Conference Biographies

 

Rennie Alston, a licensed Customhouse Broker, has provided services as a professional educator on topics such as import regulations and documentation, Customs entry preparation, Customs brokerage license preparation and export compliance at the World Trade Institute at Pace University for more than twenty years. In 1990, he served as the International Import Manager for the Wilson Group. Rennie was named the National Customs Brokerage Advisor for Nippon Express USA inc., where he served for nearly a decade providing national Customs regulatory expertise to over twenty-two national brokerage operational facilities. He has offered several papers and written pieces on import and export trade over the past ten years.

In 1995, he became the CEO/President of the Alston Group International Trade Consultants, a private international trade management and development firm specializing in educational services and consultation. Through auspices from the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C., he has provided training to the Customs agencies of Armenia and the Republic of Georgia, India, Nepal, Brazil, and Guyana on U.S. Customs Regulations and Procedures.

Rennie is an accomplished author publishing advanced literature on Import and Export Compliance issues. He has provided professional services in international trade for the past twenty-three years. His career began in 1980 at United Customs Inc., providing Customs brokerage field services. He is currently a senior vice president of American River International and President of American River Brokerage Services, Ltd.

 

Larissa Buerano is a current resident of Staten Island, NY. She started her own State Farm Agency in October 2008, offering insurance for auto, home, life & health as well as financial products such as vehicle loans, mortgages, and deposit products. Within 4 months, she became the fastest growing agent on Staten Island in terms of new production. Larissa is a second generation State Farm agent, following the footsteps of her father.

Prior to State Farm Insurance, Larissa worked for JPMorgan Chase’s commercial banking division, Midtown Manhattan. Her primary role was to analyze small to mid-sized businesses ($10 million to $500 million in revenue) and provide them with financial products and support. Larissa is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University in Washington DC, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

 

Savio S. Chan is a pre-eminent expert on doing business in China. He serves as President and CEO of US China Partners Inc., a privately held business development firm specializing in Market Entry, Strategic Sourcing and Marketing Development in China for U.S. companies, and facilitates local and cross-border joint ventures among leading Chinese multinationals as well as Fortune 1000 companies.

Savio is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist at business and technology events including the American Express Minority Small Business Seminars, and the e-Business Conference and Expo, co-organized by BusinessWeek and InformationWeek. Among his many awards and recognitions are :the “40 Under 40″ Business Leader Award , and  Top 10 Movers and Shakers on Long Island, Top 100 Most Influential and in 2007, ExecuLeaders presented him a special award in the category of International Business Leadership.

Savio, is a graduate of Baruch College/CUNY with a major in International Marketing. He has been featured in numerous industry and trade success profiles, including articles in The New York Times, Chief Executive Magazine, and InformationWeek. He serves as Vice Chairman of ITP China and is the president of the Northeast Chapter of US Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce, the largest Pan Asian Chamber in the country, senior advisor for the Outsourcing Institute, on the boards of Executive Council of New York and Association of Commerce, Industry and Technology (ACIT). Savio also hosts the PBS syndicated TV show, Asian America, sponsored by Wal-Mart.

 

Donald William Cheng is a licensed real estate advisor, builder, and building manager.  His career in real estate spans over 25 years. He has transacted over 500,000 SF of leasing, management, construction and finance in commercial real estate.  His accomplishments include financing projects for Trump Mortgage, and holding the position of Managing Director of the William B. May Company, the oldest real estate firm in Manhattan.   He has worked with numerous clients in Manhattan and New York City, including Rockefeller Center, Queens Center Mall, Nathan’s Famous, the Government of Thailand, Government of Vietnam, Bank of China, Shiseido and many shopping center REITS. Past projects in Asia include Dun & Bradstreet (HK),LEVI (HK) , ICBC Mega Bank, Chinatrust Bank, Grand Pacific Commercial and HKTV.

 

Pearl Chin is the Executive Director of Chinatown Manpower Project, Inc. (CMP) and the Director of the Chinatown-Lower East Side (LES) Business Outreach Center (BOC).

As Executive Director of CMP, she leads and manages CMP to fulfill its mission to help low-income and underserved and immigrants become self-sufficient through targeted job skills training, career, job preparation and college counseling, job placement services and their other economic development programs. Previously she was a management consultant on business strategy and management strategies. She also headed domestic customer service for a major instrumentation company and was an independent business consultant for small businesses.

She holds a degree in chemical engineering from The Cooper Union in New York and an MBA from Cornell University where she was Commencement Marshall.  She serves on is on the Legislative and Policy Committee for the New York City Employment Training Coalition, an active member of St. Bartholomews, Church, Trinity Church Wall Street and St. Paul’s Chapel Episcopal Churches.  She was appointed by the Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer, as a member of Community Board 3 serving on the State Liquor Authority (SLA) and DCA Licensing Committee and Economic Development, Zoning and Planning Committee, and a United Way Executive Fellow.

 

Amber Chow is a licensed insurance agent with State Farm Insurance. Her office located at 5904 A Main Street, Flushing, New York, provides services in English, Chinese and Korean. Prior to her position with State Farm, Amber worked  as an independent commercial broker.  She holds a BA in  Accounting,  with a minor in Economics from Queens College, City University of New York.

 

K.Y. Chow, is the Founder and President of Grand Meridian Printing Inc. d/b/a GM printing. K.Y. started GM Printing in 1993 and self taught himself the printing press business from A-Z with a very simple philosophy: to provide the best products and services to his customers.

Constantly seeking challenges, he developed his business to become a successful government procurement contractor.  In addition to providing printing services to multiple NYC and NYS agencies, GM printing is the official printer for New York City Economic Development Corporation and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Through his leadership and direction of the company’s operations and progressive business practices, K.Y. has built a dynamic business that inspires his fellow small business owners for success in obtaining government contracts.

In 2005 KY was appointed by the NYC Deputy Mayor’s Office to serve as Board Member of the Chinatown Partnership LDC, an organization that implements major initiatives in tourism, marketing and public space improvements in Lower Manhattan, New York. K.Y. is a frequent panel speaker on MWBE certification, government procurement, and small business management.  He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Hong Kong Baptist University, and holds an MBA in Management from Asian Institute of Management, Philippines.  He is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

 

Jack Chung, Esq. is an attorney at law, with a practice focused on international commercial litigation, tax assessments, and business transactions between New York and China. Mr. Chung is a business advisor certified by the New York State Small Business Development Center program; as a former advisor, he advised more than 300 small business clients.

Mr. Chung co-teaches “Internet and the Law” and “Laws on Intellectual Property,” at the City University School of Law with Professor Albert Wai-Kit Chan. He is also Of Counsel to the Law Offices of Albert Wai-Kit Chan, PLLC.

In addition to being a director of the US-China Lawyers Society (USCLS), a member of the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) and the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), Mr. Chung has been active in the Chinese-American community, volunteering as a pro bono attorney at the offices of Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Asian Americans For Equality (AAFE) where he advises small business owners on legal matters.

Mr. Chung was the Media Chair of Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan’s campaign in 2002, as well as various other election campaigns in New York City. Mr. Chung is fluent in two Chinese dialects: Cantonese and Mandarin. He graduated from Brooklyn College, cum laude, and received his JD from CUNY School of Law, and is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

 

Antonio del Rosario is the owner and founder of Antonio Residential and Investment Group. As a top broker for almost 20 years he has sold properties from the most discreet co-ops (785 Fifth Avenue, 140 Riverside Drive, 166 East 61st Street, and others)  to the most luxurious condo properties and townhouses.

Prior to his current position at Barak Realty as Executive Vice President and Managing Director, he was a manager and a broker at one of the largest real estate corporation in NYC. There he quickly became an award-winning top producer, and was tapped to become a highly-respected manager for 3 Offices: West Village, East Village and Greenwich Village. He majored in Business Management, Marketing, Arts and Communications. He attended University of Delaware and Juilliard both under full scholarship. He received his real estate education from New York University.

Antonio spent over 10 years as a strategist and manager in business development at some of the most prestigious investment banking firms and law firms, such as Credit Suisse, Pfizer, Brown Raysman and McCarthy Tetrault.

 

Charles Dugan is a Vice President in TD Bank’s Global Trade Finance Department.  He joined the bank’s predecessor, Commerce Bank in June 2005, bringing an extensive background in trade finance and banking.  He has 16 years of experience working with small and medium sized exporting companies in the New York metro, upstate New York and western Pennsylvania markets.  Earlier in his banking career, Charles lived, worked and traveled extensively in Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean.  He joined Irving Trust Company in 1982, where he remained for eight years, including several years based in Bahrain.  Prior to joining TD Bank, Charles completed a twelve year career at JPMorgan Chase Bank.

Charles has BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.  He began his international career as a Peace Corps Volunteer, in Tunisia (1976-1978) where he built public drinking wells in rural areas.

 

Roslyn D. Goldmacher is the CEO/founder of LIDC/GNYDC. She sits on the national Boards of Directors of : Development Company Funding Corp. national fiscal agent for the SBA 504 loan program and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and on local Boards including the  LI Partnership; LI Business Development Council; LI Community Foundation; LI Small Business Assistance Corp.; LIDC; Suffolk Girl Scouts; Nassau AHRC Foundation and others. She received her B.S. from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and a J.D. from Hofstra University Law School.

 

Glenis Henriquez is the Director of External Affairs with the New York City Department of Small Business Service where she focuses on Minority and Women Owned Businesses; encouraging them to certify in order to better compete for NYC Government Contracts.  Her most important contribution to the Minority and Women Business community was to orchestrate and engineer the “marriage” between the New York City Certification process and the Empire State Development Corp.’s Certification process.

Mrs. Henriquez produces, writes and anchors two public affairs Cable television programs, Dialogo con Glenis and Teens Talk 2 Glenis  which have been recognized nationally for their power and important impact on the community.  These television programs seek to educate and inform historically under-served individuals in New York City.

She has been nationally and internationally recognized for her work in television and in the City of New York’s Department of Small Business Services. In 2005, she was awarded the Regional and the National Government Advocate Award by the United States Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.  Global Japan Television featured Glenis’ work with the NYC School system, and People en Español called Glenis the VOICE that Breaks the Silence.  Elected officials have also recognized Glenis Henriquez for her tireless work in her community.  From Proclamations, to Citations of Honor, Glenis Henriquez has been honored for her determination to better the human condition of Minorities and Women in New York.

 

Carl Hum was named president & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, a business assistance organization established in 1918 to promote commerce and economic development in Brooklyn, in September 2007.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Carl was appointed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as director of the Mayor’s Office of Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses in January 2005.  During Carl’s tenure, the Office created 16 Industrial Business Zones, developed industry-specific tax credits and incentives, and administered the City’s 11 Empire Zones to offer a variety of State tax credits to spur business and job development. He also served as chief of staff and special counsel for Intergovernmental Affairs at the New York City Department of Small Business Services, leading the agency’s day-to-day operations.

From 1997 to 2003, Carl was an assistant district attorney in New York County where he prosecuted felony cases, provided legal counsel to police investigations and was a member of the Domestic Violence Unit.

In the early 1990s, he was a financial analyst at the New York City Council, studying the impact of the City’s economic development strategy on local communities. He then worked at the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation as director of economic development where he advocated for business development opportunities in Red Hook.

A graduate of the New York City public school system, Carl grew up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He holds a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University where he graduated with High Honors from the College of Social Studies, and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law where he was a Louis Stein Scholar for Public Interest and Ethics.

 

Jean Jiang views herself as a confident, reliable, effective real estate professional who works smart, and puts her vast market knowledge to the best use for her buyers and sellers. She says, “Throughout the purchase or sale transaction, I am focused on my clients’ needs, and am persistent in attaining their goals.”

Originally from China where Jean earned her Bachelors degree, she came to New York many years ago and soon realized that “nothing is impossible in this great city.” For 18 years, Jean worked in the publishing field as an editor and marketing analyst, a career which made her fully aware of the importance of facts in any endeavor, particularly real estate.

A specialist in Forest Hills, Queens and Manhattan, Jean knows the market as well as she does her clients. She attributes her success to arming her buyers with a thorough market education so they feel confident in their decisions, and customizes service to sellers with aggressive marketing and negotiating that command the best price in the shortest time. “I can always prove that a client made the right decision if they choose me as their listing agent,” says Jean, believes contagious confidence begins with herself.

 

Jason Yi Kercher is the agency field consultant for State Farm Insurance’s Developmental Agency Field Office based in Parsippany, New Jersey.  As a member of the field leadership office, he manages all the Company’s new agents placed on Long Island.

Prior to joining the agency field leadership office, he was a successful agent in the City of West Haven in Connecticut.  While an agent, he was achieved several company and industry awards, including top producers and quality awards from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Associates (NAIFA).

Before joining the Agency ranks within State Farm, Jason spent his initial years working as a public affairs specialist for the Company handling government affairs, public relations, corporate philanthropy, and media relations.  During his tenure, he was actively involved with major business issues, including the passage of the national Class Action Reform Act that was passed successfully in 2004.

He previously worked in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California for government and non-profit agencies on public policy development.   Jason has also worked internationally for the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP), serving as a program officer for  former President Kim Dae-Jung (South Korea), former President Corazon Aquino (Philippines), and former Prime Minister Sonya Gandhi (India). He is the former business editor of the Korean Business Economic Weekly and he was the editor of the Democratic Leaders of the Asia Pacific Region, which chronicles the leaders who championed democracy in the Asia-Pacific basin, including Dr. Aug Sung Su-Kyi of Myanmar.

Jason studied at the University of Arizona (B.S) and Syracuse University (M.P.A.) and graduated with degrees in public administration and public policy.  He is a Woodrow Wilson Fellow from the University of California at Berkeley and a National Honor Society member.

 

Rajeev Kaul, CPA has over 25 years of experience in tax and accounting. In addition to being a Certified Public Account licensed in the State of New York, Rajeev is also a Chartered Accountant in India. He is a principal in the NYC based firm of Rajeev Kaul CPA P.C. with a client roster that includes Fortune 100 companies, major financial institutions as well as medium and small businesses. The firm represents clients throughout the United States.

Rajeev serves as a Board Member of the Northeast Regional Chapter of the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce among other organizations. Rajeev earned his MBA in Finance from St. John’s University.

 

Susan Kim is a Vice President at Capital One Bank’s Private Banking Division developing business and personal relationships in the Tri-State area in Retail and Commercial Areas. Ms. Kim joined North Fork Bank in 2003, which is now Capital One Bank N.A.  Prior to that, worked several years for another major bank in Manhattan ,Fleet Bank N.A. In addition to a career in the financial sector, Ms. Kim has worked for famous Pop artist Peter Max and as as a freelance reporter covering people like the Mayor of New York City to events such as the World Series & Super Bowl.

Ms. Kim is a Member of the Board of (USPACC) US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, a not-for-profit representing all Asian Americans to promote, nurture and propel economic growth by opening doors to contracts, and developing educational and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and their business partners in corporate America and government agencies.

Ms. Kim is also a member of (KACF) Korean Community Foundation a not-for-profit which provides support for underserved Korean American social service agencies often serving as the first source of outside funding. She is an active member of (AWIB) Asian Women in Business, a not-for-profit assisting Asian women entrepreneurs and promotes the inclusion of minority and women owned business and professionals. Ms. Kim is a graduate of Baruch College with a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications. She is a native New Yorker.

 

Man-Li Kuo Lin is the Business Development Specialist at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), New York District Office. Her service area covers Queens County, Rockland County and the Asian communities, business owners and business organizations in 14 New York counties.  Prior to joining the SBA employment, she worked as an Employment Services Representative in the NYS Department of Labor Employment Services Division. She established the Asian Job Service Employer Committee (Asian JSEC) in 2004 providing employment services and government policy educational programs to employers.

Ms. Lin is the principal of the Families Adopt Children from China (FCC) Long Island Chinese School. She is the author of The Resume Writing and Interview Skills, The 214 Radicals of Chinese Characters, Adult Chinese Conversation Textbook I, II, and III, Children Chinese Reading Book I, II, and III”, and English Phonics. She received a Bachelor’s  degree in Chinese Literature and Education from National Taiwan University, a, Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language and Master’s degree in Management Engineering , from Long Island University C.W. Campus, 1991.

 

John N. Marshall, Jr. is currently a Senior Manager with Verizon Corporate Supplier Diversity and is responsible for Supplier Diversity National Advocacy. Mr. Marshall’s background is in Supplier Diversity and Organizational Management. For the past twenty five years, Mr. Marshall has been responsible for developing a commercial clientele consisting of private institutions, semi-public organizations, state and local governments, non-profit agencies, and other non-Federal government organizations. Prior to Verizon’s merger with MCI, Mr. Marshall was the Program Director of MCI’s Supplier Diversity Program.

Mr. Marshall has a broad spectrum of information technology experience related to management, marketing, sales and computer/data systems.  His expertise includes Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), and Veteran Owned Business (VOB) relations and has arranged alliances with other diverse supplier businesses.

Mr. Marshall received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Chapman College, Orange County, California; and his Masters of Science in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida.  He is a graduate of Amos Tuck, Kellogg, at Northwestern University and Darden at University of Virginia Minority Business Executive Programs. He is a decorated, retired military officer of twenty-three (23) years.

 

Chunyee Miot is a Certified Public Accountant whose firm provides tax and accounting services to individuals and businesses.

Prior to establishing her own firm, she worked for 10 years, with public accounting firms in New York City and Long Island.  She is also a former business advisor at the Small Business Development Center at LaGuardia Community College/ CUNY where she counseled individuals on starting a business; and existing businesses on getting financing and developing marketing plans.

She is a frequent speaker in seminars and workshops to educate individuals and business owners about tax and financial matters for such organizations as Asian Women In Business. Chunyee Miot holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Baruch College/CUNY.

 

Joyce Moy is the Executive Director of the Asian American/ Asian Research Institute. She was the first Asian American director of a NYS Small Business Development Center. Her area of expertise is entrepreneurship and economic development. She has taught business law and taxation at Queens College, the CUNY School of Law, and at Cornell University School of Law.  She is a former practicing attorney with over 15 years experience in corporate law, franchising, taxation and commercial areas. She is the recent recipient of the Woman of Excellence award from the NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and Star Mentor of the Year Award. Ms. Moy received her B.A. from SUNY at Stony Brook, and her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law.

 

Lene Skou is the Deputy Director of the Weissman Center for International Business and adjunct professor of business law at Baruch College. Ms. Skou joined the Center in October 2000. Prior to working at the Weissman Center, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Richard W. Goldberg of the U.S. Court of International Trade and senior trade policy analyst for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Ms. Skou earned her J.D. from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and has an LL.M. from New York University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New York State. Ms. Skou is a member of the board of the Financial Women’s Association and a member of the board of the Asian American Asian Research Institute of the City University of New York.

 

Nicholas Tavantzis is the Senior Vice President and Market Sales Executive for Capital One Bank . Mr. Tavantzis’ team covers the Boroughs of New York City, specializing in small to mid-sized businesses and excelling at relationship banking servicing.

Mr. Tavantzis started in Commercial Banking in 1982 at Bankers Trust and upon successfully completing the credit training program, moved into commercial lending with a specialization in asset-based lending. He spent the majority of his career at HSBC Bank USA and joined North Fork Bancorporation (the predecessor bank to Capital One) in 2004.

A graduate of Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus School of Business and Public Administration, Mr. Tavantzis did both his undergraduate and graduate work there. Currently, Mr. Tavantzis is an adjunct Professor of Finance and Economics at Plaza Business College in Jackson Heights, Queens. He is married, has 3 children and lives in Queens, NY.

 

Dong Tran is the Senior Loan Officer at The Business Center for New Americans.  She oversees the underwriting, lending and technical assistance to minority and women owned businesses in NYC.  Ms. Tran also manages the Women & Company Micro-enterprise Boost Program and develops business training programs catering to the needs of women and minorities.

Ms. Tran has more than ten years of experience in the micro-enterprise development field in the U.S.  She herself is an entrepreneur.  She has run grocery, hardware store and restaurant businesses both in Vietnam and in the U.S. over the decades.

Ms. Tran speaks several languages; Chinese Mandarin, Cantonese, Chow Zhow and Vietnamese. She is passionate in serving immigrants who want to start and expand their businesses in NYC who may be in need of guidance, resources and financing.

 

Robert W. Walsh was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) by Mayor Bloomberg in January 2002.  During his tenure, he has reshaped the Agency to directly focus on and respond to the needs of the City’s 200,000 small businesses—the first time that a City agency has been completely dedicated to this goal.

In doing so, SBS has invigorated the City’s 59 business improvement districts—the largest network of BIDs in the country—which deliver nearly $80 million dollars in supplemental services for the direct benefit of more than 64,000 businesses. He has also enhanced the delivery of technical assistance and incentives to NYC’s small businesses through NYC Business Solutions; energized the City’s promotion and support of minority- and women-owned businesses; and reconfigured the City’s workforce development initiatives, which the Mayor merged with SBS in July 2003.

Prior to his appointment, Walsh spent five years in North Carolina as President of Charlotte Center City Partners, an organization dedicated to improving and growing Charlotte’s central business district. From 1989 to April 1997, he led the Union Square Partnership, where he played a key role in the neighborhood’s revitalization.  During the 1980’s, he worked in the administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch.  He began his career in public service as a New York City Urban Fellow, a program he later directed.  Commissioner Walsh holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Fordham University.

 

Rui Wang, is a business advisor with the NYS Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at LaGuardia Community College. Prior to joining the SBDC, Ms. Wang worked in the area of international trade as a key account manager and production coordinator for a New York based manufacturing company. In addition, she was in charge of direct imports for companies such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart totaling $2.5M annually, as well as finished goods imports of $1.5M annually to the US and Germany.

When she worked in the field of accounting with a focus on cost accounting and customer profitability analysis, one of her great accomplishments was in assisting a company to get re-quotations, thereby turning an unprofitable situation into a profitable situation for the company.

In 2004, she was a project assistant for the US-China Agriculture Emerging Markets Program. She was honored as one of the best supporting team members at the Wisconsin State Governor’s reception.

Ms. Wang received her B.S degree in Public Policy Administration from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and B.A in International Business Management from Han University in the Netherlands.

 

Sidney N. Weiss, Esq. is an attorney in the Law Offices of Sidney N. Weiss which offers customs and international trade services to its international clients. He is the past president of the Customs and International Trade Bar Association, the largest association of customs and international trade lawyers in the United States.  He is also on the Council (Board of Directors) of the International Bar Association, and the Vice Chair of the Committee on Customs Law of the American Bar Association, and a former member of the Advisory Committee of the United States Court of International Trade.

He us the recipient of the Attorney General’s Meritorious  Achievement Award. Award given for the outstanding  performance of duties in handling complex Litigation, an award given to less than 3% of the attorneys in the Department of Justice.

He received his A.B. in  History, Political Science and International Relations from the University of Chicago, and his JD from the UCLA School of Law.

 

Brian Yeung is a business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at York College. With over 10 years of diversified experience and expertise in small businesses development, Brian focuses on small business counseling, business plan development, and business financing. Entrepreneurs assisted by Brian include the 2007 NYS SBDC Minority Entrepreneur of The Year and the 2005 NYS SBDC Start Up Company of The Year. His clients also include the 2001 Queens Success Story – World Trade Center Disaster Small Business Recovery Loan and the 2008 Queens Success Business of the Year.

Prior to becoming a business advisor, Brian was a loan officer at the Abacus Federal Savings Bank, a small community bank in New York City’s Chinatown. Brian holds a M.B.A. in Computer Information System from Baruch College, and a B.S. in Business Management and Finance from Brooklyn College. In addition to his full time duties as a business advisor, Brian is an adjunct lecturer for the teaching business management and marketing in the York College Accounting and Business Department . Brian is a member of the Queens Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Development Committee.