Fordham Business Students Affect Change

For over two decades, Peter Black, a New York investor from New York City, has managed various investment funds and raised funding for profit and non-profit organizations. Prior to starting his career in the fields of finance and investing, Peter Black attended Fordham University in New York where he earned an MBA in finance and accounting.

Fordham University business students are very enterprising because, in late November 2020, a few of them launched a collective to help entrepreneurs in the Bronx with their business strategy. To counteract some of the negative effects of the 2020 pandemic, these students established the Fordham Business Development Collaboratory, a group of students that would go into the Bronx community and assist area businessman while they recover from the economic impacts of COVID.

The initiative began with 10 students who were split into teams that would focus on communications, compliance, finance, marketing, and technology. They would take the knowledge imparted from the classes at the university to assist business owners in Bronx.

The student initiative has met with some success. Through Zoom meetings this summer, they were helped an owner of a Central American restaurant increase the venture’s brand awareness using search engine optimization and social media. They were also able to show him how to integrate Latin American and Latin keywords to increase the restaurant’s chances of appearing on a search list.

At this point, the initiative is working with eight clients that include restaurant owners, non-profit groups, and small merchants. Word of the venture is spreading throughout the community and online, and the collaboration has also connected with clients through the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.