Revitalize Brooklyn

Scaling Early-Stage Businesses in Brooklyn’s Creative Economy

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brooklyn “creative economy” – any industry that results in artistic, creative, or cultural output – had the greatest growth in jobs and concentration of workers in the city, according to a study done by NYC Comptroller’s Office. But since the pandemic, Brooklyn’s creative economy has struggled to regain that growth. Through Revitalize Brooklyn, the Social Justice Fund aims to fill that gap in the market and meet the capital needs of established and growing creative businesses in Brooklyn. 

In 2024, the Social Justice Fund launched Revitalize Brooklyn, a competitive grant program designed to identify and support innovative Brooklyn-based businesses by providing growth capital to help them reach the next level. The program aims to cultivate a strong pipeline of 30-40 qualified applicants, ultimately selecting 9 businesses with the greatest potential for success and growth. In its inaugural year, the selection committee awarded grants of up to $50,000 to help recipients overcome challenges, seize new opportunities, and realize their full potential.

The nine recipients of the Revitalize Brooklyn grant are businesses in the food and fashion sector and will each receive $50K to help address challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve their full potential. These businesses include:

  • Buddies Coffee - Williamsburg cafe that develops and sells coffee blends and offers wholesale coffee 

  • Elena Velez - Fashion designer and entrepreneur whose work is known for its non-traditional synthesis of metalwork and high fashion.

  • Fan Fan Doughnuts - Artisanal handmade donut bakery 

  • Luar - A luxury fashion brand specializing in ready-to-wear, accessories, and lifestyle goods for all gender identities 

  • Meat Hook - Animal butcher shop, sourcing regeneratively raised meat from the Hudson Valley

  • Mimi Cheng's - Wholesale premium frozen dumplings showcasing family recipes and specialty flavors 

  • Paloma Bakery - Specialty coffee roaster and bakery based in Greenpoint

  • Savant Studios - BedStuy-based design studio, clothing store, and creative hub

  • Spoonful - Offering eco-friendly grab-n-go overnight oats

 The businesses were selected through a competitive application process, which leveraged Brooklyn’s community leaders and other stakeholders as judges, including:

  • ·Barnett Zitron - CEO and Founder, TENFOUR

  • Billy Durney - Owner, Red Hook Tavern

  • Byron Lars - Fashion Designer

  • Danny Meyer - Restaurateur and Founder/Executive Chairman, Union Square Hospitality Group

  • Everette Taylor - CEO, Kickstarter

  • Kwame Onwuachi - Restaurateur 

  • Sean Feeney - Co-Founder, Grovehouse Hospitality Group

  • Wen Zhou - President and CEO, 3.1 Phillip Lim