LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Business Outreach Center Network
upon the occasion of hosting its 2011 Celebrating Entrepreneurship
Luncheon

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Business Outreach Center Network upon the occasion of hosting its
2011 Celebrating Entrepreneurship Luncheon, to be held on Friday, May 6,
2011, at the Battery Gardens Restaurant in Lower Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, Piloted in 1989, and expanded citywide in 1992, the Business
Outreach Center (BOC) Network is a multi-community coalition dedicated
to community capacity-building and small business development in some of
New York City and Newark, New Jersey's, most ethnically diverse and
isolated neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, BOC Network was instituted in response to the growing aware-
ness that thousands of enterprises across New York City were being hand-
icapped by their limited access to credit and technical-assistance
services; the problem was especially acute for the BOC Network's target
client base: minority, immigrant and female entrepreneurs, who often
operate in isolation from mainstream markets, and whose businesses are
located in low- to moderate-income communities; and
WHEREAS, Minority, immigrant and female entrepreneurs are often key
sources of jobs for the residents of the neighborhoods they are in or
they serve; the BOC Network initiative was conceived as a way to break
through their isolation and to close the technical-assistance gap limit-
ing their prosperity and growth, one of the benefits of which would be
the stabilization of local economies; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the BOC Network is to improve the economic
prospects of traditionally disadvantaged groups and communities; it has
at its heart a belief that whatever their differences, people and commu-
nities share a common goal: economic stability and growth; and
WHEREAS, A hallmark of the BOC Network is genuine collaboration, work-
ing together with culturally diverse individuals and organizations in
service to a shared goal; and
WHEREAS, The BOC Network ensures that small businesses and entrepre-
neurs in low-income neighborhoods have a chance to succeed at the crit-
ical moment by providing flexible microenterprise financing coupled with
business counseling, training and mentoring; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception in 1996, the BOC Network has provided
one-on-one technical assistance to more than 19,000 clients, and has
been successful in facilitating millions of dollars for small business;
and
WHEREAS, At its 2011 luncheon, BOC Network celebrates the success of
local small businesses and entrepreneurs and commemorates 15 years of
helping low and moderate income entrepreneurs, including providing
millions of dollars in capital and support for future capital access
goals; and
WHEREAS, The 2011 BOC Awards Celebrating Entrepreneurship will honor
small businesses in Green Microenterprise, Microenterprise Excellence,
Microbusiness Advancement, Small Business Success and Community Impact,
as well as Child Care Business Development; the event will ultimately
support microenterprise programming targeted to low-income and disadvan-
taged entrepreneurs throughout New York City; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Business Outreach Center Network upon the occasion of host-
ing its 2011 Celebrating Entrepreneurship Luncheon; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Theresa Santiago, Director of Network Programs, Business
Outreach Center Network, Inc., 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, New
York 11217.