New York City Entrepreneurs Selected for Five-Year Small Business Spotlight at Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park

NEW YORK, NY – Bank of America today announced four New York City-based small businesses benefiting from Bank of America this year Small Business Spotlight program at the iconic Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park. Each company will display and sell their products at a rent-free booth in Bank of America’s Winter Village Holiday Shops for more than two weeks each. Four local entrepreneurs and businesses will have the opportunity to reach new customers at one of the city’s top winter shopping and tourism destinations, and Bank of America will cover the store’s lease fees and coordinate the store’s infrastructure.

In addition, the Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women booth, sponsored by Bank of America, will also return to the Holiday Shops for a second year. In 2023, the bank and Seneca Women launched the Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women, an online marketplace that gives women entrepreneurs access to new markets and consumers. Throughout the winter season, customers will have the opportunity to shop in person at the booth, which will feature five women-owned businesses from the United States and Mexico.

Last year, more than 180 holiday shops in Bryant Park, including four Small Business Spotlight vendors and four Bank of America Marketplace of Seneca Women store companies, generated about $40 million in sales during the period.

“Entrepreneurs and small businesses help drive New York City’s economy and are the backbone of our communities.” said José Tavarez, President of Bank of America New York City. “Bank of America is committed to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and we look forward to welcoming participants to this year’s Small Business Spotlight at the Bank of America Winter Village at the Bryant Park Holiday Shops.” This rent-free Small Business Spotlight Booth will help these businesses connect with new customers and sell their products in this vibrant environment without incurring any additional costs. This year’s business owners join a network of more than 20 entrepreneurs who have participated in this program since its launch in 2020.”

The four appeared Small Business Spotlight companies are:

• What a Cutie (Brooklyn): This Brooklyn-based company offers handcrafted and custom-designed pet accessories that are safe, functional, and stylish. Founder Jenna Chi (inspired by her dog, Sesame) uses her training in packaging design to create colorful products including dog leashes, collars and harnesses. Visit What a Cutie from Oct 25 – Nov 12
• Doosra (Queens): Doosra is founder Kartik Das’ savory, spicy, salty, sweet and crunchy take on the chai-time snack he grew up eating. Based in Queens, Doosra produces contemporary Indian snack mixes that deliver South Asian flavors and ingredients. Visit Doosra from 13 Nov – 1 Dec
• eat2explore (Manhattan): Manhattan-based eat2explore focuses on promoting global awareness and cultivating essential life skills through cooking kits that highlight different countries and cultures. Inspired by memories of cooking with her family in Malaysia, founder and CEO Rowena Scherer created eat2explore as a way for families to connect and learn together. Visit eat2explore from 2 Dec. – Dec. 18
• Paige’s Candle Co. (Brooklyn): Paige’s Candle Co. is based in Brooklyn and specializes in creating handmade soy wax candles and room and linen sprays with unique fragrance combinations. Founder and Creative Director Paige Graham also hosts free candle-making classes for residents in low-income communities to increase access to creative shops and art classes. Visit Paige’s Candle Co. from December 19 – January 5.

“Being selected for the Bank of America Small Business Spotlight gave me the opportunity to test drive opening a store and find out what I needed to solve behind the scenes to make opening a store a reality.” said Beck Forney, Owner and Creative Director, Louise Goods. “Having this experience allowed me to make important changes to my production process before they became expensive lessons and allowed me to build a new layer of confidence. Spin-offs, problem solving, reality checks and big surprises along the way created momentum for the company’s growth. The lessons I learned weren’t something I could have gotten from a book or a class, and it was honestly priceless. The Small Business Spotlight was a life-changing experience and I’m so glad we did it.”

Five featured Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women vendors are:

• Beautiful Curly Me (Atlanta, GA): Beautiful Curly Me’s mission is to build confidence in young girls through products and materials, including beautiful black dolls, puzzles and books written by 12-year-old CEO, Zoe Oli. Visit Beautiful Curly Me from Oct 25 – Nov 10
• MAIKA (Oakland, CA): Founder Viola Sutanto designs sustainable bags and accessories with function and style in mind. Visit MAIKA from 11 Nov – 24 Nov
• La Cana (Mexico City, MX): Daniela Ancira is the founder and CEO of La Cana. Handmade children’s toys and ornaments from La Cana are made in workshops that provide professional and personal development opportunities for women in Mexico’s prisons to support reintegration and help reduce recidivism rates. Visit La Cana from November 25 – December 8.
• Mercado Global (Brooklyn, NY): Founded by Ruth Alvarez-DeGolia, Mercado Global is a non-profit accessories brand that helps support indigenous artisan women and their communities in rural Latin America through entrepreneurship and education. Visit Mercado Global from Dec 9. – Dec. 22
• TWEE (Philadelphia, PA): Founded by Margaux DelCollo, TWEE offers handmade and eco-friendly chalk products designed to help children develop grip strength and fine motor skills while encouraging creativity. TWEE’s visit from 23 Dec. – Jan 5

Celebrating more than a decade of partnership between Bank of America and Bryant Park, the 12th season of the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will begin on October 25, 2024. Small Business Spotlight dates are in accordance with the Holiday Shops calendar and will run from 25 October 2024 to 5 January 2025. Shops will be open on weekdays from 11:00 to 20:00 and on weekends from 10:00 to 20:00 (opening day starts at noon).

The Small Business Spotlight booth can be found near the fountain, near the 41st Street and 6th Avenue entrance to Bryant Park. The Bank of America Marketplace by Seneca Women shop is located near the holiday tree behind the skating rink.

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and medium businesses, and large corporations with a comprehensive range of banking, investment, wealth management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company offers unparalleled convenience in the United States and serves approximately 69 million consumer and small business customers with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) and an award-winning digital banking operation with approximately 58 million verified digital accounts. users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and transactions across a wide range of asset classes, serving businesses, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves customers through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Shares of Bank of America Corporation are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).

The Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park is widely known as NYC’s only free skating rink. The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is open daily from October 25, 2024 through March 2, 2025 and in addition to The Rink, the annual winter event features fun outdoor activities including The Holiday Shops by Urbanspace, delicious food and drink at . The Lodge, the Curling Café, Cozy Igloos and Bumper Cars on Ice. For more information, visit WinterVillage.org.

Juan Soto, Bank of America
Phone: 1.7646.855.5252
Juan.Soto3@bofa.com