Who Am I?

Close to twenty years ago, I became an entrepreneur. Propelled by a lifetime passion – and much to the consternation of my family – I relinquished a corporate career, cashed out my 401K, and sold my apartment to open my first pet care services store. Despite challenges, I grew Kiki’s Pet Spa & Boutique into a successful business with multiple locations. In the process, I have become convinced of a calling to combine my experience in entrepreneurship, and interest in public service, with my academic ambitions – to share my expertise through research and published work, and to explore and develop new policies and theories.

To this end, I am currently a PhD candidate in the Public and Urban Policy program at The Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School. I am interested in understanding small business survival. My research is concerned with how local economic shocks impact the business outcomes of small businesses, particularly those of entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds. My PhD dissertation is a case study of how black owned neighborhood businesses in Fort Greene, Brooklyn have survived gentrification. I am passionate about entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic advancement for disenfranchised and marginalized populations, and have been actively involved with non-profit organizations whose missions have been to educate and empower youth through education and entrepreneurship.