Brooklyn Progress

BROOKLYN APRIL/MAY2017 2016• •Vol Vol99, Issue 98, Issue3 2 May/June

BUSINESSES NEWS NewsFOR forBROOKLYN Brooklyn businesses

Exhibitors at BKLYN DESIGNS. From left to right, Casa Collection, Zieba Knives and WrenLab Ceramics.

Design Has No Borders BKLYN DESIGNS Showcases Borough’s Best in Art

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KLYN DESIGNS is proud to announce highlights from its 50+ exhibiting brands and numerous partners creating interactive and site-specific installations for the show. The signature, annual celebration of the borough’s creative community, founded and managed by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and co-produced with Novità Communications, showcased emerging designers and established brands producing

and selling a range of design objects including furniture, lighting, tableware, art, textiles, and jewelry, many of which have received Brooklyn-Made Certification. In addition, interactive installations, design service providers, pop-up shops, live demos, workshops, panel discussions, local vendors and kid-friendly programming made the show a must-attend event for trade professionals and design lovers of all ages. BKLYN DESIGNS took place May

5-7 at the Brooklyn Expo Center at 72 Noble Street in Greenpoint.

“Brooklyn is a vibrant community of makers. Whether they’re creating a luxury piece or one for practical use, the products from BKLYN DESIGNS’ exhibitors are thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted by the most creative people on the planet...

Brooklynites,” said Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Com-

BK Newsmakers Julie Menin

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merce. “We’re proud to feature artists and designers who help people reimagine the way they live and work.”

Brooklyn is world-renowned for its community of talented woodworkers, which can be seen in native New Yorkers such as Mark Jupiter, a fourth generation woodworker, as well as recent arrivals like Christopher White who studied woodworking in BorContinued on Page 13

Meet the Team

Brooklyn Eats

Explore Brooklyn

Membership

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Exploring all that Brooklyn Has to Offer

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Photo Gallery

Chamber Highlights

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Chamber news

Brooklyn Chamber Hosts Women’s History Month Celebration

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he Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Women’s History Month Celebration in the Forchelli Center at Brooklyn Law School on March 24. This year’s theme was women in government.

The event featured a panel discussion with three women: State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who serves as senior advisor to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

The panel was moderated by Joni Yoswein, who is president and CEO of the lobbying firm Yoswein New York. Yoswein is also a former Assembly Member.

All three panelists spoke about their experiences getting into government service and why they continued to stick with it, despite having difficult schedules and low salaries.

Brooklyn Chamber President and CEO Andrew Hoan and Board Chair Denise Arbesu kicked off the event before introducing Yoswein.

Persaud, Simon and Lewis-Martin were all involved in community development work before going into public service.

“We’re going to work our tails off to make sure our community rises,” Persaud said.

From left to right, State Senator Roxanne Persaud; Brooklyn Chamber Board Chair Denise Arbesu; Yoswein New York President and CEO Joni Yoswein; Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon; and Senior Advisor to the Brooklyn Borough President Ingrid Lewis-Martin.

Yoswein asked each woman to talk briefly about her background. Then, she asked each woman to define success in a government context, noting that definitions would probably not be financial.

“I want to encourage anyone in this room who has a goal to move forward; do not let anything stop you,” Lewis-Martin said.

As a woman who has worked at all levels of government myself – including being elected to office — I am quite comfortable saying, for the record, that this business is tougher for women than it is for men… everything from raising money to being respected for your positions,” Yoswein said.

“Do you agree?”

She also wanted to know what advice the panelists would give to young women who want to enter government and public service.

“You are all incredibly talented women who would be successful in whatever field you chose, so what’s the draw?” Yoswein said.

The panelists shared their views and elaborated on the important place of women at all levels of government.

“Women are important at all phases of politics,” Simon said.

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• May/June 2017

BK Newsmakers

Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin Presents First-of-itsKind NYC Music Study at Brooklyn Newsmakers

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he landscape of NYC’s music industry took center stage as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce hosted Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, at a special neighborhood edition of the Brooklyn Newsmakers speaker series on Monday, April 24, 2017. The event took place at concert venue/ bowling alley/eatery, Brooklyn Bowl, in Williamsburg.

Menin presented a first-of-its-kind economic impact study on the New York City music industry, noting that it generates nearly 60,000 jobs, $4.7 billion in wages and $21 billion in total economic output. Last year, 5.4 million tickets to musical performances were sold in New York City, more than Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles combined. She said that the city has the capacity to support an even larger music industry.

The Commissioner also discussed the economic impact of film, TV, music, digital media and the broader entertainment industries, and gave an overview of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with Andrew Hoan, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Regina Myer, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and Paul Samulski, president of the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Brooklyn Newsmakers is sponsored exclusively by Investors Bank, in partnership with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

“It was a pleasure to share some of the exciting work our office has been doing, with members of the Brooklyn business community at a great musical venue. We are thrilled that music, which provides enormous economic benefit to the city, is now a core part of our agency’s portfolio. New York is the musical capital of the world, and Brooklyn plays a key and critical role in this and other entertainment fields,” Menin said.

“It was so exciting, and fitting, to kick off our inaugural Neighborhood Edition of Newsmakers with Commissioner Julie Menin,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Andrew Hoan.

“Music and media are a big part of the Brooklyn landscape and it was very informative for our neighbors in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and beyond, to truly see the impact these industries have. We thank the Mayor’s office and Commissioner for their participation, and once again give our many thanks to Brooklyn Bowl, the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Investors Bank, NYU Tandon, and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, for their support of our Newsmakers series.”

“Having the Commissioner from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment speak at our first Neighborhood Edition of Newsmakers was such a special opportunity

Fr. l to r. -- Andrew Hoan, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce; Commissioner Julie Menin, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment; Denise Arbesu, Citi; Regina Myer, Downton Brooklyn Partnership; Paul Samulski, North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce; and Jason Wiker, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

for our Brooklyn audience,” said Brooklyn Chamber Board Chair Denise Arbesu. “The film and music industry is a major employer in the borough and an economic engine for all of New York City.”

“We are enthusiastic about our sponsorship of the Chamber’s Newsmakers forum at the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. The setting in this hip concert space created a special ambiance, which complemented NYC Commissioner of Media & Entertainment Julie Menin’s message about the thriving media, TV production and arts sectors. Each breakfast session provides Chamber members, business owners and local residents an insider’s perspective of a major government department. Everyone who attended today’s breakfast meeting received an update about how media and entertainment companies are positively impacting the borough’s economy,” said Investors Bank Senior Vice President and New York City Regional Manager Ana Oliveira.

“Brooklyn has become a global star, and Julie Menin has played an enormous role in getting our borough and our city this level

of exposure,” said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “It was great to hear Julie’s vision for how we can build on our status as a leader in the entertainment industry. Our economy benefits tremendously when the borough’s strengths are on display for the whole world to see.”

“The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is proud to partner with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to help bring awareness to the importance of the digital media and music industries as drivers of New York’s economy,” said Sayar Lonial, Director of Marketing and Communications at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. “At NYU Tandon, our highly regarded Integrated Digital Media and Computer Science programs are helping create the engineers who are both the front of house artists and performers; while also producing the behind the scenes technicians. We thank Commissioner Julie Menin for her leadership and embrace any initiative that will help keep our highly recruited graduates in this city and borough, where they truly want to remain and grow their careers.”

“The film and television business in North

Brooklyn is incredibly important to our community, both directly and indirectly. There’s lots of great employment and substantial tax revenue, and the finished products spread the gospel of Brooklyn all over the world,” said Brooklyn Bowl Partner Charley Ryan.

“Many of the initiatives and programs recently introduced by Commissioner Menin of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment appear to be not only valuable, but also quite exciting,” said North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Paul Samulski. “We are hopeful that all individuals in the local music ecosystem, not just performing musicians, find a way to take advantage of the opportunities that exist. The North Brooklyn Chamber will do whatever we can to help make this happen, as I’m sure our partners at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will do as well.”

Previous editions of Brooklyn Newsmakers have featured members of the Brooklyn delegation to the House of Representatives, NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill, and NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, among others.

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Save the date

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Brooklyn Eats: The Cool That’s Cooking in Brooklyn

rooklyn Eats is Brooklyn’s largest food and beverage trade show, taking place this year on June 23, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge.

Last year’s Brooklyn Eats hosted over 100 exhibitors, welcomed 2,000 guests and showcased the cool that’s cooking in Brooklyn.

The show is aimed at local and regional

buyers, distributors, restaurateurs and consumers with the aim of increasing visibility and sales of the variety of high quality foods and beverages that are made in Brooklyn; from artisanal chocolates to to zesty pickles — we make it all right here!

Brooklyn Eats is free to the trade industry and open to the public for a nominal $10 fee and is presented presented through generous support

of Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce sponsors and the New York State Assembly. The 2017 show is still open to exhibitors who are interested. The cost to the exhibitors is nominal and includes a one year membership to the Brooklyn Chamber to allow our growing food businesses to access Chamber services all year round.

For more information, visit www.brooklyneats.com

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Elected Official Spotlight

Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz

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teven H. Cymbrowitz was elected in 2000 and represents the 45th Assembly District in Brooklyn as a full-time Assemblyman. His district includes portions of Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Manhattan Beach, Gravesend and Brighton Beach.

In January 2017, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz was appointed Chairman of the Assembly’s Housing Committee, where he works to addresses important issues across New York State, including public housing, the MitchellLama housing program and rent regulation protections.

Prior to this post he served as Chair of the Aging Committee, where he focused on issues such as elder abuse and the challenge of helping seniors “age in place.”

Cymbrowitz also chaired the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee and helped craft the State’s first comprehensive initiative to address the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ district office is a “one-stop” help center where constitu-

ents regularly turn for information, guidance, entitlement forms and assistance in navigating bureaucratic channels. He has full-time Russian-speaking staff, and he sponsors free health screenings throughout the year to give constituents easy access to potentially lifesaving tests and operates a mobile office at various locations in his district.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz was the catalyst responsible for the opening of the Lena Cymbrowitz Pavilion of the Maimonides Cancer Center, a tribute to his late wife, Assemblywoman Lena Cymbrowitz.

A child of Holocaust survivors, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz is involved with the international organization World Without Nazism and has been a featured speaker at conferences in Moscow, Berlin, and Riga, warning of the recent rise of neo-Nazi groups and the need for increased vigilance to deal with this threat. In his Brooklyn district, he sponsors an annual contest in which hundreds of students creatively express what they’ve learned about the Holocaust as well as the importance

of treating all people with tolerance and compassion.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz holds a bachelor’s degree from C.W. Post College, a Master’s degree in social work (MSW) from Adelphi University and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. He began his community work in Brighton Beach organizing businesses to assure the survival of the shopping strip and providing technical assistance that led to the creation of neighborhood groups. After several years of grassroots community work, he held leadership positions including Executive Director of the North Brooklyn Development Corporation, Director of Housing and Community Development for the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty, Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Homeless Housing Development for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Housing Production and Finance for HPD and Deputy Commissioner of Development at HPD. He

also served as the New York City Housing Authority’s Director of Intergovernmental Relations, where he was responsible for developing the Housing Authority’s legislative initiative and worked closely with elected officials in Albany and New York City.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz maintains a dialogue with the community through email blasts, Facebook and Twitter pages, and newsletters printed in English, Russian and Chinese.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz and his wife live in Brighton Beach.

Assembly Member Cymbrowitz and the Brooklyn Chamber

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e’ve worked with Assembly Member Cymbrowitz and his office across a range of programs and events between 2013 and 2016.

Programs include Go Digital, merchant organizing, healthcare and transportation.

In collaboration with the Assembly Member’s office, we hosted a “Go Digital Boot Camp” that provided free classes at Jimmy’s Famous Heroes, the store next to the Assembly Member’s office. The classes taught

participants about digital tools for business owners.

For a merchant organizing campaign, Chamber staff went door-to-door handing out flyers and invitations to merchant meetings.

Assembly Member Cymbrowitz is also one of the Chamber’s partners in its Navigator program, which signs businesses and individuals up for healthcare; a Russian-speaking Navigator from the Brooklyn Chamber

works out of his office, signing people up for healthcare plans.

The Chamber also worked with the NYU Wagner Capstone Program to produce a Sheepshead Bay Visioning Plan. The final report, which was released in May of 2014, produced a plan for the future of Sheepshead Bay’s retail and business development, waterfront, streetscape, transportation, land use and zoning.

We hosted the Assembly Member for a

Government Affairs Committee Meeting in January of 2016. The Chamber is also a regular participant in Sheepshead Summer Strolls, an outdoor festival that Assembly Member Cymbrowitz’s office organizes each year.

Most recently, we helped fund the first holiday lights in Sheepshead Bay in 15 years!

The lights running down Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue made for a happy sight.

Meet the team

Meet the New Membership Team

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eing responsible for the 2,050 businesses that make up New York State’s largest chamber of commerce is no small task.

The membership team takes it on by keeping members informed about every program, service and benefit the Chamber provides on a regular basis.

“Meeting real and passionate folks and learning about Brooklyn’s most energetic, genius and mission-driven ideas is my favorite part of the job,” said Chris Lenard, vice president of membership. “Brooklynites really wear their hearts on their sleeves, and the Chamber is the best place to feel Brooklyn’s beat.”

The overall purpose of the membership team is to understand the needs of members and connect them with relevant Chamber resources. The team has recently changed with Lenard’s promotion to Vice President and with the addition of Meg Helming, the new Director of Membership . Special Advisor to the President and CEO Camille Socci has also been providing assistance to membership.

To connect members to Chamber programs and services, the team needs to have a thorough understanding of each member’s needs and how the Chamber can assist, so

The membership team. From left to right, Veronica Harris; Lizzie Cofrancesco; Chris Lenard; Lynniah Griffith; Meg Helming; and Camille Socci.

that membership dues are not spent in vain.

The five “pillars” of the Chamber’s services are covered: member-to-member services, promotion, events, direct service and advocacy.

“I take pride in providing excellent customer service in a very timely manner,” said Lizzie Cofrancesco, deputy director of membership.

In the future, Lenard would like the team to be able to provide dedicated site visits to members by neighborhood and industry. Site visits would give Chamber staff a much better picture of the challenges facing each Chamber member.

“We need to see more of Brooklyn, more often,” he said.

The team would also like to partner with other membership organizations. In 2016, the Chamber created a successful partnership with the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, formerly the Greenpoint Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.

“As a relatively new Brooklyn resident, I have been blown away by how friendly and talented the Brooklyn Chamber members are,” Helming said. “I love doing my part to strengthen the network by helping businesses connect with each other and thrive here in Brooklyn and beyond.”

The membership team conducts bimonthly orientations for new members.

The orientations allow members to network and include presentations on the Chamber’s programs and services given by a variety of Chamber staff.

Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 7

Take Your Joseph R. Lhota, NYU Business to Langone Medical Center New Heights J Board member Spotlight

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oseph R. Lhota has had a wide-ranging career in both the public and private sectors, but one thing seems prominent: he is a person hired to manage big organizations, ffrom the City of New York, to the MTA, to his current role at NYU Langone. A longtime Brooklyn Heights resident, he is active in his home borough.

“New York has been the center of my life for all of my life,” he said.

As senior vice president, vice dean, and chief of staff, Lhota helps to “further align and integrate medical care, research, and education” at NYU Langone, according to his official biography. He also serves as a representative to elected officials and government agencies, and advises the dean and CEO on issues of management and policy.

Lhota grew up in the Bronx, the son of an NYPD officer and the grandson of a cab driver.

He returned to the city immediately after college and graduate school.

“New York City is kind of in my blood, through and through,” he said.

Lhota’s career began when he graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in business administration. He worked in investment banking for 15 years, specializing in public finance.

Then, he moved into government, serving as commissioner of the New York City Department of Finance, director of the Office of Man-

agement and Budget, and deputy mayor for operations, all under Mayor Rudolph D. Giuliani.

After a stint at Madison Square Garden, Lhota was appointed chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. He resigned in 2013 to run for New York City mayor. After the election, Lhota landed the job at NYU Langone.

He supports the BQX streetcar line, and serves on the board of Friends of the BQX, an advocacy group for it.

He loves walking around his home borough, and likes looking at how the skyline and housing are changing.

“There’s no other place in the world like Brooklyn,” he said.

Elected From our Official members Spotlight

Cornegy’s Corner E mployment is a cornerstone of any strong economy. In New York’s economy, small businesses employ more than half of the City’s private sector workforce. Clearly, small businesses play a vital role in bolstering our City’s economy by providing much needed employment opportunity. I believe by building capacity in our small businesses, we can strengthen our economy even more.

According to the New York State Department of Labor, there were about 176,500 unemployed persons in New York City in February 2017. If each of the city’s more than 200,000 businesses could hire just one more employee, New York City could attain full employment.

Therefore, it is my goal to create an environment in which small business owners are able to employ more people.

Recently, I introduced two bills aimed at just that. Intros 1510-2017 & 1511-2017 would require the commissioner of Small Business Services to create a comprehensive workforce development plan for small businesses in New York City based on a survey that gauges the state of small business in the city.

The survey will collect information from businesses including hiring needs, workforce development needs, barriers to growth, and the need for additional city-provided tools and resources. The workforce development plan would include the need for and types of training programs necessary for small business workers to fill existing jobs; how to connect the public

to these training programs; and how to connect qualified potential small business employees with small business jobs.

We will hear these bills before the Small Business Committee in early June. I strongly encourage business owners, workforce development professionals, and other stakeholders to reach out to my Small Business Liaison – Kegan Sheehan (ksheehan@council.nyc.gov) – with any thoughts on this proposed legislation so we can ensure it makes a meaningful impact on our small businesses.

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Meet the leaders

Michelle J. Anderson, Brooklyn College

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Reform, Center on Latino and Latina Rights & Equality, and Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice.

Anderson was a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Task Force on New Lawyers in a Changing Profession, and has written about the importance of matching underemployed attorneys with low and moderate-income communities that have great need for affordable legal services. She is an adviser to the American Law Institute’s project to reform the Model Penal Code on sexual offenses and a consultant to its campus sexual misconduct project. Her research has been published in the Yale Law Journal, Boston University Law Review, George Washington Law Review, Hastings Law Journal, Rutgers Law Review, Southern California Law Review, and the University of Illinois Law Review, among others.

Prior to joining the CUNY School of Law, Anderson was a member of the Villanova University School of Law faculty. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California,

ichelle J. Anderson is the 10th president of Brooklyn College and the second woman to hold the office. She is a leading scholar in the law of rape and sexual assault, and her research traces the history and evolution of rape law.

For the past decade, Anderson has led the CUNY School of Law as a dean, overseeing a period of great renewal and transformation in development, facilities, programs, and recognition. Under Anderson’s tenure, CUNY Law strengthened its public interest mission, increased its academic standards, and obtained prestigious rankings that include: PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Public Interest Law School,” U.S. News & World Report’s top ten for “Best Clinical Training,” Princeton Review’s “Best Law Professors” and “Most Diverse Faculty.”

In addition, CUNY Law launched a number of groundbreaking initiatives, including the Pipeline to Justice Program, Incubator Program, Community & Economic Development Clinic, and Center for Urban Environmental

Santa Cruz, where she earned the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding academic achievement, and a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was Notes Editor of the Yale Law Journal. Following law school, Anderson clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for Judge William A. Norris. She then worked at Georgetown University Law Center in the Appellate Litigation Program and Institute for Public Representation, where she earned an LL.M. in Advocacy.

Anderson is the recipient of numerous honors, including the New York City Bar Association’s “Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award” (2014) for her critical role in initiating and sustaining change within the CUNY School of Law and the New York legal community. She has also been honored, by the Feminist Press, with the “Susan Rosenberg Zalk Award” and by the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, at the University of Albany, with a “Public Service Leadership Award.”

Donald R. Boomgaarden, St. Joseph’s College

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ollowing an extensive nationwide search, the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s College, New York is pleased to announce that Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D. will become the College’s eighth president effective July 1, 2017.

A distinguished scholar with extensive experience in higher education, Dr. Boomgaarden has a proven track record of success. Most recently, he served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA. Prior to that he served as Dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts at Loyola University New Orleans and Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at Loyola University Maryland, among other administrative and academic positions over the course of three decades. He will succeed SJC’s current president, Dr. Jack P. Calareso, who began his tenure at the College in July 2014.

Dr. Boomgaarden notes that he was particularly moved by his recent visits to the SJC campuses in Brooklyn and Patchogue: “The inclusive and transformational mission

in Education Program as well as the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Seminar on Higher Education Leadership at Loyola University Chicago. A music enthusiast, concert pianist and country fiddler, Dr. Boomgaarden is also a noted historian of 18th-Century opera, music aesthetics and harmonic theory, on which he has written and been published extensively. He will divide his time equally between the Brooklyn and Long Island campuses, and hopes to find time to teach in the music program at SJC. Chris Drewes, Chair of the SJC Board of Trustees, announced the appointment of Dr. Boomgaarden to the College community: “We are fortunate indeed to have in Dr. Boomgaarden an outstanding leader and scholar, ideally suited to take the helm of St. Joseph’s College at this time. We are excited to welcome him to the SJC family, and look forward to his leadership as we enter the second century of the College’s history.”

For more information about St. Joseph’s College, New York, visit www.sjcny.edu.

of St. Joseph’s resonates deeply with me, and I can tell from my campus visits that the students, faculty and staff truly strive to live up to their motto, Esse non videri: To be, not to seem. At a time when many colleges and universities are challenged by a rapidly changing world, St. Joseph’s stands for what is great about American education, and for what is most important to our students and their parents. Deeply rooted in the liberal arts tradition, informed by the wisdom of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the College is committed to offering an education that prepares our students for meaningful careers and provides them with the knowledge to transform the world for the better. I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful institution.”

Dr. Boomgaarden earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. A Fulbright Scholar, he also graduated from Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership

Dr. Wayne J. Riley, SUNY Downstate Medical Center

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ayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, is president of SUNY Downstate Medical Center, having assumed leadership of the campus on April 3, 2017.

He holds the faculty ranks of tenured professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and tenured professor of health policy and management, School of Public Health.

Dr. Riley has a wealth of professional experience that includes serving as the 10th president, chief executive officer, and professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College, the nation’s largest, private, independent, historically black academic health center dedicated to educating health professionals (2007 to 2013). During that time, he also held a tenured professorship in internal medicine and was senior health policy associate at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at Meharry. Coupled with these roles, Dr. Riley maintained a joint appointment as professor of internal medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

10 Brooklyn Progress

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Immediately prior to joining SUNY Downstate, Dr. Riley served as the 101st president of the American College of Physicians – the nation’s largest medical specialty organization with a membership of over 150,000 internists and related sub-specialists; was a clinical profes-

sor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; adjunct professor of healthcare management at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management; and adjunct professor of health policy at Vanderbilt.

An academic primary care general internist, Dr. Riley has more than a quarter century of leadership experience in academic medicine, patient care, research administration, academic health center administration, healthcare management, health policy, biotechnology, the corporate sector, government service, advocacy, and organized medicine.

Dr. Riley began his career in academic medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where he completed residency training in internal medicine. Starting as an instructor of medicine, he ascended to corporate officer and member of Baylor’s senior management team as vice president and vice dean for health affairs and governmental relations, while also holding the rank of associate professor in internal medicine. Prior to pursuing a career in medicine, he served in three

roles in the Office of the Mayor, City of New Orleans, rising to executive assistant to the mayor for intergovernmental relations.

Dr. Riley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology with a concentration in Medical Anthropology from Yale University, a Master of Public Health degree in health systems management from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, a Master’s in Business Administration from Rice University, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Morehouse School of Medicine.

As president of SUNY Downstate, Dr. Riley leads the only academic medical in Brooklyn, New York, a borough of more than 2.5 million people. Downstate includes a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative. Downstate is also a major research center and traces its history to 1860 as the teaching division of the Long Island College Hospital.

Small Business services

Free Compliance Consultations are Helping Our City’s Small Businesses Successfully Navigate Government and Avoid Costly Penalties

By Gregg Bishop Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services

I

know that running a small business is a labor of love that requires a lot of hard work. With all that goes into building a successful small business, it can be challenging to navigate important health, safety, and occupational regulations. At the NYC Department of Small Business Services, we want to help businesses optimize their resources and avoid costly violations and fines. That is why we offer free, on-site compliance consultations for small businesses across the five boroughs. At no cost to the business owners, my staff will visit an operating business and make sure it’s in compliance with the rules that inspectors will look for when they visit.

We will then offer business owners guidance on how to take corrective action. We also work with businesses that have received a violation - to understand, resolve and avoid such violations in the future. With foreignborn New Yorkers accounting for nearly half of the city’s small business owners, we also offer on-site consultations in English, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese and Fuzhou), Spanish, and Russian.

Food Service Businesses

Personal Care Businesses

• Keep prepared food at the correct temperature or for a limited time before serving.

(Fine range: $250 - $600) • Remove pests and pest-friendly conditions. (Fine range: $200 - $350) • Ensure that potentially hazardous foods are kept at required temperatures in refrigeration units and hot holding equipment.

(Fine range: $300 - $350) • Show payment and refund policies. (Fine Range: $50-$500) • Use a grease interceptor to prevent fats, oils, and/or grease from entering and clogging the sewer lines. (Fine range: $100 $400)

• Sweep sidewalk and gutter. (Fine range: $100 - $300) • Do not sell or display expired over-thecounter medication. (Fine range: $100 - $500 for each group of identical medication) • Make sure receipts are complete and correct. (Fine range: $50 - $500) • Show payment and refund policies. (Fine range: $50 - $500) • Show prices for each item sold or service provided. (Fine range: $25 - $250 for a product; $50 - $500 for a service)

Retail Businesses

To further educate business owners and expand the reach of our compliance services, we recently unveiled new resources to highlight the most commonly issued violations by business type.

Here are some tips on how to easily avoid the most common fines:

• Sweep sidewalk and gutter. (Fine range: $100 - $300) • Regularly inspect fire safety systems. (Fine range: $600 - $1,000) • Make sure receipts are complete and correct. ($50 - $500) • Show payment and refund policies. ($50 - $500) • Show prices for each item sold or service provided. (Fine Range: $25-$250 for a product; $50 - $500 for a service)

Since launching last year, compliance consultations have already served nearly 1,000 small businesses across the five boroughs.

This critical service is part of the larger initiative, Small Business First, which we launched in 2014 to change the way the City interacts with small business owners and, ultimately, helps move government out of the way. Overall, the City has reduced fines assessed against small businesses by 40% since 2014 and has proven to be an ally for entrepreneurs who want to succeed.

I hope you will take advantage of these free consultations and learn more about SBS by visiting nyc.gov/sbs.

From our members

Mental Health — Your Greatest Asset

By Albert Speranza, MD

W

hen you think of the term “mental health,” what words or images come to mind? For many, the term is commonly linked to words or images that describe “mental illness” or mental health problems. This is a reasonable association, but seeing or understanding mental health in the context of mental illness does not capture the former’s true meaning. Mental Health is not the absence of mental illness. It is a healthbased concept grounded in well-being. It refers to our emotional well-being and the level of satisfaction in our lives. Our mental health is significant in defining our happiness.

Using this current definition of mental health, let’s now refer to our individual mental health as our “emotional well-being.” In the same way that we can enhance our physical health with lifestyle changes such as eating nourishing foods and exercising, so too can we enhance our emotional well-being with

lifestyle changes that nourish and support it. In this context, emotional well-being is relevant to everyone, not just those suffering from mental health problems.

In my 24 years of experience as a psychiatrist, I have determined the greatest impediment to emotional well-being to be chronic stress. Chronic stress affects everyone, regardless of the presence or absence of mental illness. It is worthwhile for us to reduce the impact of chronic stress. Doing so enhances and strengthens our emotional well-being.

Here are some specific reasons to reduce your chronic stress: Chronic stress – 1) Diminishes the quality of our lives and our relationships.

2) Is a significant risk factor for the development of physical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

3) Can trigger the onset of depression and anxiety.

Chronic stress is defined as any life situation that causes significant distress for at least three to six months, and remains unresolved.

Common symptoms experienced by those with chronic stress can be difficulty sleeping, headaches, neck or back pain, nausea or indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, difficulty concentrating, chronic worry, irritability, impatience and sadness.

Fortunately, there is a solution to relieve chronic stress. It is called Permanent Stress Reduction (PSR). PSR is a set of psychological tools that anyone can learn and immediately apply to stressful situations, even if the stress has persisted for months or years.

There are three components of PSR: 1) A daily practice of relaxation breathing coupled with a visual image to relax your body and calm your mind.

2) An ongoing conversation which provides you with a deeper understanding of the situation triggering your stress. This understanding provides the ability to diminish or

resolve the stress.

3) Creating and implementing a constructive solution that permanently reduces the stress.

Common situations that create chronic stress are: 1) Ongoing health problems 2) Conflict in a relationship, particularly with a family member 3) Conflict at work As you reduce stress, emotional well-being is restored, improving the quality of your life and relationships. PSR also decreases the risk of developing the physical health problems that I previously mentioned. If you would like to learn more about my work and how it can strengthen your emotional well-being, you can visit my website at www.anxietyreliefpsychiatrist.com.

Please consider strengthening your mental health to enhance your emotional well-being.

Remember: Your mental health is your greatest asset!

visit us at www.ibrooklyn.com. where brooklyn business clicks.

Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 11

Exploring All That Brooklyn Has to Offer Explore Brooklyn is the go-to website for all things Brooklyn. Visit ExploreBK.com to discover all the best places to eat, stay, shop and play in your favorite borough. Trust us, we know Brooklyn.

featured event

featured venue

Mother’s Day Brunch At Brooklyn Winery May 14 @ 11am – 3pm Treat the Moms in your life to a memorable Mother’s Day brunch in our gorgeous Atrium and Wine Bar on Sunday, May 14, 2017, from 11am to 3pm. We will be serving a special prix fixe brunch menu full of delicious dishes crafted especially for the occasion by our chef, Lauren Rauh. Brunch is $35 per person. Come and celebrate!

Visit bkwinery.com for more information.

The Brooklyn EXPO 72 Noble St, Greenpoint

A Glimpse into the Artists behind BKLYN DESIGNS For one weekend in May, The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Novità Communications showcased the borough’s unique artists and makers at BKLYN DESIGNS – The Brooklyn design event for contemporary furniture, lighting, accessories and art. Founded by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce in 2003, it was one of the first design fairs to shine a spotlight on the creative economy in Brooklyn and serves as an incubator for emerging designers. Designers included furniture, lighting, tableware, art, textiles, jewelry and more.

The weekend featured inspiring collective exhibits, pop-up lounges, installations, hands-on demos and a diverse conference program for the aesthetically-minded of all ages. Children and adults alike interacted with

Brooklyn SolarWorks

A turnkey solar installer based in Gowanus since 2015, Brooklyn SolarWorks has patented an innovative solar canopy for the flat rooftops of urban environments. With over twelve years of solar experience and a commitment to excellence, it’s regularly considered Brooklyn’s flat-roof solar expert.

But how exactly did such an idea – to turn an expanse of flat and relatively unused roof space – into a solar revolution come about?

We caught up with Davis Saltonstall, Solar Consultant, and captured the insight on the inspiration behind such a unique product.

“Our founding partners were helping to manage SunRun’s Northeastern Sales and living in Brooklyn. They were frustrated that they were not building more systems in the city on flat rooftops. The canopy was developed to focus on these rooftops and was the impetus for starting the company,” Saltonstall said. “There are several existing restrictions on flat rooftops regarding fire code that make our canopy a unique solar solution in the city.”

OTTRA

In the Spring of 2016, after creating a concept for a kitchen island in a Connecticut client’s home, Adam and Sofia Zimmerman – founders of Ot/tra – applied it to a table for their own conference room. Adam and Sofia fell in love

12 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

installations, with food and drinks available from Brooklyn vendors on site.

Attendees were able to shop at the popular BKLYN BUYS marketplace, which returned for a third year. It featured designers and makers specializing in jewelry, ceramics, and other items for sale. Attendees also enjoyed pop-up shops featuring modern design goods, attended workshops on textiles and 3D printing, and listened to panel discussions on a variety of subjects relating to design, architecture and technology.

Behind the creations are the artists that bring them to life. Let’s meet some of the artists, designers, and companies that represent what it means to live the creative life in Brooklyn.

with the process, which she simply calls “a true labor of love, and a lot of hard work” and in their spare time developed a business plan and continued designing pieces. It was the love for the process that led them to found Ot/tra.

Ot/tra – named after son and daughter, Otto and Petra – by Zimmerman Workshop creates furniture that can be used in a variety of settings, from residential to hospitality to corporate offices. Applying their techniques as architects and furniture designers, Sofia and Adam create memorable and innovative designs, while being meticulous with details, and offering a look that’s contemporary yet soft and inviting. All products are designed and handcrafted locally in DUMBO by a dedicated team, and built to last for generations.

Although officially established in 2016, Sofia and Adam have been designing furniture and helping clients furnish their homes and offices since 2010, when they founded Zimmerman Workshop Architecture + Design. What they bring to their architectural projects they offer at Ot/tra as well: technical rigor, meticulous detailing, quality construction, and a softened contemporary aesthetic, making Ot/tra a natural extension of their brand.

Greenery NYC

Fascinated by lilacs and other spring ephemerals from an early age, Rebecca Bullene loved

being outside helping her parents weed and plant their home garden in Rochester, NY. Although she knew from an early age that plants would be her passion, it wasn’t until her late twenties that Rebecca would be working with plants professionally.

After working as an editor at Random House for seven years, she decided to follow her love of horticulture and took a position at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was then, as she worked out on the grounds, that visitors would often approach her with questions about their personal plants and gardens.

“I started moonlighting as a private gardener on afternoons and weekends, my referrals kept growing and growing until I woke up one day and realized I had a thriving business,” Rebecca said. Seven years later, after striking out on her own with the help of a few hands, Rebecca founded Greenery NYC.

Kahen_Design

Kahen_Design features handcrafted concrete jewelry with a focus on material, texture, and process. It was founded by Ryan Kahen, and all pieces are handmade in his Brooklyn studio.

Ryan works to balance the digital and analog aspects of design, utilizing modeling software and 3D printing technologies together with traditional casting techniques.

Kahen_Design stemmed from a design/build

The Brooklyn EXPO is located in the thriving neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It is a new concept for a historical neighborhood that is now emerging as a frontier of culture in the Brooklyn scene.

Guest Capacity, Seated and Standing = 1-2000 Square Footage = 28,000 sq. ft.

Number of Party Rooms = 1

course during Ryan’s architecture master’s program at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. The class looked at the ideas of site, scale, materiality, and place in relation to each other in order to translate experiences into built forms. “It was a result of exploring through making for this course that I fell in love with the process of casting,” said Ryan.

After moving to Brooklyn in 2013, Ryan became inspired by the built environment, and continued this translation of experiences learned in school. “I started working with concrete as a challenge to push a ubiquitous building material in ways in which it is not normally experienced.

Concrete is typically thought of as robust and heavy, yet by working at the scale of jewelry, I became fascinated with the lightness and detail I was able to achieve with the material.”

This year’s show was Kahen_Design’s first public showing of its products and featured hand crafted concrete pendant necklaces, including pieces from the Geo and Dwellings series. It also showcased a few jewelry pieces from a new series in the works, as well as planter design.

BKLYN DESIGNS was a testament to all the talent that’s here in Brooklyn. It provided an excellent opportunity for exhibitors to expose their products and to work more intimately with Brooklyn’s vast network of designers, and architects. The show puts these artists’ hard work and passion on display for all to be inspired.

Chamber news

Designs Continued from Page 1

deaux and the Basque Country. The show also attracted people with an entrepreneurial spirit, evident in the many trained architects and designers who have crossed over into product design, such as Roberto Gil of Casa Kids and Hannah Getachew of Bolé Road Textiles, as well as design and architecture firms launching new product lines such as Ot/tra, Think Fabricate and MK Workshop.

Collaboration and social good are two other defining characteristics of the borough that seemed to manifest themselves in this year’s exhibitor pool from Market Goods, which works closely with artisans in Bangladesh, to Refoundry, which trains formerly incarcerated people to repurpose discarded materials into unique furnishings. Reflecting the borough’s reputation for community and collaboration, many of the exhibitors were family-owned brands, including Maria Castelli, a leather goods brand run by a mother-daughter team of architects, and JMP, a woodshop specializing in stairs and rails, run by a father-son team of woodworkers.

The popular BKLYN BUYS marketplace, which returned for a third year, featured designers and makers specializing in jewelry, ceramics, and other items for sale. A few highlights included: nylon jewelry from Michal Lando, porcelain vases from WrenLab Ceramics, and Keap, whose candle sales support the distribution of solar lamps to communities in need.

In addition to design products and services, a wide range of pop-ups, lounges and installations ensured that attendees never wanted to leave. At the front of the show, AphroChic presented the Design Against Hate Lounge, an interactive space demonstrating how acts of creativity can make a positive social impact, featuring décor and events around the idea of American Inclusivism. Bolstering the show’s familyfriendly vibe, Rockwell Group donated its Imagination Playground for creative kids to build and play.

The American Design Club hosted the American Design Club Pop-Up Shop, featuring jewelry, lighting and accessories for sale by well-known Brooklyn designers. It also collaborated with local artists and designers to create Project Cornhole, a series of one-of-a-kind cornhole boards that were played during the show’s opening night party on Friday, May 5. The Textile Arts Center returned with the TAC PopUp Studio, activating the show floor and creating a unique, hands-on experience for attendees. The studio hosted live demos and workshops by artists in residence, teaching skills for children and adults, such as block printing, indigo dyeing, macramé, and fabric marbling.

There were also numerous creative installations at the show, including: a custom Vessel chandelier designed by Todd Bracher for Humanscale; Shadow Man, a one-of-a-kind, 28 foot-tall and 12 foot-wide sculpture from Naula; and LAYERED FRAGMENTS: a dyptich, designed by Jieun Yang, a Brooklyn-based architect and principal of Habitat Workshop, who won BKLYN DESIGNS’ first-ever installation competition. Local food vendors at the show this year included Sixpoint Brewery, Café Grumpy, and Colson Patisserie.

BKLYN DESIGNS is thankful for the generous support of its sponsors Benjamin Moore, Broadway Stages, AJ Madison, Con Edison, Forest City Ratner, Just Energy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sweeten, Formula E and Williamsburg Hotel. Media sponsors included Metropolis, Interior Design, Architectural Record, The Architect’s Newspaper, New York Cottages & Gardens, Interiors & Sources, Design Milk, Brooklyn Magazine, AphroChic, BKLYNER and The Bridge. The show was also supported by the local chapters of ASID, IFDA, IIDA, and AIA.

About BKLYN DESIGNS Founded in 2003 by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, BKLYN DESIGNS was one of the first design fairs to shine a spotlight on the creative economy in Brooklyn, and helped put many Brooklyn makers and designers on the map. Attendees include designers, architects, builders, developers, store buyers, industry influencers, educators, urban planners and design-savvy consumers, who all come together to celebrate the borough’s rich design heritage, iconic style and bustling creative community. With thousands of visitors over the three-day weekend, BKLYN DESIGNS is one of the most vibrant shows in New York City and of the anchor fairs of NYCxDESIGN - the official citywide celebration of design.

BKLYN DESIGNS is supported by the New York State Assembly, the New York State Senate and the New York City Council. www.bklyndesigns.com

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It’s the name of the game. You don’t want to expect -Debra Dixon, Light of Gold PR perfection in yourself. You want to strive to do your best.

To join, call 718-875-1000 or visit It’s too demanding to expect perfection in yourself.” ibrooklyn.com

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Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 13

photo gallery

Chamber Highlights

2

1 1. The Brooklyn Chamber honored two M/WBEs at the 5 Borough M/WBE Recognition Awards hosted by the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

3 3. The latest Brooklyn Chamber Government Affairs Committee meeting. From left to right, Andrew Hoan Brooklyn Chamber; David Lombino, Two Trees Management; Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, NYSDOCR; Denise Arbesu, Citi; Antonia Yuille-Williams, Con Edison; Gil Cygler, Fleet Consultants; and Shirley S. Paul, Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo.

2. Brooklyn Chamber Staff Development Day at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

4 4. Left to right, Mark Treyger, Council Member and Co-chair of Brooklyn Delegation; and Andrew Hoan.

5 5. The Young BK Professionals conducted mock interviews at the annual Community Board 14 Youth Conference. Left to right, Fernando Pedrero, Central Diligence Group; Spencer Alexander, Doban Architecture; and Sam Cialek, The D.E. Shaw Group.

14 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

photo gallery

Chamber Highlights

6

7

6. The Chamber received a CSR Diversity Award from City & State. Left to right, Veronica Harris; Andrew Hoan; Camille Ortiz; Lara Pantin; and Luc Saint-Preux.

7. Chamber staff and board members at the City & State CSR Diversity Awards. Left to right, Juliet Lewis, Con Edison; Camille Ortiz, Brooklyn Chamber; Andrew Hoan; Denise Arbesu, Citi; Penda Aiken, Penda Aiken, Inc.; and Adam Kilduff, Brooklyn Chamber.

8. Brooklyn Chamber President and CEO Andrew Hoan on a panel at the City & State CSR Diversity Awards. Left to right, Tunisha W. Walker, Capalino + Company; Andrew Hoan; Lorraine Grillo, School Construction Authority; and Van Thompson, Skanska USA Civil.

8

9 9 Chamber staff with graduate students from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. From left to right, Varun Sanyal, Brooklyn Chamber; Corey Blay; Michael McKinnon; Madeline Stoddart; Amy Tsai; Simon Lim; and Andrew Hoan.

10 10 The Chamber met with Mark Stone, chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Victoria, Australia. From left to right, Camille Ortiz; Mark Stone; Mariela Estrella; Meg Helming; Lori Raphael; and Rick Russo.

Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 15

From our members

Giving Back by Bagging Up A

n innovative way of changing garbage bags has brought Bunker Lab’s mission to help veterans full circle. Jack Licata’s multi-patented product, BagUps, aims to make garbage duty less of a hassle while giving back to the veteran community. With the help of the 14-week program exclusively for veterans, Jack Licata and other prospective entrepreneurs were able to embark on their business ventures.

The company recently found its first Brooklyn customer: the Brooklyn Cyclones, who will use BagUps at their stadium, MCU Park. The Cyclones are excited to go green and support veterans and people with disabilities.

Licata’s motivation for creating BagUps came while he worked as a nuclear missile launch officer in the Air Force. He recalls one of this least favorite tasks of office duty was emptying the garbage can at the end of the day. “I hated it.”

Eliminating the extra work of searching for a garbage bag by developing a dispensing system comparable to that of a tissue box would make changing the bag easier for people on garbage duty, creating a more efficient system in both commercial and residential environments. This system has totally revolutionized the manner in which garbage bags are installed, disposed and de-

composed. Once installed, BagUps take three seconds to change, significantly cutting the time spent changing bags and saving almost two man-hours per employee per day. These hours amount to businesses saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

BagUps are, by design, biodegradable, as they break down within two months as opposed to their non-ecofriendly plastic counterparts, which take thousands of years to disintegrate. Licata’s bags are made of an additive “that unwinds the molecular bond be-

tween hydrogen and carbon molecules,” creating an effect similar to that of rust on steel.

As if the concept of producing an environmentally conscious product weren’t enough, Licata also prides himself on having a product made 100 percent in the U.S. by veterans and people with disabilities. For every 1,000 BagUps produced, a job is created for one person a week.

BagUps have been shown on shopping channels and local and national vews over 14 times and are being distributed through U.S. Foods, one of the largest distributors in the country. Licata seeks to expand his company as he looks to gain commercial business accounts, government agencies and distributors. His hope is that larger distributors will grant him the opportunity to provide hundreds of jobs for veterans and people who are disabled. For his residential line, Licata is launching a disruptive online membership model that will deliver BagUps refills to customers’ mailboxes. In this subscriptionbased model, residual refills are automatically shipped to homes, lowering manufacturing costs, customer costs and carbon footprint.

It’s probably worth mentioning that Licata has now turned over his household garbage duties to his 15 year old son. Visit www. bagups.com for more information.

Now avoid a monthly maintenance fee with TD Business Convenience Checking Plus. Use your business checking and personal checking account balance toward the low minimum daily balance of $1,500.

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16 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

In business, it all starts with a vision.

At Citi® Commercial Bank, we offer an extensive network of resoXrces and onancial solXtions that can help you make your vision a reality. Our Brooklyn Commercial Banking team is right here in your neighborhood, so we understand your business and can develop a banking solution that’s tailored to how you want to grow.

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Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 17

From our members

Plan Your Summer With the Brooklyn Cyclones!

B

aseball on the beach is back, and the Brooklyn Cyclones, a New York Mets Single-A Affiliate, are inviting you to come out to the ballpark this season for some summer fun! No matter what you enjoy, the Cyclones will have you covered with a promotional schedule that is jam-packed with entertainment for everyone.

Single Game Tickets are on sale now! The team has released its preliminary promotional schedule for the 2017 season. This year, the team will offer three different types of giveaways: Premium, General and Kids Only.

The 10 premium dates scattered throughout the schedule will feature giveaway items for the first 5,000 fans in attendance. This was done to ensure those who can’t arrive right when gates open will still have the opportunity to take home great items like the Jose Reyes Sliding Bobblehead (August 3), Edgardo Alfonzo Starting Lineup Figure (July 7), Edgardo Alfonzo Jersey (July 14), Home Run Apple Jack in the Box (August 24) and much more.

Also new for the 2017 season will be the Kids Only (16 and under) giveaways and entertainment throughout the summer. Kicking things off will be Paw Patrol Day presented by Nick Jr. on June 25, followed by a Selfie Stick Giveaway courtesy of Coca Cola (July 9), a Fidget Spinner (July 16), Toy Truck Giveaway and Touch a Truck (July 23) and Marvel Super Hero Day (August 6). These dates will also have fun pre-game activities like player autographs, selfies with Cyclones players, pre-game catch on the field, and more. Also, every Sunday kids get to run the bases post-game. On Sunday, July 2, the Cyclones will pay tribute to “A Kid From Brooklyn” when they have Captain America Bobblehead Day for the first 2,000 fans in attendance as part of Marvel’s Captain America

Day at MCU Park.

But that’s not all; we also have the return of fan favorites like Seinfeld Night IV featuring an appearance from Phil Morris (Jackie Chiles) and a “No Soup for You Bobblehead” to the first 2,000 fans in attendance on August 5. The schedule also features celebrity appearances from Chauncey Leopardi, who

famously played “Squints” in the classic movie “The Sandlot” as part of our Baseball on the Big Screen Night and Chris McDonald (Shooter McGavin) on our Villain Appreciation Day. Sounds like a fun summer, doesn’t it? And we didn’t even mention the Amed Rosario Garden Gnome, A League of Their Own

Tribute Night, Nickelodeon’s Doug Night, Jackie Robinson Day and so much more.

Take some time and explore the full schedule below...then start planning your summer!

To purchase Brooklyn Cyclones tickets, you can visit www.brooklyncyclones.com or you can call 718-37-BKLYN.

How Does Your Business Stack Up on the Web?

By Joe DeJesus President, Valpak of Kings County

I

t amazes me that in the many years since the web was born, countless businesses still have websites that lack the essential elements necessary to make them effective.

Consequently and in short order, these websites suffer from low visitor traffic, rankings in search engine results, engagement, reputation, and ultimately, lost sales. Sounds like basic stuff, right? Well, too many businesses have it wrong. It makes me wonder, why have a website in the first place? Here’s a short summary of the basic principles and best practices that business owners need to embrace to have effective websites.

Make sure your website is mobile friendly.

With this, I mean that your website should load quickly and “respond” to proper display (and screen size) on mobile devices. Users should be able to easily locate “tap” buttons on the screen to call or send messages to your business. Your site should also include a map, making your business as easy to find as pos18 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

sible. Users should be able to tap the screen and get GPS directions. Not only will this provide for a more engaging experience, but it will also give your website higher page rankings on search engines. It’s important to mention here that since 2015, Google has penalized websites that are not mobile friendly, ranking them lower in search results. Overall, your website should be easy enough to navigate on mobile devices that you get higher conversions and lower abandonment rates.

Make sure your website is SEO friendly.

SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization, which makes it easier for the world to find your business via search engines like Google. Sites that are SEO friendly will rank higher “organically” with search-engine-friendly content. At the basic level, SEO begins with using the same words (“keywords”) on your website that users typically type into search engines to find businesses like yours. These keywords should also be included in your meta-tags. What are meta-tags? Meta-tags consist of titles, descriptions and keywords that work behind-thescenes in your website’s coding language. If

your website was built by a developer, make sure that the developer has consulted with you on the proper selection of keywords.

Then, there’s Local Claiming. Most business owners aren’t aware of how many websites they’re listed on, and it’s common for directories to not provide customers with accurate information. Local Claiming involves finding business listings, taking ownership of the data, and making sure that the information is correct. Correct and consistent listings across directories, review sites and social networks are crucial. They allow customers to find the right information about businesses, and have a major impact on businesses’ search engine rankings.

Local Claiming consists of: • Updating local listings to make them correct and consistent across the Web • Ensuring that businesses are listed on sites their potential customers use • Improving local search rankings and results by improving the consistency of data In summary, Local Claiming includes manually claiming and updating Google, Bing, Yelp

and YP. These four sites represent over 80 percent of total search traffic. Local Claiming also includes submission of the corrected business information to the four major data aggregators, which supply hundreds of directory sites with business information. As these sites utilize the aggregators for data, the accuracy of a business’s listing improves across the internet.

It doesn’t take much to embrace the above principles and best practices to give your website the necessary leverage to increase visitor traffic, rank higher in search results and provide a positive user experience. As basic as these principles are, properly implementing them can make your website really stand out and even outpace your competition. Don’t ignore these basics. Doing so can be a recipe for online disaster and can cost your business significantly.

Joe DeJesus is President of Valpak of Kings County. His experience spans 25+ years as a corporate marketer for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. He can be reached at 718-7448264 and joe_dejesus@valpak.com.

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Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 19

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20 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

New Members Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations

Services

Noble Web Marketing

718-230-5169 100B 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215 schwab.com

347-894-6706 Ridgewood, NY 11385 noblewebmarketing.com

Sarah E. Kaufman 347-678-8952 Brooklyn, NY 11201

Shaved Head Media, Inc. 347-763-9570 64 Doscher Street Brooklyn, NY 11208 shavedheadmedia.com

The Brooklyn Saver 212-404-6936 931 Manhattan Avenue, Suite 3 Brooklyn, NY 11222 brooklynsaver.com

Valpak of Kings County 718-744-8264 Box 150463 Brooklyn, NY 11215 valpak.com/kingscounty

Architects, Designers and Engineers Caliper Studio, Inc. 718-302-2427 75 Scott Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11237 caliperstudio.com

Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Music Caricatures by Zman 646-785-7171 Brooklyn, NY 11201 caricaturesbyzman.com

Formula E Operations Limited

Charles Schwab - Jeanna McGinnis

New York Life - Marlon J. Altoe

Paypro Corp.

Salam & Salam Construction Co., Inc. 347-458-0577 829A Quincy Street Brooklyn, NY 11221

Prudential - Chastity Rivera

212-671-1713 195 Chrystie Street #502, 5th Floor West New York NY 10002 sweeten.com

347-633-8461 360 Hamilton Avenue, 9th Floor White Plains, NY 10601 prudential.com

The Friedlander Group 212-233-5555 199 Water Street, 27th Floor New York, NY 10038 TheFriedlanderGroup.com

TriNet – Dennis Colantonio

Global Quality, Inc. 718-602-3333 165 20th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 globalqualitylimo.com

Banks and Credit Unions CHASE Bank 718-392-6106 798 Manhattan Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11222 chase.com

Beauty and Wellness LeSash Nutrition & Health, LLC 347-861-7666 P.O. Box 320648 Brooklyn, NY 11232 lesashnutritionhealth.com

212-763-8670 1325 Avenue of Americas, 28th Floor New York, NY 10019

Educational Institutions The Human Root LLC

Clothing, Jewelry and Fashion

Employment and Training

Mana Made Jewelry

914-512-8396 1684 Dean Street Brooklyn, NY 11213 nicheunlimited.com

347-762-4757 640 Dean Street Brooklyn, NY 11238 manamadejewelry.com

Octave Jewelry

Niche Unlimited

Energy and Utilities Brooklyn Solarworks

Conmateria 718-883-9684 592 Madison Street Brooklyn, NY 11221 conmateria.com

emogayu Brooklyn, NY 11205 emogayu.com

Greenpoint Hill 917-533-3794 100 Freeman Street Brooklyn, NY 11222

Keap 347-525-0700 67 35th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 keapbk.com

Keep Furniture 718-916-4937 119 8th Street, Unit 208 Brooklyn, NY 11215 keepfurniture.com

Marco Guglielmino Light Design 917-612-1636 552 58th Street Brooklyn, NY 11220 marconycneon.com

New Market Goods 678-471-8715 59 Kent Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 newmarketgoods.com

Hotels and Accommodations The Hoxton, Williamsburg 347-261-2098 The Yard, 33 Nassau Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 thehoxton.com

Information Technology

347-845-5077 138 9th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 brooklynsolarworks.com

CatchSmart LLC

917-618-2940 Brooklyn, NY 11233 sonjafriesdesign.com

Environmental Products and Services

Coolshield

The Brooklyn Block

GridMarket

631-949-0298 Brooklyn, NY 11205 thebrooklynblock.com

212-725-2550 4 Lexington Avenue, Suite 9G New York, NY 10010 gridmarket.com

Community Service Organizations

Florists

Extreme Kids and Crew

Exotically Fresh: Flowers & Events

917-913-8512 800 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20006-3962 catchsmart.com 646-338-2081 477 Waverly Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 coolshield.com

Mosaic Unlimited, LLC 201-319-0100 441 56th Street West New York, NJ 7093 mosaicunlimited.com

Scannerworks NY

347-410-6050 71 Sullivan Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 extremekidsandcrew.org

347-515-8235 Brooklyn, NY 11226

Food Products

530-451-6297 420 16th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 scannerworksny.com

Mentor New York

Hungry Bird Eats

UBREAKIFIX Downtown Brooklyn

212-953-0945 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1520 New York, NY 10168 mentornewyork.org

347-693-2800 630 Flushing Ave, #200 Brooklyn, NY 11206 hungrybirdeats.com

NYC Together, Inc.

Sicilian Sun Brands

347-524-4270 126 Rustic Place Staten Island, NY 10308 nyctogether.org

917-803-0466 8124 18th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11214 siciliansunoil.com

The Babysitters Club

Graphic Design

718-913-5065 252 Schenectady Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11213 thebabysittersclubny.com

Beverage Rooftop Reds

Bellwood NY, Inc.

Business and Financial

U.S. Architectural Construction

347-927-0167 242 East 25th Street Brooklyn, NY 11226 thehumanroot.com

Construction Services and Supplies

703-582-8609 63 Flushing Avenue, BLDG 275 Brooklyn, NY 11205 rooftopreds.com

Sweeten

212-651-0356 1305 Walt Whitman Road, Suite 210 Melville, NY 11747 trinet.com

Sonja Fries Designs

347-334-6313 389 Empire Blvd Brooklyn, NY 11225 joinbuggy.com

917-709-0247 P.O. Box 2010 Red Bank, NJ 7701

631-777-1100 450 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, NY 11788 payprocorp.com

Take A Bow Performing Arts Center

Buggy

719-629-2477 8513 Coventry Road Brooklyn, NY 11236 lalandbaptiste.com

Premier Drywall Group

3 Shortlands, 9th Floor London, United Kingdom, W6 8DA fiaformulae.com

Automobile Services and Transportation

Laland Baptiste

646-227-8605 420 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor NY, NY 10170 newyorklife.com

402-305-5061 59 Jefferson Street, Suite 308 Brooklyn, NY 11216 octavejewelry.com

718-209-9064 1406 East 64th Street Brooklyn, NY 11234 tabpac.net

353 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231

646-201-6350 525 Court Street, #C2 Brooklyn, NY 11231 bellwoodcm.com

BoroLand Surveying, P.C. 718-624-5500

Shagari Guity Design 917-553-5130 463 Lincoln Place, PO Box 178 Brooklyn, NY 11238 shagariguity.com

Home Furnishings Christopher White Designs 415-806-2555 122 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 christopherwhitedesigns.com

929-324-0277 392 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 ubreakifix.com/locations/downtownbrooklyn

Landscaping Greenery NYC 646-543-3797 116 Ainslie Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 greenerynyc.com

Mailing and Courier Services Jacip Incorporated 718-506-8118 Brooklyn, NY 11225

Medical Facilities and Service Providers NY Smile Orthodontics 718-383-0332 1122 Avenue Z Dental Office Brooklyn, NY 11235 Continued on Page 22 Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 21

New Members Continued from Page 21

smilify.com

The Birthing Center of NY, Inc. 929-888-6996 6702 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 nybirthingcenter.com

Moving and Storage Roadway Moving 212-812-5240 845 Third Avenue, 6th Floor New York, NY 10022 roadwaymoving.com

Pharmacies and Pharmaceuticals Gericare Pharmaceuticals 718-234-8800 1650 63rd Street Brooklyn, NY 11204 gericarepharm.com

Real Estate Brokers Compass - Georgine Paulin 646-461-7594 Brooklyn, NY 11222 compass.com/agents/nyc/georgine-paulin

Park Avenue Brokerage Associates 718-285-3337 1454 Cropsey Avenue, 1B Brooklyn, NY 11228

Real Estate Development and Management BFC Partners

TF Cornerstone Inc. 212-984-1757 387 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor New York, NY 10016 TFCornerstone.com

Recycling and Waste Removal The Environmental Recycling of NY 718-222-1052 234 Butler Street Brooklyn, NY 11217

Restaurants and Caterers

718-422-9999 150 Myrtle Avenue, Suite 2 Brooklyn, NY 11201 bfcpartners.com

Dolce Vita

BRPS

Wild Living LLC d/b/a Wild

347-768-2333 1021 East 84th Street Brooklyn, NY 11236

718-444-3537 5011 Avenue N Brooklyn, NY 11234 347-987-4525 148 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 eatdrinkwild.com/locations/park-slope/

Telecommunications Charter Communications 212-598-3479 120 E. 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 policy.charter.com

Dev-Byrne & Company 917-697-6659 One Rockefeller Plaza, 10th Floor New York, NY 10020 dev-byrne.com

Open Air Solutions, Inc. 347-223-4847 101 Visitation Place Brooklyn, NY 11231 openairsolutions.com

Tourism and Travel Brooklyn City Tour 718-878-4970 205 Gardner Ave Brooklyn, NY 11237

Renewed Members Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Adrienne Nicole Productions 646-599-4911 14 DeKalb Avenue, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 adrienneproductions.com

BerlinRosen Public Affairs 646-452-5637 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 1600 New York, NY 10038 berlinrosen.com

City & State 646-517-2744 61 Broadway, Suite 1315 New York, NY 10006 cityandstateny.com

Constantinople & Vallone Consulting 212-393-6500 The Woolworth Building 233 Broadway Suite 830 New York, NY 10279 candvconsulting.com

Expendables Plus, Inc. 718-609-6469 32 Eagle Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 expendablesplusinconline.com

Kasirer LLC 212-285-1800 321 Broadway, Suite 201 New York, NY 10007 kasirer.nyc

OUTFRONT Media 212-297-6588 405 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10174 outfrontmedia.com

Steiner Studios 718-858-1600 15 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn Navy Yard Brooklyn, NY 11205 steinerstudios.com

Amusement and Recreation Brooklyn Botanic Garden 718-623-7200 1000 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225 bbg.org

Architects, Designers and Engineers Boyd Consulting Inc. 917-754-1237 22 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

50 Broadway, Suite 3600 Manhattan, NY, 10004 boydconsultants.com

Banks and Credit Unions

New York Design Architects, LLP

516-616-2741 170 Tulip Avenue Floral Park, NY 11001 capitalone.com

212-680-0140 175 West Broadway New York, NY 10013 nydarch.com

Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Music Live Nation Entertainment

Capital One Bank

HSBC 347-572-4087 6702 Bay Parkway, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11204 us.hsbc.com

917-421-5139 220 W 42nd Street, 14th Floor New York, NY 10036 livenationpremiumtickets.com/venue/fordamphitheater-at-coney-island-boardwalk

JP Morgan Chase

Mark Morris Dance Group

Kearny Bank

718-242-7444 3 MetroTech Center, 8th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 chase.com

718-624-8400 3 Lafayette Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 mmdg.org

718-768-4800 689 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 kearnybank.com

Music Together of Park Slope

Valley National Bank

718-369-3099 386 1st Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 mtparkslope.com

718-975-0892 2054 86th Street Brooklyn, NY 11214 valleynationalbank.com

New York Transit Museum

Beauty and Wellness

718-694-5102 130 Livingston Street, 10th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 mta.info/museum

Roulette 917-512-2474 509 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 roulette.org

Automobile Services and Transportation Car2go N.A. LLC 929-266-0948 109 South 5th Street Brooklyn, NY 11249 car2go.com

Citywide Ferry by Hornblower 646-640-6202 110 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 citywideferry.nyc

KazTrans Limited Partnership 718-266-3432 23 Hemlock Lane Staten Island, NY 10309 ktlus.com

Leaf & Stem Naturals, LLC 718-625-7837 100 Water Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 leafandstem.com

Beverage Brooklyn Brewery 718-486-7422 79 North 11th Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 brooklynbrewery.com

Brooklyn Winery 646-242-5401 213 N. 8th Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 bkwinery.com

Sixpoint Brewery / Mad Scientists Brewing Partners, LLC 201-315-8890 40 Van Dyke Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 sixpoint.com

The Greene Grape 718-233-2700 767 Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY 11217

greenegrape.com

Business and Financial Services American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., LLC 718-921-8203 6201 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 amstock.com

American Stock Transfer & Trust Co., LLC 718-921-8203 6201 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 amstock.com

CF JOSEPH CPA PC 718-735-6989 300 Cadman Plaza West One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 cfjcpapc.com

CohnReznick, LLP 646-625-5741 1301 Avenue of the Americas, 7th Floor New York, NY 10019 cohnreznick.com

Corrao Wealth Management 646-825-5001 101 Lafayette Avenue, Suite PHB Brooklyn, NY 11217 corraowm.com

Diana Zelvin Business Consultant 917-733-4571 133 Milton Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 dianazelvin.com

Northside Media 718-596-3462 45 Main Street, Suite 806 Brooklyn, NY 11201 bkmag.com

Prudential - Kenneth Marable 718-674-7617 82-12 151st Avenue Howard Beach, NY 11414 kennethmarable.com

SCORE NYC 212-264-4507 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3100 New York, NY 10278 newyorkcity.score.org

Cemeteries and Funeral Homes Fitting Tribute Funeral Services 718-338-8080 1283 Coney Island Avenue Continued on Page 24

WE PROUDLY SUPPORT THE

strengthen neighborhoods

BROOKLYN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Desk Rental space available at 1 MetroTech center in downtown Brooklyn

Up to 30 desks available Office space includes Up to 30 Desks with Chairs File Cabinets Shared Reception Area Shared Conference Room Shared Lunch Room with Refrigerator Parking Garage underneath the building Subway stop outside of the office 18 desks in a separate area available

call cliff at 917-912-1995 Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 23

Renewed Members Continued from Page 22

Brooklyn, NY 11230 fittingtributefunerals.com

camba.org

GallopNYC

Clothing, Jewelry and Fashion

917 602 1733 540 President Street, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11215 GallopNYC.org

Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator

NADAP

718 687 5732 Pratt/BF+DA, 630 Flushing Avenue 7th floor Brooklyn, NY 11206 bkaccelerator.com

212-986-1170 355 Lexington Avenue, 2nd Fl New York, NY 10017 nadap.org

Joseph H. Lowenstein & Sons, Inc.

New York Harbor Foundation

718-388-5410 420 Morgan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222 jhlowenstein.com

212-458-0800 10 South Street, Slip 7 Governors Island New York, NY 10004 nyharbor.org

Community Service Organizations

Polish & Slavic Center

American Heart Association 212-878-5946 122 East 42nd Street, 19th Floor New York, NY 10168 heart.org

Brooklyn Community Services 718-310-5608 285 Schermerhorn Street Brooklyn, NY 11217 weareBCS.org

917-750-8143 177 Kent Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 polishslaviccenter.org

Seamen’s Society for Children and Families 718-447-7740 1668 Pitkin Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11212 seamenssociety.org

Services for the UnderServed 212-633-6900 305 Seventh Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10001 sus.com

Brooklyn Pride, Inc. 718-928-3320 P.O. Box 150508 Brooklyn, NY 11215 brooklynpride.org

United Way of New York City

CAMBA 718-287-2600 1720 Church Avenue, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11226

212-251-4003 205 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 unitedwaynyc.org

BY THE TIME TOMORROW’S PAPER COMES OUT, YOUR

BY DONATIONS THE TIME WILL HAVE TOMORROW’S HELPED 591 PEOPLE PAPER COMES OUT, EARN JOBS. YOUR DONATIONS WILL HAVE HELPED 591 PEOPLE EARN JOBS.

Construction Services and Supplies B and S Construction 347-893-1897 442 Madison Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11221 bandsconstructionincgov.net

Quality 1st Basement Systems 212-235-1820 302 A West 12th St., #348 NY, NY 10014 basementwaterproofingnewyork.com

Turner Construction Company 212-229-6480 375 Hudson Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10014 turnerconstruction.com Economic Development

Atlantic Ave BID 718-734-4219 338 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 203 Brooklyn, NY 11201 atlanticavebid.org

Brighton Beach BID 718-934-0067 1002 Brighton Beach Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11235 bidbrightonbeach.com

Fulton Area Business Alliance BID 718-928-3322 1047A Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY 11238 faballiance.org

Graham Avenue BID/Woodhull Community DMA 718-387-6643 80 Graham Avenue, Suite 2A Brooklyn, NY 11206 grahamavebid.com

Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation 212-809-3900 83 Maiden Lane, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10038 itac.org

Merchants of 3rd Avenue Civic Improvement Association 718-748-9700 251 86th Street Brooklyn, NY 11209 thirdavenuebayridge.com

North Flatbush Avenue BID 718-783-1685 282 Flatbush Avenue, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11217 nfbid.com

Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp.

718-965-3100 241 41st Street, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11232 sbidc.org Educational Institutions

Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn 718-238-3308 8515 Ridge Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11209 adelphi.org/pages/AdelphiNYC

Greene Hill School 718-230-3608 39 Adelphi Street Brooklyn, NY 11205 greenehillschool.org

Medgar Evers College - CUNY

DONATE STUFF. CREATE JOBS.

718-270-5000 1650 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225 mec.cuny.edu

New York City College of Technology/ CUNY TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DONATION CENTER, GO TO GOODWILL.ORG

24 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

DONATE STUFF. CREATE JOBS.

TO FIND YOUR NEAREST DONATION CENTER, GO TO GOODWILL.ORG

718-260-5400 300 Jay Street, Suite 319 Brooklyn, NY 11201 citytech.cuny.edu Energy and Utilities

Brooklyn Navy Yard Cogeneration Partners, L.P. 718-261-2164 Brooklyn Navy Yard - 63 Flushing Avenue Building 41, Unit 234 Brooklyn, NY 11205 bnycogen.com

Cornerstone Energy Group 917-254-0929 565 82nd Street Brooklyn, NY 11209 cornerstonegroup.biz

Facility Management and Janitorial Services Alternative Pest Control, Inc. 718-444-1784 479 72nd Street Brooklyn, NY 11209 altpest.com

HEPCO Heating & Plumbing 718-935-0900 577 Hicks Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 hepcohp.com

Nicorob Corporation 718-513-4410 320 7th Avenue, Suite 192 Brooklyn, NY 11215 servpronwbrooklyn.com

Food Products 4C Foods Corp.

718-272-7800 580 Fountain Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208 4c.com

Aladdin Bakers Inc. 718-499-1818 240 25th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 aladdinbakers.com

Aramark - Higher Education 267-314-4672 One University Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201 aramark.com

Brooklyn Delhi 415-722-6212 Brooklyn, NY 11216 brooklyndelhi.com

Brooklyn Whatever LLC 917-669-5525 27 Cobeck Court Brooklyn, NY 11223 brooklynwhatever.com

Bruce Cost Ginger Ale 718-744-6805 465 Johnson Ave Brooklyn, NY 11237 brucecostgingerale.com

Colson Patisserie 432 978 8936 220 36th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 colsonpastries.com

Cousin John’s Cafe & Bakery 718-622-7333 70 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 cousinjohnsbakery.com

D. Coluccio & Sons, Inc. 718-436-6700 1214 60th Street Brooklyn, NY 11219 dcoluccioandsons.com

Dolce Brooklyn 917-497-3832 305 Van Brunt Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 dolcebrooklyn.com

Dona Chai 248-798-7226 630 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11206 donachai.com

Renewed Members Gold Star Smoked Fish Corp.

718-522-1545 570 Smith Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 goldstarusa.com

Grady’s Cold Brew 718-599-9559 819 Garrison Avenue Bronx, NY 10474 gradyscoldbrew.com

JoMart Chocolates 718-375-1277 2917 Avenue R Brooklyn, NY 11229 jomartchocolates.com

Joseph Shalhoub and Son, Inc. 718-871-6300 1258 Prospect Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11218 joraycandy.com

Kabir’s Bakery, Inc. 718-852-1768 19 5th Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 kabirsbakery.com

King Solomon Foods, Inc. 718-439-5411 5600 First Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 kingsolomonfoods.com

Mia’s Bakery LLC 646-704-2775 139 Smith St. Brooklyn, NY 11201 miasbrooklyn.com

Morris Kitchen 347-457-6994 30 Chester Ct. Brooklyn, NY 11225 morriskitchen.com

Owl’s Brew 646-790-1558 135 W 29th Street, Suite 602 New York, NY 10001 theowlsbrew.com

P. Hendel Products dba McDonalds 516-256-0200 430 86th Street Brooklyn, NY 11209 mcstate.com/12352

Raaka Chocolate, Inc. 201-790-5167 64 Seabring Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 raakachocolate.com

Seychelles Organics, Inc. 435-655-2484 110 Bridge Street, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 nutraceutical.com

Steve & Andy’s Organics 917-324-7933 630 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11206 steveandandys.com

Tower Isle’s Frozen Foods, Ltd. 718-495-2626 2025 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11233 towerislespatties.com

Health Insurance CareConnect 516-405-7621 2200 Northern Blvd, Suite 104 East Hills, NY 11548 nslijcareconnect.com

MetroPlus Health Plan 212-908-8589 160 Water Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10038 metroplus.org

Home Furnishings DecoRada Wall Covering 917-755-3915

1376 East 31st Street Brooklyn, NY 11210 decorada.com

Law Firms and Legal Services

GRUPPO International USA

718-855-9000 188 Montague Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 cullenanddykman.com

347-350-6693 1102 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11221 gruppointernational.com

Remains Lighting 646-675-8051 21 Belvidere Street Brooklyn, NY 11206 remains.com

Hotels and Accommodations Aloft New York Brooklyn 216 Duffield Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 aloftnewyorkbrooklyn.com

Best Western Plus Arena Hotel NYC 718-604-7300 1324 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11216 arenahotelnyc.com

Franklin Guest House 718-383-3800 214 Franklin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 franklinguesthouse.com

Hampton Inn Brooklyn Downtown 718-875-8800 125 Flatbush Avenue Extension Brooklyn, NY 11201 brooklyndowntown.hamptoninn.com

Henry Norman Hotel 917-909-0069 251 North Henry Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 henrynormanhotel.com

Hotel Indigo 229 Duffield Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 hotelindigo.com/Brooklyn

Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel 718-855-1900 228 Duffield Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 sheratonbrooklynnewyork.com

The Box House Hotel 718-383-3800 77 Box Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 theboxhousehotel.com

Cullen and Dykman LLP

Law Firm of Cozen O’Connor 212-883-4962 277 Park Avenue New York, NY 10172 cozen.com

Law Office of Jason H. Rosenblum, PLLC 718-246-8482 155 Water Street, Suite 618 Brooklyn, NY 11201 jhrlegal.com

Monaco & Monaco, LLP. 718-872-0533 7610-12 13th Avenue, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11228 attorneysmonaco.com

Medical Facilities and Service Providers 24/7 718-874-2778 2414 Ralph Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11234 247nyaides.com

Flower of Life Chiropractic 516-521-7992 81 Nassau Boulevard Garden City, AK 11530 folcny.com

NYU Langone Medical Center 212-404-4082 Office of Government Affairs One Park Avenue, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10016 med.nyu.edu

SUNY Downstate Medical Center 718-270-3973 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box # 2 Brooklyn, NY 11203 downstate.edu

The Brooklyn Hospital Center 718-250-8599 121 DeKalb Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11201 tbh.org

Moving and Storage Treasure Island Storage

Argosy Designs, Inc.

212-840-5588 183 Lorraine Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 tistorage.com

718 596 6154 29 Ash Street, #101 Brooklyn, NY 11222 argosydesigns.com

Pharmacies and Pharmaceuticals

Industrial and Manufacturing Services

Belmont Metals, Inc. 718-342-4900 330 Belmont Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207 belmontmetals.com

Brooklyn FoodWorks 401-526-4133 630 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11206 thebrooklynfoodworks.com

Information Technology Core BTS

Pfizer, Inc. 518-281-3840 235 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 pfizer.com

718-252-9191 4718 Avenue N Brooklyn, NY 11234 mcobrien.com

Rapid Realty Sunset Park Inc. 347-725-3105 5717 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 rapidnyc.com/offices/agents/44

Sholom & Zuckerbrot Realty LLC 718-392-5959 35-11 35th Avenue Long Island City, NY 11106 s-z.com

Real Estate Development and Management Santoro and Kellman Property Tax Services, Inc. 718-974-5890 80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, Suite 604 New York, NY 10004 santorokellman.com

Recycling and Waste Removal Metropolitan Paper Recycling Inc. 718-257-8584 847 Shepherd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208 metropaperrecycling.com

Restaurants and Caterers 61 Local 347 763 6624 61 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 61local.com

Barnett Catering 347-493-5460 774 St. Jones Place Brooklyn, NY 11221 barnettcatering.com

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory - River Café 718-246-3963 1 Water Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 brooklynicecreamfactory.com

Brooklyn Style Catering 917-723-8742 7803 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228 lioniheroes.com

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que 347-429-7030 604 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 dinobbq.com

Marco Polo Ristorante 718-852-5015 345 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 marcopoloristorante.com

Pete’s Brooklyn Eats

Printers, Publishing and Publications

718-680-5858 5620 1st Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220 petesbrooklyneats.com

Edible Brooklyn

Rocco’s Tacos

PO Box 779 Sag Harbor, NY 11963 ediblebrooklyn.com

JMFWPrinting

631-982-4786 711 Fifth Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10022 corebts.com

646-659-4580 965 Kent Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 jmfwprinting.com

Insurance

Real Estate Brokers

718 Insurance

Corcoran - Joan Dougherty

718-467-8726 326 Kingston Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11213 718insurance.com

M.C. O’Brien, Inc.

917-971-6336 241 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211 corcoran.com

718-246-8226 339 Adams St Brooklyn, NY 11201 roccostacos.com

Retail Brooklyn Bicycle Co. 800-631-0630 61 Greenpoint Avenue, Suite 638 Brooklyn, NY 11222 brooklynbicycleco.com

Century 21 Department Store 212-227-9092 22 Cortland Street New York, NY 10007 Continued on Page 26 Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 25

Renewed Members century21stores.com

Greenlight Bookstore 718-246-0200 greenlightbookstore.com

Macy’s 314-342-6459 11 Penn Plaza , 11th Floor New York, NY 10001 macys.com

New Dimension, Inc. 718-236-8200 6505 11th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 NewDimensioninc.com

Wegmans 585-328-2550 Brooklyn, NY wegmans.com

Special Events Services and Venues Big Dawg Party Rentals 718-643-9019 P.O. Box 310163 Brooklyn, NY 11231 BigDawgPartyRentals.com

Brooklyn Expo Center 718-858-9805 79 Noble Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 brooklynexpocenter.com

RW Social LLC 917-719-1083 490 W. 187th Street #6H New York, NY 10033 rwsocial.com

satis&fy, LLC

Security Citadel Security Agency 212-509-5570 34 91st Street, Suite B Brooklyn, NY 11209 citadelsecurityagency.com

361 Stagg Street, Studio 302 Brooklyn, NY 11206 stortzlighting.com

140 West Street, 30th Floor New York, NY 10007 verizon.com

Sports Establishments

Tourism and Travel

Brooklyn Cyclones

New York Like A Native

718-449-8497 1904 Surf Avenue

718-393-7537 303 Beverley Road, Suite 9N Brooklyn, NY 11218 nylikeanative.com

MCU Park Brooklyn, NY 11224 brooklyncyclones.com

Telecommunications AT&T 212-205-0682 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 18th Floor New York, NY 10020 att.com

503-277-0323 14 53rd Street Brooklyn, NY 11232 satis-fy.com

Charter Communications

Stortz Lighting

Verizon Communications

120 East 23rd Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10010 charter.com

Turnstile Tours 347-903-8687 89 East 2nd Street, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11218 turnstiletours.com

United Air Lines, Inc. 973-681-1482 Newark Liberty International Airport, 1 Terminal C Newark, NJ 07114 united.com

212-321-8110

718-237-5371

Member-to-Member Discounts Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Music

Energy and Utilities

Kings Theatre

Miriam Stiefel: 845-228-3401 $50 VISA gift card + 2 Free LED light bulbs for every new gas and/or electric enrollment

Meredith Rothstein: 718-856-2220 10% off Kings Seats for Shaping Sounds June 16

Wine & Design - Fort Greene Audrey Churchill: 718-722-7374 25% off Individual Painting Class, or $50 off a private party booking

Pinot’s Palette, Park Slope Linda or Scott Drummond: 929-337-6499 $10 off any class

Just Energy

Brooklyn New York Reggie Philip: 718-522-4000 Members of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce enjoy up to 20% off our Best Available Rates.

Hilton Brooklyn New York Ryan Ocker: 718.834.8800 Up to 20% off of our Best Available Rate

Graphic Design Shagari Guity Design

Information Technology CDL500 Chad Lewine: 215-527-8979 $1999 Small Business Website for $1645

Leveldesk, Inc. George Dikeakos: 888-298-6015 Free IT Network Audit

Shagari Guity: 917-553-5130 Logo design services are 15% off.

Industrial and Manufacturing Services

Superform

Hotels and Accommodations

Masterwork Plaques Inc.

Treemarie LLC

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott

Jennifer Andrews: 718-283-4109 10% Off Your First Order

David de Céspedes: 347-746-2606 Free Digital Marketing Review Theresa Previ: 917-387-4319 10% off all services

Don’t sweat over heating costs.

A high-efficiency natural gas heating unit is a costeffective and smart choice. It uses less energy and produces the same amount of heat as standard equipment, saving up to 30% on your heating costs.

Act now and you may qualify for these mail-in rebates from National Grid: s s

up to $15,000 for high-efficiency heating equipment up to $10,000 for roof, attic, wall and pipe equipment

In addition to natural gas heating equipment, save even more on your energy bill with incentives for: s s s

Commercial kitchen equipment Natural gas hot water equipment Steam traps and more...

Incentives are available for custom projects as well.

Visit www.nationalgridus.com/NYBizSave or call 1-800-787-1706 to learn about National Grid commercial energy efficiency programs.

Visit us online at www.nationalgridus.com/NYBizSave and connect with us on

26 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017

Keeping

Brooklyn Healthy Every person. Every moment. Every day.

Building a better healthcare system for Brooklyn.

Keeping Brooklyn healthy is our mission.

That’s why The Brooklyn Hospital Center

will experience better access to high quality

legislators to design a dynamic new system that will transform healthcare for more than a million residents of northern and

Keeping Brooklyn healthier.

has teamed up with community health care providers, physicians, civic leaders and

central Brooklyn.

More access to care. Fewer hospitalizations.

We are working to strengthen existing physician networks and nurture new ones to improve access to healthcare.

Our outpatient services will be expanded, reducing the use of emergency departments while providing better care to our patients and their families. And, Brooklyn residents

inpatient care with improved facilities, new equipment and technology upgrades.

To help patients further improve their health and avoid the need for treatment, we’ll also broaden our education, outreach and prevention programs.

Stay tuned for more exciting details as we move toward realizing our vision of creating a higher quality, more efficient healthcare system for everyone in our Brooklyn community. For more information, visit: tbh.org/community update

Find a Physician by name or specialty CALL 877.TBHC.DOC

tbh.org/communityupdate

Ashland and DeKalb • www.tbh.org

Enroll in an energy plan with Just Energy, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will receive a donation for every enrollment!

As your Energy Advisor, we are committed to helping you manage your costs by offering highly competitive commodity prices, as well as providing exclusive access to our Just Energy Perks Rewards Program.

All proceeds earned by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will go to Brooklyn Eats Cares, a fundraising program supporting six soup kitchens throughout Brooklyn.

For rates in your area, please visit

JustEnergyDeals.com/BCOC or call 1-845-228-3401 Proud partner of the

Brooklyn Progress • VISIT ibrooklyn.com 27

Certified Protection ® Professional

EST.

1978

®

35+ YEARS

28 Brooklyn Progress

• May/June 2017