Entrepreneurs Living in NYC Housing Awarded Grants
Nine entrepreneurs living in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residences have been awarded $20,000 grants to support their businesses. The grants, which were awarded by the NYC Boss Up Entrepreneurship Program, are funded by the Ron and Kerry Moelis Family Foundation.
All winners are also current inhabitants of New York City Housing Authority residences, which provides affordable living to those needing assistance. Selected from a pool of 279 applicants, each applicant was required to pitch their business proposals and plans for growth in a Shark Tank-style competition to a panel of judges at the Brooklyn Museum. To guarantee fairness, the panel employed the help of a standardized rubric to select the strongest submissions.Â
The program is designed to help NYCHA residents start or grow their businesses. In addition to the grant money, participants in the program also receive business development training from the Brooklyn Public Library Business and Career Center, Centro, and Bocnet.
***Correction*** Winners in this initial round of funding include Sarah Adams of West Indian Foods, Tamika Walker of Blac Beuty No9, Jaquay Wilder off ATBPartySupplies, Michael Watson of Fable Jones Studios, and Michelle Covington of Liyah Michelle Collections. All winners were awarded $5000 upon winning the competition
The NYC Boss Up Entrepreneurship Program is a valuable resource for NYCHA residents who are looking to start or grow their businesses. The program provides participants with the financial resources and business development training they need to succeed.
The program is also a win for the city of New York. By supporting NYCHA entrepreneurs, the city is helping to create jobs, stimulate the economy, and improve the quality of life for residents of public housing.
DJ Kool Herc Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
DJ Kool Herc was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. He was honored with the Musical Influence Award. Herc is considered to be the father of hip hop music. He was born in Jamaica and emigrated to New York City in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he began throwing block parties in the Bronx where he played funk and soul music on his turntables. He is credited with developing the techniques of breakbeat mixing and scratching, which are now fundamental to hip hop music. Herc's parties were hugely influential and helped to spark the birth of hip hop culture. He is a true pioneer and his music has had a lasting impact on popular culture.
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