MILL BASIN — Brooklyn was in the house in a monumental way, as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) drew north of 600 guests at its annual winter gala and trade expo at the El Caribe Country Club the evening of Dec. 17.

The theme of this year’s event was “We Are Brooklyn …We Know No Bounds.”

This year, the BCC honored two corporate organizations — the 2024 WNBA champions, the New York Liberty, represented by CEO Keia Clarke, and Gregg Bishop, executive director of the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation Social Justice Fund, which focuses on racial justice and empowering underserved communities.

Clarke told the Brooklyn Eagle that it means a great deal to be honored in a community that has welcomed the team with open arms. “While the Liberty is representative of all five boroughs, being in Brooklyn and calling the Barclays Center home has really resonated not just with our fan base but with our players who also call it home when they are here during the season,” Clarke said. “Brooklyn is such a hip and cool place. It really fits nicely with the DNA of what our team represents.” 

Small businesses recognized  

Four small business were also celebrated at the gala: Abe’s Corner, a kosher bar and restaurant in Crown Heights; La Newyorkina, a maker of Mexican desserts and ice cream in Red Hook; Gone to the Dogs, a Park Slope-based producer of dog toys and apparel; and Bklyn Blend, a Black-owned juice bar and health food restaurant with locations in East New York, Flatbush and Bedford-Stuyvesant.  

Avremy Scheinfeld, owner of Abe’s Corner, noted that his goal was always just to serve quality food. “I never did it for any awards,” he said. “It’s an absolute honor.”  

Jennifer Wong and Santos Agustin, co-owners of Gone to the Dogs, explained that being recognized for their work has not yet become a reality.  

“We have been astounded by the support of the community,” Agustin said, adding that Brooklyn is special because it just feels like home. 

“Perhaps it’s the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity here,” Wong said. “We have a real connection with the borough.”  

Fany Gerson, co-owner and chef of La Newyorkina, pointed out that Brooklyn has a “special energy.”

“Being an immigrant from Mexico, I find that Brooklyn is very welcoming and celebrates diversity like no other place in the world,” Gerson said.   

Ramping up (Brooklyn) tourism  

Randy Peers, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, told the Eagle that this past year has been “remarkable” for both small businesses and the Chamber. 

“We have continued to spearhead innovative and impactful programs to support businesses — especially our small business community, the backbone of our neighborhood,” Peers said. 

A small business, defined as one with fewer than 100 employees, accounts for 98% of the 200,000 businesses in New York City. Incidentally, Brooklyn stands out by generating around 40% of all jobs within the borough, which is significantly higher than the city and state average for small business employment.

The Brooklyn Chamber also launched its second Brooklyn Made store in City Point, Peers explained, adding that in November of this year, its two stores — in Industry City and City Point — reached $1 million in sales since its inception. 

Looking ahead to 2025, Peers noted that the Chamber’s plans are to ramp up tourism. Incidentally, The BCC has a new website, a one-stop platform for tourism in the borough. 

In 2023, 62.2 million visitors came to New York City — a 9.7% increase from 2022 — and 15 million of those made it to Brooklyn. “That number should be doubled,” Peers said. “Given the fact that we have so many cultural assets and so many amazing things to do and see here.” 

The BCC, founded in 1918 as the Brooklyn Civic League, has been doing galas since 1926, and according to Peers, “We aren’t going anywhere. We expect to be doing what we’re doing for at least another 100 years.”