In Which We Went to Bravo’s Casting Call for the Real Wantrepreneurs of Silicon Alley
Summary
When we arrived at the Dream Hotel on 55th, there was already a substantial crowd of would-be attendees worrying that the one-hour open bar at #techdrinkup’s holiday party would end before we made it upstairs. “Everyone has success and failing.” What no one mentioned within our earshot: Gotham Casting would be in the house, looking for personalities to feature in a possible New York spinoff of Start-ups: Silicon Valley, Bravo’s oft-maligned, Randi Zuckerberg-produced reality show. According to a recent casting call getting passed around Silicon Alley, they’re looking for locals “who have a full time career and a full time lifestyle!” In a reminder email, #techdrinkup organizer Michael Gold billed the event as “not the night for name tags and demos,” but rather “the night for schmoozing, boozing and good music.” When the elevator finally whisked us upstairs, the doors opened onto a scene that looked like, well, the set for a Bravo reality show. Tank-top-wearing waitresses slung drinks before a backlit bar; enormous picture windows looked downtown toward the bright lights of Times Square. Amid the crush we spotted events maestro Gary Sharma, and we met several of the ladies of Appular, including Haley Hammerling and Michelle Lauren Addo, who pointed out the man of the hour: casting director Justin Ruse.