Celebrating Special Relationships
Celebrating Special Relationships
On Wednesday October 15, BCNA’s staff, board members, clients, and honored guests gathered for a very special event at the home of board member, Peter Brest. The theme of the evening was "Engaging New York City’s Entrepreneurs" and we were very pleased that our partners, The Street Vendor Project and Chhaya CDC, were able to join the celebration.
Our special guest was Gregg Bishop, Deputy Commissioner of Business Development at Small Business Services (SBS) of New York City. Deputy Commissioner Bishop spoke eloquently about his 
own family’s journey in achieving the American dream and the programs the new administration has initiated to support immigrant entrepreneurs. BCNA has worked closely in the past SBS and we look forward to collaborating even more closely in the future to help NYC’s small businesses thrive.
It was a fun and inspiring evening, particularly when our clients shared their own stories, recounting how with hard work – and help from BCNA – they were able to overcome challenges, establish their businesses, and realize their dreams.
We were also pleased to showcase several clients and partners with a delicious 
buffet: Caribbean dishes from RiCaFo; hors d’oeuvres courtesy of FoodtoEat; vegan appetizers and desserts from 2014 Vendy Award Winner Cinnamon Snail; cookies from Ahmed Mbaye; beverages courtesy of The Street Vendor Project; and delicious coffee via Drew DeGeer, CEO of XXX Coffee and judge for the World Barista Championship, who personally brewed each cup of coffee for guests! Drew also addressed the group to announce XXX Coffee’s exciting Kickstarter campaign (learn more about it and contribute here.)
The evening was also an opportunity to thank our funders and reflect on the accomplishments of BCNA’s terrific staff, who made 298 loans in FY 2014 totaling $1.6 million, worked with 636 active borrowers, and provided 369 units of training in business management and technology. Our IDA team also helped 97 refugee families and individuals successfully complete BCNA’s IDA Program, enabling them to invest $624,625 from savings and match fund grants into further education, recertification, and micro-business.
A big thanks again to Board Member Peter Brest for graciously opening his home to us, our wonderful board members, to Meredith Lee, BCNA’s Director of Development who organized the event; to Jazz Duo Mark Soskin on piano and Jay Anderson on bass for the great music; and to everyone who attended and filled the room with warmth, laughter, and inspiring stories.