New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report late last month revealing that small businesses with fewer than five employees grew by over 10% in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Queens experienced a growth rate of more than 6%, while Manhattan saw the slowest growth among the boroughs at just 0.04%.
“Across the nation, the pandemic reinvigorated entrepreneurship,” DiNapoli said. “Significant job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the city’s economy, but resilient New Yorkers fueled small business growth. Changes to how people work and how businesses operate, along with federal aid, allowed people to either start a business or expand by providing services more easily online.”
Just two days before the DiNapoli report dropped on June 28, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Queens Tech Council celebrated the opening of its sixth tech incubator across the borough with its new location at 101-15 Metropolitan Ave. in Forest Hills, joining a list of incubators already operating in Jamaica, Far Rockaway, Jackson Heights and Long Island City, as well as on the campus of Queens College.
“In order to create a strong tech community in the great borough of Queens, we need to support our homegrown startups,” Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech said. “We are delighted to be joined by our partners in government to celebrate the launch of our new location in Forest Hills and extend a huge thank you to Maspeth Federal Savings for donating the space. With their help, we are providing complimentary office space, as well as mentoring and valuable resources to startups as we continue to grow the tech industry in Queens.”
Maspeth Federal Savings President and CEO Thomas Rudzewick said his institution is thrilled to partner with the Chamber on the program. “Through this collaboration, we will support promising startups and companies that will transform Queens into a thriving tech hub,” he said. “We are excited to welcome these new ventures into our shared space, providing them with the resources they need to flourish.”
The first tenant in the Forest Hills space will be DocPro, a health tech firm that provides innovative and user-friendly medical software to support healthcare providers in delivering exceptional patient care. “We’re excited to join the Forest Hills location of the Queens Tech Incubator program, where access to complimentary office space and networking connections will greatly support our collaboration with local primary care doctors in the area, aiming for optimal results for clinics and patients alike,” said Tanwir Hasan, Founder and CEO of DocPro.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has made growing the tech ecosystem a priority. “Queens is well-positioned to be a leader in tech thanks to initiatives like the Queens Tech Incubator program,” Richards said. “This new incubator location in Forest Hills will give Queens an even bigger foothold in this growing sector of the economy.”
Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi said he looks forward to seeing the initiative flourish. “We have seen how successful the Queens Tech Incubator program is, and I’m thrilled to have this program expand to Forest Hills,” Hevesi said.
State Senator Joseph Addabbo agreed. “By providing startups with essential resources and mentorship, we are helping to build a strong tech ecosystem right here in our borough,” Addabbo said. “Congratulations to all the businesses at the Forest Hills location and across the program for their dedication and hard work.”
