23 Questions with Bond Collective is a series highlighting the impressive 1,000+ person community spread across the Bond Collective portfolio. The series will feature members from 60 Broad, 55 Broadway, Gowanus and Flatiron locations and Bond Collective employees as well. 23 Questions will explore all different walks of life and show just how unique and vast the Bond Collective network continues to become.
Ranjan is the Founder and CEO of the Edge Group and a member at Bond 60 Broad. Originally from outside of Boston, Ranjan attended Emory, went to business school in France, and eventually made his way to New York. After some years on Wall Street and at the Financial Times, Ranjan founded the Edge Group, a news curation service. At The Edge Group, Ranjan and his team monitor and process thousands of sources and tens of thousands of articles using proprietary algorithms.This technology allows their editorial staff to develop best-in-class custom newsletters and newsfeeds, designed exclusively for their clients, who can repurpose them as valuable internal information tools and marketing resources. Ranjan oversees all aspects of the company, from sales and marketing to tech.
Outside of Bond 60 Broad, Ranjan is a proud father and enjoys playing the guitar and soccer. He lives in Peter Cooper Village in Manhattan and can be found dining at Fish Market on Front Street. Ranjan loves walking into Bond 60 Broad in the mornings, when the sun and light are just right. His passion for news and tech combined with his friendly demeanor had us intrigued to learn more about Ranjan. We asked him a few questions...
1 - First thing you do in the morning?
Play with my 7 month old daughter, who is the most effective greatest alarm clock know to man.
2 - Top 3 songs to listen to when you need to get work done?
Haunting by Alex Cruz, Beautiful Girl by Junge Junge, Valerie by Ra Ra Riot.
3 - Favorite coffee shop and go to order?
Gasoline Alley on Lafayette - they opened my eyes to the possibilities of cold brew years ago.
4 - Gmail or Outlook?
Gmail, of course. Gmail, but no longer hating on Microsoft.
5 - App you can’t live without?
Twitter. Sorry!
6 - First job?
Newspaper route at age 11 - still not sure how that wasn't child labor...
7 - Favorite lunch spot?
Essen on 100 Broad - there's somthing that still amazes me about a full-fledged NYC deli (and now this new semi-upscale model).
8 - Early or late?
Early.
9 - How do you unwind after a long day of work?
Wandering NYC if it's nice out, otherwise reading + streaming.
10 - What’s your lucky charm?
A good friend one time heard me say "Biz Dev" and thought I said "Biz Dad". They weren't from the startup / business world and though that was an actual weird term for boss. After having a kid, they got me a keychain that says Biz Dad, and I carry it everywhere.
11 - What inspires you?
New gadgets and New York City.
12 - Social Media account everyone should be following?
@ranjanxroy on Twitter, @asaramis on Instagram!
13 - Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
If you don't bet, you can't win. If you lose all of your chips, you can't bet.
14 - How long did it take you to get to work this morning?
25 minutes. Citibike from 23rd to the 4/5 at Bowling Green.
15 - When’s the last time you celebrate a win?
Amazed we got 2 new clients in the doldrums of August!
16 -If you could squeeze one more activity into your daily life, what would it be?
Try to get to yoga more regularly. Of course.
17 - If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I always liked burnt sienna.
18 - What is the most interesting thing about you?
I actually love talking to people who have the exact opposite opinion as me.
19 - Last show you binge watched?
Glow - there's a lot of binge watching.
20 - Biggest Cheerleader?
My wife.
21 - Call or text?
FaceTime.
22 - Favorite book?
The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu. It's about how the media industry has always captured our attention, and how social media makes things far more precarious. Please read this now.
23 - Name 5 people (dead or alive) you would invite to a dinner party.
Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Riz Ahmed, Jimmy Kimmel, and Sarah Silverman.
For more on The Edge Group visit: http://www.theedge.group/
For more on Ranjan: https://twitter.com/ranjanxroy // https://medium.com/@ranjanxroy
Images courtesy of our in house photographer, Hannah Cohen. Check out her work here!