The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Funding Opportunities,  Legislative News, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra! Click here for this week's video: The Bronx Chamber Team is back with a special recap edition! Take a trip down memory lane as we highlight key events and activities from May '24 through the present, gearing up for what's sure to be our most transformative and successful event to date: The 2024 Gala, where Anything Is possible…

EVENT CANCELLATION NOTICE Due to Tropical Storm Debby, the scheduled Yankee-Rangers game / Bronx Chamber GameChangers Night event will not take place on August 9. Bronx Chamber staff is contacting all GameChangers ticketholders directly. We hope to reschedule our Suite event for a later date and will communicate any updates as they become available. Please stay tuned for future details.

Summer Hours: The Bronx Chamber office is on a 4-day schedule, closed every Friday through 8/30/24

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Committee on Land Use Approves Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study Rezoning Proposal With Modifications This past Tuesday, August 6, the NYC Council’s Committee on Land Use approved the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study rezoning proposal with modifications. The proposal aims to develop new affordable housing and invest in neighborhood infrastructure improvements around new Metro-North train stations in the Bronx. Four new Metro-North train stations will open in Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City, connecting East Bronx commuters to Manhattan’s Penn Station. The project will provide essential housing, enhanced transit options, job access, and safer streets. Click HERE for more information from NYC Council.

Reminder Regarding Intro 991, pertaining to Hotel Licensing: Click Here for the Full Intro 991 Bill, sponsored by Council Member Julie Menin: This bill would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate their business in the City. (Committee: Consumer & Worker Protection) Our concerns regarding impact on hotels in the Bronx: As this bill stands now, it will increase costs for hotels, and in turn make it more expensive for the consumer. Revoking a potential license for a hotel based on an outage of wi-fi or an elevator is not reasonable. We stand to lose any potential development of new hotels in our borough.  Learn About The Many Potential Impacts of Intro 991 Here We encourage all Bronx businesses who may be impacted by this legislation to contact your representatives to express concerns about Int 991 - CLICK HERE for a list of City Council Representatives and their contact information. The Bronx Chamber of Commerce planned to testify in person in front of the NYC Council at the Consumer and Worker Protection hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th; however that hearing was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled. We encourage you to continue contacting your City Council representatives to voice your concerns. Be sure to visit our website Advocacy page for weekly Bronx Business Legislative Updates

BRONX CHAMBER 2024 GALA

Anything Is possible… Our annual gala is less than 6 weeks away! Support the 2024 Gala with one of our comprehensive Sponsorship packages, and showcase your business among 600+ executives and community leaders - view and purchase available Sponsorships, VIP Opportunities, Tickets & Tables, Journal Ads and more HERE Chamber President Lisa Sorin shares her insights on our Gala theme and the selection of *SOPHIA*, our AI-powered humanoid Master of Ceremonies - who will join us to demystify AI and demonstrate its many possibilities to fuel the growth of commerce, as we celebrate this year's Honorees for their unique contributions to our borough:    DJ Ambulette, Business of the Year    Monroe College, Community Organization of the Year    Lemle & Wolff Companies, Developer of the Year    Amazon, recipient of the Joseph P. Kelleher Excellence Award Thursday, September 19, 2024 Marina Del Rey, Bronx, NY 6:30 - 11:00pm Sincere thanks to our first round of Sponsors (list in formation as of 8-9-24): Bronx AI Sponsors: Simone Development Companies, The Stagg Group Bronx Champions: Amazon, DJ Ambulette, Monroe College, Lemle & Wolff Companies Bronx Partner: DoorDash Bronx Supporters: Affinity by Molina Healthcare, KZA Realty Group, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts

LEARN HOW TO BECOME PART OF OUR GALA

SAVE THE DATE: MORE BRONX CHAMBER FALL EVENTS

Maximize Visibility: Google Business Profile Strategies Workshop Save the Date for an upcoming digital marketing webinar hosted by Bronx Chamber member PS Digital on October 2 at 12:00pm --  their specialists will share expert tips, tricks and strategies to attract new customers by optimizing your Google Business Profile. Registration is opening soon on our website - stay tuned!

CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS & EVENTS

Celebrating 60 Years of South Bronx Job Corps Last week, Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin joined Chamber Member South Bronx Job Corps for their 60-year anniversary event! We are proud to celebrate our members' milestones, such as this momentous achievement marked by millions of underserved young adults who have had the trajectory of their lives positively changed because of the transformative nature of this free national workforce program. Attention Chamber Network: Do you have any upcoming events or need an extra set of hands to help with ongoing projects? Does your company/organization have fulfilling volunteer or internship work opportunities? Click HERE to learn about becoming an Employer Partner and hiring a South Bronx Job Corps graduate!

Castle Hill YMCA Summer's End White Party Saturday, August 31 5:00 - 10:00 PM With the picturesque backdrop of the Long Island Sound and Whitestone Bridge, enjoy the cool breeze while vibing to smooth R&B, your favorite old school jams, and today's hits! Beverage Setups Available. Click Here For Tickets

Attention Bronx Small Businesses: Hire CUNY Alumni! Take Action Before August 23 Internship to Employment provides opportunities for recent CUNY grads to intern for 12 weeks with NYC small businesses, with the aim of converting the internships into employment.  CUNY Provides:   Recruiting qualified CUNY graduates for your business; 12 weeks of paid internship; support of CUNY I2E staff who are responsible for intern recruitment; program management; intern payroll; wage reimbursement for up to $10/hour for 35 hours per week for the 16 weeks following the internship; rofessional development workshops during both the internship and employment periods CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND START THE HIRING PROCESS

Support Local Bronx Restaurants ICYMI: It's NYC Summer Restaurant Week! 2-course lunches and 3-course dinners at $30, $45 and $60. NYC Restaurant Week runs through August 18 (with some restaurants offering their menus through September 1) - several Bronx Chamber members are participating! Click below to view/book BOOK AT A PARTICIPATING BRONX RESTAURANT DIGITAL TOOLS FOR GROWTH OPEN + ONLINE Applications are still open for Bronx businesses to sign up for the popular Open + Online program through the NYC Small Business Resource Network! It's crucial that your small business has a strong online presence to compete in today's marketplace. The Open + Online program offers FREE website building, logo & branding design, or expert SEO (search engine optimization) consulting to help your small business put its best foot forward. APPLY HERE CITY & STATE LEGISLATION Check out the latest Bronx Chamber website updates for city and state legislation policy news impacting your business, plus events, resources and much more. To visit our website, Click Here FUNDING, CERTIFICATION, & OTHER RESOURCES Bronx Economic Development Corporation Loans BXEDC has loans programs tailor-made for small- and mid-sized businesses operating in (or moving to) the Bronx: The Bronx Micro-Loan and the Bronx Commercial Development Loan. Click HERE to learn more and apply. For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!