PASSION LEAD US HERE

 

We are 2023 Civic Leadership Academy Mini-Grant Winner

 

About Inspiration

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    When I was 14, I started to work for my father’s small wood flooring store. That’s when I saw firsthand the challenges of owning a business. I realized many local small business owners like my father who face linguistic barriers struggle to communicate and end up alienated and overlooked. 

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     Reflecting on my experiences, I started an initiative "SmallBizSavior" team to help local businesses attract customers, even if they are not fluent in English.

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About Local Businesses Facts

   We live in Queens, NY, which is one of the most linguistically diverse urban areas in the world, with a reported 138 languages spoken within its borders. Some of the most commonly spoken languages in Queens, NY, include Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Tagalog, and Russian.

     In addition, according to the US Census Bureau's 2017 Survey of Small Business Owners, there were 36,029 small businesses in Queens County, NY with fewer than five employees. There are about 700,000 employees in our neighborhood’s small businesses, and I would be honored to support these businesses, especially given that the pandemic has led many people to opt for online shopping from major companies, thereby exacerbating the struggles of local small businesses.