Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced the appointment of Delia Awusi as the administration's Mom-and-Pop Czar, delivering on a campaign promise to create a dedicated City Hall advocate for New York City's smallest businesses.
The new role will focus on helping ultra-small businesses navigate city government and get the support they need not only to stay open, but to grow. Awusi applied for the role through City Hall's transition hiring portal earlier this year.
Awusi will report directly to Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and work across City agencies, in close partnership with the Department of Small Business Services, to strengthen support for ultra-small businesses, family-run stores and intergenerational neighborhood businesses. The role is designed to help reduce the runaround small businesses often face across permits, inspections, fines and other city processes.
"Mom-and-pop businesses help hold neighborhoods together. But as they say, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu. For years, small businesses have been pushed aside while corporate giants enjoyed unfettered access to City Hall. No longer," said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. "With Delia Awusi's appointment, the smallest businesses will be represented at the highest levels of City government. Delia has spent her career alongside small business owners, understanding their struggles and their power. In this role, she'll make sure City Hall answers to them, too."
Awusi brings more than a decade of experience supporting small businesses in New York City. At the Business Outreach Center Network, she worked closely with neighborhood entrepreneurs to provide technical assistance, financial counseling and access to capital. She is also a small business owner herself.
Awusi has deep roots in community-based economic development, with experience supporting immigrant entrepreneurs and longstanding family businesses. A member of New York's Ghanaian community, she has also been active in the African diaspora and community organizing.
"Mom-and-pop businesses give every block, every neighborhood, every borough its unique identity. Our smallest businesses have unique needs and now, they have a champion to look out for them in City Hall," said Delia Awusi. "I'm honored to join the Mamdani administration and help make City Hall more responsive to the small business owners who keep our commercial corridors alive."
In this role, Awusi will coordinate support across agencies, sharpen City Hall's focus on very small businesses and ensure neighborhood business owners have a stronger voice in city government.
"Delia understands that mom-and-pop shop owners pour their hearts into their businesses and deserve government that respects and values them. That includes government agencies that are predictable, accessible, and consistent," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. "Her role will help us better align government so neighborhood businesses can spend less time chasing City Hall and more time serving their communities."
"Delia Awusi is an extraordinary professional whose dedication to community business development continues to elevate and empower the entrepreneurs we serve," said Nancy Carin, Executive Director of BOC Network, Inc & BOC Capital. "As Director of BOC Network's SBA Women's Business Center, her leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on our small business owners and our community."
"I am proud to congratulate Delia Awusi on her well-deserved appointment as the new Mom-and-Pop Czar. Delia brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and an unwavering commitment to supporting small businesses across New York City," said Nina Flores, Executive Director, Staten Island Business Outreach Center (SIBOC)/Forest Ave BID/NYC Small Business Advisory Commission (SBAC). "Throughout her work-especially in Brooklyn-she has been a trusted resource for entrepreneurs, whether guiding them through business registration, developing business plans, or strengthening their marketing strategies. Delia has consistently shown up for our small business community, and I am confident she will continue to be a strong advocate in this new role. I look forward to continuing to work alongside her to support and uplift small businesses throughout New York City."
"Delia Awusi is a true leader in New York City's small business community. Through her work at the Business Outreach Center Network and her partnership with us and supporting the PowerUP Business Plan Competition, she has guided countless entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and sustain their businesses," said Winnie Siclait, Programs Manager at Brooklyn Public Library. "She is the trusted voice we turn to for guidance, the mentor who counsels our winning entrepreneurs, and the educator who equips new business owners with the tools they need to succeed. Her passion and unwavering commitment make her uniquely positioned to lead the charge in empowering small businesses in driving economic growth and helping revitalize communities across the city."
"For many years, Delia worked with small businesses. She has been deeply committed to supporting small businesses throughout the Brooklyn area for decades. She is driven by a passion for helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into sustainable, thriving business ventures. She has had the privilege of working closely with diverse business owners, understanding their unique challenges, and guiding them through critical stages of growth-from startup to expansion," said Dr. Elaine Powell-Belnavis, Former Economic Development Specialist Small Business Administration SBA NY office. "She plays a key role in assisting women owned businesses by providing them with important workshops needed to help them grow, expand and succeed. Her work with small businesses has reinforced her belief that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Small businesses help our communities to be viable. Small businesses deserve dedicated, hands-on support from the federal, state and city governments as well as the private sector to be competitive in this economy."
"As a small business owner, I've experienced firsthand the impact of Delia's leadership at BOC. Her vision and unwavering commitment to expanding access and equipping businesses to compete for real opportunities have been truly transformative," said Nicole McCullum, CEO & Founder of Captivate Designs. "Delia leads with intention and heart-she understands the challenges entrepreneurs face and works every day to break down barriers and create pathways to success. She doesn't just build programs-she creates lasting opportunities for real people on the ground to grow, compete, and thrive."
"In 2022, I found Delia at the Women's Business Outreach Center while looking for guidance on how to turn my experience as a physical therapist into contract opportunities with New York City," said Dr. Lola Omishore - Founder and CEO of TheraMotive. "She connected me with a BOC specialist who supported me from start to finish in becoming a certified Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise which made my bids more competitive. On my first attempt, I won not one, but two contracts with the Department of Probation, thanks in large part to Delia's guidance and support."
