The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Winter Gala on Dec. 17, celebrating a championship year for both Brooklyn and the borough’s booming business community.
Held at the El Caribe Country Club in Mill Basin, the event honored the WNBA champion New York Liberty for securing their first title in franchise history.
Ahead of the gala, Brooklyn Chamber President and CEO Randy Peers called 2024 a “banner year for Brooklyn.”
“One of many high points was the New York Liberty’s resounding championship win,” he said. “At this year’s gala, we are proud to honor the Liberty, BSE Global, and also highlight some of the many small businesses that are driving Brooklyn’s incredible economic growth and development.”
The Liberty’s victory capped off a season of high hopes, culminating in their ascension as 2024 WNBA World Champions. Keia Clarke, the team’s CEO, expressed her gratitude to the community.
“This Championship is not only for our team and New York City – it’s for all Liberty Loyals and our Brooklyn community who has embraced us wholeheartedly since we began playing at Barclays Center,” Clarke said ahead of the Chamber event. “This was a special year for the Liberty. We are so proud to be your 2024 WNBA World Champions, and we look forward to continuing to work together to make this community even stronger.”
The gala was more than just a celebration of sports glory. The annual gathering also spotlighted the borough’s entrepreneurial spirit — and some of its biggest players.
Other honorees included Avremy Scheinfeld of Abe’s Corner in Crown Heights, Fany Garson of La Newyorkina in Red Hook, Jennifer Wong and Santos Agustin of Gone to the Dogs in Park Slope, and Keishon Warren of BKLYN Blend, which has locations in Flatbush and Bed-Stuy.
Gregg Bishop, executive director of the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund, was also honored alongside Clarke for his efforts in championing equity and community initiatives.
“The Social Justice Fund brings people together around inclusiveness, justice and equal opportunity and we are proud to work with organizations such as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to improve economic access and mobility in Brooklyn,” said Gregg Bishop, the executive director of the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund. “Supporting the Chamber through SJF’s Brooklyn EXCELerate Loan Program is one such example of the investments we make in Brooklyn’s diverse communities. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Chamber on such initiatives and we are grateful for this recognition of our efforts to continue to move Brooklyn forward.”
The Winter Gala drew a crowd of more than 600 attendees, including State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Kevin Parker; Assembly Members Jo Anne Simon and Lester Chang; Council Members Chris Banks, Farrah Louis, Mercedes Narcisse, and Susan Zhuang; New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball; and New York City Small Business Services Commissioner Dynishal Gross.
The evening featured a trade expo and dinner, where officials reflected on 2024 and looked ahead to 2025.
