Staff

Language:  English

Aaron Lackman joined the Business Center for New Americans in 2005 as a business counselor and now serves as a loan officer in the Business Center's Refugee Program.  The son of a refugee parent and grandparents, he is proud to help improve the lives of new refugees arriving in New York City. 

He is responsible for the assessment of potential borrowers and the underwriting and packaging of loans to refugee business owners.  He continues to spearhead the initiative to develop the Center's Credit Enhancement Program which provides workshops and one-on-one assistance to repair poor credit history. He works closely with the staff at the Credit Builder's Alliance to stay informed about new legislation and industry practices which can impact the credit of low and moderate income individuals.

Mr. Lackman holds an MBA in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship from Baruch College in New York City and a BA in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Albany. In his free time, Aaron co-owns and helps operate Finding Sukha Yoga School, as well as helping manage The Cangelosi Cards, a 7-piece jazz band that tours internationally.

Languages:  English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Chow Zhow, and Vietnamese

Dong Tran is a Senior Loan Officer and Portfolio Manager. She started the Minority and Women Owned Business Program at the BCNA and continues to oversee and assist with the underwriting, lending and technical assistance to women owned businesses in NYC.   

She has more than ten years of experience in the micro-enterprise development field in the U.S.  She herself was an entrepreneur for many years.  She has owned and managed a grocery, a hardware store, and  restaurants in Vietnam and the U.S.  She is passionate about serving immigrants who want to start or expand their businesses.

In her free time, Ms. Tran enjoys gardening, playing light sports and traveling.

Languages:  English, French and Creole

Francess Smith has worked at BCNA as a Program Specialist for the Individual Development Account (IDA) Program since 2000 and for the First Home Program since 2002. In her work, she uses her technical expertise to provide clients with an acculturation to the American financial system.  An immigrant who understands the challenges of starting a new life in the US, she is enthusiastic about advocating effectively for clients and guiding them in the right direction whether it is to opening a bank account or buying their first home.

Before joining BCNA, she spent six years working as a Program Specialist for the Fellowship Program at the Open Society Institute. She is certified as a Home Ownership Counselor by NeighborWorks.

Ms. Smith has a BA in French and Communication from Hunter College of the City University of New York. She is a native of Haiti who has lived in France and completed a certificate in linguistics from Nanterre University in Paris.  A parent and an active member of her local PTA club, she enjoys traveling and shares a passion for soccer with her husband, a former professional soccer player in Europe.

Languages:  English and Russian

Leonid Ostrovsky is the Senior Loan Officer and the Managing Coordinator of the Center. He has been with The Business Center for New Americans since January of 1998. He likes to work with clients from various ethnic backgrounds, but the majority of his clients are entrepreneurs from the Russian immigrant community who are typically looking for larger loans.

"I find it very rewarding to see our clients be successful and grow their businesses. When I drive through our community in Brooklyn – it gives me a lot of satisfaction to tell my wife and my friends – that business is my client and that one is too." 

Mr. Ostrovsky graduated from the Kiev College of Music and the Syrit Computer School in the Ukraine. He came to the US from the FSU in 1989.  His passion is music and most of his free time is spent in a  home recording studio, writing and producing music.

Languages:  English and Spanish

Maria Paulino began her career at the Business Center in 2004. She is currently a Loan Officer who works primarily with women and Hispanic entrepreneurs to access credit from the Center's Microloan Fund. She works closely with clients to create detailed business plans, develop marketing materials, and choose technology that is appropriate to each client's needs. In addition to her main responsibility as Loan Officer, she also oversees the technology and eCommerce training at the Center.

She led the initiative, when BCNA was selected in 2005 by the eBay Foundation as one of four microenterprise programs chosen to take part in a national pilot technology program, to develop and administer the program at BCNA. Because the program was so successful, it was extended until 2008.

"The opportunity to provide information and direction to fellow immigrant entrepreneurs is immensely satisfying. I got a lot of help and guidance from the community when I came to this country, now it's time to give back."

Ms. Paulino holds a bachelor's degree in Financial Economics from Binghamton University.  Her passion is educating immigrant entrepreneurs on the benefits of using technology to manage and grow their businesses.

Languages:  English, Tibetan and Nepali

Yanki Tshering founded the Business Center for New Americans as a department of NYANA in 1997 and her leadership was key as BCNA transitioned, from 2009 through 2010, into a new and independent entity.

She has over twelve years of experience in developing and implementing economic development programs in New York City. Her responsibilities center around supporting the long-term sustainability of the organization and include setting the vision and strategic direction, fundraising, fiscal oversight, fiscal management, and working closely with the Board of Directors to assist  in board development.

Her passion for economic development stems from her belief that with the appropriate support, new comers to this country like refugees can start new lives and contribute to the mainstream economy. 

Ms. Tshering, who came to the US in 1986,  has a Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University with a functional specialization in Economic Development and a regional specialization in South Asian Studies. She is also a board member of Piper Theatre in Brooklyn.

Languages:  English and the African dialects of Bassa and Kru.

Zachariah Logan was hired in 2003 to assist in the development of an effective outreach strategy which targeted refugees from Africa. He was so effective that he was hired full-time and currently serves as a Loan Officer in the Business Center's Refugee Program. He works closely with refugees who are starting businesses in New York City for the first time or are trying to expand businesses with limited resources.

He came to the US from Liberia in 1996 as a serious contender to Ben Johnson for the 100 meters race but was unfortunately eliminated by Liberia's US based team.  After the Olympic Games, he could not return to Liberia due to the civil war so he stayed on in the US. He worked at odd jobs before finding employment at Lutheran Social Services of Metropolitan New York as a medical case manager and finally came to work at the Business Center.

Mr. Logan has a BSC in biology from the University of Liberia and a Master's in Community Health from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus. He is an active member of the Liberian community on Staten Island and can be seen at community events with his wife and six children.