SecondMuse Programs and NY Hardware Sector Provide Community Support and PPE During COVID-19

When New York City became the global epicenter of COVID-19, SecondMuse and more than 20 partners in the NYC Hardware Community pivoted to manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment. Together they helped produce and deliver over 1,000,000 face masks and shields to more than 100 healthcare facilities across the city, keeping front-line workers safe at the height of the crisis. The effort grew out of SecondMuse programs M-Corps and Futureworks, which had spent half a decade building the city's hardware and climate tech manufacturing base.

What is the NYC Hardware Community?

The NYC Hardware Community is a network of hardware and manufacturing partners built over half a decade through SecondMuse programs, including M-Corps and Futureworks. M-Corps specifically helps New York climate tech startups manufacture their products and get to market.

That base city and audience were hit especially hard at the outset of the pandemic, when supply chains broke down and the hardware ecosystem was forced to pivot.

How the pandemic disrupted the hardware ecosystem

As NYC became the global epicenter of COVID-19, many hospitals ran short on Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. Face masks, shields, and gowns that were normally available were suddenly scarce across every part of the supply chain.

The NYC Hardware Community saw an opportunity to put its manufacturing expertise to work for the greater good and took action.

How the community responded

More than 20 partners joined SecondMuse to respond to the health crisis. Their work focused on four fronts:

• Tapping into global supply to source what was no longer available locally
• Pivoting domestic and local supply toward urgent PPE production
• Finding solutions to financial and capital gaps
• Serving as a bridge between hospital procurement offices and a rapidly fluctuating market

How PPEnow.org and Kim Nguyen made an impact

One partner that jumped in was PPEnow.org, founded by Futureworks alumna Kim Nguyen. A key part of the initiative's work was expanding new supply options through its global supply chain. New supply was tested and distributed only after quality approvals.

To date, PPEnow has donated 500,000 surgical masks, thousands of KN95 masks, and 45,000 face shields to more than 80 healthcare facilities and over 25 home healthcare groups. It is one example of how partners turned their expertise into lasting impact during a terrifying moment in the city's history.

The collective impact

Together with its partners, the NYC Hardware Community helped manufacture and deliver more than 1,000,000 face masks and shields to over 100 healthcare facilities across New York City. That work helped front-line workers continue to do their jobs safely and effectively.

Click HERE to learn even more about the amazing feats of the NYC Hardware Community in the face of COVID-19.