear, you’ll know. She’s not confused. She’s not startled. She’s doing what she has always done. She’s holding the line.

The First 24 Hours After a Car Accident in Texas

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

A car wreck flips everything sideways in seconds. One minute, the commute feels routine; the next, there are crumpled bumpers, shaken nerves, and a long list of decisions that need to happen fast. The choices made after a car accident shape what happens with medical care, insurance claims, and any legal options that come later. Many Texans turn to firms like OHellNo to walk them through what comes next, but plenty of the most important steps happen before anyone calls a lawyer.

This guide breaks down the first 24 hours after a Texas car accident in plain English, so the people involved know what matters most and what often gets overlooked.

Call 911 and Get a Police Report

Texas law generally requires drivers to notify police of crashes that involve injury, death, or apparent vehicle damage of $1,000 or more. In practice, calling 911 right away is the simplest way to handle that obligation, even when the damage looks minor.

A responding officer creates a crash report, also known as a CR‑3, which becomes a foundational document for everything that follows. Insurance adjusters lean on it. Medical providers reference it. And if a Texas car accident eventually involves a claim or lawsuit, the police report is one of the first things attorneys review.

After officers arrive, drivers can ask how to obtain a copy of the report. Most car accident reports become available through the Texas Department of Transportation within about two weeks of the crash.

Exchange Information at the Scene

While waiting for the police, drivers exchange information with everyone else involved in the car accident. The essentials include full name, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate, insurance company, and policy number.

It also helps to grab contact details for any witnesses. Witnesses tend to disappear quickly once the scene clears, and a name and phone number written down at the curb can matter weeks later when accounts conflict.

One thing to skip during this exchange is a detailed conversation about fault. Apologies, theories about what went wrong, and casual comments can end up in the other driver’s statement to their insurer. Sticking to facts is the steady move.

Document Everything With Photos

Phones make this part easy, and a few extra minutes of photography at the car accident scene can shape an entire claim down the line.

Useful photos generally include wide shots of both vehicles in their final positions, close-ups of all damage from multiple angles, the license plates of every car involved, road conditions and any skid marks, traffic signs or signals near the intersection, and the surrounding area in case lighting or visibility becomes relevant.

If there are visible injuries, photos of those matter too. Bruising, cuts, and swelling often look worse a day or two later, and time-stamped images from the scene create a clear visual record.

Video can fill gaps that photos miss. A slow walk around the vehicles, narrating what is visible, captures details that might not register until later.

Seek Medical Care Right Away

Adrenaline is sneaky. After a Texas car accident, the body floods with stress hormones that mask pain for hours, sometimes longer. A driver who walks away from the scene feeling fine can wake up the next morning unable to turn their neck.

Getting evaluated within the first 24 hours, whether at an emergency room, an urgent care, or a primary care doctor, accomplishes two things. It creates a medical record connecting any symptoms to the crash, and it identifies injuries like concussions, whiplash, or internal bruising that often hide behind initial shock.

Insurance companies look closely at gaps between the accident date and the first medical visit. A delay of even a few days gives an adjuster room to argue that an injury came from something else.

Notify Your Own Insurance Company

Most auto policies require prompt notification after a car accident. A simple phone call, usually within 24 hours, satisfies that requirement and starts the claim process for vehicle damage, rental coverage, and any medical payment benefits the policy includes.

The conversation can stay brief. Date, time, location, the other driver’s information, and a factual description of what happened are enough for the initial report. There is no need to speculate about fault or volunteer opinions about how serious any injuries might be.

Texas drivers should also check their policy for personal injury protection, known as PIP, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. PIP often covers medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, and many policyholders forget they have it.

What Not to Say to the Other Driver’s Adjuster

Within a day or two of the car accident, a representative from the other driver’s insurance company often calls. They sound friendly. The conversation feels casual. And the call is almost always recorded.

A few common phrases create problems later. Saying “I’m fine” before a doctor has run any tests can be used to dispute injury claims. Estimating speed, distance, or timing without certainty hands the adjuster material to push back on. Agreeing to give a recorded statement on the spot, without preparation, removes any chance to think through the answers.

Recorded statements to the other driver’s insurance company are generally voluntary, not required. Many people find it helpful to consult an attorney before agreeing to one, especially when injuries are involved.

Why the First Day Sets the Tone

The 24 hours after a Texas car accident are part documentation, part medical attention, and part avoiding the small missteps that insurance companies look for. Officers, doctors, photos, and a clear, factual record on the driver’s side carry the weight when the calls start coming. Slowing down, gathering facts, and protecting the right to make decisions later are what give people the strongest footing in the days and weeks ahead.

Chef Yoni Cohen Believes Modern Hospitality Has Lost Its Soul

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

By: Jay Kt

At just 24 years old, Yoni Cohen already speaks about hospitality differently than most chefs his age.

After opening his first restaurant project early in his career and later working inside some of New York City’s demanding professional kitchens, Chef Yoni says he came to a realization that changed the direction of his work completely.

“The problem isn’t only the food. The problem is that most events stopped feeling personal.”

Today, Chef Yoni works across New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, and the Hamptons, creating intimate dining experiences focused on atmosphere, emotion, and human connection.

But according to Chef Yoni, modern hospitality has become increasingly repetitive.

“Fashion changes. Music changes. Technology changes,” he explains. “But somehow so many weddings, dinners, and events still feel almost exactly the same.”

That realization became the foundation for a larger vision, building a hospitality company centered on more than food. The focus is on creating deeply personal experiences that make people feel fully present again.

Chef Yoni’s style combines Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences with seasonal ingredients, refined techniques, and hospitality designed to feel warm, cinematic, and deeply intentional. The menus shift with what is in season, drawing on flavors he encountered growing up and refined in professional kitchens.

His dinners are built around more than plating.

They are designed around memory.

Each menu is shaped around the people at the table. Chef Yoni and his team plan the pacing of the courses, the small details of the setting, and the conversation moments they hope to create, treating every dinner as a one-night production rather than a standard service.

“Our generation spends so much time online,” Chef Yoni says. “I think people are starting to crave real experiences again. Sitting around a table. Talking. Feeling connected. Feeling something real together.”

That philosophy has helped shape Chef Yoni’s approach within New York’s hospitality scene, with clients seeking him out for intimate dinners, seasonal experiences, and personalized in-home dining throughout New York City and the Hamptons.

But Chef Yoni says his long-term vision reaches far beyond private dinners.

He hopes to eventually create large-scale hospitality productions where even a 200-person wedding or gala still feels emotional, personal, and entirely unique to the people attending.

“I want guests to feel like the entire night was created only for them,” he says. “Almost like stepping into a movie.”

For Chef Yoni, food is not simply service.

It is atmosphere.

It is storytelling.

It is romance.

It is memory.

And above all, it is one of the last things still capable of truly bringing people together.

Follow Chef Yoni on Instagram: @yoni_private_chef

Explore more: Chef Yoni Official Website

Beth Mach Calls for Innovation and Accountability in the Global Advertising Ecosystem

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

By Natalie Johnson

A reckoning in performance-focused advertising is underway. For years, the advertising industry optimized for speed and measurable performance, while avoiding harder questions around trust and long-term brand impact. “For the first time in a really long time, there is a trust gap that’s actually becoming more economically visible,” says Beth Mach, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Spacely. “Something measurable isn’t always meaningful.”

With more than 25 years of experience in global marketing and media, Mach has spent her career watching the digital ecosystem evolve from a promising innovation into a fragmented and increasingly opaque machine. As pressure from Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) intensifies and AI exposes inefficiencies across the media ecosystem, she says that advertisers are being forced to reconsider the foundations of programmatic advertising, supply path complexity, and the future of premium media marketplaces. The next phase of media innovation will belong to companies willing to prioritize advertising accountability and rebuild trust with consumers.

The End of Performance Theater

The industry tolerated opacity for years because rapid growth concealed inefficiencies. Layers of advertising tech, black-box attribution models, and fragmented supply paths created an environment where few advertisers had complete visibility into where budgets were going. “Too many parts of the ecosystem have really benefited from that ambiguity,” she says. “Complexity actually becomes a profitable piece.” That dynamic is beginning to change. AI-powered planning and optimization tools are making operational inefficiencies easier to identify, while procurement teams are becoming more sophisticated about evaluating media spend.

Advertisers like Mach are no longer satisfied with dashboards that, while nice to look at, fail to explain the true quality of inventory, attention, or influence. This is reshaping conversations around advertising transparency and brand safety. Marketers are increasingly questioning whether the digital media supply chain was ever designed to serve brands effectively in the first place. Mach argues that rebuilding trust in programmatic advertising starts with acknowledging a difficult reality: an abundance of impressions does not automatically translate into meaningful engagement.

Premium Media Still Commands Attention

Human attention has become scarcer and more valuable precisely because consumers are overwhelmed by digital saturation. Mach sees this as one of the defining tensions in the future of premium media marketplaces. “Print and out-of-home advertising didn’t become less valuable,” she says. “They actually became harder to transact. And those are two very different things.” Digital platforms conditioned buyers to expect instant transactions, standardized inventory, and real-time visibility.

Meanwhile, premium offline channels remained relationship-driven and operationally complex. Buyers gravitated toward convenience, even as consumers became increasingly fatigued by repetitive digital advertising. “People are skipping and blocking and muting and filtering,” she says. “A full-page placement in a publication or a really arresting out-of-home execution still commands attention because they didn’t ask the algorithm to remove it from their experience.” Premium environments continue to generate cultural relevance, memory recall, and credibility in ways that highly commoditized digital inventory often struggles to achieve.

Building Technology Without Destroying Craftsmanship

As operational leadership in early-stage advertising technology companies becomes more critical, Mach says they face a difficult balancing act. The pressure to scale quickly often pushes platforms toward standardization and commoditization. “You can’t treat a premium publisher as interchangeable with another publisher,” she says. “A contextual placement isn’t just another impression. It has heightened meaning.”

Her approach to disrupting the digital media supply chain focuses on improving efficiency without erasing the intelligence, relationships, and craftsmanship behind premium media. Buyers expect streamlined workflows and greater transparency, but preserving the integrity of premium inventory requires nuance. “Speed is easy and gets you there faster,” Mach says. “But building trust and building something that continues to develop that craftsmanship is very, very hard.” The operational backbone behind a premium marketplace, she argues, must support both modernization and accountability. Otherwise, technology simply replicates the same structural problems advertisers are trying to escape.

The Industry’s Next Reckoning

The advertising industry is approaching a larger identity crisis, one centered on the difference between surveillance and understanding. “Somewhere along the way, efficiency became more important than resonance,” she says. For years, the industry prioritized short-term optimization signals, while losing sight of how brands are actually built. Digital inventory created the illusion of precision at an enormous scale, yet often diluted genuine consumer attention.

Over the next couple of years, Mach expects the market to place greater value on channels and environments capable of creating cognitive engagement rather than simply delivering impression volume. Rebuilding consumer trust will require marketers to move beyond transactional metrics and refocus on what audiences genuinely value. “People matter and what they want matters versus what the brand or the technology company wants,” she says. “Really refocusing ourselves on the consumer is absolutely critical.”

Follow Beth Mach on LinkedIn or visit her website for more insights.

Mamdani Picks Hunts Point as Second Site for City-Run Grocery Stores, First to Open in 2027

NY Weekly Staff 2 on May 18, 2026

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced on Monday, May 18, that The Peninsula in Hunts Point will host the second site under the city’s municipal grocery store program — and the first one expected to open its doors, by the end of 2027. The 20,000-square-foot store will anchor one of the most ambitious public-sector retail experiments in modern American urban policy, planting a publicly owned supermarket directly in the South Bronx neighborhood that hosts one of the largest food distribution centers in the world.

The announcement, made at The Peninsula site itself, came just six days after Mamdani released his $124.7 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget — a fiscal blueprint built around an affordability-first agenda. The grocery store program sits at the center of that pitch, framed by City Hall as a structural response to grocery prices in a city where 77 percent of households in neighborhoods around Hunts Point struggle to afford basic necessities, according to United Way’s True Cost of Living data cited in the city’s press release.

How the Hunts Point Store Fits Into the Broader Plan

The Peninsula is an NYCEDC project, currently transforming the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Facility into a mixed-use campus that will eventually include 740 units of 100% affordable housing, more than 50,000 square feet of public open space, 30,000 square feet of light industrial space, and another 50,000-plus square feet of community facility space. The grocery store will occupy the campus’s 20,000 square feet of commercial space.

Last month, the administration named La Marqueta in East Harlem as the first site selected under the program. Hunts Point, announced Monday, will be the second site — but the first to open, with NYCEDC Interim President and CEO Jeanny Pak confirming the Bronx will be the first borough where a NYC Groceries store operates by end of 2027.

The total program carries $70 million in capital funding from City Hall, with the Mamdani administration committing to one municipal grocery store in each of the five boroughs by the end of the mayor’s first term in 2029.

Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su said the city will issue a request for proposals this summer to select operators that meet the administration’s affordability standards. The model is hybrid: the city owns the land, covers construction and fit-out costs, and contracts with a third-party private operator to handle day-to-day operations under city-set requirements for pricing, labor standards, and reporting.

Alongside the Hunts Point announcement, NYCEDC launched the NYC Groceries Sites Portal, an open submission tool inviting private property owners in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island to nominate potential locations. Eligible sites must include at least 10,000 square feet of retail space and be available on a timeline that supports an opening by 2029.

A Bold Experiment in Public-Sector Retail

Mamdani Picks Hunts Point as Second Site for City-Run Grocery Stores, First to Open in 2027

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

Municipal grocery stores remain unusual in the United States, and a program at this scale, in the country’s largest city, has no real modern analog. Mamdani has previously described the initiative as a “grand experiment” — and the rollout is being structured as one. The city is treating affordable groceries the way past administrations treated public power and affordable broadband: as an essential public service that markets, left alone, have not delivered evenly across all five boroughs.

What makes Hunts Point an especially loaded choice is its proximity to the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, one of the largest wholesale food markets on the planet. The neighborhood sits adjacent to some of the freshest produce, fish, and meat moving through the East Coast supply chain, yet local households frequently travel out of the borough to access affordable, fresh groceries — a logistical irony Mamdani highlighted directly in his Monday remarks.

The site itself carries weight. The Peninsula is rising on land that once held the Spofford Juvenile Detention Facility, an institution closed in 2011 after years of documented abuses. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson called the redevelopment a transformation of “a site once associated with pain and trauma and mass incarceration into a place that is rooted in community, in healing, in building, in opportunity.”

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district covers Hunts Point, framed the announcement as a matter of geographic equity: “Access to affordable, fresh food should not be a luxury determined by zip code; it should be a right.” State Senator Jose Serrano, who represents the 29th Senate District, called the site selection important for communities that battle food insecurity.

What the Industry Should Watch

For the private grocery sector — operating in a New York City market estimated by industry analysts at over $50 billion annually — the program raises questions the RFP process will start answering this summer. Among them: how city-set pricing standards will be calibrated against wholesale costs, what wage and benefit floors operators will be required to meet, what reporting transparency the city will demand, and whether the financial model can sustain margins thin enough to deliver Mamdani’s promised cheaper bread, eggs, and staples.

Commercial real estate brokers will also be watching closely. The 10,000-square-foot minimum retail-space requirement and 2029 opening deadline in the portal criteria signal NYCEDC is moving fast on Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island site selection. Property owners with available footprints in underserved neighborhoods now have an open lane to participate in a program backed by $70 million in city capital.

Developers behind The Peninsula — Gilbane Development, The Hudson Companies, MHANY Management Inc., and Broadway Builders — have positioned the project as a model for integrating grocery access into affordable housing developments rather than treating retail as an afterthought. Gilbane CEO James Patchett, who previously led NYCEDC, said a neighborhood grocery store was “central to our vision from day one.”

The Wider Stakes

The Hunts Point announcement is the first tangible deliverable on one of Mamdani’s signature campaign promises, arriving fast enough that it lands during the same budget cycle in which his administration is asking Albany and the City Council to back new revenue tools like a pied-à-terre tax on non-resident-owned second homes worth more than $5 million.

The municipal grocery program is small in dollar terms compared to the broader $124.7 billion city budget, but its symbolic weight is large. If the Hunts Point store opens on time in 2027 and delivers measurable price relief, it gives the administration a tangible argument for the rest of its affordability agenda. If it stalls, falters at the operator-selection stage, or struggles to compete on price with the private grocers already operating nearby, critics will have a clear data point to challenge the model.

For now, the RFP is the next move to watch. It drops this summer. The store is scheduled to open its doors by end of 2027.

How Great Contractors Think Before a Project Begins

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

By: Umair Malik

Before any dirt is dug up or materials are ordered, great contractors are already deep into strategic thinking and planning. What determines a smooth, efficient build rather than a chaotic, disorganized one often comes down to the quality of the decisions being made long before any construction begins. Having a strong pre-project mindset is about more than just logistics, it’s about foresight, risk management, and coordination.

They Start with the End in Mind

Top contractors don’t just take the blueprints from the architect and jump right into building. They analyze the plans for constructability and visualize the completed project in detail, considering:

• How the space will function day-to-day

• Potential challenges during construction

• Long-term durability and maintenance

• Client expectations versus practical realities

By working through these details, contractors can identify issues early and reduce costly changes later on.

They Meticulously Plan Pre-Construction Details

Great contractors treat the pre-construction phase as the foundation of success, making sure to include:

• Budget development and cost forecasting

• Site analysis and feasibility studies

• Permitting requirements and timelines

• Coordination with architects, engineers, subcontractors, and other stakeholders

Rather than rushing to start building, they invest time in figuring out these details, with the understanding that every hour spent planning can save days, or even weeks, over the life of the project.

They Think About Systems, Not Just Tasks

Average contractors may focus on individual steps, but great contractors think in systems because they understand that each decision impacts the project as a whole. For example:

• Changing a material during construction may affect the structural load, delivery timelines, and labor costs

• Adjusting layouts after building has begun can influence electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems

• Scheduling one trade has an impact on subsequent ones

Thinking in systems rather than individual tasks leads to better overall coordination and fewer surprises and delays.

They Anticipate Problems Before They Happen

Experience allows great contractors to recognize potential issues before they occur, often prior to clients or even designers being aware of them. They ask questions like:

• Will weather conditions affect certain phases?

• Are there supply chain uncertainties for important materials?

• Could site conditions create unexpected complications?

By proactively addressing any concerns, they can help prevent delays and budget overruns.

They Prioritize Early Communication

Strong communication is central to what makes a contractor great, and it’s something they build into the process from the very beginning. By establishing clear expectations with clients, defining roles for all team members, and using consistent reporting and update systems, contractors create alignment and alleviate confusion once the project is underway.

Planning that Sets the Tone for Everything That Follows

The early thinking and planning phase shapes every aspect of a construction project and is what sets the foundation for a successful build. Contractors who take the time to plan thoroughly, analyze deeply, and communicate clearly are far more likely to deliver projects on time and within budget.

For property owners and developers, understanding how contractors approach the initial stages of a project can make a significant difference when it comes to selecting the right partner. Those who prioritize thoughtful pre-construction processes tend to deliver better builds and better overall experiences.

What Converters Should Know About Rotary Die Quality

NY Weekly Staff on May 18, 2026

By: Umair Malik

Rotary die quality directly shapes the success of converting businesses. While it can be easy to focus solely on the cost or turnaround time, the quality of the die itself has a direct impact on performance, efficiency, and the consistency of your final product. Understanding what characterizes a high-quality rotary die can help converters make more informed decisions and avoid costly production issues.

Key Features of High-Quality Rotary Dies

Not all rotary dies are created equal. Although it may be tempting to use lower-cost dies, the effects of poor-quality tooling can often lead to greater expense and hassle in the long run. High-quality dies, by contrast, are designed with precision and durability in mind, ensuring that they will perform consistently under demanding conditions. Well-designed and manufactured dies are made with:

• High-grade materials that resist wear and deformation

• Smooth surface finishes to reduce friction

• Tight tolerances for accurate and repeatable cuts

• Balanced construction for stable operation

All of these features work together to deliver reliable performance across a wide range of applications.

The Impact on Production Efficiency

Poor die quality can cause a variety of problems, including inconsistent cuts, increased material waste, and frequent machine disruptions. Over time, these issues can significantly reduce productivity. High-quality rotary dies help improve efficiency by:

• Reducing time spent on setup, adjustments, and maintenance

• Minimizing material waste

• Increasing throughput

• Maintaining consistent output quality

• Extending tool life and decreasing replacement frequency

For converters, these benefits translate into smoother, more effective operations and lower overall costs.

Why Material Selection Matters

The type of materials used in rotary die manufacturing has a major influence on their performance and longevity. Inferior materials may wear down more quickly, resulting in substandard cutting performance and increased maintenance requirements. Quality rotary dies are typically produced using:

• Hardened steels for durability

• Advanced coatings for wear resistance

• Construction designed to handle specific materials

Choosing the right material ensures that the die can handle the demands of the application without compromising performance.

Evaluating Die Manufacturers and Capabilities

Converters should carefully evaluate die manufacturers to guarantee they are receiving high-quality products. Factors to consider include:

• Manufacturing processes

• Quality control standards

• Experience with specific industries or applications

• Ability to provide custom solutions

• Support for training, maintenance, and troubleshooting solutions

Finding a die manufacturer who emphasizes strong processes and support, in addition to utilizing high-quality materials, can make all the difference. Having access to detailed product specifications and technical resources can also help converters better understand the capabilities of their tooling.

Making Informed Tooling Decisions

Selecting the right rotary die is more than a single purchasing decision. It is a strategic investment in the efficiency of your production and the quality of your product. Converters who prioritize die quality often achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction while setting themselves up for fewer operational disruptions and improved consistency across production runs. By focusing on precision, quality materials, and manufacturing expertise, converters can make sure their tooling supports their long-term success.

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