Today, we speak with Firat Parlak, Founder of AwesomeNYC, a creative design firm that specializes in UI and UX for startups.

What does “Made in NY™” mean to you and your company?

It means being part of something electric.  This is the time to be an entrepreneur in New York.  The people, the companies and the energy are all coalescing to create one incredible scene, and we feel lucky to be a part of it.

What can be done to maximize the “Made in NY™” campaign?

Feature stories about real people who are not particularly gifted or endowed.  Maybe they didn’t attend the most prestigious schools, but nonetheless, they attained success through hard work and the dedication to building something great.

What else can be done to promote early stage entrepreneurship in NYC?

To us, this is all about visibility, which is important because startups are only as good as the people who run them, and a startup scene is only as good as the people who make it.  Better visibility convinces talented people to come to NYC and get involved in startups.  The city will then have an influx of the type people who can make more and better companies, which further promote visibility and allow the cycle to continue.

Where does your company fit in the ecosystem?

We are makers who support makers.  Awesome is committed to bringing the top-level design talent out of the corporate drudgery and into the co-working spaces and coffee shops that entrepreneurs occupy.  We support visionaries, innovators and entrepreneurs to help bring their dreams to life.  We fuel startups.

Read what other thought leaders have to say about “Made in NY™.”