STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
In the business of helping others
BENSONHURST
Standing O salutes Dime Community
Bank and Greenwood Heights
resident Ryan Powers for leading an
informative discussion about starting
a business in Kings County at the
bank’s Bensonhurst branch on Jan. 17.
Powers — who owns Shipwrecked,
an indoor miniature golf and escape
room space in Red Hook — discussed
with Dime marketing offi cer Andrew
Grippo how he started his business
with partner Chris Schneider back
in 2016 and some of the challenges and
triumphs the duo encountered along
the way. Powers used his story to help
aspiring business owners understand
the hurdles involved with creating
their own company — including some
of the trials unique to Big Apple business
owners, he said.
“It was a long process — we didn’t
fi t the mold, so it took a little longer
than most businesses to start up,”
Power said of the pair’s early days. “It
was a very trying experience. Opening
a business in New York City is certainly
not for the weak at heart.”
The guest of honor advised attendees
— who were mostly small business
owners — of the importance of fi nding
the right location for their brick-andmortar
businesses to help ensure their
companies thrive.
“It’s very important to fi nd the right
space and fi nd the landlord that you’re
comfortable with,” Powers said.
The event was part of a series of discussions
and networking events that
the bank is hosting for local business
owners. — Julianne McShane
GREENPOINT
Going green
Kudos to Greenpoint Assemblyman
Joseph Lentol, who handed local fi lm-
and television-production company
Broadway Stages a hefty check last
month to fund new green roofs on its
sound stages in the community.
The sustainable roofs, which capture
stormwater and reduce air pollution,
will help enforce green infrastructure
practices in fi ghting climate
change, according to the local pol,
who said the roofs help cut back on the
equivalent of toxins produced by tens
of thousands of cars per year.
“I am very excited that this grant
funded such a great project right here
in Greenpoint. It will add green space,
improve the environment, and provide
a natural habitat for countless benefi -
cial insects and birds,” said Lentol.
“The green roofs have the potential
to remove the emissions equivalent of
over 40,000 cars per year.”
Lentol awarded Broadway Stages
President and CEO Gina Argento $1.5
million as part of a New York State
COURIER L 30 IFE, FEB. 8–14, 2019 M BR B G
grant for the green roofs — and the
production company is partnering
with Alive Structures to create the
structures, which will span 1.4 acres
on three of its sound stages.
The new green infrastructure will
reinforce the company’s commitment
to sustainability and protecting the
environment, according to Argento.
“Our commitment to community
and environmental sustainability is
a cornerstone of our business philosophy,”
she said. “We are excited to embark
on this green roof garden project
MILL BASIN
Hats off to these young Mill Basinites!
Three Mill Basin kids came out
on top at the Brooklyn Robotics
League Southeast Semi-Final
Competition on Jan. 19.
The tech-savvy 10-year-olds —
Logan Titus, Savanna Titus, and
Jacob Glazer — teamed up as the
“Milly Bots” and fought successfully
for the regional title, beating
out competing teams from Ulmer
Park, Sheepshead Bay, Kings Bay,
Canarsie, Clarendon, Cortelyou,
and Gerritsen Beach libraries.
Their bot pulled off a come-frombehind
win, which left some of the
kids and their parents teary-eyed
with joy, according to their coach
Kareem Thompson, who is a Technology
Resource Specialist at the library
branch.
Thompson began preparing the
robotics-riveted rug rats last September
by teaching them how to
program their bot and by making
sure they were ready to learn from
their mistakes and not give up.
“Patience — what I really wanted
to get across to them is patience, because
I told the kids that coding is
a lot of trial and error,” Thompson
said.
The Brooklyn Public Library’s
Robotics League staff hopes that
they can reach a wide-variety of
people in the community who might
not otherwise be exposed to the
resources to participate in robotics
programs, said library spokeswoman
Fritzi Bodenheimer.
The competition is supported
by resources through the STEM
Equity Community Innovation
Grant, which the library received
from the do-gooder group FIRST,
according to its website.
— Natallie Rocha
DOWNTOWN
Fostering change
Cheers to the attorneys and
law students who discussed the
Me Too movement and how to
stop sexual harassment and assault
in the workplace during a
continuing legal education class
surrounding ethics and diversity
hosted by the Brooklyn Bar Association
on Jan. 16.
The legal eagles discussed how
to cultivate a culture of respect
and inclusivity in the workplace,
which often starts with training
for every employee, said attorney
Gena Usenheimer, who led the
presentation.
“It was a great presentation
that discussed how some of the
best practices to avoid sexual harassment
is just having simple
common sense, and how these
practices need to be articulated
and aren’t things that take a
lot of time and money,” said
Usemheimer. “Everyone agrees
that live training is the best way
to avoid sexual harassment in
the workplace, and how certain
New York City laws hinder the
opportunity for employees to receive
that training.”
The Brooklyn Bar Association
held a discussion session afterward
for comments and questions.
— Maya Harrison
and continuing to do our part to contribute
to the health of our environment.”
— Julianne Cuba
BOROUGH WIDE
In the navy
Equipment 2nd Class Antonella
Joseph was selected as Hampton
Roads Junior Sailor of the Year for
2018.
As the Unaccompanied Housing
Building Manager and Supply Technician,
the Brooklynite is responsible
for ordering supplies for the day-to-day
operations of sailors and Marines.
“Receiving this award means that
my chain of command believes in me
and that I am a mentor to all my junior
Sailor,” said Joseph.
Joseph has been in the Navy for
nine years and is a 2006 graduate of
South East POS Government Secondary
School in the Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago.
GOING FOR THE TOP: Logan Titus, Jacob Glazer, and Savanna Titus were all smiles after
winning the Brooklyn Public Library Robotics League Southeast Semi-Final Competition
for the Mill Basin Library branch on Jan. 19. The three 10-year-olds will compete
in the borough-wide fi nals at the Central Library on Feb. 9.
Mill kids rock robotics challenge
Photo by Trey Pentecost
Photo by Caroline Ourso