Continuing the Spirit of Immigrant Heritage Week Throughout the Year

Continuing the Spirit of Immigrant Heritage Week Throughout the Year

Looking back on our 3rd Annual BCNA Immigrant Heritage Week Awards this year, I am gratified by what a stimulating, inspiring program it was, and what a terrific sense of community and of unified purpose there was in the room. It’s truly become an event that our friends, colleagues, and clients look forward to as a way to honor immigrant achievements, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and get inspired to continue to make a difference.

We were delighted that the newly-appointed Commissioner of the NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Nisha Agarwal, made time in her demanding schedule to present the awards to our five honorees. We are looking forward to working closely with her in the years to come, and we share her sense of optimism that we can advance a pro-immigrant agenda in New York City that facilitates the incredible work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes New Americans.

Commissioner Agarwal presented awards to this year’s truly impressive group of honorees: Sonnie Selma, founder and owner of SS African Foods, who received The Boot Strap Entrepreneur Award; Gelena Gotto, founder and CEO of Rainbow Medical Supply, who received The New York Job Creator Award;  and Sujata Kahnal from Nepal, Fatouma Keita from Guinea, and Artur Lan Piy Tyan from Tashkent, who each received a New Beginning Award, which goes to refugees who successfully save for education, a home, or investment.

Alec Ross, former Senior Advisor for Innovation under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and founder of One Economy, galvanized the room with his inspiring keynote speech about the role of technology in changing the world by that continues to resonate for us at BCNA, and with many of the attendees I’ve spoken to.

Not only did he speak eloquently about making a difference in the changing global landscape, but  he also shared this inspirational quote by Teddy Roosevelt: 

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”  Teddy Roosevelt

We honored Alec with the BCNA Vision Award for both his years of public service and for his spearheading of innovative and technological solutions to empower low-income communities. 

And finally Board Member Sheel Tyle led a thought-provoking panel that included Michael Grinman, a BCNA client and the CEO of Green Leasing, Inc.; Reshma Saujani, former Deputy Public Advocate and Founder of Girls Who Code; Deepti Sharma Kapur, founder and CEO of Food to Eat; and Cesar Fuentes, Executive Director of the Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park, Inc.

Earlier in the week, at a breakfast at Gracie Mansion, Mayor Bill De Blasio spoke about the contribution of immigrants to New York City and said “Whether your family came to New York City five or 100 years ago, this is a week to celebrate and honor our immigrant heritage and the advantages of our amazing diversity.”

That spirit was well in evidence at the BCNA Immigrant Heritage Week Awards and we look forward to continuing to support our clients in their own paths to achieving economic success and the American Dream.