The new head of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce laid out his ambitious vision for the future of the small business-boosting enterprise on Wednesday — promising to improve the landscape for the borough’s mom-and-pop shops.
“It’s my sincere pledge that we will strengthen the borough’s business community and build the best Brooklyn we can build,” said Rany Peers. “That starts with promoting our businesses, pushing back on anti-small business policies and producing new initiatives that support job creation and economic development in the borough.”
Peers — who took the reigns of the chamber in September — said the 101-year-old organization needed to adapt to better serve the high-growth industries like tech and real estate.
“We are definitely not your grandfather’s Chamber of Commerce,” Peers told the crowd at the chamber’s annual trade show on Oct. 23.
The newly minted chamber president used the event, which was held at Gargiulo’s restaurant in Coney Island, to unveil several initiatives aimed at promoting economic growth — including the formation of a political action committee to back “pro-business” political.
Peers also revealed the free-market-centric “Brooklyn Onward” — a print magazine dedicated to covering the local economy.
Perhaps most exciting for Kings County entrepreneurs, chamber honchos announced their plans to become a “Community Development Financial Institution,” which will allow them to dole out micro loans to small businesses that would typically not qualify for funds from larger banks.
Peers joins the chamber leadership team boasting a long resume — having previously worked as the organization’s number-two and chaired Brooklyn Community Board Seven, before heading out of town for two-year stint as an economic guru in Berks County, Pa.
