Sarah Judd Welch

Bio:

I'm the Founding City Manager of NYC for TaskRabbit, a marketplace that safely and reliably connects neighbors to get just about anything done. Before this, I helped to grow the business at Catchafire. After studying Capitalism, Inequality & Policy at Gallatin (NYU), I worked at Goldman Sachs. I'm also a StartingBloc fellow. My personal goals over the next year are to do more yoga and to be more transparent.

• Title: Founding City Manager of NYC, TaskRabbit
• Age: 25
• Location: Brooklyn
• Contact: @sarahjuddwelch

How did you first get involved with TaskRabbit? What kind of responsibilities does a Founding City Manager have?

I'd been watching TaskRabbit for well over a year before I first connected with their team. I was drawn to their work in what I call the professional fulfillment industry, a space in which I'm personally interested. When looking for my next challenge, I made my ask public. Someone we knew in common directly introduced me to Leah Busque, who happened to be hiring for a role which fit well within my ask. During the interview process, I referenced checked TaskRabbit by tracking down the first NYC TaskPoster and persuading her to speak with me over the phone about her TaskRabbit experience - I was blown away by her overwhelmingly positive feedback! Just shy of two weeks after making my ask public, I had the offer from TaskRabbit in hand.

As Founding City Manger of NYC, I "own" the NYC market for TaskRabbit. This means that I am in charge of all business development, marketing, community management, social media, PR and hiring in NYC - whew! It's definitely an ambitious and ambiguous role that will evolve as we grow. We are also hiring Founding City Managers in Seattle and Portland - let us know if you know of any West Coast locals who would be a good fit!

Your profile on tumblr says you love a well-made cocktail. What’s your favorite cocktail? Where’s your favorite place to grab drinks in NYC?

Haha, I do appreciate well-made cocktails! I bartended in college, so I'm a bit of a cocktail snob. My favorite cocktail is a vodka soda with a splash of grapefruit. Most bars make this drink terribly, though! As such, I usually drink a whisky neat. Since it's just poured straight from the bottle, it's impossible to mess up. While I haven't been there in quite a while (I like to delegate social planning, so I don't often choose venues), my favorite cocktails are at Hotel Chantelle. Their cocktails are old-fashioned and creative, and the bartenders dress the part. 

You have a pretty well curated list of read books on GoodReads. What’s your favorite genre of book to read? What book would you suggest to We Are NY Tech followers?

I love to read any book that can lose me in it. One book that I would suggest to every tech and business builder is Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jane Jacobs writes about urban planning from a 1950's perspective, but when I read her work, I'm actually reading about online community building. I see "short blocks" and "sidewalks" in the ways that people are structurally and socially connected online. I'm re-reading this book this fall as part of a year-long independent study that I'm creating for myself. You can check out my work-in-progress learning plan here. Let me know if you have suggestions (or if you would like to join me)!