Friday, May 31, 2024

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Legislative News, 
Grant Opportunities, & More









(Friday) Extra, Extra
  • This week's video features Bronx Chamber membership manager Alexis joined by Chamber member Martha Lynn Laskie on site at our 5/30 Small Businesses, Big Connections event, celebrating the vitality of our borough's small businesses and their importance to our community! During the event, Martha shared the fundamentals of good design and effective small business branding with attendees.
CALLS TO ACTION
If you have applied for, or may apply for, a new Liquor License in NYC:

We need you to sign this letter urging the state legislature to pass the “temporary liquor permit” bill before the end of the legislative session.

Due to backlog at the State Liquor Authority, it can take up to a year to get a liquor license at one of the many locations not currently eligible, which is untenable for many new businesses. If enacted, this proposed law will reduce the time it takes to serve alcohol by many months – a much more reasonable timeframe, while the SLA works hard to get through the backlog.
Since 2006, the NYC Tourism & Conventions budget with the City of NY has not increased. The organization is now operating with a $3.7 million shortfall, which is unsustainable. Further cuts will have a very real economic impact on the City, and your help is needed to make sure that message is heard by the City Council.  

Please consider signing the letter to the City Council linked below. By adding your voice, we can emphasize the $74 billion economic impact tourism has on the NYC economy, the value of tourism for your business, and the importance of restoring our full City contract so we can continue to effectively promote NYC globally. Please click the link below and follow the directions to sign your name by Tuesday, June 4

MAYOR ANNOUNCES NYC FUTURE FUND
Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim closed out NYC Small Business Month by announcing the administration’s investment of $10 million to seed the city’s next major small business loan fund -- the “NYC Future Fund.” The fund will accelerate the growth of hundreds of new small businesses in New York City by addressing the gap in access to affordable capital faced by small business owners, particularly early-stage businesses, as well as Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and women entrepreneurs that otherwise often cannot obtain traditional bank financing. Stay tuned for future launch announcements, once applications open.

Read the full press release HERE.
NYC SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK
NYC Summer Restaurant Week
July 22 - August 18

Attention Bronx Eateries: Don't Miss Out!
If you participated in NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2024, you will have received registration details via email. Registration for past participants is available via the members-only section. If you are new to the program, please click here to fill out the interest form and you will be contacted regarding next steps.

Questions: Email nycrestweek@nyctourism.com
BRONX CHAMBER SIGNATURE EVENT: GOLF OUTING
Less Than 3 Weeks Away! Have you registered yet?

The Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament
June 18, 2024
Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point

Join us for a day of friendly competition on the links as we honor the memory of Bronx Chamber chairman Joe Kelleher and celebrate this year's honoree Mark Stagg of Stagg Group Development. Don't golf? No problem! Purchase a Dinner-only ticket and join us for networking.

---> CLICK HERE for more information about the Tournament and to register


Special thanks to our sponsors to date (list in formation): DJ Ambulette Services, Monroe College, BronxCare Health System, Lettire Construction, Manhattan Parking Group, Simone Development Companies, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, Orange Bank & Trust Company, Altice USA, The Stagg Group, KZA Realty, A&A Maintenance Enterprise, and Stagg Wabnik Law Group.
CHAMBER IN THE COMMUNITY
Last week, Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin participated in a site visit with NYS Department of Financial Services (topin support of our Member Ponce Bank's application to create a Banking Development District (BDD) in Bronx Community District 9. This site visit was a key opportunity for community partners to share their perspectives on how added financial resources in the area will benefit the communities they serve.

This week, the Bronx Chamber hosted a lively networking event on Arthur Ave. (bottom right), creating connection & growth opportunities for Bronx small businesses to close out Small Business Month with a bang!
The Bronx Chamber outreach team also participated in NYC Small Business Services' first annual Small Business Month Expo (bottom left) at Pier 36 downtown to provide an array of resources to small businesses, alongside our fellow Chambers and City agencies.
Coming up June 10, Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin will moderate a panel discussion of Bronx changemakers at the Connected by Culture Series: Technology Across Communities event, hosted by Verizon.

Courtesy headshots, food, resource stations, and live entertainment will all be available on-site. REGISTER HERE for this free event at 257 E. Fordham Road Bronx, NY 10458.
MORE UPCOMING BRONX CHAMBER EVENTS
Next week on June 6: An Evening of Scotch & Cigars

The Bronx Havana Room
6:00 - 8:00pm

$25 Members / $30 Non-Members

Join us at the sophisticated Bronx Havana Room on June 6th for an evening of scotch tasting, fine cigars, networking and industry updates.

Act fast - space is limited and this event has sold out 2 years in a row!
June 13: Karaoke Night!

The Bronx Beer Hall
6:00 - 8:00pm

$25 Members / $30 Non-Members

Join the Bronx Chamber's Young Professionals Committee for an evening of great food, questionable singing, & drink specials, brought to you with generous support from Bronx Chamber Member The University of Mount Saint Vincentwho will be sharing information about continuing education opportunities at UMSV, tailored for busy professionals.
June 27: The Art of Networking

Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education
6:00 - 8:00pm

$25 Members / $30 Non-Members

Join The Bronx Chamber of Commerce for an evening of networking in Casita Maria's beautiful community Art Gallery, surrounded by the inspiring work of local artists.

Don't miss this opportunity to cultivate your network and ignite your creative spirit!
MEMBER EVENTS

Support Bronx Chamber member VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired at their June 11 event, where our President Lisa Sorin will proudly serve as event auctioneer! 📣

Get your tickets here and help raise vital unrestricted funding for VISIONS' programs for the Blind and visually impaired in our borough!
Bronx Day: Celebration of Juneteenth at NYBG
June 15 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Visit the NY Botanical Garden for a Juneteenth celebration featuring music, dance performances, arts and crafts, food trucks, and more! Bronx Residents can Register HERE for complimentary tickets!
Bronx Chamber President's Circle member New York Power Authority & New York Transco invite you to learn about Propel NY Energy, an underground electric transmission solution proposed in the Bronx to bolster the system’s reliability and resiliency, and create pathways to deliver clean energy.

Bronx Community Open Houses: June 8, 12, and 13 (in person and virtual options)

Click HERE for full details on each Open House, and to register
DIGITAL TOOLS FOR GROWTH
With support from the Verizon Digital Inclusion program, The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is offering a series of webinars aimed at helping small businesses maximize the potential of digital tools and literacy for business growth. All sessions are virtual

Upcoming Dates and Times are as follows:

Cybersecurity - How to Protect Your Business

  • Session 1: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Session 2: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

To register for the next event on June 5, Click Here

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.

WEBSITE UPDATES: 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, CAREER, & OTHER RESOURCES
MWBE | SDVOB Procurement Conference
June 5 8:30am - 3:00pm

John Jay College of Criminal Justice
524 West 59th Street
New York, NY 10019

Learn how to navigate procurement opportunities throughout CUNY and CUCF at this one-day event designed to help MWBEs & SDVOBs learn, grow, and network.

Co-hosted by The City University of New York, City University Construction Fund, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Queens Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Women in Construction.

NYC Small Business Services Emergency Preparedness Webinar
June 3, 2024 from 2:00 - 3:00pm
From gas leaks and fires, to major hurricanes, flooding, and blackouts, NYC business owners face many challenges that can impact your operations and assets. NYCSBS is here to help guide you through the start of a business continuity plan.
You will learn how to:
  • Stay in business: Identify your key business functions, employees, and documents
  • Protect your investments: Understand how to protect your assets and navigate insurance processes
  • Be ready for action: Create a business continuity plan for your business

NYC Funds Finder

NYC's Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and Next Street are offering a user-friendly platform, NYC Funds Finder, where small businesses can review funding options, including loans and grants, and request free 1-on-1 financing assistance from the SBS team. 

NYC Funds Finder is a partnership between SBS and Next Street and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Next Street Scale, the platform that powers NYC Funds Finder, was created to address the hurdles that small businesses, especially those run by women and minorities, face in accessing the resources required to grow their business and build wealth. 
M/WBE Certification
Unlocking Opportunities

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with NYC SBS to help guide you through the application process of getting certified as a Minority/Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE).

This certification program, offered by NYC Small Business Services, is a critical initiative aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in government contracting and procurement processes. The program seeks to create opportunities for businesses owned and operated by minority individuals and women, ensuring they have fair access to government contracts and economic opportunities, opens your business up to increased opportunities from New York City agencies, free advertising in the NYC Online Directory of Certified Businesses, mentorship programs and workshops, networking events, and more.

The City has committed to awarding $16 billion in contracts to M/WBE certified organizations over the next decade--don’t miss out!

Are you eligible? (Qualification checklist below)

  • Business is legally authorized to transact business in New York City
  • Business has been in operation for at least one year
  • Business is more than 51% minority and/or woman owned

If you are interested in applying, or for more information on M/WBE certification, contact Chanel Perez at Programs@bronxchamber.org
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!

MAYOR ADAMS HOSTS FIRST-EVER NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SAFETY PROMOTION CEREMONY, ANNOUNCES NEW UNIFIED PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING FACILITY TO BE BUILT


Training Facility Delivers on Mayor Adams’ Efforts to Maintain Fiscal Responsibility, Increase Efficiency and Collaboration Between Public Safety Agencies

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today held New York City’s first-ever public safety promotion ceremony and announced plans for the city to build a unified training facility for all of its public safety agencies. The historic event and proposed training facility underscore Mayor Adams’ continued dedication to enhancing public safety through increased efficiency and collaboration between all of the city agencies involved in New York City’s public safety efforts. The training facility also further represents Mayor Adams’ commitment to fiscal responsibility by building a shared, consolidated space to accommodate the city’s myriad public safety training needs.

 

“New York City remains the safest big city in America thanks to the tireless work of our frontline heroes, and, today, we are promoting 79 heroes from 15 different agencies during the first-ever public safety promotion ceremony,” said Mayor Adams. “Over the last two years, we’ve broken down silos, better connected all our city’s public safety agencies, and given them the tools and resources needed to continue to keep our city safe. This is the best public safety team in the nation, and we’re going to build on that good work by providing them the best training facilities possible. Today’s announcement to build New York City’s first-ever public safety academy campus will not only meet the needs of every agency that helps deliver on our promise of public safety, but also enhance our ability to protect all New Yorkers and visitors to our city.”

“This is a new era of collaboration between our public safety agencies,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “This is why the mayor created the Office of Public Safety — to make sure law enforcement is working seamlessly together with each other and with New Yorkers to effectively serve this city. Our message to New Yorkers today is that we are united and committed to our mission to keep our great city safe.” 

“Maintaining public safety is up to all of us — the men and women in blue, but also our building inspectors and parks enforcement patrol, sanitation and environmental protection — all of the hardworking civil servants in uniform,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “With this effort, civil servants across our city agencies tasked with keeping the peace will get more and better training to interact with the public in a way that is respectful, safe, and efficient.”

 

A total of 79 city employees, representing 15 different agencies, were promoted today at the first-of-its-kind public safety promotion ceremony, held at the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Academy in College Point, Queens. The promotion ceremony highlighted public safety professionals from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Police; New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Police; New York City Department of Correction (DOC); New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Police; New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Police; New York City Department of Homeless Services Police; New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Enforcement Patrol; New York City Department of Probation (DOP); New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM); Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY); NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) Police; New York City Human Resources Administration Police; NYPD; New York City Sheriff’s Office; and New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) Police.

 

Two years ago, Mayor Adams created the position of the deputy mayor for public safety to break down silos, better connect the city’s public safety agencies, and give them the tools and resources needed to continue to keep New York City safe. As the next step in the city’s efforts to keep New Yorkers safe, during the ceremony, Mayor Adams also announced that the city is planning to build an additional state-of-the-art training facility building on the current NYPD Academy campus that will become part of a shared training space for the city’s public safety agencies. This shared training space — that will expand the existing training facilities — will enhance an already robust public safety apparatus by breaking down silos, fostering interagency cooperation, and improving training through information sharing.

 

Construction of the new Public Safety Academy facility is expected to begin in early 2026 with a completion date expected for early 2030. The facility includes space identified in a survey, conducted in 2022, by the Office of Public Safety and the Mayor’s Office of Operations to assess the city’s existing public safety and law enforcement training capacity and needs. The survey found that a unified public safety training center would better allocate resources and reduce redundancies in the city’s training spaces. Funding for the new facility will include $225 million approved in 2021 to build a new training facility for the DOC on the NYPD Academy campus. The new Public Safety Academy will accommodate both the specialty spaces required for DOC, as well as flexible training spaces to allow for 16 agencies — including the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Police — to train on the new Public Safety Campus.

 

“Coordinating training under one roof will boost our collective ability to deliver a safer New York City and enhance the close working relationships the NYPD already enjoys with our sister agencies,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “I commend and thank Mayor Adams for his vision and his sustained commitment to our shared public safety mission.”

“Today’s ceremony is creating a new history in the New York City Sheriff’s Office and in New York City,” said Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “Promotions create opportunities to recognize people who are the future leaders within the agency. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for recognizing the crucial role we have in effecting positive change in the city. Congratulations to everyone being promoted today.”

“New York City is proud of all the public safety officers being promoted, including my colleagues at ACS who were promoted to sergeants of the ACS Police to help keep youth, families, and staff safe,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “Their commitment to the children and families of New York City is in line with the mayor’s vision for a better New York. I am confident that, with today’s announcement of a new training facility for all public safety agencies, New York City will continue to be the safest big city in the country.”

“This administration recognizes the essential role of interagency collaboration to ensure we are reaching vulnerable New Yorkers and connecting them to critical lifelines in safe, supportive, and trauma-informed settings,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “We are proud of our incredible peace officers and security personnel who ensure the safety of our clients and frontline staff every day. Strengthening the city’s collaborative and holistic training efforts, which draw from the wealth of expertise across agencies, will help enhance our overall efforts to strengthen public safety for all New Yorkers.”

“Protecting New York City’s water supply is one of the most important jobs in the city, and DEP congratulates the four members of our police department on their promotions today,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “We also celebrate all of the other public safety professionals who are being recognized. We thank the mayor for his continued efforts to improve the safety of New Yorkers, and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration with our fellow public safety agencies.”

“On behalf of the entire DOC, I congratulate Bureau Chief and Chief of Staff Sherrie Ann Rembert, Assistant Chief Charlton Lemon, and Associate Commissioner Ayinde Williams on their new roles,” said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. “I am confident they will continue to serve the department with the expertise, dedication, and resourcefulness they have embodied throughout their government careers.”

“We are one city with one mission — to improve the lives of the people we serve,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Sharing resources, such as training facilities, matches the collaborative spirit that our agencies demonstrate in our daily operations.”

“We are thrilled to be part of this historic initiative,” said DOP Commissioner Juanita Holmes. “The unified public safety ceremony promotion and the planned new training facility underscore the importance of collaboration among all public safety agencies. This new facility will provide a state-of-the-art environment for training and development, enhancing our ability to serve and protect New Yorkers more effectively. The DOP is committed to revolutionizing training practices and integrating innovative techniques and advanced technologies to ensure our officers are well-prepared to drive a safer city. Our deepest gratitude goes to Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III for their visionary leadership and unwavering support. Their dedication to public safety and community well-being has made this transformative project possible.”

“New York is the safest big city in America, thanks in no small part to the selfless, round-the-clock work of the courageous individuals who proudly serve our public safety agencies,” said DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “From swiftly responding to emergencies to enforcing commonsense regulations to improve the quality of life for our residents, every city agency plays an important role in protecting New Yorkers. The city’s new joint public safety training academy will strengthen the already strong collaboration between our public safety agency partners and will help make New York City stronger and safer for all New Yorkers.”

“Keeping our city safe requires a coordinated effort between all of our agency partners. Training together is a smart way to ensure cohesion, partnership, and relationship building,” said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. “We are grateful to Mayor Adams for building a new facility that will promote those interests, and the FDNY is excited to work together in this important mission.”

“Congratulations and thank you to the dedicated public servants recognized today who work tirelessly to keep New Yorkers safe,” said NYCEM Commissioner Zachary Iscol. “These men and women have dedicated their time, energy, and talent to keeping you, me, and the rest of this city prepared and safe. They serve us in our darkest hours and care for our city when we need it most. Most days they do so without recognition, so it is an honor to applaud their commitment and acknowledge their sacrifice today. New York City is forever indebted to our heroic public safety workforce exemplified by the folks celebrated today.”

“Our brave and dedicated parks enforcement patrol officers work hard every day to protect our city’s greenspaces and educate the public,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We’re grateful to Mayor Adams for celebrating the promotion of our officers and the other safety officers across 15 city agencies that ensure the safety of all New Yorkers. In addition, the construction of a new, integrated training facility will bolster efficiency and inspire interagency collaboration, reinforcing this administration’s commitment to keeping New York City the safest big city in America.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress - Trump verdict

 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress

The (first) criminal trial of Donald Trump concluded today.

The MAGA movement spent weeks decrying the process as a political stunt, a partisan effort to stifle Trump’s second presidential campaign.

But a jury of everyday New Yorkers — folks carefully screened by Trump’s own team for partisanship – found Trump guilty of all 34 charges against him.

Our justice system does not often treat all people equally. Too often, poor and marginalized communities across the country are incriminated for crimes that the wealthy and powerful easily escape accountability for.

Today, we took a step closer to a world in which the rule of law applies to everybody, equally.

Trump will surely explore all of his legal avenues to challenge the verdict. Within minutes of leaving the courtroom today, he started fundraising off of his conviction:

Email from the Trump campaign: I am a political prisoner!

But Alexandria is not afraid to combat the lies, hatred, and disinformation coming from the MAGA movement.

And while Trump tries to buy his way back into the White House with the money of those he’s swindled, we know that our lives, our wages, our healthcare, and our families are worth fighting for this November.

In solidarity,

Team AOC