In it's 11th year, the summit promises to offer lively talks, opportunities to ask questions, and connect with New York City Entrepreneurs. Do you want to start a business? Want to learn how to think like an entrepreneur? Have an idea but do not know what to do next? Want to find a job at a startup?
This half day event showcases the best and brightest in NYC entrepreneurship. Come and get inspired by top businesspeople and international experts including several CUNY grads!
Discover how you can incorporate BMCC Small Business & Entprepreneurship classes into different industries.
Restaurateur Michael Chernow is best known as the co-founder of the wildly popular The Meatball Shop, which has six locations throughout New York City. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, he’s also the host of “Food Porn” on FYI network. In 2015, he opened Seamore’s to bring sustainable seafood to Manhattan’s restaurant scene in a huge, new way, and it’s now routinely packed with diners enjoying dogfish.
Chernow is also a fitness buff, founder of WellWell, a healthy beverage company, and Lululemon ambassador (who even organizes group workouts for his staff) with a large Instagram following that’s at least partially attributable to regular photos of his unbelievably adorable son, #FinnleyHudson.
He's been training in Muay Thai kickboxing for years. It’s the best way to sweat and take out some frustrations from living in NYC.
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Owner, Earth Yoga NYC
Health & Wellness
An entrepreneur since 2007 -- Yanti came to yoga in 2003 in order to manage her hip and lower back issues caused by life as a polo-playing karateka. Thus began a journey influenced by a variety of traditions including Ashtanga, Hatha and Bhakti yoga. With over 700 hours of yoga certifications and training, and as owner operator of Earth YogaNYC since 2009, she brings her legal background as an international lawyer to the business.
Yanti also continues to spread her love of yoga through the EY 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program, through her mentoring and her community service. She is known as a teacher who bridges the world of business and the realm of yoga and meditation, intimately understanding the needs and pressures of her clients who live and breathe the corporate America existence.
On the yin side, Yanti is extremely fond of teaching restorative yoga, meditation and seniors yoga.
Owner, Eveland BnB
Hospitality & AirBnb
Superhost Evelyn Badia is an award-winning Advertising Television Producer turned Airbnb host in 2010. Evelyn has shared her compelling story with the New York Times, New Yorker Magazine, and National Public Radio. She has also has addressed the New York State and City Assemblies as an active member in the ground roots effort for the legalization of Airbnb in New York.
In 2014, Evelyn turned her passion for “all things Airbnb” to instructional hosting by founding “The Hosting Journey,” a website where hosts can learn how to create a fun, profitable, and sustainable Airbnb life. Hosts from all around the world - Cuba, Nigeria, Australia, Spain, and beyond - join her monthly, live webinars to receive her Superhost advice and personal feedback.
Evelyn’s motto: Watch. Follow. Learn.
Featured in New York Times
Robert started taking photos professionally back in the early eighties when he discovered that a Polaroid Instamatic camera was not going to cut it as far as getting quality pictures...
Then through some friends Robert started shooting Sweet Sixteens, weddings. In 1989 he met a fashion designer through a makeup artist that lived in his neighborhood, & he shot his first fashion show at Jacob Javits that year.
In 1992 Robert got his first photo published in "Swimsuit International" magazine and ever since then he's met people in the film & fashion industry.
Currently working on a feature length film titled "Unwelcome Advances" based on a true story. Hope I can inspire & motivate people that have the same interest.
Patrick Devaney is an Actor, Filmmaker, who has lived his entire life in New York City. Patrick started his career as a musician in the 1980s underground circuit, performing in such legendary venues as CBGB.
Returning to Queens College in 1990, he met Mark Boutros, who he would eventually team up with to create “Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead”, the world’s first broadcast Zombie-based television program.
Founding Devarez Films in 2008, he has gone on to collaborate with many different production groups, such as Mass Grave Pictures.
To date, Patrick has appeared in over a dozen films in both lead and supporting roles, countless television shows, written close to 20 screenplays, co-created the upcoming “Master PD” web-series, and wrote, directed, and edited the independent Science/Fantasy film “IMPERVIA”. The film was nominated in ten award categories at its World Premiere at the 2017 Macabre Faire Film Festival, winning four awards, plus Audience Choice Award.
Tammy Kwan is the co-founder and CEO of Cognitive ToyBox, a company building evidence-based learning apps to help all children succeed when they start school.
Early childhood education has garnered tremendous interest, but the majority of “educational” apps have failed to deliver on learning outcomes. Moreover, 2- and 3-year-old children are spending 2 hours per day on this “digital candy.” Cognitive ToyBox (CTB) is developing the first apps to accelerate early language and math development for children under 3. The company works with leading developmental psychologists to productize their research and has received support from the National Science Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, and 4.0 Schools.
Children who start kindergarten prepared are more likely to graduate from high school, own a home, and plan for retirement. Cognitive ToyBox is committed to providing apps that improve school readiness and set children up for success, especially within the communities that need it most.
Michael, graduate of CUNY and Co-Founder of the award-winning City Saucery, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY enjoying his parents' fresh and healthy cooking. Vegetables and fresh herbs were grown in their own home garden and were brought to the dinner table for the whole family to enjoy.
Michael spent his summers in Italy observing and learning the traditional ways of preserving home grown organic ingredients and enjoying the unique (and spicy) regional cuisine of his family's home. Growing up in Brooklyn, and raised by Italian parents, influenced Michael's appreciation for real food greatly. The diversity of cuisines in New York City and fresh home cooked meals inspired him to venture into recreating and jarring foods he knows well for the American market.
City Saucery is a food manufacturing company born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. We are a modern family business inspired by the Italian matriarch: Nonna (means "grandmother" in Italian). City Saucery is a proud LGBTQ-owned business.
Jorge, graphic designer and Co-Founder of the award-winning City Saucery, was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and came to New York City to further his career as an Art Director.
Meeting Michael on his journey led him to something completely unexpected when he joined the family for a Sunday dinner and fell in love with the feast they had cooked up for the entire family. Gathering around a cozy dinner table while tasting authentic and healthy dishes would change him forever. He may have left the grueling ad world behind but he's also discovered his true passion with helping redesign a better American food system.
City Saucery's mission is to create unique and healthy delicious sauces and condiments of the highest quality using techniques true to the Slow Food way of cooking. We actively contribute to our local and regional food system by sourcing from responsible farms and jarring sustainable, wholesome ingredients. City Saucery is a proud gay-owned business.
Donna Olah Reiken has founded Preferred Small Business Solutions (PSBS) to focus on what she likes best about business: fostering the growth and productivity of small companies. Having held positions at the Securities Industry Automation Corporation (SIAC), the NYC Parks Department, and Data Study, among others, she decided to apply her experience with project management, information systems, and financial analysis to new and established small businesses. Donna grew up working in her family's small retail business on Long Island, and went on to earn a BA in finance from SUNY Binghamton, and an MBA in information systems from Pace University. She is also a certified Advanced QuickBooks Pro advisor.
As a small business consultant, Donna's passion is launching – and re-launching – back-office functions, helping with business plans, and referring owners to other professionals for their business needs. She has worked with budgets of up to $300 million, and will work with new and established businesses at every stage of development, from conception to launch to expansion.
Gunjan Rekhi is the founder of Rekhi Law Offices LLC, located in New York City. Her firm concentrates in the area of U.S Immigration and Naturalization Laws, and her practice focuses primarily on employment based immigration. Ms. Rekhi has completed her Master in Laws degree (LL.M.) from New York University(NYU) School of Law. She is a member of several legal and professional organizations, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
In the years of her practice, Ms. Rekhi has represented small to mid sized companies, start ups and individuals on a full range of employment based and family based immigration matters. Ms. Rekhi strongly believes in the tenets of integrity and transparency and has built strong reputation of her firm amongst the corporate clientele as a reliable one stop shop for their immigration needs
Henry S. Schleiff is Group President of the Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, and Destination America portfolio, overseeing the development, production, scheduling, research, marketing, communications and online efforts for all five networks. Known for revitalizing and strengthening brands, Schleiff’s portfolio features some of the fastest growing networks in television.
Until 2009, Schleiff was President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, which he joined in October, 2006. Under his leadership, Hallmark Channel became one of the best performing cable channels in the industry.
Schleiff is on the board of industry organizations, including the International Radio & Television Society Foundation, Inc. (IRTS); The Creative Coalition; The Hamptons International Film Festival; The American Museum of the Moving Image; and the Dean’s Council of the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Sha-Rhonda Wilson consults in the world of event marketing, promotions, & celebrity management. Sha-Rhonda is currently the Chief Operation Officer for Ms./Mrs. Corporate America Beauty Pageant – an annual pageant that empowers professional women in the United States. She has worked with Celebrity Make-Up Damone Roberts in Beverly Hills, and voval artist Terry Ellis of En Vogue with her perfume line Southern Exposure.
Sha-Rhonda coordinated the Baltimore City leg of a 25 City Book Tour for LaJoyce Brookshire who wrote the novelization Soul Food. Sha-Rhonda was formally the Executive Consultant to What About US!, a teen talk show and a successful Event Planner with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals & Development Associate with WEAA Radio Station. Her most recent accomplishment is securing a radio show segment - Q1 2015 for Dr. Levi Harrison on NPR Affiliate station WEAA 88.9FM called “The Art of Fitness.” Sha-Rhonda is also a state licensed Life Insurance Agent, Entrepreneur Development Coach & Financial Educator.
For 10 years, the summit has been organized by faculty, staff, and students. The summits goal is to allow networking, raise awareness of entrepreneurship in NYC, and provide practical information and inspiration for all CUNY entrepreneurs - students, faculty, and staff. This 11th year is special because we have expanded our invitation to all CUNY schools. Join us in igniting entrepreneurial thinking.
