Stay connected with us for us via our website, www.aerobasoul.com,

email or social media!

We hope that everyone is well today!

Today the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team sends our prayers and strength to the families, friends, co-workers of those who lost 10 loved ones over the weekend in the Buffalo Supermarket massacre. Blacks and all people of color, including minority and women owned business all over the world continue to be victims of hate. If you see something, please say something. You could save lives. We all deserve an equal piece of “the pie”! People of all races and colors are all affected by the fallout of incidences like this. Our nation needs healing and more kindness and compassion.

Life is a gift that no one has the right to take away from anyone. Everyone deserves the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let’s all do our part to learn how to live amongst each other with love and not hate. No one wins in a gun violence situation.

Mental Health and well-being is affected daily by traumatic experiences. Anxiety, depression, grief, peer support, sleep, self-care, recovery.  Don’t suffer in silence!

Check out NYC Well and Covid-19 Digital Mental Health Resources apps!

NYC Well is your connection to free, confidential mental health support.  Speak to a counselor via phone, text, or chat and get access to mental health and substance use services, in more than 200 languages, 24/7/365.

Kecia, Kevin and the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc team were blessed to spend time with a few community organizations and Minority Women Owned Businesses throughout Westchester and the 5 boroughs this past weekend. Special shout out to the Mt. Vernon, NY and Harlem businesses that we patronized and or met with last week as well!

We call Lawrence the “Mayor of Harlem”! Therefore, this month if you are in Harlem, stop by one of the “Sugar Hill Creamery’s”, purchase some ice cream and vote for my dear friend and friend to so many MWBE’s, Mr. Lawrence “Ben” Miles, for the Mayor of Harlem Title.

On Saturday, while Kecia was in Harlem, purchased a scrumptious milkshake from the Sugar Hill Creamery, at 184 Lenox Avenue, NY, and voted for one of her favorite Harlem folks, “Lawrence Ben Miles” for “Mayor of Harlem”!

Lawrence is known as the “Negotiator” around Harlem. Lawrence works tirelessly at the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce to market their businesses.

Lawrence Miles, Princess Jenkins, owner of “The Brownstone” located in Harlem and Kecia Palmer-Cousins, Co-owner and CEO of Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. , were all honored recently as 2022 Black History Month “Movers and Shakers” honorees by the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce for their commitment and advocacy to the MWBE community.

Special thanks and love to Quenia Abreu, President & CEO of The New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce who is a staunch and dedicated MWBE Advocate for Hundreds in MWBE’s in NYC.

Quenia is a phenomenal executive, entrepreneur and MWBE icon! She recently lost her beloved father. Our sympathy goes out to her and her family. His legacy will live on her through her beautiful spirit!

Quenia and her staff helped hundreds of MWBES stay afloat during the global pandemic. She is a true treasure to the MWBE community and dear friend to the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. family. We are proud to be part of the NYWCC’s very successful “ContractHER Cohort”, where dozens of MWBEs have graduated and learned how to bid on and receive thousands of dollars in government contracts.

Our sympathy goes out to one of our favorite non-profit community clients, Educational Consultant, Ardella McClarty, owner of Young Faces Smiling on the recent passing of her mother and co-founder of their business. Ardella’s mother, Alice McClarty was an educational entrepreneur and legendary Gospel Singer who was blessed to have the legendary Mahalia Jackson as one of her mentors. She recorded a few gospel albums and was a dear friend to Aretha Franklin’s father. She even sung

at his funeral. Ardella invited me to attend her mother’s Saturday homecoming celebration. Even through her mourning, Ardella managed to give me and many others a shout out and from the pulpit as she was giving family remarks. Just another example of how at Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. , we truly become like family to many of our clients.

Kyle Cousins, son of Kecia and Kevin of Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. has selected “Winston-Salem State University (WSSU)” and major in Exercise Science. His goal is to prepare for a career as a HS Physical Education teacher and or a Strength and Conditioning Coach for an NBA or NFL Team. He is grateful and thankful for the 8 colleges and universities that granted him acceptance for Fall 2022 admission. He first visited WSSU’s campus when he was in the 9th grade while attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) tour hosted by the White Plains – New Rochelle Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Congratulations Kyle! We love you and am so very proud of you! Much success to you as you begin our higher learning journey!

The Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team consistently gives back to our community in time, money and efforts. However, this weekend was extra special to us since a wonderful local philanthropic organization, The Lower Hudson Valley Foundation (LHVF), held a reception in honor of local graduating seniors. LHVF is the non-profit organization associated with the dynamic, dapper brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. Fraternity.

Mr. Bryan Williams is the Chairman Board.

Ten Westchester County graduating seniors were recognized with Certificates of Achievements for their academic and community service. Each senior will receive monetary scholarships in the fall to help them pay for college expenses. Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.’s CEO Kecia Palmer-Cousins’ and COO Kevin Cousins’ amazing, kind-hearted son Kyle Cousins was honored, humbled and grateful to be recognized for his achievements. He will receive consecutive $1,000 scholarships for the next 4 years as he attends Winston-Salem State University starting in the Fall 2022!  We thank the

members of the Lower Hudson Valley Foundation on their dedication, mentoring, service and philanthropic efforts to our youth and the communities where they live, work and play. Thank you for helping to make our son Kyle’s dream of attending college a reality. Many families work hard every day to help their children pursue higher education. Outside scholarships help fill the gap to pay for college expenses that financial aid and family contributions do not cover. We sincerely thank the LHVF and the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi for recognizing him and providing to him this amazing scholarship. It takes a village!

Small businesses are critical to the success of our economy and our communities. We are there each and every day doing our part to keep our MWBE’s encouraged through this global pandemic. Great customer service, quality products and services, repeat business, diversity & inclusion, networking and referrals help businesses to “survive and thrive”.

Book your appointment today with the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team to get your business back on track in 2022! We provide business coaching, workforce development training and help MWBE’s get certified as they navigate the government and corporate procurement process! MWBE’s, Government Agencies and Non-Profits are our favorite clients!

Below are some networks and resources that Minority Women Owned Business Enterprises and small business owners can connect with to help them get through these challenging times. We’ve got your back!

Many minority and women business enterprise entrepreneurs use their local, County and State Agencies to stay current and tap into potential resources and procurement opportunities for their businesses and their communities. Getting MWBE Certified and procuring government contracts can help MWBEs build their businesses! Grants and loans are also parts of MWBEs portfolios to grow their businesses.

Calling all Westchester based MWBES. Westchester County has partnered this year with Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. to provide business coaching, workforce development training, help MWBE’s get certified and register on the Westchester County Minority and Women-Owned Business Program directory as they navigate the government and corporate procurement process!

MWBE’s, Government Agencies and Non-Profits are our favorite clients! We’ve helped lots of Westchester based businesses through this valuable collaboration! Don’t miss out!

Book your appointment today with the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team to get your business back on track in 2022!

The Minority and Women-Owned Business Program is an excellent resource for minority- and women-owned businesses, which may be just starting out or have long been established in the local economy. Reap the most benefits of this program, register today.

We have launched a new tool for our MWBEs to connect and gain access to opportunities within the County. This web-based mapping application, developed by the Westchester County Department of IT GIS, provides a comprehensive view of all businesses registered with the Westchester County Minority and Women-Owned Business Program. With this mapping tool you will be able to see where all our MWBEs are located in the county and see detailed information about each business, filter by business category and see valuable infographics.

Looking to hire an MWBE? Search our two databases by clicking on the boxes below

Attention: We have converted to a new system. Effective immediately all MWBEs who are NYS Certified will be required to fill out a short registration form. MWBEs who are NOT NYS Certified will be required to fill out a long registration form. If you registered your company before December 31, 2019 you will have a year to re-register.

By registering your minority or women-owned business, you'll receive:

Contact the Minority and Women-Owned Business Program office with your questions about the program.

Want to sell your product or service to government agencies? The Procurement Technical Assistance Center can help you understand the competitive bidding process and find opportunities appropriate for your company.

When you register your business as a minority and women-owned business, you're opening your firm to business opportunities you may not have otherwise known about.Benefits include e-mail notifications about timely workshops and training.

Upon registering as a minority- and women-owned business, your information will be entered into the Minority and Women-Owned Business Program database and will be accessible by county departments and the public. This database organizes companies into 10 distinct business categories.

WestWorks is a weekly synopsis of advertised contracts, bid opening results and awarded contract and agreements. This free publication is an additional source to locate business opportunities and access to weekly bid books released by the Board of Acquisition and Contract.

The county has a system for posting active business opportunities, such as requests for proposals (RFPs). All county business opportunities are categorized using the same 10 business category definitions, as for the MWOB database.

Ongoing workshops and trainings are available for registered minority- and women-owned businesses to build and enhance their skills. Workshops will be presented by content experts, economic development experts and other seasoned business professionals.

MBDA has a week filled with #StayMBDAGrantReady resources! Register your seat for any of the remaining Pre-Application Conferences for MBDA Grants by visiting: www.MBDA.gov/Grants or click the images left and below to take you the specific grant page.

The New York Power Authority is looking for more diverse contractors.

Learn more about how to interview to earn a seat as candidate in their Bonding Capacity Building program 2022 Cohort.

Contact fellow NYWCC member K.A. Stacie Alexiou, CEO of WATT + FLUX, using the link below to schedule a 20min informational exploration call about the program.

Exploration call link https://calendly.com/stacie-2/nypa-bonding-program-intro-exploration-call  

In the meantime, start your NYPA application.

Please start that today or tomorrow so you are in the system as a candidate!

Dear Friends,

I’m proud to share with you news of an enacted State Budget that truly prioritizes the best interests of New Yorkers. This budget will slingshot New York into a promising new era of growth and prosperity. It sets forth historic investments in childcare and education, boosts small businesses, provides for working people and families, stands up for those who stood up for us during the peak of the pandemic, and delivers economic relief at the gas pump and on property tax bills.

Investing in child care. Every child, regardless of their zip code, deserves a strong head start. We passed a budget that will make transformative investments in our childcare infrastructure, making a groundbreaking $7 billion investment over four years. This will bolster access and affordability of quality childcare for tens of thousands of working families.

A continued commitment to equitable education. Our budget sends more dollars to high-needs schools. It includes the second year of our commitment toward full Foundation Aid funding, with a $1.5 billion increase over last year’s levels. I’m also very proud that the budget includes $125 million for Universal Pre-K, generating 15,000 additional slots for four-year-old children and making half-day to full-day conversion a possibility for many school districts.

Investments in higher education. SUNY and CUNY will receive more than $500 million in new operating support and $2.3 billion for campus capital projects. Additionally, it includes $150 million to expand the state Tuition Assistance Program to include part-time students enrolled in six or more credits at SUNY, CUNY or not-for-profit independent colleges. We estimate that this will help 75,000 additional New York students annually.

Fair pay for home care workers. Home health care workers need more pay. Simple as that.The budget addresses low wages and inadequate benefits for these workers, which has led to high turnover rates in the field and has left those in need of an aide looking for a consistent caretaker. We passed a historic $1.1 billion investment to increase the wages of home care workers, a pay raise of $3 per hour over two years.

Investing in New Yorkers' mental health. The pandemic has made the importance of a quality mental healthcare system that works for all even more evident. The budget provides a $22 million increase to support 200 additional inpatient beds in mental health facilities, restores $6.03 million to support the Office of Mental Health and $100 million for mental health grants to schools over a two-year period.

Tax relief for homeowners. It’s time to give our working families the tax breaks they deserve. We passed a budget that includes $2.2 billion in one-time property tax rebates for low- and middle-income homeowners. The budget also accelerates the previously enacted middle income tax cuts, decreasing tax rates for the middle class by April 2023, instead of waiting until 2025 to fully phase them in.

Support for small businesses. To address the financial hardships caused by the pandemic on many small businesses, the budget includes a $250 million refundable tax relief program targeting COVID-19-related expenses.

The restaurant industry, in particular, has faced a steep hill towards recovery, which is why I’m pleased that restaurants will be able to continue to sell alcohol drinks to go, a highly popular policy that sustained them during the pandemic.

Gas tax relief. To help reduce gas prices at the pump, I strongly supported the suspension of certain gas taxes beginning June 1 to last through the end of the year. They will save a combined 16 cents per gallon by suspending the 8 cents of the fuel tax and 8 cents per gallon state sales tax.

Help with housing costs. Far too many New Yorkers continue to battle housing instability with the COVID-19 pandemic still looming in the background. The spending plan directs $250 million to help New Yorkers with unpaid utility bills and $925 million for a new statewide rental subsidy to help tenants and landlords struggling with long overdue rent.

Strengthening public safety. This budget also addresses widespread concerns over public safety while upholding the Senate’s commitment to a fair justice system. The budget provides $180 million to support programs and services to address gun violence and prevent community violence. These programs are mainly administered by the Division of Criminal Justice Services, which provides grants to community-based organizations, local governments and law enforcement entities.

Protecting our natural resources and fighting climate change. With efforts to preserve and protect our state’s natural resources, I support and hope everyone will vote YES on the Environmental Bond Act, on the ballot in November. It will provide $4.2 billion to fund environmental and energy projects such as conservation, climate-change mitigation, zero-emission school buses and green buildings. The budget also expands the Department of Environmental Conservation’s jurisdiction to protect over 1 million acres of freshwater wetlands.

Funding for arts and cultural institutions. We once again provided $1 million for our local arts and cultural institutions with funding to be regranted by ArtsWestchester. However, arts institutions know no boundaries, so an additional $10 million is in the budget for art and culture groups throughout the state.

Relief for our struggling hospitals. Over the past two years, we have seen how budget cuts to our healthcare sector result in devastating costs down the line. That is why we invested over $1.5 billion for assistance to financially distressed hospitals.

This budget is a statement of New York’s values, and animates the truths that we hold so dear: that everyone deserves a safe community, an opportunity-filled childhood, and that our true success is measured by how many people we can bring over the finish line, not by who gets there first.

As always, please don’t hesitate to email me at scousins@nysenate.gov or call my office at 914-423-4031 for any assistance.

Sincerely,

Andrea Stewart Cousins

188 State Street Room 907

Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY 12247

(518) 455-2585

28 Wells Avenue,

Building #3

Yonkers, NY 10701

(914) 423-4031

Thurs. 5/26/2022 12:00pm-1:00pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce)

Thurs. 5/26/2022 2:00pm-3:00pm (SBA and Queens Chamber of Commerce)

Ms. Man-Li Lin

Economic Development Specialist

New York District Office

U.S. Small Business Administration

For detailed information on SBA programs for the coronavirus, please visit www.sba.gov/coronavirus and for information on all federal programs, visit www.usa.gov/coronavirus or www.gobierno.usa.gov/coronavirus (en Español).

Have a safe and great week! Stay connected with us so you stay connected!

Follow us on our social media! We will get through 2022 together!

Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc! We help MWBEs focus on the health and wellness of their business! Let us help you make your dreams, business and professional and goals come true in 2022! We are here for you! Just give us a call at 914-737-7237 or schedule a consultation with us at www.aerobasoul.com. You’ll be glad that you did!

Stay safe and continue to reach for excellence! Try to put your best foot forward every day. Most of all, be kind to yourself and others! Special shout out to our parents, family and friends for your continued love and support to us! Let’s continue to be bridges for success for each other and our businesses!

Sincerely,

At Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. we build dreams to life with heart and a soul! Like a trusted friend and confidante, our personal project managers tap into their vivid imaginations, hearts and souls to analyze clients projects and engineer solutions through project completion. We are “imagineers”, igniting M/WBEs to refocus on themselves, their businesses and giving back to their communities. Our one-on-one technical assistance sessions and training programs are designed to help entrepreneurs and MWBE’s project manage their lives and get to the heart and soul of their personal and professional development.

We “motivate” and “collaborate” with our clients through project completion!