Hosted By Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Dear Friends,

As I stated at the beginning of my administration, our business organizations and merchants associations have worked separately to improve their own neighborhoods for too long, an issue which must be addressed to make a better Bronx.

We need to work together to develop a strategic plan that will ensure the strength of all our business districts, and to position them for positive growth in the years to come. With that in mind, I want to invite you to take part in The Bronx Economic Summit: A Blueprint for Success, a full-day event designed to create an economic plan for the future of our great borough.

This summit will serve to examine and discuss important topics such as: the potential areas of growth and large scale developments, including the development of a Bronx marketing plan; how to attract and retain businesses on our commercial corridors, including the critical role of cultural organizations in the borough economy; the opportunities offered by the green economy, including planet-friendly transportation and development of vacant land/brownfields; and unemployment factors in the borough, job training needs for future jobs, and the role of start-ups in employment.

It is time to come together and plan for the entire borough. I am inviting you all to be part of our new plan, to be part of the construction of One Bronx. I look forward to welcoming you to the great borough of the Bronx on the 18th of November.

Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx Borough President

Featuring Keynote Speaker:

Edward Mazria

Founder and Executive Director
Architecture 2030

(download bio)

On the Brink of Greatness.

Come hear how the challenges and events of today are merging to create the greatest opportunity in history for local governments, and learn how you play a key role in determining the outcome of this opportunity. Edward Mazria, Founder and Executive Director of Architecture 2030, will present an eye-opening presentation of current events, illustrating the magnitude of the opportunity, but also its fragility. Drawing on his 40 years of architecture experience, particularly during the 1970s, Mr. Mazria will speak to the importance of local government creating and presenting a united front at this critical moment in history.

Participants will gain a new appreciation for the powerful role of the Building Sector in both creating and alleviating many of the crises facing America today, including the economic, energy and climate change crises. They will also be updated on the current legislative landscape and learn specific actions that they as individuals, local governments, and the architecture and planning community as a whole, must take to secure the historic opportunity now available to our community.

Meet Our Moderators:

Brian Warner Director Policy Analyst New York Power Authority	Daniel Massey New York Business Reporter Crain's	Jonathan Bowles Director Center for an Urban Future	Kathryn Wylde President & CEO Partnership for New York City
Paul Lipson Chief of Staff Congressman Jose E. Serrano Office	Steven J. Jerome President Monroe College

Agenda:

8:15 am	Registration
8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Welcoming Remarks by the Bronx Borough President
9:30 am	Morning Panel Discussions
11:45 am	Luncheon - NYBG Grand Ballroom
1:00 pm	Afternoon Panel Discussion
3:00 pm	Closing Remarks by the Bronx Borough President
	(Tours of the Garden available at close of summit)

Morning Panels 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM

Poised For Growth: Opportunities on the Horizon

~ This panel will examine potential areas of growth and large scale developments, including the development of a Bronx marketing plan.

Moderator:
Stephen J. Jerome, President, Monroe College
Panelists:
Greg David, Editorial Director, Crain's New York Business
Paul Chapman, Vice Chairman, ABC Carpet & Home
Donald L. Ashkenase, Executive Vice President, Montefiore Medical Center
Daniel Garcia, President & Owner, Salsa Caterers and Special Events

Retention & Expansion: Capitalizing on Our Assets

~ This panel will explore how to attract and retain businesses on our commercial corridors, including the critical role of cultural organizations in the borough economy.

Moderator:
Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City
Panelists:
Adam Friedman, Director, Pratt Center for Community
Hon. Robert Walsh, Commissioner, NYC Small Business Services
John Shapiro, AICP, PP, Principal, Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates
Deidre Scott, Managing Director, Bronx Council on the Arts

Cashing in on the Green Economy

~ This panel will explore the opportunities offered by the green economy, including planet-friendly transportation and development of vacant land/brownfields.

Moderator:
Brian Warner, Director Policy Analyst, New York Power Authority
Panelists:
Christina Ficicchia, Executive Director, NYC and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities
Jared Haines, President & Co-Founder, Mercury Solar Systems
Josslyn B. Shapiro, Deputy Director, Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation
Majora Carter, President, Majora Carter Group, LLC.
Neil Pariser, Senior Vice President, SoBRO

Afternoon Panels 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM

Building Tomorrow's Workforce

~ This panel will examine unemployment factors in the borough, job training needs for future jobs, and the role of start-ups in employment.

Moderator:
Daniel Massey, New York Business Reporter, Crain's
Panelists:
Clarence Stanley, Director, NYS Small Business Development Center
Cristina Shapiro, Assistant Commissioner for NYC Business Solutions
Joseph McDermott, Executive Director, Consortium for Worker Education
Miquela Craytor, Executive Director, Sustainable South Bronx

Retail Corridors: Meeting Merchants' Needs

~ This panel will explore the benefits of Business Improvement Districts and Merchants Associations, the presence of the informal sector, encouraging local purchasing between merchants, and technical assistance needs of merchants.

Moderator:
Jonathan Bowles, Director, Center for an Urban Future
Panelists:
Bernadette Nation, Director, Business Outreach Team/Energy Response Unit NYC Department of Small Business Services
John Bonizio, President, Assoc. of the Merchants & Business Professionals of Westchester Square, Inc.
Jeremy Waldrup, Assistant Commissioner for District Development, NYC Department of Small Business Services
Wilma Alonso, Executive Director, Fordham Business Improvement District

Stimulus Money & Other Public Funds: Immediate Opportunity

~ This panel will provide information on upcoming streams of stimulus money for businesses and access to other sources of capital.

Moderator:
Paul Lipson, Chief of Staff, Congressman Jose E. Serrano's Office
Panelists:
Kate Shackford, Executive Vice President, Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
Raul Hiraldo, Vice President, Commercial Loan Division, Citibank
Seth W. Pinsky, President, NYC Economic Development Corporation
Pravina Raghavan, New York District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration

Due to the overwhelming response for the Bronx Economic Summit,
we regret that registration is now closed.

We appreciate your interest in this event.
Please check this site again in the next few months for updates on
the Bronx Blueprint For Success.