Executive Director Kaufman-Gutierrez brings more than a decade of experience supporting small businesses and street vendors
Kaufman-Gutierrez previously served as co-director of the street vendor project
Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya announced the appointment of Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez as the first Executive Director of the new Office of Street Vendor Services (SVS) at SBS. The Mamdani Administration is launching the SVS more than four months ahead of schedule, following the New York City Council’s passage of Intro 408-A.
SVS will advance economic justice by serving as a central hub for citywide street vendor education and assistance within SBS. As the Mamdani Administration plans implementation of the “Street Vendor Reform Package” and issues the first new street vending licenses since the cap set in 1979 was lifted, the office will launch a citywide outreach campaign to ensure vendors are aware of opportunities to transition into the formal economy.
The office will also work closely with interagency partners, community-based organizations, and local stakeholders to support a more vibrant and equitable street vending ecosystem across all five boroughs.
“Our street vendors are not a problem to solve — they are a community to support. They feed us, they employ us, and they give our streets life at every hour. Many New Yorkers' fondest memories are of grabbing late-night food at their local taco truck or halal cart. But City Hall has too often made their work harder instead of helping it thrive. That changes now,” said Mayor Mamdani. “With this office and with Carina’s leadership, we will fundamentally transform the relationship that street vendors have with the city. By streamlining bureaucracy and working closely with street vendors themselves, we can lower costs for vendors and their customers alike.”
“Street vendors may be some of our smallest businesses, but they have an outsized impact on our local economies and the cultural fabric of our city. As we build a more just economy, street vendors play a vital role by creating jobs and offering affordable goods for New Yorkers. This new office marks a new era in how City government supports them,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su.
“Street vendors are essential to the fabric of New York City, powering our local economy, shaping our culture, and bringing vibrancy to our commercial corridors,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “With the launch of the Office of Street Vendor Services within SBS, we will deliver long-overdue support, resources, and guidance street vendors deserve. Many vendors are immigrants and entrepreneurs working tirelessly to support their families, and they deserve a city government that works for them. I’m proud to partner with Executive Director Kaufman-Gutierrez as we build this office and ensure street vendors across all five boroughs have the tools they need to succeed.”
“From the tamaleras of Corona to the portrait artists of Times Square, street vendors fold our city’s unrivaled diversity into our streets and sidewalks. Today, more than ever, our city's smallest businesses, 96% of whom are immigrants, need resources, advocacy, and protection,” said Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Executive Director of the Office of Street Vendor Services. “Street vendors have long fought for both recognition and support from city government, and I'm honored to join SBS and the Administration in centering the needs of our city's smallest businesses at Office of Street Vendor Services. Together with street vendors, interagency partners, community-based organizations, and local stakeholders at the table, we can build a more vibrant, and equitable street vending ecosystem across the five boroughs.”
About Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez is the first Executive Director of the Office of Street Vendor Services. Prior to joining the Mamdani Administration, Carina served as the Co-Director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, a member-led organization that builds power among vendors through legal representation, small business training and leadership development.
Kaufman-Gutierrez has spent more than a decade supporting small businesses and the public realm in New York City, including work with Grow NYC Greenmarkets, the Community Service Society of New York, and SBS. Her leadership has been recognized by City & State NY’s Labor 40 under 40, the Neighborhood Leadership Award from the New York Women’s Foundation and the Hispanic Leadership Award from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. She holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, with a focus on urban social policy and conflict resolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment