Posts by jwalker@manhattancc.org

Five Chamber Alliance Celebrates MWBE Excellence at Annual Awards May 13, 2025 – The Five Chamber Alliance, representing the five boroughs of New York City, proudly hosted its annual MWBE (Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises) Awards on May 13, 2025. The event, sponsored by TD Bank, honored outstanding MWBEs that have demonstrated significant achievements, innovation,…

Chamber CEO testifies on helping small businesses to comply with accessibility laws May 9, 2025 – Jessica Walker, President and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, testified before the New York City Council yesterday, May 9th, at a hearing focused on supporting small businesses in complying with accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities…

The Chamber celebrates major political victory: discovery reforms included in State budget May 8, 2025 – The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce today hailed the inclusion of critical discovery reforms in the recently passed New York State budget, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The Chamber actively advocated for these reforms, recognizing their vital importance…

Chamber CEO testifies against proposal to lift cap on street vendor permits May 6, 2025 – Jessica Walker, President and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, testified before the New York City Council on Tuesday, May 6th, regarding proposed legislation to lift the cap on the number of permitted street vendors in the city.…

The Chamber calls on New York’s Congressional delegation to shield small businesses from tariff impact May 5, 2025 Today, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce sent this open letter to the entire New York Congressional delegation:   OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION   The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce represents the 129,000+ businesses across…

Chamber assessment of tariff impact on New York City businesses April 7, 2025 The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is closely monitoring the recent US tariffs imposed on countries around the world. In recent days, we have been inundated with questions and calls of concern from business owners about the placement of hefty new tariffs on goods…

Statement on imposition of sweeping new tariffs on countries around the world April 2, 2025 Statement by Jessica Walker, the Chamber’s President and CEO, on the imposition of sweeping tariffs on countries around the world: “These new trade policies pose significant disruption to the travel and tourism industry in many parts of the country -…

The Chamber calls on New York’s Congressional delegation to fight NIH cuts March 6, 2025 The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, together with the Business Council of New York State and more than a dozen other business organizations, sent a letter pressing the state’s congressional delegation to push back against proposed cuts to National Institutes of…

The Chamber joins push to amend New York’s discovery laws March 3, 2025 Today, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce joined a broad coalition to throw its support behind Governor Hochul’s plan to amend New York’s discovery laws. Her amendments will close loopholes that are letting thousands of criminals walk free on technicalities. More about today’s…

Statement on imposition of federal tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico February 1, 2025   Jessica Walker, President and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico:   “We are deeply concerned about the impact these tariffs will have on…