Originally from Columbus and a graduate of The Ohio State University’s Hospitality Management program, Justin Birchard has built his career in hospitality, leading operations and development for respected brands including Hyatt, Pret A Manger, and Tartine Bakery.

Now serving as Chief Operating Officer at Veselka, Justin represents the next generation of a family business that has been a New York institution for over 70 years. After spending several years opening and managing restaurants in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Justin returned to New York to help guide Veselka’s continued growth and evolution.

A longtime Williamsburg resident, Justin and his wife, Rosie, are raising their two children in the neighborhood, where they attend the local public school. Deeply invested both personally and professionally in North Brooklyn, Justin is passionate about supporting the area’s small business community, fostering local connections, and contributing to the continued vitality and character of the neighborhood he calls home.

Elaine Brodsky is the former co-owner of CitiStorage, LLC – an archival storage and records management company, located in Brooklyn, NY. The company, founded in 1990, grew into the largest independent, privately-owned, single- location records-storage company in the United States. In December, 2007, Elaine and her partners sold a majority interest to a NYSE company.

During her years as owner of CitiStorage, Elaine created a unique culture in the company. Toward that end, she planned and implemented “business excellence” sessions for her employees, most of whom came from the inner city. The programs, which have been the subject of several articles in Inc. magazine, were designed to encourage personal growth and promote teamwork throughout the organization. In 2005, the company received the Strive Employer of the Year Award for “demonstrating a commitment to providing second chances to individuals and assisting them in becoming productive members of society.” Elaine herself was the winner of the 2006 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year regional award for New York City. She also received the 2007 National Association of Women Business Owners Lifetime Achievement Award in New York City. A nationally recognized speaker, Elaine has co-authored numerous articles on women in business for the Inc. magazine website. Her company and its culture have been featured in two best-selling business books, Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big and The Knack.

For over 15 years, Elaine was an active member of the Board of the League Education and Treatment Center in Brooklyn which educated children with special needs. She is especially proud of her involvement with the North Brooklyn Angels, an organization which delivers meals and offers counseling to people in need throughout Brooklyn. Elaine has been married to Norm for 53 years and they have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Kendall Charter has made a career at New York City’s YMCA. He began working the front desk at the Y in 1993 and, over the following six years, held positions in Membership and the Youth and Family departments. Then, in 2000, he transferred to the Long Island City YMCA, where he served as Youth and Family Director for eight years. In 2008, Charter was named Associate Executive Director at the Prospect Park YMCA and Park Slope Armory—a position he held until assuming the head role at the Flatbush Y. He became the Executive Director at the Greenpoint YMCA in October 2015. He earned a bachelor’s degree from York College, where he studied social work, and a MPA from Metropolitan College of New York’s Graduate School of Public Service.

Kevin Thompson studied Business at LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and graduated from the Tulane University School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally from New York City, Kevin has lived in many places across the US, as a result of working in the oil and gas industry. Kevin practiced law in New Orleans for 9 years, prior to moving into Public & Government Affairs.

In this new capacity, Kevin represented ConocoPhillips as Public Affairs Manager and Tribal Liaison in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. He was responsible for maintaining positive relations with the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes, as well as the Jicarilla Apache and Navajo Nations. Later, he represented Shell Oil and Motiva as Public Affairs Manager for Downstream Refining and Chemical assets at their New Orleans facilities. He then moved into the role of Communications and State Government Relations Manager for Sunoco, based in Philadelphia.

Kevin is now responsible for Public & Government Affairs for ExxonMobil in New York and New Jersey. His responsibilities include public and government affairs, communications and media relations.

Julia Moak is owner and publisher of Greenpointers.com, Brokelyn.com, and DumboNYC.com – three local media outlets based in Brooklyn. She has over 10 years of experience as a product developer, conceptualizing and overseeing the launch of various award winning web and mobile applications. During her role as VP of Products at an ed-tech start-up, she led a team of 12 developers to build a framework for custom CRM solutions and presented the product to investors, which eventually helped raise close to $4 million in a Series A round.

By late 2014, she was ready to branch out on her own and was itching to do something different from online products. Serendipitously, while browsing the latest neighborhood news on Greenpointers.com, she saw that it was up for sale and thought it would be the perfect creative outlet to connect with and experience her community. Despite having no experience in journalism or events, she started 2015 hitting the ground running, immediately writing stories and producing the first of many seasonal markets. Since then, she has expanded with two additional acquisitions (DumboNYC.com and Brokelyn.com) and resurrected Greenpoint Open Studios, a popular yearly event that draws over 400 participating local artists and thousands of visitors.

When she’s not juggling local events and news, she photographs street scenes, draws, and swing dances. She lives in Greenpoint with her jorkie fur-daughter rescue pup, Ella Fitzgerald

Charley was raised in Michigan, and was a league bowler at age 12 and an All-American swimmer at 16. He never got very good at bowling. Upon graduation from Dartmouth College, Charley worked in the financial markets, first as a Stockbroker at Dean Witter in San Francisco. He then moved to New York’s Commodities Exchange Center and headed precious metals floor trading operations as a Trader, Broker and Officer for Donaldson Lufkin, Jenrette and British bullion giant Mocatta. Charley’s next move applied his worldwide contacts and knowledge of market mechanics to establish an independent brokerage of physical metals, handling and moving gold, silver and platinum to North America from bases of operation in Montevideo, Uruguay and Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Charley then shifted his focus to restaurants (Cowgirl Hall of Fame restaurants, Global 33, and Aunt Baba Jean’s) and venues, including Wetlands Preserve, where he and Peter engineered a renaissance of the legendary club. Following Wetlands’ closure in 2001, they jointly developed the concepts that became Brooklyn Bowl. Charley has served as an elected Councilman and Police Commissioner in his adopted home of Leonia, New Jersey and currently is on the Board of the Open Space Alliance, a parks advocacy group in Brooklyn, as well as the Board of the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Karli Bainbridge has 15+ years marketing experience across both the corporate world (Red Bull UK and North America) and start-ups alike, and is currently Brooklyn Brewery’s VP of Marketing. She has a BSc in Psychology from the University of Birmingham (UK), is a proud scholar of The Marketing Academy, and an accredited Coach. Karli is a Brit who has lived in many cities around the US, but happily calls Williamsburg home and loves living south of the neighborhood with her husband, daughter, and pup where they have lived for 7+ years. Both living and working locally has allowed her to form deep roots and connections here, making it a perfect home away from home.

As an immigrant from the southern state of Georgia, I often tell fellow Brooklynites that I am “the only guy in the room who has actually picked raw cotton.” Odd as that sounds, growing up on a farm made me aware of the cycles of harvesting. Later, having come to Manhattan as a young science teacher, I believed the world revolved around the Big Apple. Then, serendipitously, I discovered Brooklyn and moved here immediately. As I came to appreciate and love the rich history of Brooklyn, and then started a business and raised children here, I came to believe that I truly ‘grew up’ in Brooklyn.

I am fascinated that Brooklyn still nurtures newcomers while retaining its rich, historical legacy. Since the turn of the new century, it has become one of the strongest brands on the planet.

Our mission at Eagle Urban Media is to reflect and help harvest the energy and renewal in Brooklyn in this new century.

As a first generation, Polish-American who was born and raised in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Monica Holowacz has always been passionate and dedicated to this community. However, since joining Broadway Stages, in 2010, Monica has been able to give back in more significant ways. Working under Gina Argento’s wing and through her guidance, Monica’s role at Broadway Stages has not only grown from intern to Director of Community Relations but so has her opportunity to work with and in the local community. She has represented Broadway Stages on many boards including the North Brooklyn Chamber, Evergreen, Camp Brooklyn, and the YMCA. Monica has also worked closely with the 94th precinct for their annual Children’s Party as well as National Night Out which is sponsored by Broadway Stages. In addition, Monica has worked with the Audubon Society and Alive Structures which created The Kingsland Wild Flower Garden through a GCEF grant. Monica is proud to be from Greenpoint and thankful to work for a local company that supports this neighborhood and not only encourages its employees to give back, but also creates those opportunities.

Martha M. Holstein is the former Secretary and a current Officer of North Brooklyn Chamber Board of Directors. She resides in North Brooklyn. She is the owner of Strategic Urban Solutions, Inc., a Brooklyn-based consulting business. The company assists engineering and architectural experts, planning and development specialists and government agencies on programs and projects. Before Martha and a business partner established Strategic Urban Solutions, she was Deputy Commissioner for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Affairs at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and prior to that, a Legislative Representative for three NYC Mayors.

At the North Brooklyn Chamber, Martha offers advice on regulatory and compliance matters and documents the Chamber’s Board meetings. She has been Board liaison for the Chamber with the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund’s three-year Curb Your Litter grant program which ends in 2018. Martha represents the North Brooklyn Chamber on the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee. For many years she was a member and former chair of the Greenpoint YMCA Board of Managers. She helped form the McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance, a Greenpoint-based volunteer group that supports and helps maintain the historic park. She admires and helps support the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition in Williamsburg from which the family has adopted two wonderful dogs.

Debbie Hootam, a banking professional with over two decades of experience, holds the position of Vice President and Business Relationship Manager at Apple

Bank. Her client-focused approach has led her to establish enduring relationships by offering trusted financial guidance, devising effective sales Strategies, and expanding Apple Bank’s customer base. She has worked closely with business owners and clients in traditional lending and commercial and residential investment real estate, particularly in the diverse New York metro area.

Her dedication to community service has been notable, including volunteer work at soup kitchens, involvement in community cleanup initiatives, and her role as a board member at the local Greenpoint YMCA as well as North Brooklyn Chamber.

Hootam‘s commitment to helping others and her active participation in community causes have earned her recognition and accolades, such as being honored as 2023 Greenpoint YMCA Spirit of Community Service Award, Power Woman of New York in 2020, YMCA

Volunteer of the Year in 2018, and receiving a Stars Under 40 award in 2017.

Raised by her mother as a widowed parent of ten children immigrating from Guyana to America, Hootamembodies the values of hard work, grit, and determination instilled in her by her mother. Her warm personality and unwavering dedication to her clients have contributed to her continued success, illustrating that nothing in life is given, but rather achieved through perseverance and support for others.

Felice Kirby has been working for North Brooklyn for four decades. Trained as a professional community organizer, Felice was hired locally, to fight property & business abandonment; she ended up co-creating a popular bar, grill and music spot. Felice sold her business after 28 years, but still lives with her family in her property on N. 8th Street. She co-founded Brooklyn Allied Bars & Restaurants, the L Coalition, Taste Williamsburg Greenpoint annual charity festival, and participates other neighborhood institutions. She is involved with cherished community organizations: NAG,Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, The Firehouse Community Center, and North Brooklyn Angels Mobile Soup Kitchen.

David Lombino is the Managing Director, External Affairs at Two Trees Management where he oversees the development pipeline for the Dumbo-based firm and serves as its government and community liaison. His current projects include the redevelopment of the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg and the development of BAM South in Downtown Brooklyn. Two Trees also developed and manages the Wythe Hotel. Previously David served as Executive Vice President in charge of External Affairs at the New York City Economic Development Corporation under Mayor Bloomberg. He is the former City Editor of the New York Sun newspaper. A native New Yorker, David holds a Master’s Degree in public policy from Columbia University and a B.A. from Williams College.

As someone who genuinely enjoys connecting with others, marketing had a natural draw for Allyson. To her, it’s not just about marketing to people – it’s about bringing people in the community together. Her career has been dedicated to understanding consumer behavior and she knows the importance of building relationships in both marketing and sales. She has a proven record of helping brands elevate to the top of their respective categories, and has learned the profound importance of marketing and why it matters.

Allyson loves collaborating with all types of industries, but the food and beverage and music industries hold a special place in my heart, and she also found a sweet spot with dental practices. As a natural networker and brand strategist, she looks forward to taking any problems or issues a business may be facing and turning them into marketing strategies that will flourish.

Ben Waller is a Partner with ABS Partners Real Estate and runs the company’s Brooklyn/Queens operations from their East Williamsburg office. Ben has provided creative real estate strategies for numerous owners and businesses throughout the five boroughs. Currently, Ben and his team represent over 1mm SF of office, retail and flex space much of which is located in North Brooklyn. In addition to Landlord and Tenant lease transactions, Ben has completed a number of complex land and building sales throughout NYC.

Ben received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Rochester and was a four year letter winner on the football team

Kendra Chiu is the Executive Director of North Brooklyn Angels, a local non-profit engaging hundreds of volunteers and partner organizations annually to support neighbors facing food and economic insecurity. Prior to this role, Kendra was the Senior Director of Grants and Communications at Outreach, a behavioral health organization serving the greater New York Metropolitan area. There, she managed philanthropic and government grants, communications, program evaluation, and government relations.

Passionate about mentoring and volunteerism, Kendra brings nine years of experience as an adjunct professor at St. John’s University and served as a volunteer “Big Sister” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC for ten years until her mentee aged out and became a college freshman. Her volunteer role at the organization also involved five years of building and leading a young professionals committee that focused on mentor recruitment and fundraising, efforts that earned her a Community Excellence Award from the National Association of Asian American Professionals and the Hall of Fame award from Big Brothers Big Sisters.

As a coach, strategist, psychotherapist, speaker and business owner, Diana Zelvin has been helping people and organizations grow and flourish for over 25 years.

During the pandemic she has provided resiliency and recovery expertise to hundreds of business owners and other professionals through webinars with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Evergreen Exchange and State Assemblyman Joe Lentol’s office, where she presented insight and strategies to manage anxiety and uncertainty.

In her Strategic Pivot Workshops she coaches business owners through the process of navigating their next business moves with more clarity, confidence and possibilities.

Her business,THRIVE NOW, is a wellness and personal development program for companies to help improve their employees overall wellbeing, morale and happiness. In fun and engaging interactive workshops employees get support and are empowered with knowledge, tools and strategies to: manage stress and anxiety; develop positive habits; improve productivity and performance; boost mood and energy; and enhance overall physical and mental health.

Diana has been a community leader and strategist throughout Brooklyn, working with organizations and businesses. She has led community projects, galvanized people around causes, created strategies for growth, produced memorable events, secured funding for capital campaigns and non-profits, advocated for environmental solutions, and supported the local business community. Her clients include; The Campaign Against Hunger, Brownsville Community Culinary Center, New York Sun Works, The Firehouse North Brooklyn Community Center, Streb Inc. and Alive Structures.

Diana spearheaded PS84’s Hydroponic Greenhouse Rooftop Classroom, raising $2 million in public and private funding for the first classroom of this kind in Brooklyn. Since its completion, thousands of students have used the hydroponic technology for hands-on learning of urban farming and sustainability.

Diana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her MSW from Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. She earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Syracuse University and spent the first ten years of her professional life as an illustrator.

She received advanced training at The Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity, National Institute for the Psychotherapies, The Institute for the Center of Contemporary Psychotherapy’s Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, The Institute for Life Coach Training. She studied nutrition and healing at Designs for Health Institute and Metagenics’ Institute for Functional Medicine.

She is proud to be an active community resident of Greenpoint, where she lives with her husband, a photographer, teenage son and their mischievous cats, Carlos and Pablo.