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Gopuff fires CTO following his June arrest
Gopuff CTO Sree Kotay was fired from the company last week following a June arrest for drug possession. Police filings allege one misdemeanor and two felonies, including domestic violence, intent to sell methamphetamines and possession of cocaine.
The Philly-based delivery service giant also had a stop work order from the city’s Department of Revenue on the door of its Northern Liberties headquarters.
➡️ Read more about Gopuff’s bumpy path to profitability
Older pollworkers struggle with voting tech
Philadelphia replaced its voting machines with modern versions in 2019. Even more recently, the county implemented electronic pollbooks as a tool for workers to look up voters.
While longtime pollworkers told Technical.ly that these new systems are a positive change, older poll workers have struggled to adjust to the new tech. Additional training would also be helpful, they said.
➡️ Read more about the pros and cons of the newer voting machines
News Incubator: What else to know today
• Chicago-based BaKIT Box won the PitcHER competition at the Grace Hopper Celebration, but the event still had plenty of Philly influence. Local nonprofit Philly Startup Leaders worked closely with AnitaB.org to select the finalists and prep them for the competition. [Technical.ly]
• Return to office mandates won’t build up company culture, attendees at BarCamp Philly said during a panel discussion. Companies need to focus on intentional time spent together instead. [Technical.ly]
• Local life sciences companies have laid off nearly 900 employees since 2022. [Philly Biz Journal]
• Philadelphia City Council passed a bill to fine property owners with dysfunctional electric vehicle chargers. [WHYY]
• The average internet bill for Pennsylvanians is $110, according to a survey from US News and World Report. Nearly nine in ten of the respondents from the survey said Congress should reinstate the Affordable Connectivity Program. [US News and World Report]
• The viral portal art installation is coming to Philly this week. The portal shows a constant livestream between two locations. [NBC10]
• The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia added Mark W. Jaindl and Gregory Matuson to its Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. [Philadelphia Fed]
• The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia announced its 2024 to 2025 board of directors and executive committee. [Chamber of Commerce]
• Mahe Bayireddi, CEO and cofounder of HR tech company Phenom, was recognized as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2024 by Goldman Sachs. [BusinessWire]
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🗓️ On the Calendar
• Drexel University is partnering with YellowDig for the Human Connection Summit on Oct. 23. [Buy tickets]
• Partner Event: The Latina Style Business Summit takes place at the Community College of Philadelphia on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and it’s totally free to attend for networking, workshops and a keynote luncheon. [RSVP here]
• PhillyCHI and A11yPHL are cohosting a discussion about accessibility and design on Oct. 24. [Sign up]
• Code and Coffee at Philly will be at its usual spot at the Capital One Cafe on Saturday, Oct. 26. [Details here]
• Philadelphia Open Innovation Tournament is this weekend. [Register here]
• 1Philadelphia is hosting its Innovation Weekend on Oct. 24 to 26. The event celebrates opportunities for equitable tech in Philly. [Find out more]
Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.Before you go...
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