Designer Brandon Blackwood has been named to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly established Business Advisory Council.
The council, which will include 15 executives from a variety of businesses, will meet quarterly with the mayor and Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su to help shape the next phase of New York’s economic growth and innovation. The council members will advise the city on the infrastructure, talent and regulations their industries need to grow.
In addition to Blackwood, other members include Kruti Patel Goyal, chief executive officer of Etsy; chef Marcus Samuelsson; Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani, along with bankers, health care executives, biotech, finance, entertainment and media executives.
“Building a business in New York has taught me that this city’s greatest resource has always been its people,” said Blackwood, CEO of Brandon Blackwood New York. “Their ambition, creativity and willingness to take a chance on an idea. I’m honored to join the Business Advisory Council and bring the perspective of an entrepreneur who built something here from the ground up. I look forward to working with Mayor Mamdani and my fellow council members to make sure New York continues to be a city where bold ideas can become lasting businesses, and where opportunity is accessible to the people who will shape what comes next.”
“The doors of City Hall are always open to New York’s business leaders, and I look forward to welcoming their experience and strategic guidance as we build a stronger, more dynamic economy,” said Mamdani. “This council brings together the people building the next generation of New York’s economy — in finance, tech, life sciences, and beyond — to help us double down on what makes this city the best place on Earth to start a company, grow a business, and build a career. We want the most ambitious people in the world to come here, stay here, and build here.”
“We look forward to working with the leaders who make the hiring and investment decisions that will define New York’s economy for the next decade,” Su added. “We’re focused on strengthening the sectors where New York has a real competitive edge — and on making sure the talent this city produces has every reason to build their future here instead of somewhere else.”
