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For decades the women of New York have been at the forefront of the local business community, running companies in industries as diverse as law, media, construction, finance and architecture. Today there are nearly 600,000 women-­owned businesses in New York, the most of any city in the U.S.

The statistic reflects women’s grit and determination to succeed professionally. The figure also represents numerous pioneer business owners, some of whom have been in their roles for decades.

With its list of Notable Women Business Owners, Crain’s recognizes those who have forged their career paths and, in turn, powered the city’s economy. Women-owned companies represent more than 40% of all registered businesses in the city and generate more than $70 billion in revenue annually.

This list includes trailblazers such as Dorothea Regal, who founded a litigation law firm 25 years ago, a rare event for the time, and Barbara Armand Kushner, who 30 years ago set up a construction management firm that has city agencies as clients today. Also on Crain’s list is Marci Lobel-Esrig, who more recently established a bill-payment service, SilverBills, to help manage household finances.

The accomplishments of the women on these pages mirror a commitment by the city to support women-owned businesses. The Department of Small Business Services, for example, created Women Entrepreneurs NYC, an initiative that enables women to start and grow businesses.
For their part, the honorees have given back to their communities, encouraging future generations of women business owners.

Read on to learn more about these women of distinction and be inspired by their success.

In New York politics, there’s always some kind of calamity or scandal. What made 2020 so unusual was that several once-in-a-generation crises – the deadly spread of COVID-19, the economic shutdown, the uproar over the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a chaotic election cycle – disrupted everyone all at once.

As politicians, government officials, business executives and nonprofit leaders navigate these turbulent times, they are turning to savvy PR professionals to help get their message across, whether it’s highlighting their responses to the pandemic, drawing attention to demands for social justice or simply maintaining connections with employees working remotely.

City & State’s second annual Political PR Power 50 features the top communications pros in New York who are confronting these unprecedented challenges. While other PR lists feature firms representing leading brands and cultural attractions, this list focuses on players directly involved in the world of New York politics and policy.

The list includes scrappy one-person operations; leaders of mid-sized outfits with such specialties as nonprofits, tourism and hospitality, or progressive candidates and causes; political consulting firms with thriving communications practices; and New York-based executives at PR powerhouses with a national or international reach. And given the unique environment we’re in, we asked each firm to describe how the world changed in 2020 – and how they’re adapting in 2021.