#HarlemForward

Making a Difference - the #HarlemAgenda

Community Banking and Entrepreneurship Assistance

Having worked on the technology side of startups and finance for over two decades, it’s become very clear that to fix local communities - we need banks that will actually lend to us. These also need to be Banks that we can have local ownership in - which gives us a say.

We’ve identified several options from traditional community banks to Special purpose banks that accept cryptocurrency. In Albany, we’d like to push policy to bring several banking opportunities in, as well as ensure the Black and Brown access to banking that can be trusted - reducing our community having to pay check cashing fees while ensuring we can get the loans and financing to re-building and moving forward.

What we’re also looking to do is create wealth generation opportunities for everyone above 96th street to participate in. The new Capitalism needs to be cooperative - and with financing, training and job access - we can get there.

Fixing Joblessness and Training

Over the past three years, I’ve spoken in Highschools across District 5. What I’ve seen is students who see opportunities for work and careers that don’t reflect the opportunities available to students in Westchester. District 5 is the lowest STEM, STEAM and STREAM district in NYC - solutions need to start with state policy and engagement by industry, to open new doors. If Google is promising $175 Million for Black entrepreneurs and access - then we need to build corporate relationships to bring funding in. Similarly, State programs need to support funding for teachers and programs like the US Cybersecurity Challenge, FIRST Robotics Challenge, Student Robotics, and Trade education that present careers that pay at least $40,000 / year to start.

Keeping Harlem Clean, Environment and New Industry Opportunities

From DeBlasio removing Garbage Cans from Harlem, to challenges with the City being aggressive with local BIDs, we are often dispossessed of simple abilities to keep our communities clean. We can fix this with state policy - or by partnering with the Community Boards to put pressure on the Mayor.Environmentally, we need to start looking at technology such as garbage reactors to reduce waste, clean the air and water - and create more state jobs. We can also look at contracting for carting and waste management, to ensure that we have representative Black and Brown business participation in waste handling, water management and recycling. This opens new doors for local hires.Training for light manufacturing will come through Opportunity Zones, and as a district leader I’m already looking at opportunities to bring this this to Harlem in 2021. If I can become your State Senator - I’m dedicated to bringing legislation to get us access, training and jobs.Industrial Hemp and legalized Cannabis have the opportunity to create thousands of Green Jobs in NY. To date, from the licensing of Medical dispensaries to grows - these opportunities have been kept out of our communities. Consider that of the 15 Grow licenses available and the 10 issued to date in NY - not a single Black or Brown person has received one. How is that fair?