Brooklyn event spotlights women-led small businesses and entrepreneurship

Women Who Influence will host its 2026 ceremony and Pink Apple Awards at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Oct. 22, bringing together city leaders, entrepreneurs and community partners to highlight how small businesses are shaping New York City. The event is designed to connect women business owners with capital, contracts, resources and visibility.

Why it matters: - Women Who Influence is using the Brooklyn event to put women entrepreneurs and small-business owners in front of city, business and community leaders. - The gathering centers on access to capital, contracting, M/WBE opportunities and other supports that can help small businesses grow. - The event is positioned as a networking and recognition platform for women who are building businesses and community influence in New York City.

What happened: - Women Who Influence announced its 2026 ceremony and annual Pink Apple Awards for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., Brooklyn. - Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will open the ceremony. - Journalist Monique Glover will host the event. - The program is being presented with the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and sponsored by PNC Bank. - The ceremony theme is "How Small Businesses Are Moving New York Forward."

The details: - Guests are scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m. - Gabrieline Reece, founder and director of Women Who Influence, will give welcoming remarks at 10:50 a.m. - Jeanny Pak, chief operating officer of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, will give special remarks at 11:05 a.m. - The Power Seat discussion begins at 11:15 a.m. and focuses on how small businesses are moving New York forward. - The panel will include Delia Awusi, NYC Mom-and-Pop Czar; Kawana Jefferson, hospitality entrepreneur and owner of Lost Borough Ice Cream and Sweet Catch BK; and Jessica Spaulding, founder and CEO of Harlem Chocolate Factory. - The 2026 Pink Apple Awards ceremony starts at noon. - Crystal Apple Award honorees are Pamela Morgan for global leadership, Kanchana Suggu for community impact, Dr. Erica Ford for legacy, and Cynthia Horner for cultural impact. - The event is supported by NYC Department of Small Business Services, NYCEDC, United Way of New York City, Bronx Economic Development Corporation, Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. - A networking reception after the awards is scheduled to end at 3:00 p.m.

Between the lines: - The program reflects a broader push to tie small-business growth to neighborhood stability, economic development and public-private collaboration. - Women Who Influence is framing entrepreneurship as both an economic issue and a leadership issue, with women business owners presented as community builders as well as operators. - The mix of city officials, nonprofits and chambers suggests the event is meant to create practical connections, not just stage recognition.

What's next: - The Oct. 22 event will bring together entrepreneurs, policymakers and support organizations for discussion, awards and networking. - Women Who Influence is expected to use the ceremony to advance relationships that can lead to future business opportunities and support for women-led companies. - The awards reception will provide a final window for attendees to make connections before the event closes at 3:00 p.m.