Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President to be named SBA New York’s Small Business Champion of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2018

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Andrew Hoan, to be named SBA New York’s Small Business Champion of the Year

New York – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, as the New York District’s 2018 Small Business Champion.

Hoan was selected for his efforts to improve conditions in the small business community, for his accomplishments in advising small business groups and for his overall work as an advocate for small business interests within the New York SBA District.

Beth Goldberg, Director of the New York SBA District Office, said that a Small Business Champion connects small businesses with growth opportunities and provides new onramps to capital, networks, education and resources. “Andrew Hoan and the Brooklyn Chamber championed for an SBA Growth Accelerator Award. The chamber works tirelessly on behalf of small business and innovates across the board to help New York City small businesses succeed and grow.”

Among Hoan’s contributions are his efforts to launch Brooklyn Alliance Capital, a loan fund for minority and immigrant entrepreneurs with limited access to financing. In its first six months of operation, the fund made eight small business loans and created new jobs throughout the borough. Hoan also secured a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to create the first economic development strategy for Brooklyn in nearly 20 years. Under Hoan’s leadership, the Brooklyn Chamber also started an employer-led training program in the metalworking industry. The initiative was in response to employers in the industry expressing a need for proper workforce development to prepare employees for demands of the field. Hoan also leads trips to Albany and Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of small businesses in the borough.

The New York District SBA Office will recognize Hoan’s achievement at its annual National Small Business Week Awards ceremony on May 1, 2018, at the Microsoft Technology Center in Times Square. Registration for the ceremony is open through this webpage.

For additional information on National Small Business Week, please visit the dedicated Small Business Week website.

Below is a complete list of the 2018 SBA New York District Office National Small Business Week Award Winners:

• Small Business Person of the Year – Raj D. Thakkar; Charter School Business Management

• Young Entrepreneurs of the Year – Joe and Lauren Grimm; Grimm Artisanal Ales

• Micro Business of the Year – Vinicius Vieira de Vieira & Carolina M. Vieira; Incausa Social Enterprise

• SBIR/STTR Recipients of the Year – Jessica Ochoa Hendrix, Mandë Holford and Lindsay Portnoy; Killer Snails LLC

• Jeffrey Butland Family-owned Business of the Year – Frank and Tom Scarangello; Scaran Oil Service Co. Inc.

• Small Business Champion – Andrew Hoan, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

• Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award – Delia A. Awusi; Business Outreach Center Women’s Business Center

• Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award – Erica Chase-Gregory; Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale State College

ABOUT THE U.S. Small Business Administration, New York District Office

The SBA New York District Office delivers its programs and services throughout New York City, Long Island and the downstate counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Our Long Island Branch Office provides services on Long Island. Visit www.sba.gov/ny for more information including resource partners, lenders, workshops, success stories and other resources to help businesses start, grow and succeed.

For more information about SBA’s loan programs, financial assistance and other services, visit www.sba.gov.

Media Contacts

SBA New York District Office
Bailey Wolff
[email protected]
212-264-1489

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Meredith Daniels
[email protected]
718-875-1000 Ext. 111