Comprised of over 20 leaders in their respective fields, the advisory council will help inform and support the advancement of key industries at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
NEW YORK, February 11, 2025 – The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) today announced its newly established Industry Development Council to help advance its goals of investing in promising manufacturing industries of the future at the Yard. The Council is comprised of leading Yard-based business owners, strategic industry partners and key stakeholders advancing efforts to diversify New York City’s green industries and M/WBE landscape.
The inaugural convening was held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Thursday, February 6. The group will assemble semi-annually and provide valuable insights that will help shape BNYDC’s investments in promising industries of the future such as MedTech, Robotics, Sustainable Design-Build, Innovative Fashion/Wearables, M/WBE Beauty/Personal Care, Life Science, and Green/Clean Energy. These sectors are transforming traditional industries, and are among the fastest-growing global industries due to continued innovations in advanced manufacturing methods and applications such as biomaterials, AI, and energy efficiency technology. The council will also help cultivate partnerships with additional industry leaders and make tenant recommendations for the Yard’s future growth.
“The Yard has always been a center of innovation and inclusivity, dating to when the Navy was here producing some of the most significant ships that served our country in WWII, and a key to carrying that legacy through the 21st century is consistently cultivating relationships and working knowledge that give us a good understanding of the rapidly evolving world of manufacturing, production and all the technologies and worker skills that go into making things,” said Lindsay Greene, president and CEO, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. “With the launch of our Industry Development Council, we have assembled an array of leadership, experience and expertise that will inform strategic investments we make, both physical and programmatic, to support key current and future industries based at the Yard and the talented New Yorkers that will drive those companies and innovations into broader contributions to the economy in the future.”
The 2025 Industry Development Council includes:
Yard-Based Businesses
Tyiesha Delk, Founder, KIC NYC
Richard Aviles, President, Kingbridge Cleaners & Tailors
King Chong, Executive Director of Corporate Relations, Lafayette 148 New York
Richard Rigg, CEO, Next Step Laboratories
Uyen Tran, Co-Founder and CEO, TomTex
Marshall Cox, Founder and CEO, Kelvin
Ruth Mandl, Principal and Co-Founder, and Bobby Johnston, Principal, CO Adaptive
Tiya Gordon, Co-Founder and COO, its electric
Carl Wolf, Chief Commercial and Operating Officer, Newlab
Noel Goddard, CEO, Qunnect
Michael Bednark, Founder, and Rafael Sorcio, CEO, Bednark
James Robertson, Owner, Daedalus, Design, & Production
Mateo Mariscal, Founding Engineer, Reflex Robtics
Niki Russ Federman, Co-Owner, Russ & Daughters
Tom Oxley, Founding CEO, Synchron
Eliana Abu-Hamdi, Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Partnerships, Pratt Research Yard
Marcel Botha, CEO, and Frederick Kruger, Founder & COO, 10xBeta
Industry Thought Leaders & Stakeholders
Laura Fox and Sonam Velani, Co-Founders, Streetlife Ventures
Diallo Powell, Co-Founder and CEO, Stak Mobility
Neil Padukone, Director of Green Economic Transformation, The New York Climate Exchange
Stacey Weismiller, Independent Consultant Specializing in Industrial Policy and Advanced Manufacturing
Sayar Lonial, Vice Dean, External Relations & Public Affairs, NYU Tandon
Randy Howie, Founding Board Member and Operating Partner, New York Robotics Network
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About the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) is a not-for-profit corporation that serves as the real estate developer and property manager of the Yard on behalf of its owner, the City of New York. The 300-acre closed campus is home to 550+ businesses employing more than 13,000 people and generates more than $2.5 billion annually in economic impact for the city. BNYDC’s mission is to fuel New York City’s economic vitality by creating and preserving quality jobs, growing the City’s modern industrial sector and its businesses, and connecting the local community with the economic opportunity and resources of the Yard. BNYDC’s vision is a vibrant and dense, modern manufacturing community where businesses are provided the stability needed to invest, grow, and thrive and where diverse candidates can attain quality jobs.