The Latest
Neil A. Carousso Joins Growing NewsNation Network
Neil A. Carousso Departing WCBS 880
Art Business Founded by Former Foster Child Speaks to the Human Experience
1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge: Small Business Owners Make their Pitch for $10,000
NYC’s Élan Flowers Evolves into Blooming Subscription and Corporate Services
Creating an Authentic Retail Experience Online
WCBS Business Breakfast: Growth in the Hybrid Workplace
Creating a Small Business Growth Strategy
Long Island City’s Growing Business District
SuperQuickQuestion Creates Short and Sweet Interactions with Pro Athletes and their Fans
-
Downtown Brooklyn Looks to Attract Top Talent in a Post-Pandemic World
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — In an eerily quiet dark age of New York City, which was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in March and April, economic development groups see the light at the end of the tunnel as they reimagine and prepare for the post-pandemic workplace.
Regina Myer is the president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which sees an opportunity to become an innovation hub by attracting talented young professionals who live in walking distance to the growing number of technology, manufacturing and media companies.
“We’re studying specific streets among Fulton Street, Livingston and Willoughby to see how we can really make those environments more pedestrian friendly,” she said.
She told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, about her experience leading the Brooklyn Bridge Park for a decade in which she spearheaded the joint initiative with the City to develop Willoughby Square Park that is set to open in 2022. A portion of the 1.15-acre green space opened last year in Downtown Brooklyn; some workplaces there feature individual air conditioning units, which are essential in the COVID-19 era.
“I want to do the same thing here in Downtown,” she said.
Myer told WCBS 880 “shared streets” create space for workers, cyclists and pedestrians and improve the quality of life. She believes that sparks better business practices. The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership developed their blueprint from the model of major cities, including Pittsburgh, Seattle and Barcelona.
“We want amenities that enhance our businesses like outdoor seating, we want it to be very clean, and people feel comfortable,” she said.
Myer was the senior vice president for planning and design at the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, which counts HBO, SAP, BlackRock, Wells Fargo, and Neiman Marcus among its tenants.
But the difference between Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, she said, is that the outer borough relies on foot traffic from locals. Employers find their workers live nearby rather than commuting from the suburbs.
“When companies decide to locate in Downtown Brooklyn, they know they are accessing a tremendous amount of talent from throughout the borough,” said Myer.
Foot traffic is key for Downtown Brooklyn businesses to thrive, and right now, survive. Myer told Connolly and Carousso foot traffic is down 50 percent on weekdays, and is 20 percent higher on weekends due to tourist activity that ticked up this summer since the transmission rate of COVID-19 reached pandemic lows in New York City.
She believes a coronavirus vaccine and therapeutics are the answer for consumer confidence.
“I want to open, too,” Myer responded to the fact that most business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, are demanding a full reopening as businesses close with tens of millions of Americans unemployed.
“I just know that people have to feel comfortable doing so,” she added.
Citing efficiency in remote work, Myer sees companies will usher in a new age of economic growth, and is encouraging businesses to consider locating in Downtown Brooklyn.
Hear about the opportunity Regina Myer sees for Downtown Brooklyn to lead in the local economic recovery and attract growing new businesses, plus new ways to sell your product or service on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
-
Pandemic Gap Year: Firms Providing Job Training, Career Development For Students Taking Semester Off
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Since the so-called “college experience” will be non-existent for the 2020-21 school year, some students are taking a gap year to find themselves in a job that provides career training and development.
Mohammed Alshatti, an entrepreneurship major at Hofstra University, told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, he is taking six months off to learn on-the-job training from his mother and sister who own food businesses in Kuwait.
“I feel like taking a gap year will allow me to focus more on the long-term goals,” the 21 year old explained.
His mother owns a bakery with eight employees in Kuwait while his sister operates a vegan restaurant.
“I gained a lot,” said Alshatti who is matching his studies from classes at Hofstra with practical experience in marketing and management.
“In a way, corona(virus) was very unfortunate, but I like to look at the positive aspect of it,” he said.
Alshatti told Connolly and Carousso he is “not too big of a fan” of online classes, which factored into his decision to get a jump-start in his career.
“Gaining connections is a huge part of, in my opinion, going to college,” he said, noting that those studying the same major as him will become his peers in the workforce.
Alshatti is not alone in taking a hiatus from expensive higher education to pursue career opportunities.
Dan Guido, co-founder and chief executive officer of Trail of Bits, told WCBS 880 that 1,000 college students applied for paid remote internships this summer to fill 10 openings at his cyber security firm in Manhattan.
“Whether you’re going to school in the fall or not, you should find something that you’re interested in and take every opportunity to master it,” he offered, adding, “Mastery ends up being a really easy way of finding someone that’s worth hiring.”
Trail of Bits’ internships are for skilled students interested in software engineering and cloud security, which are tenants of the firm’s portfolio. Guido assigns interns a project exclusive to them that the company publishes.
“They help the company build our brand and contribute something back while also giving a résumé builder to the students,” he said.
Trail of Bits worked with Zoom Video Communications to secure its infrastructure after breaches in March and April.
While in-person training is hard to replicate with its 70 employees working from home, Guido focuses on communication among his workers via Slack and virtual meetings. He even encourages his workers to talk about their projects with each other and socialize on video calls since that aspect of interpersonal collaboration is lost amid the pandemic.
“When we actually do have these video conferences, we make sure that there’s a norm that all the cameras are turned on since the mere exposure effect of seeing someone’s face ends up helping you relate to them,” he said.
Hear about the career training opportunities for students entering the labor force on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
-
Planet Fitness Improves Air Filtration, PPE For NY Reopening
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Planet Fitness says it is ready to safely re-open on Monday in New York State.
“We’re ready to go,” proclaimed James Innocenti, chief operating officer of Planet Fitness Supreme, which owns and operates 70 of the health club chain’s locations in New York, California, Hawaii and Massachusetts.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this week that gyms can reopen at 33 percent of its capacity, starting Monday. Local governments are tasked with conducting health inspections before Sept. 2. Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City may not be able to complete inspections until after Labor Day because reopening schools are the Big Apple’s “priority” right now.
“We really look forward to working with Mayor de Blasio,” said Innocenti who owns all 47 of Planet Fitness’ locations in New York City with his brother, adding he will adhere to State and City guidance to “get open as soon as possible.”
Innocenti told WCBS 880’s Neil A. Carousso that members will be required to wear masks at all times, per Governor Cuomo’s order. He is also arming all of his employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and PF Supreme will close for deep cleaning overnights.
“We’ll be able to sanitize every single piece of equipment, bathrooms, etc. every single night,” he said.
Planet Fitness is also focused on air filtration. Filters are rated by their efficiency in blocking large particles. Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV filters are rated on a scale of one to 20. Health experts recommend indoor facilities have a MERV-13 filter or higher to block viral particles that can spread through aerosols. Cuomo announced a mandate last month that shopping malls, which have reopened in phase 4 of New York’s reopening, install MERV-11 filters or higher.
“We listened loud and clear to the Governor,” Innocenti said. “We got those MERV-13’s in all our stores right now.”
Planet Fitness does not offer individual training or fitness classes, which are up to localities to allow upon inspection.
“Our gyms are really set up for physical distancing,” the franchisee said.
Its health clubs are about 20,000 square feet on average. Innocenti hopes members will return while it operates at a third of its capacity, but he understands people’s trepidations over COVID-19 transmission.
“We encourage people to come in and see what we’re doing and see how safe that we really are,” he said, continuing, “I understand the fear out there for sure, but I think with the protocols that we all put in place and the focus on taking care of our members, and that is our top priority, I think they’re going to see that.”
Planet Fitness waived membership fees since health clubs were shut down in March. Innocenti says people can pause their memberships until they feel safe returning to the gym.
“At 33 percent capacity, although that’s challenging for the business, I think it gives the consumer a bit of ease, understanding that there’s not going to be as many people working out at the same time as there typically would be at 100 percent capacity,” he told WCBS 880.
Planet Fitness launched “Crowd Meter” – a new feature in its app that enables members to check capacities at gyms before visiting.
“If you log on to the app and you see that the capacity is really high at that given moment, you may not feel comfortable coming in,” Innocenti explained.
He is optimistic about the future of Planet Fitness – one of the largest health club chains in the U.S. James and his brother Jeff Innocenti, PF Supreme’s chief executive officer, have been in the fitness industry for 25 years. They bought stake of Planet Fitness in 2004.
“We know how to navigate through difficult times,” James said, citing the 2008 recession. “I think this is just another challenge for us to come out on the other end very strong.”
-
Why Remote-Only Classes May Force A Reckoning On Education
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Most K-12 students in the Tri-State Area will begin the school year with remote learning as part of the curriculum as teachers’ unions battle with local officials about reopening classrooms in the safest manner while parents face the tough decision of whether to ultimately send their children to school buildings and extracurricular activities in September. Students, teachers and schools will be forced to embrace online classes in the short-term, but it may take hold as the future of education in a system largely undisrupted in history.
“We can’t just cross this threshold at some point and go back to what people want to be the ‘old normal,'” said Alex Urrea, founder and managing partner of Eduscape, which trains educators and school leaders on implementing technology into the classroom.
Tools such as Microsoft Teams and Google for Education are affordable Learning Management Systems already on the market.
“The ‘new normal’ is going to be about how do we use this technology more effectively to reach kids that we should have been reaching better all along using technology,” explained Urrea on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight with Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso, sponsored by BNB Bank.
He pointed out the inequities in education, underscored by the pandemic, in the amount of options and resources available for families who have greater income. School serves as daycare for parents who need to work. So-called “learning pods” have become the new private tutoring phenomenon.
Some lower cost options have emerged as the private sector works on solutions. Camp Hazen YMCA in Chester, CT is pivoting from a summer camp to an online learning center for small groups of students in a socially-distanced outside space on its 150-acres of land.
“We’re kind of looking at it like a supervised study hall,” said Executive Director and CEO Denise Learned, adding, “We’re just there more for the technical side of it and helping ensure that kids are getting their work done.”
Urrea is now hosting webinars for parents who are setting up their own type of learning pods or home schooling, whether that’s full-time this year or a hybrid model with part-time in-person instruction. Eduscape has a webinar scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 titled “The Parent as a Remote Learning Aide.”
“Be familiar with the type of technology that the school is requiring them to use,” he advises parents. “Know what the kids need to have available to them to be better prepared to learn online and participate in class.”
Urrea told Connolly and Carousso parents should create a dedicated space for their children to do their school work so there are little to no distractions at home. Many parents who have been working from home can understand the need for quiet space or a home office to focus.
Teachers must adapt as well, he said, pointing to Eduscape’s 12-year record of encouraging more than 770,000 teachers and schools to embrace technology to improve the quality of education during the 7-hour school day.
“Don’t lecture,” Urrea emphasized. “Use the tools within the platforms that are available to you: virtual whiteboarding, the use of video in engaging students.”
He said it can be a positive inflection point for education, which largely has the same core structure through multiple generations. But, learning habits have changed over time.
“It’s how to use these resources to drive sound pedagogian instruction not just use technology for the sake of it, because it’s not effective,” he said.
Eduscape employs educators who have taught in a classroom for more than 10 years in their mission to rethink traditional education.
“We try and make good teachers better, struggling teachers good on their way to better and technology is just another part of their tool box to do that,” said Urrea.
Online classes have become more widely available to undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities in recent years, allowing students to manage their study time, jobs, and career advancement opportunities such as internships. Remote learning can be creatively executed, depending on the teachers’ skill sets. Some professors reluctant to change in years past, have now embraced teaching online after learning a platform as a health necessity for those vulnerable to COVID-19.
“There’s so much content that teachers have to get to,” said Urrea, continuing, “Maybe, now, homework can be an extension of the classroom with regular learning happening online after school when things go back to normal.”
Learn new ways to prepare for the school year with solutions for students, parents and teachers on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
-
Brooklyn Daycare Struggles To Survive While Adjusting To COVID Era
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Education is the life’s work of a mother and daughter who provide learning resources for young children in their Brooklyn community, but the coronavirus pandemic is threatening their daycare.
Mildred Lovell immigrated to East Flatbush from Haiti as a baby where she was raised, stared her journey as a special education teacher for more than 20 years, and opened Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center at 1657 Nostrand Avenue in February 2007 with her daughter Dheydra.
“It brings tears to my eyes that I may not be able to reopen in September,” Mildred Lovell told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank.
Schools and daycares are in the forefront as local governments prepare to announce reopening plans for the fall while parents and teachers express trepidation about returning to the classroom as COVID-19 threatens the most vulnerable. Mildred and Dheydra have spent the last four months listening to parents’ health and safety concerns while introducing a distance learning program.
“During the summer time we work on sports with the children, so we continued our curriculum and we sent out equipment for sports, so they can work with their children,” Dheydra Lovell said. “It’s been successful for the most part.”
But, that success is relative to the pandemic. Online learning is not scalable for the Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center at this point unless they start seeing new enrollment if schools do not reopen this fall or enough parents hold out.
“I’m just keeping my faith and continue to pray so that doors can be open and children can be served in a safe manner,” said Mildred.
They do Zoom video calls on Fridays to check in on students’ progress and work with parents to ensure children are receiving a stimulating learning experience – all things considered.
In the meantime, Dheydra, who also provides one-on-one tutoring for autistic children, spends her days reimagining the daycare from a new socially distanced layout to stocking up on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“Planning out our budget, planning out what we will need to do to see if we can reopen in September and still accommodate the CDC guidelines and requirements as well as provide a very safe and productive environment for our children along with our staff,” Dheydra said of their challenges ahead.
The Garden of Knowledge Day Care Center is bleeding cash and facing an uphill financial battle as safety expenses increase and others remain constant.
“We haven’t recovered from the loss,” Dheydra told Joe and Neil about the financial impact of its forced shutdown in March, continuing, “It’s a question of recovering, sustaining, currently, and also, preparing for the next few months because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The East Flatbush daycare’s owners told WCBS 880 parents are expressing safety is priority, but as they look to return to the workplace, they will need child care services. It is a complex predicament for many families, underscoring the vitality of education for the economy.
“These are all things that we think about to really determine us opening up in September, said Dheydra Lovell.
Hear more about the uncertain future of education on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
Social Feeds
VIDEO: Told the airline to book us on the next flight out (SPONTANEOUS TRIP!)
VIDEO: The Taylor Swift Effect | WCBS Business Breakfast
VIDEO: Future of NYC | WCBS Business Breakfast
VIDEO: Reasons for New Yorkers to be Optimistic | WCBS Business Breakfast
VIDEO: NYC's AI Chatbot | WCBS Business Breakfast