Image Credit: NYC SBS

The campaign aims to support businesses who have continued to serve their communities during the pandemic. On February 18, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris announced “Shop Your City: BE NYC,” a new targeted campaign aimed to encourage New Yorkers to support local Black-owned businesses. Between February and April 2020, Black businesses as a whole saw a 41 percent decrease in business activity. While the pandemic has hit all businesses hard, Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to shut down during the pandemic.  (read more…)

Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand

The newly announced program and its guidelines will allow artists and performers of all kinds to return to work safely. On February 8, 2021, Mayor de Blasio released guidelines for the upcoming Open Culture Program. The program will open up city streets for outdoor cultural performances and events throughout the five boroughs. The new program is modeled after a prior successful initiative lead by the city, the Open Streets Program. For CityLand’s prior coverage about the Open Culture Program, click here. (read more…)

This divestment will address significant risks fossil fuel holdings pose to the environment and funds. On January 25, 2021, Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Stringer, and trustees announced that they had voted to divest their portfolios from securities related to fossil fuel companies, in what is expected to be the largest divestment in the world. (read more…)

Image Credit: Small Business Services

Three new mentorship programs are available for minority owned and women-owned small business in NYC. On January 7, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Jonnel Dorris announced three new mentorship programs, ‘Small Business Mentors NYC,’ ‘Black Entrepreneurs NYC Mentors (BE NYC Mentors),’ and ‘Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE Mentors).’ (read more…)

Image Credit: Small Business Services

New federal relief funds are available for minority-owned, female-owned, and other small businesses. On January 13, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Jonnel Doris launched Fair Share NYC. The campaign aims to support small businesses and to keep thousands of New Yorkers employed by connecting small business owners to federal relief funds. (read more…)