Meet the 2023 New York winners

Michael is the CEO of Dandelion Energy

As the nation's leading residential geothermal company, Dandelion Energy helps homeowners free their homes from fossil fuels. By making geothermal heating and cooling systems accessible and affordable for modern homeowners, Dandelion is working to mitigate climate change with renewable technologies that decarbonize homes. Today, Dandelion's heating and cooling solutions allow homeowners to save up to 50 percent on their heating and cooling bills and help the environment by moving away from conventional systems to reduce homes' carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 percent. The state-of-the-art geothermal heat pump system offers wifi-enabled monitoring, creating a smarter, more responsive, and more innovative approach than any other HVAC system on the market.

Luke is the CEO of Link Logistics

Link Logistics operates the largest U.S.-only portfolio of industrial and logistics real estate. Established by Blackstone in 2019, Link combines scale, proprietary technology and logistics expertise to help their customers grow their businesses. Link’s portfolio comprises more than 545 million square feet nationwide, with an emphasis on high-barrier markets near key transportation routes and located where our customers want to be. Along with helping power the U.S. economy, Link prioritizes ambitious goals to combat climate change, improve local communities and advance internal diversity, equity and inclusion. As a sector leader, Link seeks to use its position, ideas and influence to drive progress in the real estate industry and the wider world.

Jeff is the CEO of RCN Capital

RCN Capital is a national, direct, private lender. We provide commercial loans for the purchase or refinance of non-owner-occupied single-family & multi-family properties. We specialize in ground-up construction financing, short-term bridge loans, fix & flip financing and long-term rental financing for real estate investors. We lend to both new and experienced real estate professionals throughout the country.

Rohan is the CEO of Roadzen

Roadzen is a leading insurance technology company on a mission to transform global auto insurance powered by AI. Roadzen seeks to accomplish this by com-bining computer vision, telematics and AI with continually updated data sources to provide a more efficient, and effective way of building auto insurance products, processing claims and improving driver safety.

Roadzen’s pioneering ‘Insurance as a Service’ platform spanning collision alert, damage detection, automated underwriting, claims management, roadside assis-tance, and fraud prevention provide solutions for the entire insurance value chain. Our vertically integrated AI stack, combined with our business strategy and ability to distribute products, helps insurers, OEMs, and technology partners to launch products, assess risk, and resolve claims faster. Roadzen has received global recognition including ‘Best Use of AI in Mobility’ and ‘Best Use of AI in Insurance’ at the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit & Awards 2022. In October 2021, Roadzen was Forbes Magazine’s Top 10 Technology & AI Innovators,

Fortune Magazine’s Company of the Year in 2021 and in 2022 Roadzen was recognized by Financial Express as the AI Startup of the Year.

Aakash is the CEO of Shiftsmart

Shiftsmart is the first flexible labor platform to unlock access to a new market of workers and manages every aspect of hourly labor operations for major enterprises. Shiftsmart provides a customized and flexible labor solution that fits the unique needs of any enterprise and its workers. The company pairs core workforce management software with a network of more than 2 million workers to create a labor marketplace that matches hourly workers with open shifts across a variety of industry verticals and roles, giving employers instant access to a skilled labor force when they need it. Shiftsmart is trusted around the world by large companies and government agencies, including Circle K, Google, PepsiCo, the City of New York, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Julien is the CEO and Founder of TheGuarantors

TheGuarantors is a fintech company that offers a suite of financial and insurance solutions that leverage technology to reduce the risk borne by property owners while increasing housing affordability and access for renters. TheGuarantors’ flagship lease guarantee product enables renters who would otherwise be denied to qualify for the home of their dreams, while also keeping more cash in their pockets at move-in. The policy is paid for by the prospective renter, at a cost far below the months of upfront rent a landlord may otherwise require, and covers tenant default during the entirety of the lease, de-risking the renter in the eyes of the landlord. TheGuarantors has also launched a residential lease security deposit replacement product, which enables renters to replace a traditional security deposit for a small fee. Finally, the company recently launched a renters’ insurance product, which provides renters with affordable coverage and helps them validate compliance with their landlord’s coverage requirements. The Guarantors’ products are backed by a diversified balance sheet of A-rated carriers, a reinsurance panel, and its own captive. The company began in New York City, but has expanded its distribution across the U.S.

Bharani is the CEO of Transfr

Transfr is creating classroom-to-careers pathways, training the next generation of workers for well-paying jobs via hands-on, simulated training that teaches critical skills for in-demand jobs.Transfr’s hands-on simulation training provides an immersive learning environment that gives trainees real-world experience in the skills they need for well-paying jobs. Guided by a digital coach, they receive expert, personal instruction that teaches them how to perform essential tasks, feedback based on their specific actions, and performance assessments in order to help students improve. Transfr’s community partners have used immersive, simulated training modules to help workers build skills, increase job placement rates, and improve job retention rates.

Katie is the CEO and Founder of twelveNYC

Founded by Katie Conovitz in 2005, twelveNYC creates design-driven merchandise and all of the moments that surround it. Our mission is to building lasting connections between people and the brands they love through meaningful tangible experiences. We create impactful merchandise stories through retail private label collections, custom packaging and unboxing experiences, promotional branded merchandise, and gifts with purchase and loyalty drivers. Our unique end-to-end methodology allows us to seamlessly manage every aspect of each program from dream to design to development to final delivery, elevating their brand story through consistent sustainable innovation, specialized teams, and a vast scope of capabilities. Operating from New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong, our long-standing relationships within our global supply chain, end-to-end service offerings, and uniquely creative vision allow us to be the go-to-partner of choice for the world’s most compelling brands.