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SOUTHEAST QUEENS BUSINESS INCUBATOR JUDGES SELECT 1 , 2 , & 3 PLACE WINNERS

ST ND RD

On Wednesday, May 28th, the Southeast Queens Business Incubator (SEQBI) hosted its Pitch Competition Finals at the Hyatt, Regency, JFK at Resorts World New York City, showcasing the talents of its Spring 2025 Cohort. Business owners, ‘aka’ Fellows, were tasked with demonstrating the skills acquired throughout the SEQBI program by presenting their growth plans as part of the Pitch Competition. Each finalist was given 10 minutes to present their “pitches” to a panel of judges that included, Hank Balle, Director of Procurement, Resorts World New York City, Rashaun Banjo, Prolific Consulting Services (and Fall 2025 SEQBI Pitch Competition winner), and Dianna Rose, Dianna Rose & Associates. Three finalists (out of 4) were selected by the judges based on their presentations, which outlined the challenges their businesses aim to address, conducted market analysis, projected growth trajectories, and a monetary ask. The winners were: 1st place - BeingEgypt LLC, 2nd place - Pastazerts, & 3rd place - OMSutra. Congratulations to the finalists for their exceptional work! (Continued on page 3)

RDRC ORG

1st Place: Shaleem Bush BeingEgypt, LLC

2 Place: nd Stephanie Berwick Pastazerts

3 Place: rd Jyoti Jaiswal OMSutra

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO THE SEQBI SPRING 2025 JUDGES!

Hank Balle

Director of Procurement, Resor ts World New York City

Rashawn Banjo

Prolific Consulting Services

(Fall 2025 SEQBI Pitch Competition winner)

Dianna Rose

Dianna Rose & Associates

L to R: Dianna Rose, Rashawn Banjo, Hank Balle, Kevin Alexander

MEET THE SEQBI SPRING 2025 JUDGES!

Hank Balle

Director of Procurement, Resor ts World New York City

Hank Balle is an enterprising and inﬂuential purchasing director with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has a proven track record of increasing proﬁt margins by decreasing operating costs through his exper tise in sustainable sourcing, negotiation, and supply chain management.

He currently is the Director of Procurement at Resor ts World Casino, overseeing their spending, sourcing, contracts of three casinos in New York State.

Throughout his career, Hank has held various other positions, including Director of Procurement at Kissaki Hospitality, Operations Manager at Lafrieda Meats, General Manager of Meat & Fish Depar tment at Eataly, General Manager at Foragers Market, Executive Chef at Miriam's Restaurant, and Sous Chef at Hear th Restaurant and Ar tisanal Restaurant. Henry holds a Bachelor the Culinary Institute of America.

Hank Balle

MEET THE SEQBI SPRING 2025 JUDGES!

A. Rashaun Banjo

Founder/President of Prolific Consulting Services

In 2021, Rashaun launched Prolific Consulting Services. This venture embodies his commitment to nur turing, inspiring, and suppor ting youth and youth workers alike. At Prolific Consulting Services, Rashaun draws on his extensive experience to offer youth workshops, empowering them to dream, set goals, and strive for success. Additionally, he provides coaching/mentorship for youth professionals and professional development services for teams, organizations, and institutions so they may deepen their impact and better serve the youth in their care.

Through his work, Rashaun Banjo aims to leave an enduring legacy of empowerment and positive change within the field of education and youth services. He looks forward to working with others who share a similar passion.

A. Rashaun Banjo

MEET THE SEQBI SPRING 2025 JUDGES!

Dianna Rose

President of Dianna Rose & Associates

Dianna Rose embodies growth, resilience, and beauty in all she touches. Her journey was shaped by her upbringing in Jamaica, Queens, where her entrepreneurial parents, who immigrated from Jamaica in the 1980’s, instilled in her the values of community, resourcefulness, and perseverance.

Dianna’s entrepreneurial background includes Founder and Chief Executive Oﬃcer of Jars of Delight, a pioneering zero-waste catering company that creates beautifully handmade cuisine packaged in reusable glass mason jars.

Dianna’s impact extends into the aviation industry, where her ﬁrm was selected as the Program Coordinator for the JFK Institute of Concessions in 2022. In this role she creates oppor tunities for minority-owned businesses in one of the nation’s busiest airpor ts.

Dianna Rose

Allison F. Jeffrey, M.S.Ed. SEQBI Project Manager

Allison Jeffrey is the newest member of the esteemed RDRC team. She will report to Renee McWilliams and Kevin Alexander in the daily administration and management of the South East Queens Business Incubator (SEQBI) program.

Allison spent her previous 7 years working in the non-profit afterschool industry as a STEM Educator and STEM Curriculum consultant.

Before her afterschool tenure, Allison was a NYC DOE Teacher of Students with Disabilities for 5 years in Queens, teaching Math, Literacy, and History.

Prior to her teaching career, Allison was an international Project Manager and Business Analyst servicing financial technology equities, commodities and fixed income clients.

Ms. Jeffrey received her Masters in Education from LIU-Brooklyn and her Bachelors in Anthropology from University of Pennsylvania.

Allison F Jeffrey

“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Jeffrey to TEAM RDRC! Her business experience combined with her superior educational background will greatly benefit our rapidly growing SEQBI Program”, stated Kevin Alexander, RDRC President.

JFK Weekly Updates

The upcoming summer travel season signifies a combination of higher volumes of travelers and peak construction activities; therefore, the Ride App Pick-Up Locations for Terminals 4,5 & 7 has been relocated.

Here are some suggestions for travelers: use public transportation to avoid delays motorists should use the drop-off, pickup, and waiting lot at the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain JFK station, for a free 8minute ride to airport terminals.

Click the press release for additional information.

The submission portal for community initiatives is now open! We invite community members to submit proposals for initiatives that support community betterment and align with the goals and objectives in the following four areas: business development; career & workforce development; education with a focus on aviation pathways; and environmental stewardship. The deadline for submissions is May 30. See the flyer with QR code for additional information and details.

Terminal 8 is undergoing a major concession transformation, and that means hundreds of new jobs. There are a wide range of roles including servers, hosts, bartenders, cashiers & sales associates. Interested individuals can sign up to get notified about upcoming job opportunities and hiring events. See the flyer for more information.

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. daily Take free shuttle bus to Lot 66

hours a day/7 days a week

AirTrain to Howard Beach (free exit to Ride App Pick Up lot)

Throughtheupcomingsummertravelseason,theairportwillfacethedualchallengeofhighervolumesofairtravelers combinedwiththepeakofconstructionactivitiesforthe$19billionredevelopmentofJFK.Customersarestronglyadvised tousemasstransittoandfromtheairport,suchasMTANewYorkCityTransitsubwayorbuses,orMTALongIslandRail Road with20-minutetrainsfromGrandCentralTerminalorPennStationtotheAirTrainJFKstationatJamaica.For motorists,thePortAuthorityencouragestheuseofitsfreedrop-off,pickupandwaitinglotattheLeffertsBoulevard AirTrainJFKstation,wherepassengerscaneasilyconnecttothefreeon-airportAirTrainforaneight-minuteridetoairport terminals

VisitConstruction.JFKAirport.comforthelatestupdatesandtraveladvisoriesbeforeheadingtotheairport.

NYC Small Business Services Business Prep Risk Assessment & Grant

Over the next several weeks RDRC will working with the Office of Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, SBS, REMA4US and Crescent Consulting to provide additional information and support for businesses interested in applying.

Business PREP helps small businesses prepare for emergencies and enhance the resiliency of their operations, assets, and physical space. Program components include:

Emergency Preparedness Workshops and Webinars to educate on business continuity best practices.

Resiliency Online Resources including a Self-Assessment Tool to understand and help mitigate risks

Risk Assessments and Grants for commercial tenants and property owners operating out of a location at risk of flooding

NYC Small Business Services Business Prep Risk Assessment & Grant

Business PREP Risk Assessment & Grant Program (continued)

SBS will come to your business to:

Review your physical space, operations, and insurance coverage. Provide a custom report to prepare your business for future disruptions.

Applicants who receive an assessment may also be eligible for a grant of up to $5,000 to buy recommended equipment, such as flood barriers, generators, and fireproof storage containers to improve disaster resiliency

Key Eligibility Requirements:

Located in an area at risk of flooding. Small business has been in operation for at least 1 year. Annual revenue does not exceed $30 million.

Did not previously receive any grant or benefit from the NYC Department of Small Business Services Business PREP Grant Program or the RISE: NYC program

All required licenses and permits are current.

TO APPLY CLICK HERE:

BUSINESS RESOURCES

2024 BUSINESS GRANTS & MORE

SPECTRUM PAY IT FORWARD PROGRAM

Spectrum Reach's Pay It Forward program offers selected small businesses free advertising campaign worth up to $15,000, including live and streaming TV, a custom-produced 30-second commercial, expert marketing consultation services and mentoring

Deadline: 12/31/2025

ALL GRANTS - WOMENSNET | GRANTS FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS | SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS (AMBERGRANTSFORWOMEN.COM)

The Amber Grant by WomensNet is providing $10,000 and $25,000 grants for female entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.

To be eligible, applicants must be a women-owned business or a female entrepreneur. Further, Applicants must share their business or business idea and explain how they would use the grant money.

Deadline: Monthly Skip,

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BUSINESS RESOURCES

2024 BUSINESS GRANTS & MORE

Risk Assessment and Grant Program (nyc.gov)

NYC offers a grant program providing up to $5,000 for resiliency measures like flood barriers. Eligibility includes being in a flood-risk area, operating for at least a year, revenue under $30 million, and no prior NYC SBS grants. All licenses and permits must be current for eligibility.

Funding Range: Up to $5,000

Pre-Seed and Seed Matching Fund Program

Program supports various industries including Tech, FinTech, Healthcare. Eligibility for companies with < $2M dilutive funding, focusing on expanding VC access in New York.

Preference for C-Corp structured companies with operations in NY. Companies must be registered in NY, in good standing, and secure matching funds.

Private capital raised in the same round can contribute to financing ratio. Investments in convertible debt or equity must match private capital terms.

NYC Department of Small Business Services offers a Customized Training Grant Program: Businesses select tailored training programs to address challenges.

SBS reimburses up to 60% of costs for various areas.

Eligibility:

Grants range from $30,000 to $400,000.

NYC-based, operating for over a year, for-profit. Training involves a minimum of 10 employees.

Costs paid upfront and reimbursed quarterly.

Employees can attend different sessions within a year.

Upon completion, businesses must offer wage increases.

Businesses with <10 employees can apply as a consortium. Contact for details.

Amazon Black Business Accelerator Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a U.S.-based Amazon Professional seller

Business must sell products on Amazon.com (U.S.) and be part of Amazon’s Certification Program

Must have at least one valid Certification uploaded to Seller Central Grant benefits currently apply to sellers with a valid minority-owned business registration or certification from one of the following organizations:

The National Minority Supplier Development Council

U.S. System for Award Management

U.S. Small Business Administration

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