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WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast: Rising from the Depths of the Pandemic
Presented by First National Bank LI. Member FDIC.
Streaming Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 9 AM EDT
Submit your questions for Joe Connolly and the panel here or tweet us using #WCBSBizBreakfast.
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Many industries have gone through a seismic shift in the last 15 months, and now, business owners are looking for new growth opportunities and ideas to reinvent their companies for the post-pandemic economy.
WCBS Business Reporter Joe Connolly will host the WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast, presented by First National Bank LI, with a panel of New York business leaders in health, technology, marketing, and retail. You can stream the WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast here and the WCBS 880 YouTube channel on Thursday, June 17, 2021 beginning at 9 AM.
Dr. Alexi Nazem, M.D., MBA was ahead of what has proven to be a critical shortage in nursing staff when he founded Nomad Health in 2015. The company digitizes the healthcare hiring process to help clinicians be fully staffed while managing crises more effectively and efficiently. It also points healthcare professionals to career opportunities and higher paying jobs.
Nazem, an internal medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medical College and an attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital, saw a sharp rise in demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitals scrambled to fill positions and healthcare workers from around the world stepped up to aid in the fight. His goal is to transform the healthcare industry with Nomad Health by scaling innovative solutions to issues exacerbated in the pandemic.
Shoptiques.com is a marketplace for more than 5,000 boutiques across 2,000 cities and 30 countries. This e-commerce site provides sales support to small businesses, including housing a point-of-sale system, an affordable mobile app, and an integrated marketing platform. Lindsay Lightman, Shoptiques Chief Marketing Officer, is taking the company into a new age using new technologies and proven digital strategies to help small business owners mange inventory, scale digitally, and reach new customers – essential to rise from the pandemic.
Andi Jennings owns New Jersey-based marketing agency MadCreek, LLC, which recently added digital strategy, video production and tech consulting to its traditional branding and advertising services when the pandemic accelerated a shift in consumer behavior to e-commerce. Seven of their top team members are mothers; MadCreek’s pivot into the work from home environment seemed seamless. They are sharing their expertise with their clients, including Rutgers and Seton Hall University’s athletics programs, AAA, and a number of local businesses and non-profits.
“We made them look professional so they can continue to work during the pandemic,” said Jennings. She will share how to organize your business to grow despite the economic uncertainty on the WCBS Virtual Business Breakfast, presented by First National Bank LI. Member FDIC.
You can share your questions for Joe Connolly and the panel by submitting the form on this page or Tweet @WCBS880 and @JoeConnollybiz using #WCBSBizBreakfast in your post.
MEET THE PANELISTS
About Alexi Nazem, Co-Founder & CEO of Nomad Health:
Alexi Gharib Nazem, MD, MBA, is the co-founder and CEO of Nomad Health, the first online marketplace for freelance clinical jobs. In addition to leading Nomad, he is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell in New York.
Previously, he led field operations for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s successful 100,000 Lives Campaign.
Alexi trained in internal medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston after receiving an MD from Yale and an MBA from Harvard. He also holds a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale.
About Lindsay Lightman, Chief Marketing Officer of Shoptiques, Inc.
As Chief Marketing Officer of Shoptiques inc., Lindsay is responsible for developing and managing the companies B2B and B2C marketing strategies; as well as identifying and negotiating strategic partnerships. This includes overseeing the Shoptiques.com marketplace customer acquisition, marketing, merchandising, and support; developing and growing Shoptiques Managed Marketing Services for luxury boutiques; and building the Shoptiques SaaS offerings designed for small business owners, focused on helping small get smarter.
Lindsay joined the company in 2018, as Head of Support & Business Development, bringing her over 7 years of experience in global marketing and relationships. In this role, Lindsay helped bring to market Shoptiques first tech product, SPOS; was tasked with bringing new business into the portfolio; and developed account management and technical support for Shoptiques VIP boutique partners.
Prior to joining the organization, Lindsay served as Director of Global Strategic Market
Development & Chief of Staff to CRO at True Fit. During her tenure at True Fit, she nurtured long-lead retail relationships with enterprise retailers like Nordstrom, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren. Lindsay managed the global events strategy, PR and communications, and social media marketing, developed a client success program and marketing strategies for retailers to grow customer adoption of True Fit, and facilitated the onboarding of new retail brands onto the True Fit SaaS Platform.
Lindsay received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Linguistics from Occidental College in California.
About Andi Jennings, Founder & Creative Director of MadCreek, LLC:
Andi Jennings has spent 25 years in the advertising and design industry with the majority of her career leading MadCreek, LLC as founder and creative director.
With an award-winning design portfolio, and a history of diversity and longevity in the MadCreek client roster, their extensive, brand management experience, top-line creative direction expertise, and strategic digital and social management, allows them to stand the test of time and keep their clients current.
MadCreek’s clients include the athletic programs at Rutgers University and Seton Hall University, Union Catholic High School, AAA, Hoboken Cultural Affairs and JustinTime Foundation.
They are guided by a strong belief that their job is to function as a problem-solving tool and find ways to turn any idea into reality.
Andi recently realized that her lust for creativity and problem-solving had no boundaries. She dove into multiple labors of love, creating art societies and town-wide ‘art walks,’ managing fine artists, and co-writing children’s books. She tackled interior design projects, taught software applications, and has even written short stories and memoir essays.
Her newest adventure is co-founding “Project CheerUP!”, a positivity movement, uniting cheerleaders to “CheerUP!” the world, literally.
The WCBS Business Breakfast series with Joe Connolly is produced by Neil A. Carousso.
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WCBS 880 Weekly Rewind: Rising Crime Could Hinder NYC’s Recovery, Companies Scramble to Shore Up Cybersecurity in Wake of Colonial Pipeline Hack and How Vaccinating Kids Will Help Return to Normal
By Lynda Lopez, WCBS Newsradio 880
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — As New York City plots its recovery, crime is rising overground and underground. Plus, this week companies scrambled to beef up their cybersecurity after the Colonial Pipeline hack took the massive fuel conduit offline. And, FDA Advisory Committee Member and Infectious Disease and Vaccine Expert Dr. Paul Offit opines on how inoculating kids, who are now approved for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, could accelerate the return to normalcy.
Hear deeper analysis of the top stories of the week and original reporting on The 880 Weekly Rewind hosted by Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM on WCBS-AM New York. Listen to this week’s full show, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
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Global Citizen CEO talks ‘VAX LIVE: The Concert To Reunite The World’
By Lynda Lopez, WCBS Newsradio 880
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The first large-scale concert for a COVID-compliant audience will be televised on Saturday night.
“VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World” aims to improve equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines around the world.
The COVID-19 vaccines have given a shot of hope for millions after an arduous year, but some nations are still far behind in the global fight.
The event will call on world leaders to step up for equitable distribution of the vaccines.
International advocacy organization Global Citizen, which is presenting the event, says more than $53 million has been raised so far in charitable and corporate commitments.
“When we set out on this initiative we partnered with the Ad Council and there was really two objectives. First thing was overcoming vaccine hesitancy by showing the power of science, showing that the vaccine is safe and effective, but the second thing we want to focus on was really ensuring vaccine equity,” Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans told WCBS 880’s Lynda Lopez. “So we’ve been calling on companies, calling on governments to step up in support of vaccine equity and donate dollars for doses or doses directly and I’m proud to tell you that through this campaign already, over 10 million doses have been committed to those who need it most.”
While watching the concert, fans who want to help the effort can visit GlobalCitizen.org/take-action.
“There’s two things they can do right now. They can actually donate doses directly, so for every $5 you contribute that’s one vaccine dose donated through COVAX which has also worked in partnership with UNICEF to get this vaccine to everyone on the planet,” Evans said. “But the second thing you can do is you can actually take action you can call on governments, call on the pharmaceutical companies to really step up and be more generous at this time because as French President Macron said every G7 nation should be donating right now at least 5% of their total vaccine dose to support those who need it most so we want to call on the G7 to step up.”
The U.S. government, for example, recently vowed to donate 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to countries in need.
VAX LIVE is part of Global Citizen’s year-long campaign to “end COVID-19 for all, end the hunger crisis, resume learning everywhere, protect the planet, and advance equity for all.”
“This has really been a yearlong effort for the organization focused not just on PPE, but then on vaccine development and now vaccine deployment and it’s been a whole-hearted commitment to make sure that the world can get back on track to eradicating extreme poverty within our lifetime,” Evans said.
VAX LIVE will be hosted by Selena Gomez and feature musical performances by Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R.
“When J. Lo agreed to headline VAX LIVE she immediately said, ‘I’ve been passionate working with UNICEF for a long time and I want to see vaccine equity on the planet. I want to see that the Latinx community have access to the vaccine not just here in the United States, but in Latin America.’ So the only way we could do that is actually calling on governments to step up funding and so that partnership became critical to this advocacy effort,” Evans said.
Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are serving as Campaign Chairs of VAX LIVE and will deliver an important global message for vaccine equity during the event.
President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will also make a special appearance.
YouTube will stream an extended version of VAX LIVE on the Global Citizen channel for a full run-time of 90 minutes.
It will also air and livestream on on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube, iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations and the iHeartRadio App, at 8:00 PM ET/PT, 7:00 PM CT. The concert will also air on FOX at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Evans also promises there will be a Global Citizen Festival in Central Park this summer.
Produced by Neil A. Carousso for The 880 Weekly Rewind hosted by Lynda Lopez. Listen to this week’s full show on the media player above.
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WCBS 880 Weekly Rewind: U.S. Eyes a Return to Normal While COVID-19 Infections Remain a Concern Even for Vaccinated Adults
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Reopening the United States will largely depend on vaccinations against COVID-19. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is targeting July 1 to fully reopen the Big Apple. The 880 Weekly Rewind examines the keys to normalcy plus the details of President Joe Biden’s economic recovery agenda.
Hear deeper analysis of the top stories of the week and original reporting on The 880 Weekly Rewind hosted by Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM on WCBS-AM New York. Listen to this week’s full show, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
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Watch: Mayoral Candidate Maya Wiley Reveals Plans for NYC’s Recovery
By Lynda Lopez, WCBS Newsradio 880
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — In about two months, New Yorkers will vote in the mayoral primaries to pick a new leader who will come in facing pressing issues including overseeing the city’s recovery from the pandemic.
More than two dozen men and women are running to replace the outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio, including his former counsel Maya Wiley.
Wiley, an attorney and civil rights activist, chaired the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board after working at City Hall.
She also worked as a legal analyst on MSNBC before announcing her run for mayor last October.
Anchor Lynda Lopez spoke with Wiley for Friday’s installment of the 880 Weekly Rewind and asked how she plans to help the city recover and what she plans to focus on, not just to shepherd the city out of the devastated economy, but to make it work going forward.
“We had an affordability crisis before COVID hit. We have been struggling, frankly, with racial issues and racial injustice for generations, actually, but coming to a head as we saw this summer,” Wiley said. “We’ve had this kind of spiritual exhaustion because of the division, because of the struggle of daily life, and then COVID hits and now we’re traumatized and our economy is in tatters. We have 400,000 people facing eviction. We have over 200 million going hungry. This is a crisis of historic proportion, but as the candidate in this race that has also been in that hot kitchen we call City Hall, I also know that we have resources that we can use in order to not just meet the needs of our people right now, but start to solve some of our affordability issues.”
One of her proposals, New Deal New York, would create 100,000 new jobs by spending $10 billion of the capital construction budget to build affordable housing.
Another proposal would focus on investing in child and elderly care.
“The cost of child care and elder care is one of the top three expenses in the city before COVID, but what we’re going to do is put $,5000 a year into the pockets of, starting with 100,000 of our neediest families, to care for children and elderly adults, but we’re also going to create community care centers,” Wiley said.
Lopez also asked Wiley what she would do as mayor to improve the city’s schools and equity in education.
Educational equity was brought to the forefront when it became clear Black and Brown students were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic shutdown.
Minority students were at a disadvantage when it came to remote work.
Many families in underserved communities lacked the digital tools and resources to thrive in the virtual learning environment.
Wiley said every students deserves an exceptional education and that means ensuring that more dollars are getting into the classroom and to help kids who are struggling to get online.
“Something I’ve done inside City Hall is show city government how to do free broadband, getting every single apartment in Queensbridge Houses free service that the city paid for. I did that as counsel to the mayor, I know how to get it done, but we have to do that now because we don’t develop the educational opportunities for our kids if we’re not solving that digital divide,” Wiley said. “That is critically important.”
Wiley also said it’s time to stop policies that discriminate against children.
“We should not be using any admission standards that aren’t really about what kids need but are rather about what families have the resources to pay for the tutoring that gets them over the hump on a test,” Wiley said. “First of all, families shouldn’t have to do that and far too many of our families don’t have the resources to do it and it’s not meeting an educational agenda.”
She also proposes cutting some of the bureaucracy that’s coming out of the Department of Education to open the door for principals and teachers to bring more innovation to the table.
“There is a lot of it in our system, but it gets strangled by some of these rules rather than really thinking about what serves the need of our students particularly at a time when we have so much to do to help them come back,” Wiley.
Hear comprehensive analysis of the top stories of the week and original reporting on The 880 Weekly Rewind hosted by Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM on WCBS-AM New York. Listen to this week’s full show, produced by Neil A. Carousso, on the media player above.
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