On a recent evening in Bed-Stuy, the sleek interior of the JPMorgan Chase Community Center Branch was abuzz. Guests filtered in from Fulton Street, greeted with music, refreshments and a warm welcome from Tayumika Zurita, the woman who’s spent the last six months transforming the space into a hub for empowerment.
“I’m not here to tell you what to do with your money,” Zurita told the crowd, gathered for a credit-building workshop featuring radio icon Angie Martinez. “I’m just here to give you some best practices.”
It’s a modest way to describe what she does. As the Community Manager of JPMorgan Chase’s first Brooklyn Community Center, Zurita is part financial educator, part neighborhood ambassador and part strategist — leading efforts that bridge the gap between big banks and the real lives of Brooklynites.
From medicine to money management
Zurita’s path to financial empowerment wasn’t a straight line. She studied public health, planning to go into medicine. But over time, she saw how economic insecurity shaped the health outcomes of individuals and communities.
With a master’s degree in Public Health from SUNY Downstate and a heart for community building, Zurita transitioned into banking with a mission: to help people build not just budgets but resilience. Now, she’s working to turn JPMorgan Chase’s Community Center Branch into a true neighborhood hub — a place where financial empowerment and community connection go hand in hand.
“Our goal is to go from community bank to community building,” she told the audience on April 23. “We want this to be a trusted place for the community to come in and convene, and we can help you make your financial journey a lot smoother.”
Opened in October 2024, the Bed-Stuy location is one of 19 Chase Community Center branches nationwide and one of only three in New York City. The branches aim to serve the unique needs of low- to moderate-income communities by offering traditional banking services alongside comprehensive financial health programming.
Access is at the core of the branch’s mission. A team of local financial health experts offers mentorship and one-on-one guidance, while a spacious multipurpose room hosts free financial literacy workshops, pop-up markets for small businesses, and other events aimed at building economic resilience. The center also provides complimentary Wi-Fi and features artwork by local artists, creating a welcoming, community-driven space that feels unlike a typical bank.
The model has already shown results. According to Chase, secure checking accounts in Harlem — where the first community branch opened in 2019 — rose nearly 1,900% over four years, with the highest increase seen at the community center itself. With its focus on financial empowerment and local collaboration, the Bed-Stuy branch aims to replicate and expand that success in Central Brooklyn.
The week of the Brooklyn branch’s six-month anniversary, Zurita’s schedule was packed.
On Wednesday night, she co-hosted Chase Freedom Rise’s “Credit Smart: Financial Foundations for Young Adult” event with Martinez, tackling topics like credit, budgeting and debt management. By Thursday morning, she was across the borough at the Brooklyn Adult Learning Center, leading a fraud prevention workshop for older adults and recent immigrants.
That evening, she was back at the branch, kicking off a new monthly workshop series for small business owners in Central Brooklyn.
It was a typical week for Zurita, where financial empowerment is always on the agenda — and free workshops are as routine as coffee breaks.
Looking to the future
Zurita may be part of a broader effort by JPMorgan Chase to expand community-centered banking and financial literacy, but her approach is anything but corporate. She’s a familiar face at neighborhood events, a regular collaborator with local nonprofits, and a Sunday fixture at her church, where she leads outreach programs and participates in annual missionary trips.
Clients — and Zurita’s bosses — agree: she meets you where you are, not where she wants you to be.
“Tayumika has made a lasting impact not only at Chase but throughout Brooklyn and especially in Bedford-Stuyvesant where she leads our financial health work at our Community Center,” her manager, Nichol King, told Brooklyn Paper.
King, one of JPMorgan Chase’s NYC community banking leaders, said Zurita’s empathy and drive make her a go-to guide for Brooklyn’s financial growth.
“She collaborates with local leaders across sectors to understand and address community challenges,” King said. “She is a leader in every sense of the word and her passion, empathy and expertise enable her to help so many in Brooklyn and around New York grow on their financial journey.”
That kind of people-first approach isn’t accidental — it’s rooted in Zurita’s background in public health, where she learned to start with the individual, not just the policy.
“’Budgeting’ is a trigger word for a lot of people,” Zurita told the crowd during a recent event, asking for a show of hands from those who feel uneasy just hearing it. “Call it your financial plan if that helps. The point is to have one.”
Looking ahead, Zurita hopes to expand programming for teens and young adults, and deepen partnerships with grassroots organizations. But for now, she’s focused on the day-to-day — hosting workshops, answering questions, and reminding Brooklynites that financial freedom is possible.
As she puts it, “It’s all about the people.”
For more information on events or to connect with the Brooklyn Community Center Branch, visit Chase Bank online.
