The NYC Workforce Drop with NYCETC’s Gregory J. Morris

In this mini episode, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Stephanie Birmingham, NYCETC’s Director of Community and Operations, to talk about what it really means to make the 2025 NYCETC Conference accessible and inclusive.

Drawing from her decade-long experience managing events at the Whitney Museum, Stephanie shares how accessibility planning goes far beyond checking an ADA box, instead, focusing on designing spaces where every attendee can fully participate. She and Greg discuss lessons learned from past conferences and why accessibility must be integrated into every operational detail, from amplified sound and signage to lactation and quiet rooms.

The conversation also lifts up the collaborative work happening across City agencies and community partners to raise the bar on inclusion, showing how accessibility, like workforce, is both a commitment and a continuous process of learning and improvement.

Mini episodes of The NYC Workforce Drop deliver high-impact insights in under 15 minutes—perfect for leaders on the go who want clear ideas and real strategies to strengthen New York City’s workforce ecosystem.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)
Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: accessibility, inclusion, event design, workforce equity, universal design, community partnerships, disability inclusion, operational best practices, NYCETC Conference

NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris is joined by Ngozi Okaro, founder and CEO of Custom Collaborative, for a conversation that threads together personal journey, workforce innovation, and a vision for a fairer fashion economy. From a childhood decision to practice law to a purpose-driven pivot into nonprofits (and the late-night sewing sessions that sparked a social enterprise) Ngozi unpacks how values, craft, and systems thinking led to a decade of training and dignified work for New Yorkers.

Grounded in real talk (Niagara Falls, corn mazes, and Anchor Bar wings make cameos), Greg and Ngozi dig into what it takes to help people thrive and advance. They cover Custom Collaborative’s model (a free, stipend-supported 15-week training; an incubator for jobs, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship; and worker-owned co-ops), why childcare is workforce infrastructure, and how wellness and belonging drive outcomes. The pair also look ahead to upskilling for the fashion jobs of tomorrow, from computerized machinery and 3D tools to circularity practices like felting and weaving, and connect the dots between city and state policy, affordability, and employer investment in talent.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: ethical and sustainable fashion; stipend-supported training and completion; incubators and worker co-ops; childcare as workforce infrastructure; wellness and retention; upskilling (advanced machinery, 3D tools, circularity); immigrant and women’s economic mobility; NYC–NYS policy alignment; affordability, wages, and wealth building.

In this mini episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris welcomes Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City, back on the pod to unpack the devastating ripple effects of the federal government shutdown on millions of New Yorkers.

As critical safety net programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid face cuts and delays, families are being forced to choose between rent, food, and medicine. Grace shares alarming data from United Way’s network of 400 pantries, where visits have surged 86% since 2019, and underscores how the shutdown deepens an already dire affordability crisis.

Greg and Grace explore what’s at stake for working families, the mounting strain on community organizations, and the urgent need for local and corporate leaders to fill the gap left by federal inaction.

Mini episodes of The NYC Workforce Drop deliver high-impact insights in under 20 minutes, perfect for leaders on the go who want clear analysis and bold ideas for NYC’s workforce future.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)
Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: government shutdown, food insecurity, SNAP benefits, Medicaid, safety net, economic equity, community resilience, workforce stability, philanthropy, New York policy

In this special mini episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Debbie Roman to share some exciting personal news. After three and a half impactful years at Per Scholas New York, Debbie is joining National Grid to lead workforce development initiatives connecting employers and community-based organizations across New York City and the state.

Debbie reflects on her two decades in the nonprofit sector and how her new role at National Grid represents the perfect bridge between employer engagement and community impact. She and Greg discuss how the energy company’s growing commitment to workforce pathways aligns with NYCETC’s mission to create inclusive economic opportunity.

Listeners will hear firsthand how Debbie plans to leverage her experience to connect the dots between the corporate and nonprofit sectors: building stronger partnerships, shaping equitable pipelines into energy careers, and driving systemic change across New York’s workforce ecosystem.

Mini episodes of The NYC Workforce Drop deliver high-impact insights in under 15 minutes, perfect for leaders on the go who want clear analysis and bold ideas for NYC’s workforce future.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: workforce development, employer partnerships, energy sector jobs, career pathways, community engagement, nonprofit leadership, equitable hiring, economic opportunity, corporate social responsibility, New York workforce ecosystem

In this mini episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris dives into the recent New York City mayoral debates and the glaring silence around jobs and workforce development. While candidates sparred over affordability and business incentives, critical conversations about wages, job quality, and equitable access to opportunity barely surfaced.

Greg breaks down why workforce development must be central to any serious economic plan, connecting the dots between corporate growth, community benefit, and long-term investment in New Yorkers’ skills. He calls out the missing scaffolding between economic and workforce development and challenges the next mayor to build it.

This episode asks one key question: if affordability is the headline issue, how can we afford to ignore the workforce?

Mini episodes of The NYC Workforce Drop deliver high-impact insights in under 15 minutes, perfect for leaders on the go who want clear analysis and bold ideas for NYC’s workforce future.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: NYC Mayoral debates, affordability, economic development, workforce development, wages, job quality, re-skilling, up-skilling, accountability, New York City workforce

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa (District 10) for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about care, courage, and the fight to make New York City work better for working people.

From her early years growing up in Upper Manhattan as the daughter of Dominican immigrants to chairing the Council’s Committee on Civil Service and Labor, De La Rosa traces her journey through Catholic church basements, a history-making Assembly win, and the pandemic-era decision to run for City Council while raising her daughter.

With Greg, she explores imposter syndrome, how lived experience fuels public service, and what it means to “occupy every room for the people back home.” Together, they dig into the realities facing New York’s workforce, from municipal hiring bottlenecks and nine-month onboarding delays to the two-for-one hiring policy and why frontline city workers are carrying the load of three.

CM De La Rosa also spotlights the fights she’s taken on, from SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Amazon and Teamsters organizing, from nurses to newsroom workers, using her committee as a platform to demand dignity, safety, and a real seat at the table.

Looking ahead, the conversation turns to what’s next: grading the outgoing administration, calling for bold, not whispered, governance on Day One of a new mayoralty, and defining the Council’s role in aligning budgets, plugging federal holes, and centering families, stability, and mobility in the future of New York City.
Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: care and courage in public service; immigrant leadership and representation; workforce systems as civic infrastructure; labor solidarity and worker dignity; civil service reform and hiring equity; wage justice and the Construction Justice Act; family, caregiving, and resilience in leadership; City Hall transitions and future council leadership

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Teresa Gonzalez, partner at Bolton-St. Johns and principal at DalyGonzalez Consulting, for a candid, pragmatic conversation about what it takes to build a healthier, more affordable New York where workforce is the throughline across every policy area.

Teresa traces her journey from a Puerto Rican kid growing up in Williamsburg to roles at the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, and into values-aligned government relations work. She opens up about why she prioritizes directness with clients, the power of structure and coalition-building, and how her portfolio keeps her anchored to impact.

With Greg, she reframes workforce development as the scaffolding of a city: a cradle-to-later-life system that ties affordability, small business vitality, immigration, arts and culture, and economic mobility together. The two dig into what happens when that scaffolding breaks down, how to make workforce legible to elected officials, and why advocates should help leaders refine agendas rather than just pitch ideas. They also look ahead to City Hall’s next chapter—what an incoming mayor and Council leadership will need, how the New Majority changed representation (and why it matters for policy), and the wins a workforce-first agenda can deliver.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: workforce as economic scaffolding; coalition strategy; values-aligned lobbying; arts, immigration, and small business linkages; affordability and mobility; City Hall transitions; New Majority & Council leadership; truth-telling in advocacy; cradle-to-career/later-life training

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Kalilah Moon, Executive Director of Drive Change, and Debbie Roman, Managing Director, New York, at Per Scholas, for a conversation that bridges personal journeys, nonprofit innovation, and systems-level change.

Kalilah reflects on her path from Oakland to New York, sharing early career lessons from The Door to leading Drive Change’s culinary training and social enterprise work with justice-involved youth. She opens up about leadership growth, tough decisions, and the power of rebranding a food truck into a broader movement for equity and opportunity.

Debbie traces her journey from Puerto Rico to New York’s workforce ecosystem, spotlighting how strategic partnerships and intentional training pathways at Per Scholas are closing gaps in the tech sector for underrepresented communities.

Together, they tackle questions of economic mobility, affordability, and how nonprofits can sustain impact in a changing city.

Greg, Kalilah, and Debbie also preview NYCETC’s annual conference, “Advancing Affordability Through Jobs, Wages, and Wealth,” discussing why now is the time to align systems, center workforce development in the city’s policy agenda, and hold leadership accountable for tangible change.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: nonprofit leadership, culinary and tech training, reentry and workforce, affordability crisis, partnerships and systems alignment, NYC workforce ecosystem, leadership journeys, strategic advocacy.

In this NYC Workforce Drop Mini Pod, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris shares his remarks from the City & State Economic Development & Workforce Summit, where NYCETC served as a co-sponsor alongside leaders from across the city and state.

Greg underscores why workforce and economic development cannot be treated as separate conversations. He calls out the persistent gaps—gender and racial wage disparities, unemployment inequities, and the lack of strong on-ramps for local talent into major economic projects—while outlining bold solutions for aligning policy, investment, and accountability.

From the urgent need to better serve prime-age workers and public housing residents, to strengthening wraparound supports like childcare and transit, Greg lays out NYCETC’s Workforce Development Agenda as a roadmap for a more equitable, transparent, and opportunity-driven system. He also makes the case for new city structures—such as a deputy mayor for workforce and economic mobility—and a statewide Empire State Workforce Alliance to unite priorities across New York.

With rising costs, stagnant wages, and a pivotal election just weeks away, Greg emphasizes that the stakes could not be higher. But with coordinated action, he argues, New York can stop managing scarcity and start building prosperity—delivering dignity, mobility, and opportunity for every New Yorker.

Listen now to hear why workforce must be at the center of NYC’s economic future.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Mini episodes of The NYC Workforce Drop deliver high-impact insights in under 15 minutes, perfect for leaders on the go who want clear analysis and bold ideas for NYC’s workforce future.

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, host Gregory J. Morris, CEO of NYCETC, sits down with Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City, for a powerful conversation about equity, leadership, and resilience in New York City’s social safety net.

Grace reflects on her journey as the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants in Queens, where early experiences interpreting for her parents shaped her pursuit of law and public service. She takes us inside her years at the Human Resources Administration (HRA), where she rose from staff attorney to agency leader, navigating moments of crisis like Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic. Grace shares candid stories about fighting for immigrant families, implementing emergency food supports like D-SNAP, and the human toll of leading a workforce during unprecedented times.

Now at the helm of United Way of New York City, Grace speaks to the urgent challenges facing New Yorkers as federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid loom. She underscores the pressure on local nonprofits and food pantries, and the collective responsibility to ensure that families remain fed, healthy, and supported. Greg and Grace close by looking ahead to the city’s political future, where she offers clear advice for the next mayor: hire people who know what they’re doing, keep ideology in check, and focus on the basics of health and food security.

Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)

Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Topics: immigrant experience, law and public service, HRA and DHS leadership, emergency response (Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19), food insecurity and SNAP, nonprofit resilience, equity in government systems, immigrant rights, United Way’s role in NYC, leadership in times of crisis, lessons for the next mayor