New York City is working to expand the capacity of the New York Business Assistance Corporation (NYBAC), an affiliated nonprofit of their Department of Small Business Services (SBS) division that supports small business and workforce development through philanthropic partnerships. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop a strategic plan, revise governance structure, and design a sustainable fundraising strategy for NYBAC. Ultimately, this will help SBS increase access to resources for entrepreneurs and workers, strengthen public-private collaboration, and support comprehensive economic growth across all five boroughs.

Fellowship Dates: October 27, 2025 – October 23, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities, including affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects. They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve their project goals.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Public-private partnerships play a critical role in expanding opportunity and increasing access to business and workforce resources for residents across America. When effectively mobilized, philanthropic support can help deliver programs that connect entrepreneurs to capital, provide technical assistance, and build pathways to employment. Small businesses often face barriers to accessing these services, especially those led by immigrants, individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, and residents of lower-income neighborhoods. Strengthening a city’s capacity to engage private partners and deliver funding beyond traditional public channels can help reduce these barriers and ensure more residents benefit from comprehensive, community-driven economic growth.

The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) offers free programs that support small business growth, workforce training, and commercial corridor revitalization. These efforts are primarily funded through the City Tax Levy and federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) dollars. In recent years, SBS has partnered with philanthropic funders to launch high-impact initiatives such as the Small Business Opportunity Fund and Site Safety Training programs. To strengthen and sustain this work, SBS established the New York Business Assistance Corporation (NYBAC), an affiliated nonprofit that receives and deploys private contributions in support of SBS’s mission. NYBAC has historically administered microgrants, business technology programs, and emergency relief funding to advance employment and economic development across the city. SBS is now working to expand NYBAC’s role to further enhance its ability to serve small businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities throughout New York City.

New York City will partner with FUSE to expand the capacity and effectiveness of NYBAC. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a listening tour and landscape analysis; assess models from other city-affiliated nonprofits; engage key stakeholders; develop a comprehensive NYBAC strategic plan, including a revision of its governance structure; and launch pilot fundraising efforts. Ultimately, this will help SBS expand its reach, attract new investment, and improve access to critical services for entrepreneurs, workers, and communities across the five boroughs.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in October 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will partner with the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the New York Business Assistance Corporation (NYBAC). This partnership will help SBS expand access to small business and workforce development services, increase private sector engagement, and deliver more responsive and inclusive programming across New York City.

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour with key stakeholders, including SBS leadership, NYBAC board members, the Office of the General Counsel, philanthropic funders, and community-based organizations. The tour will aim to gather insight into NYBAC’s current structure, role, and opportunities for growth, particularly in areas such as public engagement, volunteerism, youth entrepreneurship education, and neighborhood development. The fellow will also research best practices from organizations with similar models of city-affiliated nonprofits, such as the Sanitation Foundation, CityParks Foundation, and NYC Police Foundation.

In parallel, the fellow will conduct a landscape analysis of NYBAC’s existing governance, fundraising, and programming functions. Evaluate the potential for NYBAC to expand in areas such as public engagement and awareness of SBS programs and small business needs, volunteerism and community outreach initiatives, youth entrepreneurship education and neighborhood development programming, event planning, fundraising, and grantmaking in support of SBS initiatives. Based on these findings, the fellow will work with SBS and NYBAC leadership to develop specific project goals and deliverables for review and approval by the NYBAC Board before advancing to the next phase of work.

Using the insights gathered, the fellow will lead the development of a comprehensive NYBAC strategic plan that outlines key priorities, capacity-building opportunities, and expansion pathways. The fellow will collaborate with SBS’s legal team to review and revise NYBAC’s governance documents to ensure legal compliance, transparency, and alignment with current organizational goals within the plan.

The fellow will define priority funding areas in partnership with SBS teams and develop a multi-year fundraising strategy that supports SBS initiatives across small business support, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, and MWBE advancement. The fellow will submit at least six applications for external funding or sponsorship during the fellowship year and use the results to inform the design of a long-term fundraising strategy. As time allows, the fellow may also launch pilot partnerships, events, or grantmaking efforts that showcase NYBAC’s capacity to support SBS programming.

The fellow will deliver the finalized NYBAC Strategic Plan for Board adoption, revised governance documents developed in collaboration with the General Counsel’s office, and a fundraising roadmap to guide future resource development. The fellow will also produce a report summarizing NYBAC’s expanded role and its potential as a scalable model for nonprofit-agency collaboration.

To ensure sustainability, the fellow will create an implementation roadmap with staffing recommendations, timelines, and performance monitoring tools. These efforts will position NYBAC as a long-term philanthropic partner capable of enhancing SBS’s operational agility, expanding program impact, and improving access to critical resources for entrepreneurs, workers, and communities across all five boroughs.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor: Dynishal Gross, Commissioner, NYC Small Business Services
  • Project Supervisor: Dynishal Gross, Commissioner, NYC Small Business Services

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.