CHYE Founder’s Circle Celebrates 10 Years of Service to the Community

By Zev Gotkin
Photos: Sadya Liberow/COLlive

This past Tuesday night, Crown Heights Young Entrepreneurs (CHYE) hosted their much anticipated annual Founder’s Circle dinner at the W Loft. The Founder’s Circle represents business leaders in Crown Heights who actively support the activities of CHYE financially and generously devote time to mentoring and guiding the next generation of Lubavitch entrepreneurs.

While most of the attendees were personally invited by CHYE, there were guests who paid a premium to get into the room with the machers, movers, and shakers of the Crown Heights business community.

The room was packed with successful business leaders. Attendees were treated to a lavish buffet featuring a shawarma station, sandwiches, salads, parve ice cream from the Boozery, and an open bar that featured cocktails, aged Scotch, and top-shelf wine.

The highlight of the evening was a special keynote address from real estate mogul and founder of the American Dream Mall, Don Ghermezian, who passionately impressed upon the audience how important it is for business leaders to help others.

The room listened in rapt attention as Gehermezian shared stories and personal anecdotes from his life of creating businesses, building Jewish communities in places like Las Vegas, and educating the youth about Judaism. He also shared interesting tidbits about spending millions to make the American Dream Mall ‘tzniyus-friendly’, donating to Jewish causes, and making time for Torah study every day with his partner. “My entire staff knows to never bother me or call me during [his chavrusa] time,” he said proudly.

Don Ghermezian is a man of action. “If you tell me you’re leaving here inspired, that’s not enough,” he told the crowd. “If you’re inspired by what I’ve shared tonight, then I ask you to please do something about it.”

Before the keynote, Mendy Smetana, CEO of CH Shipping Center, was presented with the Business of the Year award. Menachem Ben Arrach, the owner of LivFit Studios, was awarded the Startup of the Year. Both of them graciously accepted their awards and thanked the special people in their lives to a room full of applause.

Founder’s Circle member and serial entrepreneur, Mendy Lipsker of Mendy Realty said he’s involved with CHYE and mentors new entrepreneurs because he wants to give them the help he never had. “When I was starting, nobody helped me out. I became successful through street smarts and trial and error. Now, I share tips with the younger generation so they can learn from my experiences and avoid some of the same mistakes and setbacks that older entrepreneurs like myself went through. So many businesses have benefited from CHYE. Thanks to CHYE, many people in the community were able to take their dreams and make them a reality.”

“You all know that Rabbi Yehoshua Werde does tremendous work on behalf of the community,” said Yehuda Berg, a business counselor at CHYE. “The financial support of the Founder’s Circle is what allows CHYE to do all the important work that it does, including helping people start businesses or grow businesses.

“Look at all that CHYE has accomplished through our workshops, trainings, career events, and all the businesses we’ve helped start. CHYE does fantastic work and we need all the help we can get so please be a part of it!”

Eric Adelman, a business coach and founder of Bigger Cup Consulting is not part of the Founder’s Circle but flew all the way from Atlanta to be at the Founder’s Circle Evening. “Any organization that’s helping Jewish entrepreneurs do better, I always want to be a part of,” he said. “Anything that helps bring money into the community helps every tzedeka organization as well as individual families and we all have to look out for each other. Kol Yisrael averim zeh l’zeh.”

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