Annual Report
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UPPER M AN
2019
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2019 UMEZ Annual Report
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THE UPPER MANHATTAN EMPOWERMENT ZONE
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Table of Contents
4 Mission
6 Letter from CEO and Board Chair
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UMEZ Investment Areas
10 Microlending
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UMEZ - Grameen America
Partnership
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Small Business Loans
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Café Buunni at GWBBT
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Savann’s New Line of Credit
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Cultural Investments
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Hi-ARTS Capacity Grant
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UMEZ Arts Engagement Program
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Phase II Feature Story: Inwood Art Works’ Film Works Alfresco Feature Story: Carlos David’s Personae II
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Workforce Opportunity Investments 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund
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Financial Report
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Board and Staff
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Contact Us
Photo credits: (Left) Inwood Arts Gallery by Sirin Samman Photography; (Cover) 125th Street by Rosemary Santos
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Mission
Our mission is to sustain the economic revitalizat communities in Upper Manhattan through job c alliances, strategic investments, and small busine
UMEZ facilitates economic development in the n Central, West, and East Harlem; Washington Heig
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
tion of all creation, corporate ess assistance.
neighborhoods of ghts; and Inwood.
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A Letter from our CEO & Board Chair Dear Readers, We write this Annual Report at a time when we are facing an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. The current COVID-19 pandemic is creating an uncertain economic future everywhere and is having a disproportionate impact on Upper Manhattan and other minority communities. We will continue to adapt our funding programs to build on the work we’ve been doing over the past 23 years. It is with that in mind that we share with you the community impact of our work in the past fiscal year. 2019 has been a remarkable year for the communities of Upper Manhattan. We continue to support local entrepreneurs by extending our microlending partnership with Grameen America. By providing a combination of a $4 million loan and some grant funding, we were able to expand their lending capacity in East Harlem and recapitalize funding in Washington Heights and Inwood. Through our small business lending team, we expanded our support to local entrepreneurs such as Elias Gurmu and Sarina Prabasi, owners of Café Buunni, with a loan to open their fourth location—and third in Upper Manhattan. This new coffee shop is located in the newly renovated George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, which we provided essential gap financing to help modernize in 2018. With tens of thousands of passengers traversing that space each day, we are thrilled to be able to liven up that space with commercial activity, especially with a local business so beloved by the Washington Heights and Inwood communities. Lastly, we provided Galip Ozbek, owner of admired Harlem restaurant Savann, with a line of credit to support the health and growth of his business.
attract new audie donors. Hi-ARTS i Barrio, and we are production will co and staff. The sec Grants also launch distributed grants dance, media, mu and visual art. We our featured proje Harlem and Aaron
UMEZ continues t community partn opportunities for Career Opportuni with 1199SEIU wa impactful. Throug able to connect 80 employment oppo
As we look forwar to provide uninte is our privilege an approaches to tec to enhance capita businesses and no challenges and op collaborate with n that we have a str communities: Eas Washington Heigh
In addition to bolstering local businesses, we were also able to support Upper Manhattan’s local artists and cultural organizations. We provided Hi-ARTS with a multiyear $250,000 grant to build and diversify its income,
JOSEPH J. JOH Chair of the UME
Photo credits: (Left) Jose
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
ences, and cultivate new individual is a multidisciplinary arts hub in El e excited to see how their creativity and ontinue to flourish with the new funding cond round of UMEZ Arts Engagement hed in collaboration with LMCC. We s of up to $10,000 in the categories of ultidisciplinary, literature, music, theater, e hope you enjoy learning about two of ects, Carlos David’s Personae II in East n Simms’ Film Works Alfresco in Inwood.
to collaborate with employers and local ners to create meaningful employment Upper Manhattan residents. Our ities in Healthcare Phase II partnership as completed in 2019, and it was gh our innovative program, we were 0 Upper Manhattan residents with ortunities.
rd, our staff continues to work remotely errupted services to our community. It nd responsibility to develop thoughtful chnical assistance and creative ways al access to meet the needs of small onprofits. We are mindful of the pportunities 2020 will bring and will new and existing partners to ensure rong impact in our Upper Manhattan st Harlem, Central Harlem, West Harlem, hts, and Inwood.
HNSON, III EZ Board of Directors
BLAIR M. DUNCAN Chief Executive Officer, UMEZ
eph J. Johnson, III, Courtesy of UMEZ; (Right) Blair M. Duncan by MJ Photography
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Investment Areas Commercial Real Estate Development and Business Investments UMEZ invests in real estate development initiatives that yield employment opportunities and economic growth for Upper Manhattan.
Small Business Investments UMEZ’s Business Resource and Investment Service Center (BRISC) provides loans for small business formation and expansion. Small business loans are meant to create opportunities for local wealth creation and economic vitality in Upper Manhattan. BRISC also offers lines of credit for qualified small businesses.
Microlending UMEZ partners with community development financial institutions to offer microloans to entrepreneurs who are underserved by mainstream banking institutions.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Cultural Investments UMEZ’s Cultural Investment Fund (CIF) invests in Upper Manhattan’s vibrant cultural landscape, which leads to more visitors, new jobs, and increased economic activity.
Workforce Development Investments UMEZ invests in effective and measurable training and employment program models that directly connect Upper Manhattan residents to quality jobs with pathways to careers.
Photo credits: (Left) Annette Raveneau, Courtesy of UMEZ; (Right) Carlos David
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Microlending
“I’m so grateful to Grameen America for trusting in humble, hard-working people like me,” said Rebeca, owner of a travel and fresh juice business in Upper Manhattan. “For nearly seven years, I’ve depended on Grameen’s low-interest-rate loans and kind workers, to grow my business and build my credit.” Rebeca, Grameen America Borrower
Photo left: Rebeca Photo credit: Annette Raveneau, Courtesy of UMEZ
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UMEZ - Grameen America Microloan Expansion Program
Founded in 2008 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Grameen America enables financial mobility by providing microloans, saving programs, credit establishment, and other services to entrepreneurial women in the United States who are not served by banking institutions. Since its founding, Grameen America has provided $1.42 billion in loan capital to 129,000 women throughout the country. In order to expand these financial opportunities to women in Upper Manhattan, UMEZ began a partnership with Grameen America in 2010. In March of 2019, after Grameen America repaid their loan, UMEZ provided Grameen America with a subsequent $4 million loan and a $115,000 grant to expand the outreach of Grameen’s lending platform into East Harlem and recapitalize funding in Washington Heights and Inwood, neighborhoods that have been historically under-financed but have strong small business growth. The grant of $115,000 supported Grameen’s operations in East Harlem. Grameen’s Washington Heights branch is the primary branch for borrowers in both the East Harlem and Washington Heights markets.
Between March and June 2019, Grameen made loans totaling $701,800 to 168 East Harlem residents and loans totaling approximately $2,413,100 to 692 Washington Heights women entrepreneurs. During this period, Grameen America also hosted multiple events, promoting the UMEZ-funded Grameen America microloan program in East Harlem. UMEZ also partnered with the Chamber of Commerce of Washington Heights and Inwood and Union Settlement to raise awareness and conduct outreach to Upper Manhattan women entrepreneurs. Working in partnership with Women Entrepreneurs NYC (WeNYC), borrowers also received training to help strengthen their business operations. UMEZ is gratified to continue its relationship with Grameen America, Union Settlement, the Chamber of Commerce of Washington Heights and Inwood, and WeNYC to better serve the financial needs of entrepreneurs in Upper Manhattan.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Photo: A Grameen America workshop in Upper Manhattan. Photo credit: Annette Raveneau, Courtesy of UMEZ
$701,800 in loans to 168 East Harlem residents between March and June 2019
“For over seven years, I’ve seen low-income women entrepreneurs grow their businesses from getting a small $1,000 loan to opening a restaurant,” said Violeta Rodriguez, Assistant Branch Manager for Grameen America in Upper Manhattan. “The benefits are for the whole family. You see their children growing and having more opportunities. If Grameen America wouldn’t be here, I think these women would not have access to affordable loan capital. Our mission is to give these women loans, training, and support to help them become financially independent.” Violeta Rodriguez, Assistant Branch Manager, Grameen America
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Small Business Loans
“UMEZ supports local business owners with the capital they need to expand or launch new businesses in the community.” Blair M. Duncan President and CEO of UMEZ
Photo left: Elias Gurmu, co-owner of Café Buunni Photo credit: Amanda Celestino
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Café Buunni at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
In the fall of 2018, Elias Gurmu and Sarina Prabasi received a small business loan from UMEZ to open their third independent coffee shop. Café Buunni first opened in Washington Heights in 2012 and since then, it has become a staple in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood. After the success of their first location, the couple decided to open a second location on Riverdale Avenue, in the Bronx. With the loan provided by UMEZ, the husband-and-wife team was able to finance the construction of their newest location in the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal Market. They were excited to open another coffee shop in Upper Manhattan and “bring a little more life and community” into the terminal, which for years was in a state of decay. Before opening their beloved coffee shop, Elias and Sarina lived in Ethiopia, where they met and developed their passion for conscientious Ethiopian coffee. Elias
had always been an entrepreneur and Sarina worked in international development. Long before they moved to New York City, they had dreams of starting a coffee business. Initially, they envisioned a wholesale business, selling specialty beans to coffee shops and restaurants. They launched a website and began selling beans in large quantities and had no plans of opening a physical space. After a trip back from Ethiopia, where they met with various coffee cooperatives, they came across a “FOR RENT” sign near their home in Washington Heights. The storefront
Photo credits: (Top left) Rosemary Santos; (Top right) Amanda Celestino; (Bottom left) Rosemary Santos; (Bottom right) Courtesy of Café Buunni
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was tiny, but they instantly recognized its potential. After one year of living in Upper Manhattan, they opened their first Café Buunni on Pinehurst Avenue. “One of the things we really appreciated in working with UMEZ-BRISC was the clear communication about requirements and loan process from the very beginning.”
Elias and Sarina partner with other local businesses and host vegan markets, dinner party pop-ups, open mics, and a book club, among other activities. Sarina has also recently become a published author. Sarina’s new book, The Coffeehouse Resistance: Brewing Hope in Desperate Times, was released on March 26, 2019.
Elias Gurmu, Co-owner of Café Buunni
Photo: Café Buunni at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal. Photo credit: Courtesy of Café Buunni
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
“One of the main challenges for small businesses is finding funding to grow, and this is exactly what the UMEZ-BRISC loan is helping us with.”
Sarina Prabasi, Co-owner of Café Buunni
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Savann’s New Line of Credit Galip Ozbek, an experienced proprietor and business operator with more than 30 years of experience in the food service industry, is one of UMEZ’s successful returning borrowers. He currently operates Savann, a beloved Mediterranean restaurant in Central Harlem. Galip became a UMEZ borrower in 2013. Prior to launching his own restaurant, he worked as a chef for Japan Airlines and served as the executive chef at Pescatori and at the Mayflower Hotel. In 2013, he moved Savann from its original location in the Upper West Side to its current location on Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
Photo: Galip’s Hummus. Photo credit: Gulnara Omorova
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
In order to make the move, Galip obtained a term loan from UMEZ, which enabled him to relocate to Harlem and build out Savann’s current location. Galip repaid that loan in 2018, and he subsequently applied for a line of credit with UMEZ. On January 18, 2019, Galip closed on a revolving line of credit for 12 months. This line of credit allowed Galip to access funds at a lower interest rate than an average line of credit from a for-profit financial institution and enabled him to provide maintenance for restaurant fixtures and support overall business growth. Galip was the first borrower to have experienced and fully utilized their UMEZ line of credit. This new access to funds allowed Galip to have access to additional cash flow in 2019, which contributed to the overall health and growth of his business. UMEZ is proud to continue supporting a neighborhood favorite on Frederick Douglass Boulevard’s Restaurant Row.
Photo: Galip Ozbek in his kitchen at Savann. Photo credit: Gulnara Omorova
“Through UMEZ, I met genuine people who understood my business and helped me grow into the successful business that I am today. I highly recommend UMEZ to everyone I know instead of going to a bank for their lending needs.” Galip Ozbek, Owner of Savann
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(Left to right, top to bottom) Elisa Monte Dance Company by Steven Pisano, La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriqueña by Jancarlo The Peculiar Patriot by Garlia C. Jones-Ly, 2019 Film Works Alfresco by Christobal Vivar, East Winds courtesy of East Winds, All Power to A courtesy of UMEZ, El Museo del Bario/Museum Mile courtesy of UMEZ, Elisa Monte Dance Company by Steven Pisano
o Vega, All People
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Cultural Investments
“Cultural grantmaking is an important part of our broader mission to support the economic vitality of Upper Manhattan.� Blair M. Duncan, President and CEO of UMEZ
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“The capacity grant will help us fill critical positions in development and marketing. The addition of these staff members creates new opportunities for organizational growth as well as the expansion of our artistic and community practice. We are excited about the future and thank UMEZ for the support.” Raymond Codrington, Executive Director of Hi-ARTS
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Hi-ARTS at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 – Capacity Grant In August 2019, UMEZ awarded a three-year grant of $250,000 to Hi-ARTS, a multidisciplinary arts hub that provides forums for artists and audiences to come together in exploration of culture, sexuality, class, race, politics, and identity to create art in various mediums. Hi-ARTS began as the annual HipHop Theater Festival in 2000, and in 2011, broadened its mission to become Hi-ARTS. Under the guidance of Executive Director Raymond Codrington, and with a permanent home at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, Hi-ARTS offers a wide range of events, including live theater, visual art, and educational programs, to critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences.
The UMEZ capacity-building grant is being used to execute strategies that build and diversify Hi-ARTS’ contributed income base, attract new audiences, and cultivate new individual donors and board members. UMEZ funds will enable Hi-ARTS to hire new staff members and upgrade development and marketing materials, including its website. In helping fund their capacity-building needs, UMEZ is delighted to support Hi-ARTS as they deepen their engagement with the East Harlem community and beyond.
What is Here is Open: Selections from the Treasures in the Trash Collection Photo credit: Stan Narten/Hunter East Harlem
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UMEZ Arts Engagement Program Phase II In 2018, UMEZ provided a $400,000 grant to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) for the launch of a two-year pilot initiative to support cultural projects in Upper Manhattan. 2019 was the second year of the UMEZ Arts Engagement program, and this year, 53 artists and smaller arts organizations received grants of up to $10,000 representing a nearly 43% increase in funded projects. Grantees represented a wide range of artistic disciplines across Upper Manhattan neighborhoods, from media in El Barrio to dance in Morningside Heights and choral music in Inwood. Funded projects included an exhibit of textile works from Harlem Needle Arts that took place at St. Nicholas and Jackie Robinson Parks; a series of concerts by the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra at Fort Washington Collegiate Church; free public performances and workshops from Dances for a Variable Population; support for Film Works Alfresco, a popular program from Inwood Art Works; and a live music and comedy show from La Casa de la Herencia Cultural PuertorriqueĂąa.
Dance
Born Dancing, Inc., Spring 2019 Productio DanceBoissiere, The Empathy Project Dances For a Variable Population, Revival General Mischief Dance Theatre, What If The Harlem Swing Dance Society, The Ha Rhythm Urban Dance Festival Kinesis Project, Inc., Breathing With Stran Matthew Westerby Dance Company, Inc., Ranardo-Domeico Grays/VISIONS Conte
(of what makes us who we are)
Media
African Diaspora Film Festival, Inc., Black & Abroad Puerto Rican Institute for the Developme PRIDA Presents
Multidisciplinary & Litera
Ben Arthur, Song.Writer Gudrun Buhler, Anina Art Events Creating Higher Ground, Higher Ground F International Communications Associatio Aid Project Inwood Art Works, Film Works Alfresco Jazz Power Initiative, Intergenerational Ja Sessions 2019 La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorri Live Music and Comedy Show NYC Kidsfest, The 14th Annual NYC Kidsfe Pan American Musical Art Research, Inc., Cultural Week 2019 Word-Up Community Bookshop, Uptown
Music
ANDPLAY, Inc., andPlay (in) conversation Ansonia Music Outreach, Phoenix Ensemb The Art Song Preservation Society of New Song Festival of New York 2019 Candice Hoyes and Noah Jackson, On a T
2019 UMEZ Arts Engagement Jurors: Joyce Adewumi, Founder, New York African C Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem | Abdel Sal Programs, The Graduate Center, City Univers El Museo del Barrio
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
on
l 3: It’s About Time We arlem Roots and
ngers , The Harlem Project emporary Ballet, Traces
Identity in America
ent of the Arts, Inc.,
ature
Festival on, The Race
Theater
azz Jam
iqueña, Inc., La Casa’s
est Latin American
n Kid Lit
ble Concert Series w York, Spring Into Art
Turquoise Cloud
Cornerstone Chorale, Inc., Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass East Winds, Inc., Japanese Music Concert Series Ekmeles, Inc., Ekmeles Spring in Upper Manhattan Harlem Arts Alliance, The Evolution of the Blues Harlem Chamber Players, Inc., The Harlem Chamber Players 2019 Season Harlem Presents, Inc., The Harlem Opera Festival JACK Music Inc., JACK Quartet Concert Los Pleneros de la 21, Cultural Legacy Initiative Project 2019 Musica de Camara, Inc., Musica de Camara’s 39th Anniversary Concert New York Scandia Symphony, The Scandinavian Music Festival 2019 Paracademia Center, Inc., Make Music Harlem’s Fifth Anniversary Prelude Opera, The Three Billy Goats Gruff: A Children’s Opera TAK Ensemble, Impossible Tasks Tenth Intervention, Colectivo: Music from Cuba and New York Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, Winter-Spring Concerts 2019
American Slavery Project, The American Slavery Project’s Reading Series: “Africa, Bondage, Crow,” the ABCs of Black Beginnings in America Blackberry Productions, MY HARLEM TIS OF THEE Vienna Carroll, Shallow Brown: Thessalonia and the Free Sailor El Barrio Theatre Group, Inc., The Mambo Cafe UP Theater Company, St. Peter’s Foot
Visual Art
Andrea Arroyo, EmPOWER! William Daniels, Harlem Textile Art Expo Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance, Revealing Hidden Histories Community Engagement Initiative Felipe Galindo, Washington: Back in NYC Carlos David, Personae II Harlem Needle Arts, Inc., We the People | Disrupting Silence Kindred Arts, All Power to All People Susan Stair, Roots on Fire Suprina Troche, Infinity
Chorus Ensemble | Bob Braswell, Co-Founder and Managing Director, People’s Theatre Project | Anna Glass, Executive laam, Executive Artistic Director/Choreographer, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre | Karen Sander, Director of Public sity of New York | Jill Sternheimer, Producer, Public Programming, Lincoln Center | Susanna Temkin, Curator,
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Feature Story
Inwood Art Works’ Film Works
“We appreciate UMEZ’s support and LMCC and DCLA and everybody who sees this as valuable. It’s too hard to do it without support. We do it every Monday for 3 months. [We’re] one of the biggest programs in any northern Manhattan park.” Aaron Simms, Executive Producer, Inwood Art Works Photo credit: Christobal Vivar
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Alfresco In 2019, UMEZ awarded a $9,700 grant to Inwood Art Works, a nonprofit organization with a mission to create and curate professional performing and visual arts programs in Inwood and its surrounding community. A life-long artist, Aaron Simms is the Founder and Executive Producer of Inwood Art Works. Originally from Cincinnati, Aaron first came to New York City 18 years ago to “try [his] luck,” and now runs an off-Broadway theater company. He noticed that there were no movie houses in the neighborhood, and in order to access consistent arts programming, he had to go downtown. This inspired him to create Film Works Alfresco, New York City’s only English and Spanish language free outdoor cinema series. Since its inception, Film Works Alfresco has presented culturally relevant programming to the Inwood and Marble Hill communities. In 2017, the inaugural Film Works Alfresco presented 12 films during the summer months in Inwood Hill Park. Inwood Art Works received a grant from UMEZ to launch its third season in 2019. Film Works Alfresco is just one of Inwood Art Works’ many initiatives, all with the goal of encouraging positive social engagement, goodwill, and unity through live theater, music, dance, film, new media, and visual arts in an accessible and affordable way.
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Feature Story Carlos David’s Personae II In 2019, Carlos David received a UMEZ Arts Engagement grant to launch Personae II. Born in the U.S. but having spent most of his life in Mexico, Carlos David came back to the United States to visit a friend 13 years ago and fell in love with New York City. He presented his first project, Personae I, at Artspace PS109 in El Barrio, and it was a great success. Personae II was the second installation of this visual arts project, which invited participants to transform into their alter egos or characters of their choice, ultimately to explore and reveal hidden parts of themselves. In his first installment of Personae, Carlos David photographed 80 different subjects. In this second
round, he photographed 14 subjects, realizing that it was less “a matter of quantity, [but rather] the message you’re bringing to the table.” Carlos David worked with a diverse group of subjects connected by past experiences of conflict and trauma. He noted how the project had an impact on both its audience and its subjects, as the exhibit sparked lively conversations and authentic connections between its subjects and audience members. Carlos David is passionate not just about the art itself, but about the social change that art can bring about.
Cleopatra – Yesenia Torres
Genovevo de la O –
Queen Elizabeth I – Garnet
Genoel Ramirez Photo on the right: Superman – Alfredo de los Santos Photo credits: Carlos David
Kiykiy B – Kiyon
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
“Working with stigmatized and marginalized groups, I aim to open a new path for dialog between the spectator and the subject, an opportunity for the participants to express and explore, as well as bring attention to critical social issues through the generation of fictionalized content.�
Carlos David, Portrait Photographer and Creator of Personae II
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Workforce Opportunity Investments
“UMEZ partners with employers across sectors to effectively prepare Upper Manhattan residents for meaningful employment and pathways to long-term career opportunities.” Blair M. Duncan President and CEO of UMEZ
Photo on the right: Starbucks Resource Fair Photo credit: Will Howard, courtesy of East Harlem Talent Network, an initiative of STRIVE International and UMEZ
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund - Career Opportunities in Healthcare Phase II
In 2017, UMEZ awarded the 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund (1199 TUF) a grant of up to $250,601 to launch the second phase of Career Opportunities in Healthcare (COH), as a pilot initiative, incorporating relevant approaches and lessons learned from Phase I. UMEZ began a partnership with 1199 TUF to launch the UMEZ-sponsored COH to increase the employment and career advancement prospects of Upper Manhattan residents. During Phase I of the two-year program, over 100 Upper Manhattan residents were provided with employment opportunities and the prospect of union membership.
During Phase II of the program, UMEZ and 1199 TUF worked together to better understand labor market trends and employer demands within the healthcare sector, with the goal of building strong healthcare pipelines of qualified Upper Manhattan residents to union jobs and career pathways. 1199 TUF assessed the
workforce development needs of healthcare institutions by surveying its participating and contributing member organizations. Operating as both funder and workforce intermediary, UMEZ leveraged its operational capacity to form a pilot Community Partner Panel (CPP) consisting of local workforce development providers to assist with the development of a local talent pipeline. These community partners attended “train-the-trainer” workshops administered by the 1199 Employment Center to build their capacity to deliver demand-driven healthcare programs for non-union local residents in a collaborative manner. Phase II incorporated a first-time Upper Manhattan community model that afforded local workforce development providers the opportunity to gain direct training from a healthcare union with direct access to jobs. By the end of Phase II, 80 Upper Manhattan residents gained access to entry-level employment and career advancement opportunities with various healthcare institutions. Of the 80 Upper Manhattan residents, 68 were non-union residents placed
in entry-level through a dire upon the com administered or upon the co TUF-administ training progr were 1199 TUF upgraded into wages and ski
The program c UMEZ’s invest to career oppo advancement residents in hi Non-union Up residents wer and non-direc such as certifi patient transp helpers, comm more, earning Existing union along career p such as medic financial advis nurses and rec increase of ap
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
union jobs—either ect placement method mpletion of a CPPhealthcare workshop ompletion of an 1199 tered occupational skills ram. The remaining 12 F union members who o jobs offering higher ill advancement.
culminated in 2019. tment yielded access ortunities and for Upper Manhattan igh demand occupations. pper Manhattan re placed in union direct ct support occupations fied nursing assistants, porters, food service munity workers, and g above minimum wage. n members advanced pathways in positions cal assistants, patient sors, and registered eceived an average wage pproximately 24 percent.
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Nia volenihillis qui que nullatios idio molor ate estrupt atquiae mi, omni sim eum il moluptatur.
Eugenia Nuñez, an Upper Manhattan resident & beneficiary of the UMEZ/1199 TUF partnership. Photo credit: Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation.
Meet Eugenia Eugenia Nuñez is a 20-year resident of Inwood and had been working as a home health aide since 1995. In 2019, Eugenia decided she was ready for a change and she completed a medical assistant course at Lehman College. Even though she felt like her English proficiency might be a barrier, Eugenia decided to “go for it.” She went to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) in order to get assistance updating her resume, and NMIC’s Education & Career Services staff enrolled her into their Jobs to Build On program. There, she connected with a Career Solutions Manager to assist her with the job search. During one of her visits to NMIC, she saw a flyer advertising the Introduction to Healthcare Workshop, a partnership between UMEZ and the 1199SEIU union, and she decided to attend. After years of unsuccessful applications with 1199, she was able to get a referral to 1199’s Employment Center and was scheduled to interview with two major hospitals. She accepted a part-time housekeeping position at the NewYork-Presbyterian’s Lower Manhattan Hospital in September of 2019. Eugenia plans to work her way up and one day become a medical assistant.
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Financial Report FY 2019 Breakdown
Nia volenihillis qui que nullatios idio molor ate estrupt atquiae mi, omni sim eum il moluptatur.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
FINANCIAL POSITION Assets Cash and Investments
2019
2018
66,070,741 17,205,696
55,166,560 28,302,456
3,190,470
4,770,181
Net Fixed Assets
103,231
147,926
TOTAL ASSETS
86,570,138
88,387,123
424,784 14,049,075
1,476,112 22,911,738
14,473,859
24,387,850
Net Assets
72,096,279
63,999,273
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
86,570,138
88,387,123
2,310,336 10,499,826
1,855,556 8,728,178
12,810,162
10,583,734
1,397,171 2,784,227
1,812,810 3,107,397
531,758
584,125
4,713,156
5,504,332
Receipts From Borrowers
1,483,048
1,375,394
Receipts From Funding Sources & Others
3,153,394
7,181,725
Payments to Suppliers & Employees
(3,258,477)
(3,585,551)
Payments to Subgrantees
(1,397,171)
(1,812,810)
(19,206)
3,158,758
(990)
(15,185)
Loan Disbursements
(8,759,746)
(7,280,259)
Loan Collections
19,756,507
1,146,506
(72,384)
(71,769)
Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities
10,923,387
(6,220,707)
Increase (Decrease) in Cash
10,904,181
(3,061,949)
BEGINNING CASH and INVESTMENTS
55,166,560
58,228,509
ENDING CASH and INVESTMENTS
66,070,741
55,166,560
Loans to Businesses and Affiliates Grants Receivable and Other Assets
Liabilities and Net Assets Liabilities Deferred Revenue Total Liabilities
ACTIVITIES Revenue and Support Interest and Other Revenue Government Grant Support for Lending Activity TOTAL REVENUE AND SUPPORT Expenses Grant Program Expenses Program Service Expenses Management and General Expenses TOTAL EXPENSES CASH FLOWS From Operating Activities
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities From Investing Activities Purchase of Equip & Leasehold
Other Activities (net)
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Staff Members
Blair M. Duncan President and Chief Executive Officer Ella Johnson Executive Assistant
BUSINESS INVESTMENTS Blair C. Smith Chief Investment Officer Andre Simon Community Lending Officer
CULTURAL INVESTMENTS Verdery Roosevelt Senior Vice President Cheryl Anhava Program Officer Lindsey Crane Program Officer
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Gaffar Mohamed Chief Financial Officer Ayesha Codrington Controller Delmarie Williams Assistant Controller Danessy Pico Office & Human Resources Manager Sharon Cheeks Receptionist
LEGAL Elizabeth M. Harris General Counsel Cedric Smith Compliance Officer Sara Farhall Legal Analyst
WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITY INVESTMENTS Yahshaanyah Hill Vice President of Workforce Opportunity Investments Jose Calderon Program Officer
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Board of Directors
BRISC BOARD Linda Scott, Chair Associate Corporate Secretary, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Steven Berrios Commercial Loan Officer, Carver Federal Savings Bank Christopher Brown Partner, Mitchell Titus LLP Lisa Downing Founder and Owner, Connections Real Estate Services Blair M. Duncan President and CEO, UMEZ Ex Officio Geoffrey Eaton President, NAACP MidManhattan Branch Julian James Vice President, BlackRock, Inc. Harriet R. Michel Former President, National Minority Supplier Development Council Charles S. Patrick, III Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Gardner Rivera Managing Member, Paper City Investments
NYEZ BOARD Keasa Schreane Executive Producer and Host of You’ve Been Served Podcast
UMEZ BOARD Joseph J. Johnson, III, Chair Senior Vice President, Goldman Sachs & Co. Nikisha Alcindor Executive Director of Business Development, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University Shahabuddeen A. Ally Attorney Member Chair, Community Board 12 Kevin G. Chavers Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. Maurice Coleman Senior Vice President, Community Development Banking, Bank of America Lisa Downing Founder and Owner, Connections Real Estate Services
Blair M. Duncan, President and CEO, UMEZ Ex Officio Teresa Eyring Executive Director, Theatre Communications Group Anthony Q. Fletcher Attorney Member, Community Board 9 Maxine Griffith Senior Advisor to the President, Columbia University Amir Kirkwood Chief Lending and Investment Officer, Opportunity Maurine D. Knighton Program Director for the Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Harriet R. Michel Former President, National Minority Supplier Development Council Rekha Nambiar Partner, Mitchell Titus LLP Nilsa Orama Chair, Community Board 11 Carmen Vasquez Former Deputy Executive Director, Hope Community,
Howard Zemsky, Chair President and CEO, Empire State Development Corporation and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Economic Development Marlene Cintron President, Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation Blair M. Duncan President and CEO, Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation Adriano Espaillat U.S. Representative, N.Y. 13th Congressional District Alicia Glen Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, City of New York Jose E. Serrano U.S. Representative, N.Y. 15th Congressional District
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THE UPPER MANHATTAN EMPOWERMENT ZONE
Connect With Us
For information about our: Small business investments email brisc@umez.org Business investments email businessinvestments@umez.org Cultural investments email culture@umez.org Workforce development investments email workforcedevelopment@umez.org
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation 55 West 125th Street, 11th Floor New York, NY 10027 (212) 410-0030 umez.org
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