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QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS
FIVE CHAMBERS FORM PARTNERSHIP WITH WEWORK The chambers of commerce for all five New York City boroughs last week announced a partnership with WeWork to help foster post-pandemic economic recovery by supporting businesses’ safety-focused and flexible return to work. Businesses and individuals are increasingly looking for guidance and flexibility when it comes to returning to work in a post-pandemic world. The “NYC x WeWork” partnership aims to provide businesses with the resources to return to work and revitalize economic prosperity across the city. Having been founded in New York City, we are especially humbled to be launching this work here today,” said Shyam Gidumal, president and COO of Americas at WeWork. “As we look to help foster economic growth across the nation, cross-sector partnerships are a powerful way to make a positive impact for individuals, businesses and communities.” As part of the partnership, members of the city’s chambers of commerce will have access to certain incentives, including: • WeWork All Access, a monthly subscription-based product that provides access to WeWork locations so that users can choose when and where to work: • One month free trial for new members and 15 percent off per month for up to 12 months; or • Two months off of a six-month commitment or three months off of a 12-month commitment on WeWork Private office space. “It is clear that reinvigorating the city’s economy depends on the safe return to offices,” said Randy Peers, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Offices are critical drivers of our economy, they make businesses more competitive, and have tremendous impact on neighborhood restaurants and retail.” In addition, the partnership will provide the chambers with key data and insights into what
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Pictured from left to right are Queens Chamber CEO Thomas J. Grech, WeWork COO Shyam Gidumal, Queens chamber business Development manager Brendan Leavy, and Brooklyn Chamber senior vice president of Membership Lori Raphael at WeWork’s Gotham Center location in Queens. is effective as businesses return employees to work, creating a resource for businesses of all sizes to make informed decisions as the economy recovers. Finally, as part of the effort to help foster economic growth in the city, WeWork has also joined the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Queens Tech Council, which focuses on building an economy that embraces innovation and promotes tech adoption. The Queens Chamber of Commerce established the Council last month with Amazon and other major companies and startups to grow the borough’s tech sector. “As our borough and our city begin a safety-focused return to in-person work, the business community must do everything possible to kickstart our economic recovery by fostering innovation and growth,” said Queens Cham-
ber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas Grech. “WeWork’s ongoing partnership and commit-
ment to the Queens Tech Council will be a valuable asset in spurring economic development.”
The Queens Chamber of Commerce and the NYC Family Enterprise Center (NYC FEC), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring family-owned businesses, last month announced a collaboration that will see the Queens Chamber take over NYC FEC’s mission, increasing the reach and impact of its programming. The partnership will ensure that family-owned companies have the resources and programming they need to survive the pandemic and thrive long into the future. The Chamber will create the “Family-Owned Business Committee,” a new Member Committee dedicated to providing program-
ming geared towards the unique needs of family-owned and operated businesses. “Family-owned businesses have deep roots in the neighborhoods they serve, and go above and beyond to give back to their communities,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “We have to do everything in our power to ensure that these valuable institutions have the tools they need to continue creating jobs and economic opportunity.” NYC FEC has provided over 60 in-depth educational programs geared towards family-owned busi-
FAMILY-OWNED COMMITTEE
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