How Two Friends Crowdsourced a List to Help L.A. Tech Workers Find Jobs Amid COVID-19

Rachel Uranga

Rachel Uranga is dot.LA's Managing Editor, News. She is a former Mexico-based market correspondent at Reuters and has worked for several Southern California news outlets, including the Los Angeles Business Journal and the Los Angeles Daily News. She has covered everything from IPOs to immigration. Uranga is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and California State University Northridge. A Los Angeles native, she lives with her husband, son and their felines.

How Two Friends Crowdsourced a List to Help L.A. Tech Workers Find Jobs Amid COVID-19

As COVID-19 layoffs cost friends and families jobs, Liora Simozar, a product manager at Clutter Inc., and her friend Ranika Kejriwal, put together a crowdsourced list of open tech and startup jobs in Los Angeles.

Simozar and Kejriwal, who head the local chapter of Women in Product and both have jobs, started their nascent effort in a Slack group in early March figuring many of their 500 members would be impacted. Eventually, they blasted it out to hundreds of their contacts and now have nearly 200 local employers looking for candidates on their crowdsourced list. Similar efforts have been playing out across the tech world as others release lists among friends and colleagues.


It's been a reprieve in an otherwise grim job market as companies like Bird and ZipRecruiter slashed their workforce in abrupt and sometimes brutal manners.

"It's tough being a laid off, you go through a lot of different emotions," said Simozar. "I felt a real sense of urgency because when you are losing your job, you are losing your health care benefits and this is a health crisis."

More than 26 million people have filed for unemployment since the pandemic halted normal life. Last week, USC researchers estimated 1.3 million workers in Los Angeles County alone have lost their job since mid-March. Startups and tech companies have seen a reversal of fortunes, cutting jobs that once seemed secure and eliminating six-figure positions. But, the downturn has helped some big tech and smaller thriving companies pick up hard-to-catch talent.

The spreadsheet by Simozar and Kejriwal, who works on Tinder's product team, posts positions for engineers, product designers and data analytics from companies like Jessica Alba's Honest Company, the board game maker Exploding Kittens and Northrupp Gruman. The lists are being shared on LinkedIn, among friends and within tight-knit networks.

"I think a lot of people are encouraged by how many companies are still hiring through the crisis," she said.

One advantage to the list the two put together is that its local companies, as opposed to other ones that include jobs across the county.

"We got more high-quality candidates from this list than from LinkedIn or AngelsList," said Sam Byker, founder and chief executive of downtown-based Atticus, a tech firm aimed at making legal representation more accessible. The firm closed a $4.5 million seed round in December and is more than doubling its 8-person staff. The pandemic has stoked demand for the firm's services. A lot of the company's work is helping disabled people qualify for government benefits and demand tends to spike during downturns.

"It is always hard for us to find candidates that are the right fit," he said. "We are on a lot of platforms but at the end of the day, it was that google sheet that got many of our best applicants."

A few candidates who reached out through the sheet are going through the interview process. "There are a few folks that we are really excited about," he said.

Karan Talati said he turned to the list when he had to layoff two of his eight employees at First Resonance, a small startup that builds software for aerospace manufacturing.

"We have had to make these hard decisions that we don't want to," he said. "Most of our investors have been spending time with portfolio to make sure they are set for surviving and that means cost cutting where needed and unfortunately that means people."

He offered the employees severance and insurance, but he has been sending them leads and lists like this one in hopes that his former employees would find a job.

"If we have to part ways with people that we care about, hopefully can land as quickly as possible," he said.

Jerry Nickelsburg, the director of UCLA's Anderson Forecast, said the good news is that the region's tech sector — which spans an array of industries from logistics to restaurants to software — will likely recover.

"Are there firms in every sector that are struggling and have laid off staff? The answer is yes, but there also are firms in many sectors in finance, in some of the tech businesses, we see it in the distribution of goods that have actually added some employees. Still, not nearly enough," he said. "The tech sector has been growing and growing very rapidly in L.A., and then greater L.A. and Orange County as well over the last decade. Our expectation is that that will continue."

Meanwhile, even those lucky enough to find jobs after a layoff have a bit of survivor's guilt.

"The reality is, I feel super guilty that I gave notice right before layoffs happened, which ended up saving me from said layoffs," wrote recruiter Ashlyn McIntosh about her new job. "Here's the thing my amazing former manager and now friend for life Darren Stewart reminded me of: I hire people for a living. If I keep going, more people have jobs, meaning less people are living in anxiety."

Just days before the posting she watched her 17-person recruiting and human resources team at PatientPop dwindle to three after the company laid off about a quarter of its staff in a round of COVID-19 layoffs, she said. The data science team was also wiped out she said, noting that those are difficult positions to fill.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

McIntosh who now works at TeleSign said she's seen a rush of applicants to jobs. Other recruiters, who she once competed against, are now calling her and sharing job applicants that they would have guarded before the pandemic. Hard to fill positions now have candidates clamoring.

The dire circumstances have reshuffled the job market for those with the right skills and it has also opened up talent that wasn't accessible before.

Matt Alling, who runs headhunting firm Marius Group, said that in some ways he has felt like a first responder dealing with so many people that have been laid off. Although about 80% of his clients froze hiring, the rest are hiring more than usual and keeping him busy.

"If we averaged 30 new candidates a day, now we are imputing 200 people a day," he said. "We have been working double time to connect with really good candidates."

Companies like Chinese-owned startup ByteDance is looking to hire 10,000 new employees, Bloomberg reported last week. The company's app TikTok is based in Culver City and has been advertising jobs. Other big tech companies like Amazon and Apple have been on a hiring spree as they see an opportunity to pick up hard to find talent.

Arteen Arabshahi, vice president at Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, which develops and operates consumer technology businesses, said he has seen it play both ways. On the other side are companies sharing lists of employees that have been laid off in hopes of placing talented workers.

"Everyone is trying to make the best of a terrible situation," said Arabshahi, who oversees the firm's venture arm. "These types of initiatives have been really helpful for smaller businesses that are trying to hire. These are amazing for those companies.

Do you have a story that needs to be told? My DMs are open on Twitter @racheluranga. You can also email me.

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🤠Musk Picks Texas and 🔥Tinder AI Picks Your Profile Pictures
Image Source: Tinder

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Tinder is altering dating profile creation with its new AI-powered Photo Selector feature, designed to help users choose their most appealing dating profile pictures. This innovative tool employs facial recognition technology to curate a set of up to 10 photos from the user's device, streamlining the often time-consuming process of profile setup. To use the feature, users simply take a selfie within the Tinder app and grant access to their camera roll. The AI then analyzes the photos based on factors like lighting and composition, drawing from Tinder's research on what makes an effective profile picture.

The selection process occurs entirely on the user's device, ensuring privacy and data security. Tinder doesn't collect or store any biometric data or photos beyond those chosen for the profile, and the facial recognition data is deleted once the user exits the feature. This new tool addresses a common pain point for users, as Tinder's research shows that young singles typically spend about 25 to 33 minutes selecting a profile picture. By automating this process, Tinder aims to reduce profile creation time and allow users to focus more on making meaningful connections.

In wholly unrelated news, Elon Musk has announced plans to relocate the headquarters of X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX from California to Texas. SpaceX will move from Hawthorne to Starbase, while X will shift from San Francisco to Austin. Musk cited concerns about aggressive drug users near X's current headquarters and a new California law regarding gender identity notification in schools as reasons for the move. This decision follows Musk's previous relocation of Tesla's headquarters to Texas in 2021.

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  • Penguin Random House agreed to acquire comic book publisher Boom! Studios from backers like Walt Disney Co. - learn more

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Top LA Accelerators that Entrepreneurs Should Know About

Los Angeles, has a thriving startup ecosystem with numerous accelerators, incubators, and programs designed to support and nurture new businesses. These programs provide a range of services, including funding, mentorship, workspace, networking opportunities, and strategic guidance to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas and scale their companies.


Techstars Los Angeles

Techstars is a global outfit with a chapter in Los Angeles that opened in 2017. It prioritizes local companies but will fund some firms based outside of LA.

Location: Culver City

Type of Funding: Pre-seed, early stage

Focus: Industry Agnostic

Notable Past Companies: StokedPlastic, Zeno Power


Grid110

Grid110 offers no-cost, no-equity programs for entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, including a 12-week Residency accelerator for early-stage startups, an Idea to Launch Bootcamp for pre-launch entrepreneurs, and specialized programs like the PledgeLA Founders Fund and Friends & Family program, all aimed at providing essential skills, resources, and support to help founders develop and grow their businesses.

Location: DTLA

Type of Funding: Seed, early stage

Focus: Industry Agnostic

Notable Past Companies: Casetify, Flavors From Afar


Idealab

Idealab is a renowned startup studio and incubator based in Pasadena, California. Founded in 1996 by entrepreneur Bill Gross, Idealab has a long history of nurturing innovative technology companies, with over 150 startups launched and 45 successful IPOs and acquisitions, including notable successes like Coinbase and Tenor.

Location: Pasadena

Type of Funding: Stage agnostic

Focus: Industry Agnostic, AI/Robotics, Consumer, Clean Energy

Notable Past Companies: Lumin, Coinbase, Tenor


Plug In South LA

Plug In South LA is a tech accelerator program focused on supporting and empowering Black and Latinx entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles area. The 12-week intensive program provides early-stage founders with mentorship, workshops, strategic guidance, potential pilot partnerships, grant funding, and networking opportunities to help them scale their businesses and secure investment.

Location: Los Angeles

Type of Funding: Pre-seed, seed

Focus: Industry Agnostic, Connection to South LA and related communities

Notable Past Companies: ChargerHelp, Peadbo


Cedars-Sinai Accelerator

The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator is a three-month program based in Los Angeles that provides healthcare startups with $100,000 in funding, mentorship from over 300 leading clinicians and executives, and access to Cedars-Sinai's clinical expertise and resources. The program aims to transform healthcare quality, efficiency, and care delivery by helping entrepreneurs bring their innovative technology products to market, offering participants dedicated office space, exposure to a broad network of healthcare entrepreneurs and investors, and the opportunity to pitch their companies at a Demo Day.

Location: West Hollywood

Type of Funding: Seed, early stage, convertible note

Focus: Healthcare, Device, Life Sciences

Notable Past Companies: Regard, Hawthorne Effect


MedTech Innovator

MedTech Innovator is the world's largest accelerator for medical technology companies, based in Los Angeles, offering a four-month program that provides selected startups with unparalleled access to industry leaders, investors, and resources without taking equity. The accelerator culminates in showcase events and competitions where participating companies can win substantial non-dilutive funding, with the program having a strong track record of helping startups secure FDA approvals and significant follow-on funding.

Location: Westwood

Type of Funding: Seed, early stage

Focus: Health Care, Health Diagnostics, Medical Device

Notable Past Companies: Zeto, Genetesis


KidsX

The KidsX Accelerator in Los Angeles is a 10-week program that supports early-stage digital health companies focused on pediatric care, providing mentorship, resources, and access to a network of children's hospitals to help startups validate product-market fit and scale their solutions. The accelerator uses a reverse pitch model, where participating hospitals identify focus areas and work closely with selected startups to develop and pilot digital health solutions that address specific pediatric needs.

Location: East Hollywood

Type of Funding: Pre-seed, seed, early stage

Focus: Pediatric Health Care Innovation

Notable Past Companies: Smileyscope, Zocalo Health


Disney Accelerator

Disney Accelerator is a startup accelerator that provides early-stage companies in the consumer media, entertainment and technology sectors with mentorship, guidance, and investment from Disney executives. The program, now in its 10th year, aims to foster collaborations and partnerships between innovative technology companies and The Walt Disney Company to help them accelerate their growth and bring new experiences to Disney audiences.

Location: Burbank

Type of Funding: Growth stage

Focus: Technology and entertainment

Notable Past Companies: Epic Games, BRIT + CO, CAMP


Techstars Space Accelerator

Techstars Space Accelerator is a startup accelerator program focused on advancing the next generation of space technology companies. The three-month mentorship-driven program brings together founders from across the globe to work on big ideas in aerospace, including rapid launch services, precision-based imaging, operating systems for complex robotics, in-space servicing, and thermal protection.

Location: Los Angeles

Type of Funding: Growth stage

Focus: Aerospace

Notable Past Companies: Pixxel, Morpheus Space



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🚁 One Step Closer to Air Taxis in LA
Image Source: Joby Aviation

🔦 Spotlight

Joby Aviation, a pioneering electric air taxi company, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully flying a hydrogen-electric aircraft demonstrator for 523 miles with only water as a byproduct. This groundbreaking flight showcases the potential for emissions-free regional travel using vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, eliminating the need for traditional runways. The company's innovative approach combines its existing battery-electric air taxi technology with hydrogen fuel cells, paving the way for longer-range, environmentally friendly air travel.

For LA residents, this development holds exciting implications for future transportation options. Joby's technology could potentially enable direct flights from LA to destinations like San Francisco or San Diego without the need to visit conventional airports, offering a cleaner and more convenient alternative to current travel methods. The company's progress in both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft positions it at the forefront of next-generation aviation, promising to revolutionize urban and regional mobility.

Notably, Joby Aviation has already made strides in Southern California by securing an agreement with John Wayne Airport earlier this year to install the region's first electric air taxi charger. This strategic move sets the stage for LA to be among the initial markets where Joby will launch its electric air taxi service. With plans to commence commercial operations as early as 2025 using its battery-electric air taxi, LA residents may soon have access to a fast, quiet, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation that could significantly reduce travel times and traffic congestion in the region. In the not too distant future, LA might find itself in an identity crisis without traffic and excess smog 🤞🤞.


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