Presented by NYCEDC, Blackstone LaunchPad, Company Ventures, Tech:NYC, and The City University of New York (CUNY)
Tech in NYC
New York City’s tech sector has grown significantly over the past few decades, with tech-enabled jobs making up seven percent of the city’s workforce.
However, these opportunities—which typically offer higher wages and greater economic mobility than those of other sectors—have remained out of reach for many New Yorkers, particularly those from groups already underrepresented within tech occupations.
The NYC Startup Internship Program builds a diverse talent pipeline of NYC students, with a focus on City University of New York (CUNY) students, directly into New York City’s booming tech sector and supports New York City’s tech startups with the operational and financial capacity to host and develop interns while growing their businesses.
By the Numbers
VC funding to NYC startups (2011-2023)
Average NYC tech wages (2023)
Tech jobs created in NYC (2013-2023)
Degrees awarded by CUNY each year
Household income for 50% of CUNY students
VC funding to NYC startups (2011-2023)
Degrees awarded by CUNY each year
Average NYC tech wages (2023)
Tech jobs created in NYC (2013-2023)
Household income for 50% of CUNY students
Program Overview
Through the NYC Startup Internship Program, CUNY and other NYC students receive paid work opportunities in roles such as software engineering, data science, social media and marketing, UX/UI, operations, and more. Students also receive professional development, mentorship, and networking experiences throughout the program.
After interns complete a paid, pre-internship training week that provides a primer on the tech and startup world, participating NYC startups host students for nine weeks and can extend the internship or hire students for contract, part-time, or full-time work at the conclusion of the program. Startups are often venture-backed and represent a variety of industries and fields, such as enterprise software, healthtech, education and training, sustainability, and fintech. Beginning in 2025, more than half of host startups are solving real-world challenges either with AI and/or within the green economy.
At A Glance: 2022-2025
NYC students received paid internships
NYC startups hosted paid CUNY interns
Students continued working w/ host startup beyond conclusion of program
Interns identified as women or non-binary (2025)
NYC students received paid internships
Students continued working w/ host startup beyond conclusion of program
NYC startups hosted paid CUNY interns
Interns identified as women or non-binary (2025)
Fantastic program for founders looking to hire and gain access outside of traditional startup networks. It was also a great basis for us to refine and redevelop our company structure and management process as we enter the growth phase of our business.
View Video Transcript
00:02 [Music.] [A view of the New York City skyline with bridges over the river. Text reads: “NYC Startup Internship Program Powered by NYCEDC.”]
00:03 [Music.] [A view of the New York City skyline with bridges over the river. Text reads: “Meet the Alumni: Subhan Tariq.”]
00:05 [Subhan Tariq / Baruch College, Computer Science / Interned at QuickSlot Health.] My name is Subhan, and I graduated from Baruch College as a computer science major, and this summer I interned at QuickSlot Health. One of the projects I worked on this summer was building application for providers to transcribe their conversations with their patients. I was in charge of designing, creating the frontend, creating the backend, configuring all the backend components. Because it's such a large program, there are more than 100 interns. You get to meet all these interns that are doing different things, not just like technology, but they're also doing it in like marketing, PR. Right? And so, when you're interacting with those people, and you're learning about what they do, and it brings you a unique perspective.
00:54 [Music.] [A blurred audience faces a speaker in a modern room. Onscreen text reads: “Meet the Alumni: Kiara Caban.” Two blue presentation slides are visible in the background.]
00:55 [Kiara Caban / Borough of Manhattan Community College, Communications / Interned at Mila Support.] Hi, my name is Kiara. I am a communications major at BMCC, and I'm interning with Mila Support. Going into my internship, I didn't think I'd have the creative freedom that I actually did have. There was a moment where my manager was like, “Hey, you are in charge of this. This is all you. You have creative freedom. Like, just go for it and I'll double check, but it's [music] all up to you.” Basically, I was in charge of everything creative, any type of video editing, photo editing, and I had a lot of fun. I was able to incorporate a more “Gen Z” flair to the startup that really boosted our viewer and engagement rates.
01:39 I absolutely would recommend this program to college students, because of the immense support that you get throughout it. You will always have a mentor, or someone within the company that wants to help, and is always there to help.
01:55 [Three people sit at a table with laptops and coffee, focusing on work. Onscreen text reads “Learn more at edc.nyc/startupinternship.” Background shows digital screens and a modern office setting.] [Music.]
Alumni Profiles
Contact Our Team
Learn more about NYCEDC’s initiatives to enrich New York City’s tech ecosystem.
Learn more about NYCEDC’s initiatives to build an inclusive tech workforce.
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