Topic - Advocacy (133)

New Mount Vernon and Iona College Partnership to Help Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (News 3207)

ptascio — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 14:52:28 +0000

New Mount Vernon and Iona College Partnership to Help Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (News 3207) ptascio Tue, 04/05/2022 - 10:52 New Mount Vernon and Iona College Partnership to Help Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses April 5, 2022

Iona College and the City of Mount Vernon kicked off an exciting new partnership with a forum at City Hall last night thanks to The Business Council of Westchester and its new Westchester Innovation Network initiative (WIN).

Iona students and faculty are working closely with city leaders to support the success of Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBEs) in Mount Vernon.

After hearing about the challenges that business owners face, students from Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation are now going to the drawing board to come up with solutions to help.

"We're going to put it into key bullet points and that's how we're going to narrow it down to one big problem, and from that one big problem, we're going to see what we can do to solve that problem," said Iona College student Isaiah Williams.

Stay tuned for more as this partnership unfolds! Thanks to News12 for covering the forum here.

ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.

Dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute to Lead Civil Rights Discussion at Iona College February 3 (News 3086)

ptascio — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 20:36:17 +0000

Dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute to Lead Civil Rights Discussion at Iona College February 3 (News 3086) ptascio Fri, 01/14/2022 - 15:36 Dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute to Lead Civil Rights Discussion at Iona College February 3Tomiko Brown-Nagin to highlight acclaimed new book, “Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality”

Christopher J. Farley (left) and Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin (right)

January 14, 2022

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Born to an aspirational blue-collar family during the Great Depression, Constance Baker Motley was expected to find herself a good career as a hairdresser. Instead, she became the first black woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court, the first of 10 she would eventually argue.

In a new biography, “Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality,” Tomiko Brown-Nagin brings Motley to life. An award-winning scholar and legal historian, Brown-Nagin is dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Daniel P.S. Paul professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School and professor of history at Harvard.

On Thursday, February 3, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Brown-Nagin will draw from her life’s work and latest book as she leads a civil rights discussion at Iona College. The hybrid in-person and virtual event is hosted by the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) and co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Iona College. It will be moderated by journalist, author and novelist Christopher J. Farley. Registration is required and open to the public.

Brown-Nagin compels readers and audiences to ponder some of our most timeless and urgent questions: How do the historically marginalized access the corridors of power? What is the price of the ticket? How does access to power shape individuals committed to social justice?

“We are so grateful to welcome Tomiko Brown-Nagin, a leading civil rights and legal scholar, as she engages us in this important dialogue,” said Nora Slonimsky, Ph.D., Gardiner assistant professor of history and director of the ITPS at Iona. “It is forever timely and necessary to learn about the events that shaped the course of our nation’s history, and in this case, Constance Motley’s life is brought to the forefront in a way that exemplifies her bravery and brilliance.”

“Civil Rights Queen” captures the story of a remarkable American life, and is the first major biography of one of the nation’s most influential yet least known activist lawyers. The only black woman member in the legal team at the NAACP’s Inc. Fund at the time, Motley defended Martin Luther King in Birmingham, helped to argue in Brown vs. The Board of Education, and played a critical role in vanquishing Jim Crow laws throughout the South. She was the first black woman elected to the state Senate in New York, the first woman elected Manhattan Borough President, and the first black woman appointed to the federal judiciary.

“We look forward to welcoming Tomika Brown-Nagin for what is sure to be an eye-opening conversation,” said Sumita Furlong, Ph.D., Iona’s chief diversity officer. “From the Civil Rights movement to modern American history and the ongoing struggle for equality, there will be so much for our students and campus community to take in from such distinguished speaker.”

In 2019, Brown-Nagin was appointed chair of the Presidential Committee on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the American Philosophical Society, and of the American Law Institute, and a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians. Her previous book, “Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement” won the Bancroft Prize in 2011.

Iona College Welcomes U.S. Small Business Administrator Guzman to Highlight New Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant (News 3069)

ptascio — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:37:00 +0000

Iona College Welcomes U.S. Small Business Administrator Guzman to Highlight New Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant (News 3069) ptascio Thu, 12/09/2021 - 16:37 Iona College Welcomes U.S. Small Business Administrator Guzman to Highlight New Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant December 9, 2021

Left to right: Christoph Winkler, Ph.D., founding director, Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation; Diedra Henry-Spires, Senior Advisor for COVID Programs, SBA; Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development; Martha Lopez, City Council Member, New Rochelle; Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.; U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman; Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle; Marlene Cintron, SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator.
(Photo courtesy of Iona University.)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., welcomed U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and other top representatives to kick off an exciting new partnership supporting veteran entrepreneurs.

Iona University’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation was recently selected by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to support their Community Navigator Pilot Program, generously funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Iona University received over $350,000 in funding and will work with the IVMF in support of the veteran entrepreneurship community both locally and nationally.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s $100 million Community Navigator Pilot Program is a competitive grant initiative established as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to assist small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. Read more about the grant here.

On Wednesday, December 8, 2021, leaders gathered to tour the Hynes Institute, discuss the unique challenges of the Westchester County and New York State veteran communities, and focus on sharing information about SBA programs.

U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said: “The Small Business Administration has adapted dramatically during COVID, just as our small businesses have. One of the main things we recognized was that during COVID, connection was key – especially being able to connect quickly to resources. This is a program that really allows us to build bridges to underserved communities so that they can reconnect to federal resources and be provided with the support networks they need to survive.”

Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., said: “One of the things we pride ourselves on here at Iona is our commitment to community service. That’s a deep part of who we are; we’re a mission-driven school with core values for the common good. So, this program is really special to us because we get to serve people who serve us. The Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is one of the most dynamic and innovative programs we have, but not just locally – we’ve been ranked nationally for the work the team is doing. We really look forward to the outcomes of this program.”

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said: “We are grateful to two presidents; we are grateful to President Biden for his leadership in making this funding possible, and we are grateful to President Carey, who has been such a dynamic leader here at Iona and such a wonderful partner to the City and to the community… Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, just as they are the backbone of the national economy. We have more than 1,500 veteran households here in New Rochelle, so the intersection of these two groups is such an appropriate place for us to focus our energies. No group is more deserving of our support, and of course, all of us benefit when veteran entrepreneurs have every opportunity to succeed.”

Christoph Winkler, Ph.D., founding director of the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, said: “The last couple of months have really shown that resilience is something that is very important, and the SBA is doing really incredible work. We are so excited about this partnership with Syracuse University and the SBA to support our veteran and military family small businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Representatives also in attendance included:

Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development
Diedra Henry-Spires, Senior Advisor for COVID Programs, SBA
Shalei Holway, Senior Advisor, Office of Entrepreneurial Development
Marlene Cintron, SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator
Martha Lopez, New Rochelle City Council Member
Lendynette Pacheco-Jorge, Assistant Director, Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

ABOUT THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality.  As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster.  It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Iona institute partners with Syracuse for military veteran entrepreneurship (Media Mentions 3060)

ptascio — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:34:42 +0000

Iona institute partners with Syracuse for military veteran entrepreneurship (Media Mentions 3060) ptascio Thu, 11/18/2021 - 16:34 Iona institute partners with Syracuse for military veteran entrepreneurship November 18, 2021

Read now on Westfaironline.com

Westair Online

Iona Partners With Syracuse University To Help 'Vetpreneurs' (Media Mentions 3052)

ptascio — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 18:18:22 +0000

Iona Partners With Syracuse University To Help 'Vetpreneurs' (Media Mentions 3052) ptascio Wed, 11/17/2021 - 13:18 Iona Partners With Syracuse University To Help 'Vetpreneurs' A $5 million grant will help support veteran-run businesses with entrepreneurship education, access to loans and small business assistance. November 16, 2021

Read now on patch.com

Patch

These Westchester Businesses Support Veterans in November (Media Mentions 3040)

ptascio — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:08:07 +0000

These Westchester Businesses Support Veterans in November (Media Mentions 3040) ptascio Mon, 11/15/2021 - 16:08 These Westchester Businesses Support Veterans in November November 11, 2021

Read now on westchestermagazine.com

914 Inc.

Ice Bucket Challenge (Media Mentions 3044)

ptascio — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:24:25 +0000

Ice Bucket Challenge (Media Mentions 3044) ptascio Mon, 11/15/2021 - 16:24 Ice Bucket Challenge August 2, 2021

Watch now

News 12

Iona College Podcast Explores Voter Registration in the Age of COVID-19 with HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein (News 2378)

ptascio — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:21:42 +0000

Iona College Podcast Explores Voter Registration in the Age of COVID-19 with HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein (News 2378) ptascio Wed, 10/28/2020 - 09:21 Iona College Podcast Explores Voter Registration in the Age of COVID-19 with HeadCount Executive Director Andy BernsteinHarnessing the power of music, HeadCount has registered over one million voters since its 2004 founding October 27, 2020

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — From the Grateful Dead, Phish and Dave Matthews Band to Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and hundreds of other major artists and music festivals worldwide, HeadCount partners with many of the biggest names to register voters and turn out the vote. On a recent episode of Iona College’s new “Public History in a Virtual Age” podcast, host Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ph.D., welcomes HeadCount executive director Andy Bernstein for a lively conversation exploring everything from the importance of voting, to digital innovations during COVID-19, to the remarkable power that YouTube influencers add to marketing campaigns. (HeadCount’s recent Tesla giveaway with David Dobrik drove over 100,000 new voter registrations in a single day.)

Chervinsky, scholar-in-residence with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS) at Iona College, is an expert in the cabinet, presidential history, and United States government institutions. She recently launched this new podcast series to explore some of the most pertinent public history topics of the times. This month, the focus is on voting and civic engagement. Past episodes have discussed “Public Health as Public History” amid the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and international racism.

All episodes are now streaming on Spotify. The latest episode explores “Elections, Past and Present,” with Dr. Mark Boonshoft, author and assistant professor at Duquesne University.

“History has the power to help up us understand who we are and how we got to our current moment, but that knowledge means nothing if we don’t engage as citizens,” said Chervinsky. “Voting and elections are the core of any democracy and the heart of citizenship. I had so much fun exploring HeadCount’s exciting initiatives to engage citizens in the process of voting, and I hope listeners – especially Iona students – feel even more inspired and motivated to get involved.”

Bernstein, who helped found HeadCount in 2004, became its executive director in the spring of 2008. This week, on October 20, HeadCount surpassed the remarkable milestone of registering 1 million voters since its founding. Equally as impressive, 75 percent of the voters registered by HeadCount go on to cast their vote. As a non-partisan, non-profit organization, breaking down silos and encouraging dialogue have been paramount to HeadCount’s mission and success, Bernstein explained.

“I think it’s really just interesting, always, to be able to repeat both sides of the argument and to try to understand where we are politically in this country, rather than to be able to say, ‘I don’t understand the other side. I don’t understand how anyone could think that way.’ I think that’s what’s gotten us into trouble in this country. We’ve stopped listening, and stopped the dialogue. We live in two enormous, ever-growing silos,” he said. “For HeadCount as a non-partisan organization trying to reach everybody, I think our long-term hope is that we can get to a place as a country where there is more commonality; where there is more agreement on the fundamental principles of democracy, and representative democracy. And where we can have respectful disagreements. I don’t think we’re even having disagreements anymore, as much as a complete lack of awareness of what the other side thinks.”

As one of the founders of National Voter Registration Day, Bernstein also conceived of the corresponding social media campaign that has involved over 500 musicians and celebrities and generated over one billion social media impressions. He also helped create “Participation Row,” an activism village where concert attendees have taken over 100,000 socially-conscious actions while raising nearly $1.5 million for various music-industry charities, including over $500,000 generated from the auction of one guitar signed by members of the Grateful Dead.

Bernstein has produced nearly a dozen benefit concerts and live music events, including 2012’s “The Bridge Session,” which paired HeadCount board member Bob Weir with members of The National for the first time. Prior to creating HeadCount, Bernstein was best known in the music community as an author of “The Pharmer’s Almanac”, a guide to the band Phish that sold over 70,000 copies. He also worked in sports for more than a decade, as media editor of Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal and a vice president at the sports technology company Kangaroo TV. He splits his time between New York City and a slope-side ski condo in nearby Vernon, NJ.

Visit HeadCount.org to register to vote, check your registration status, volunteer for virtual events, learn more about internship opportunities and follow on social media.

Have a Voting Plan? Iona College and Westchester County Explain the Options (News 2379)

ptascio — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:41:14 +0000

Have a Voting Plan? Iona College and Westchester County Explain the Options (News 2379) ptascio Wed, 10/28/2020 - 09:41 Have a Voting Plan? Iona College and Westchester County Explain the Options October 26, 2020

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. – Whether you intend to vote by absentee ballot, early voting or in-person on Election Day, the important thing is to have a voting plan and to stick with it, said Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., Iona College associate provost and associate professor of Political Science & International Studies.

Delivering a series of video messages in partnership with Westchester County government, Mulligan explained the options available during this historic election year.

WATCH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VOTING PLANS

“Having a voting plan is to be very conscious and think about how it is that you are going to vote,” Mulligan said. “The beauty of having multiple options is that you get to decide which one you want to choose and how you want to execute it.”

All Westchester County registered voters can vote early in the November 3, 2020, general election beginning on Saturday, October 24 from noon to 5 p.m., at any of 17 designated early voting locations.

WATCH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EARLY VOTING

Iona College encourages all students to exercise their right to vote. The most important first step is to make sure you are registered. Learn more about voter registration and voting by state, or check your registration status and register to vote with HeadCount, a nonprofit, nonpartisan voter registration partner.

“It’s an opportunity,” Mulligan concluded, “to be much more thoughtful and intentional about how [you] participate and when, and that’s really a wonderful thing.”

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Co-Founder and Iona College Alumnus: “I live and breathe ‘Fight the Good Fight’ every second of every day.” (News 2288)

ptascio — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 20:33:26 +0000

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Co-Founder and Iona College Alumnus: “I live and breathe ‘Fight the Good Fight’ every second of every day.” (News 2288) ptascio Fri, 09/25/2020 - 16:33 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Co-Founder and Iona College Alumnus: “I live and breathe ‘Fight the Good Fight’ every second of every day.”Pat Quinn ’06 offers inspiration as Iona students take the challenge September 25, 2020

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Diagnosed with ALS at the age of 30, Iona College alumnus Pat Quinn ’06 is now seven years into his battle with the debilitating disease. He can no longer walk. He can no longer talk. And for the first time, despite the pride he takes in his resiliency, he found himself fighting for his life in the hospital just three weeks ago.

“In my fight against ALS, I really didn’t want to go into the hospital unless it was to keep me alive,” Quinn said through a computer that tracks his eye movements and generates speech. “Probably not the smartest mindset, but I am Irish, stubborn and keeping my head focused on being strong is key.”

The hospital was admittedly his darkest hour.

Yet what gives him strength, he said, what renews his spirit and pushes him to continue the fight, are moments like the one this week at Iona College.

Gathered on East Hill as they have every year since the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge began in 2014, dozens of Gaels dumped buckets of ice water over their heads to raise money and awareness for ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised a remarkable $250 million worldwide since its launch, directly leading to several important breakthroughs. Yet there is still no cure.

“Days like today drive me to continue fighting this disease. Without the support of the Iona College community, my fight wouldn’t be the same. After all, our motto is ‘Fight the Good Fight.’ I live and breathe ‘Fight the Good Fight’ every second of every day,” said Quinn, a Yonkers native who played rugby at Iona and majored in Criminal Justice. “ALS is a ruthless disease. When the Ice Bucket Challenge started, I was still walking and talking. You can see what ALS has done to me over the last seven years. And that is why we are here. To fight together, and show people we still have more to do to defeat this disease.”

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting neurons of the brain and spinal cord. A year after being diagnosed, Quinn co-founded the Ice Bucket Challenge with friend Pete Frates, a Boston College alumnus whom he had met through their shared struggle with ALS. Frates passed away peacefully in December 2019 after a heroic fight at the age of 34. It was a devastating loss for Quinn, and the entire ALS community, especially as this year marked the first Ice Bucket Challenge without him.

“These two young men connected on a deeper level than anyone else could,” said Quinn’s father and caregiver, Patrick Liam Quinn. “When you see someone fighting something so courageously, being such a strong advocate for research and a cure, you can’t help but fight right alongside him.”

Olivia Santos ’21, who organized this year’s Ice Bucket Challenge on behalf of students, said the disease hits close to home for everyone at Iona. Although Quinn’s life was forever changed at such a young age, his impact is an inspiration.

“He’s really just been a champion advocate for the cause,” said Santos. “One person can make a big difference when it comes to millions of people participating.”

See News12 Coverage of this Event

Being committed to advocacy and service is more than just a lesson at Iona, said Carlie Brainard ’21. It’s a way of life. That’s why she participated in this year’s challenge, which she has supported in various ways throughout her years as a Gael.

“This is one of the big Iona traditions. It’s what Iona stands for – helping others and fighting the good fight,” said Brainard. “It was really emotional. The little jokes he had were really funny, and it just shows that through it all, you can still choose to have a good spirit about things.”

Quinn would be the first to agree that a positive outlook is everything.

As he was struggling to see the light through his hospitalization this summer, a nurse, Nikki Melia, at St. John’s Hospital in Yonkers, turned things around. One caring nurse was all it took. She brought in a speaker, and together they jammed out to some Notorious B.I.G. and ’90s rock – including Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails and The Smashing Pumpkins, just to name a few.

“It was a fired up mood. I needed that nurse to show me in my brief moment of darkness, that I didn’t need to worry about what I was going to do tomorrow. She revitalized my spirit of living right now. A song, a game, a visit from your brother, niece and nephew, texting a friend – it can be anything. It’s the small things that drive us forward and give us the backbone to go after those bigger accomplishments, reach those higher goals,” said Quinn. “What we do truly matters and I’m here to push you – I push everyone I can – to live their lives, to find every possible reason to smile, to make a difference. It’s why we are here.”

To learn more or donate, please visit the Quinn for the Win website.