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REES Top Story 

NYCHA Entrepreneurs Win $20,000 Grants for Their Businesses 

LaToya

Katherine Perez began her videography and video editing business, Kat D Productions, four years ago, and dreamt of growing it so that she could help create promotional videos for more non-profit organizations. But as the sole person behind her business, she didn’t have the resources or time to expand.  

Katherine Perez at the NYC Boss Up graduation luncheon.

Thanks to a new entrepreneurship program called NYC Boss Up, Ms. Perez recently received a $20,000 grant that is enabling her to expand her business. Ms. Perez is one of nine NYCHA resident business owners who are part of the first cohort of NYC Boss Up, which provides grants up to $20,000 to help build and grow the businesses of entrepreneurs who live in NYCHA developments or are NYCHA Section 8 voucher holders.  
 
“The NYC Boss Up grant came at the perfect time, and I feel very grateful that I have the capital I need to expand,” said Ms. Perez, a NYCHA Section 8 resident who lives with her mother in the Bronx. “I just bought new equipment and I’m training an intern to be my videography assistant. With the grant money, I’ll also have more time for marketing while continuing to provide the same high-quality service to my clients.” 

NYC Boss Up was founded by the Ron and Kerry Moelis Family Foundation, which is providing $1 million over five years toward the program. NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) manages the partnership and FJC – A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds distributed the grant funds to the winners. 

Mr. Moelis was inspired after reading a New York Times article on a report from the Center for an Urban Future which identified a 472 percent jump in the number of NYCHA residents reporting business income from 2012 to 2021. Despite that growth, the report showed that only 1 percent of NYCHA residents reported business income in 2021, suggesting enormous growth opportunities remain. 

“Even if you have a great idea, getting a successful business off the ground is incredibly challenging, and this program is designed to provide some of our city’s budding entrepreneurs with a boost by helping them financially and strategically,” Ron Moelis said. “I was inspired to hear a range of great ideas from applicants, and not only our winners. I hope this partnership grows and serves as a model for similar programs in other cities. I’m excited to watch our winners pursue their business plans and encourage many more residents to apply to the program for its next round.”     

Ron Moelis samples Legacy’s Flavors.
NYC Boss Up winners Loria and Legacy Clemmons display products from Legacy’s Flavors.

In addition to Ms. Perez, the winners of NYC Boss Up are: 

  • Sarah Adams, West Indian Foods – features Caribbean-style, sugar-free, low-carb, vegan pastries and cakes.   
  • Loria and Legacy Clemmons, Legacy’s Flavors –icy carts with inventive and culturally inspired flavors, providing families with healthy options and lasting memories. (See past coverage on Legacy’s Flavors here.) 
  • Michelle Covington, Liyah Michelle Collections – offers luxury wigs and extensions for women that vary in cut and color and aim for diversity. 
  • Valeria Martinez, ConnectoDigital – creates and prints fully customizable, smart digital business cards. 
  • Tamika Walker, Blac Beuty No9 – unique skincare using fruit butter and cold-pressed oils from the Amazon rainforest. 
  • Michael Watson, Fable Jones Studios – provides art, highly sought-after merchandise, professional art instructions, and engaging digital content. 
  • Jaquay Wilder, ATB Party Supplies – provides event décor rental items for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, and more. 
  • Herbert Wool, Digital Design Trusted Technologies – offers software and hardware beta testing and quality assurance services.   
NYC Boss Up winners in attendance at the graduation luncheon.

The first step of the program was for applicants to submit proposals about their businesses with their plans for growth. Out of 279 applicants, 22 were chosen to participate in a competition held in March at the Brooklyn Public Library where they pitched their businesses and growth projections to the judges. Nine winners were chosen by a seven-member selection committee, and each received $20,000.   

After the pitch competition, the winners participated in six business development classes over six weeks. The business classes were held in-person and online and provided by the Brooklyn Public Library Business and Career Center, Centro Community Partners, and BOCNet. These organizations offer various courses, including a business resources class held at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Grand Army Plaza branch, and online classes involving financial modeling, building business credit, a business plan boot camp, and one-on-one business coaching sessions. Ms. Perez said the most helpful class was “learning how to create a business plan. I obviously had goals and objectives to grow my business, but I never sat down to write one because my business happened organically.” 

After graduating in 2019 from the College of Mount Saint Vincent with a degree in visual arts and experimental media, Ms. Perez offered her videography services to her alma mater. She had interned in the public relations department as a student and realized the college needed more video content but had a limited staff and budget. Her work for the college then helped her secure more clients. 

In May, the grant winners were honored at a graduation ceremony which included congratulatory remarks from First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim, Ron Moelis, NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, and Brooklyn Public Library’s Director of Literacy & Adult Learning Kerwin Pilgrim. Sam Marks, CEO of FJC, also attended. 

“NYCHA is thrilled to be a part of NYC Boss Up,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We are grateful to the Moelis Family Foundation, as this initiative represents our collective commitment to connecting residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs.” 

NYCHA’s Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt (l) and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright speak with one of the NYC Boss Up winners.
Speakers at the NYC Boss Up luncheon included First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright Ron Moelis of the Moelis Family Foundation, NYCHA’s Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt, and more.
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NYC Boss Up winner Jaquay Wilder, owner of ATB Party Supplies was one of two speakers at the luncheon from the graduating cohort. 
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NYC Boss Up winner Herbert Wool, owner of Digital Design Trusted Technologies, was one of two speakers at the luncheon from the graduating cohort.
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NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim addressed the audience at the luncheon.

Ms. Perez wants other NYCHA entrepreneurs to apply for the next cohort of NYC Boss UP, no matter how big or small their business is: “This is a life-changing experience that can elevate your simple idea into a full-blown business or, for those like me who were doing business for a while, it can give you the capital to grow. With the program, you don’t only gain the money, you gain the knowledge and tools you need to grow.” 

For more information, visit NYC Boss Up. 

Featured photo caption: Katherine Perez at the NYC Boss Up graduation luncheon.