“Stay Calm” was written during the Covid-19 pandemic and features 12 Staten Island entrepreneurs whose businesses have not only survived crises but have been able to come out the other side stronger, and wiser. The entrepreneurs featured and co-authors of this book are:
Mike Bloomfield of Tekie Geek
James Thomson of Scamardella, Gervasi, Thomson & Kasegrande, P.C.
Jaclyn Tacoronte of JMT Media
Kevin P. McKernan of McKernan Law
Sam Angiuli of The Angiuli Group, LLC & Flagship Brewery
John Tapinis of John Tapinis & Associates
Stephen Molloy of Molloy Electric
Sadia Malik of Interscience Laboratory
Dominick Ciccarelli of thinkDESIGN Architecture
Lana Seidman of Help Organize My Business Inc.
James Prendamano of Casandra Properties
And Todd Bivona and Michael Graziuso of Gotham Trinity Productions
Each chapter tells a story of not only surviving, but thriving in business, and the lessons that can (and should) be learned during crises, which can dramatically affect business moving forward. This book is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced business owners alike. A book like “Stay Calm” creates not only a sense of hope for business owners struggling currently, but shows how united they truly are with other business owners and entrepreneurs.
Mike Bloomfield, owner of Tekie Geek, is responsible for bringing all the co-authors together for this book. During the quarantine, what started as a small idea to simply unite Staten Island business owners manifested into a book that documents each author’s individual story and outlook on coming out shining, despite the situation they were handed.
“Throughout the years, Staten Island business owners have had their fair share of disasters, from Hurricane Sandy to the 2020 Global Pandemic. However, no matter the crisis, Staten Islanders have remained resilient and emerged stronger than ever before,” said Mike Bloomfield. “No matter the situation,” he continued, “the most important thing you can do is “Stay Calm” in order to push forward. In this book, you will read and discover the inspiring stories from our authors of their personal experience with crisis and how they broke through to the other side.”
The co-authors felt it was also necessary to give back to the Staten Island community, having selected that all proceeds from the book will be donated between The Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund and the Minority Women in Business Association of Staten Island.
“I would like to thank all the authors for choosing to Carl Vincent Bini Memorial fund as being one of the charities receiving proceeds from this book. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic we have suspended all fundraising efforts and this money will go a long way to continue our mission of helping our local community in a time of need,” said Massimo DiDonna, Chairman & Co-Founder of The Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund.
“Stay Calm: How a Crisis Can Strengthen Your Business” is available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/2KW8olf
ABOUT TEKIE GEEK
Tekie Geek is a New York based award-winning I.T. Managed Service Provider headquartered in Staten Island, NY. Tekie Geek helps small and medium sized businesses by offering four core services; Managed IT, Business Continuity, Unified Communications, and Cloud Computing. With Tekie Geek’s help, business owners are able to sleep better at night knowing their IT Infrastructure is being protected by the IT Superheroes.
Learn more about our core values, which include “Clients, Culture, and Community” along with the rest of our story at www.tekiegeek.com
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mike Bloomfield is the President of Tekie Geek, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) headquartered in Staten Island, NY. Mike is seen as an IT expert throughout the IT community and is regularly published in numerous IT publications including Tech Decisions, ChannelPro Magazine, Channel Executive, and others. In 2020, Mike was also recognized as an Amazon bestselling author for his book, Hack Proof Your Business – Volume 2. Tekie Geek is an award-winning MSP, with its core services being Managed IT Services, Business Continuity, Cloud Computing, and Unified Communication. For more information, visit www.tekiegeek.com
James H. Thomson, Esq. is the partner overseeing the real estate and business law departments at Scamardella, Gervasi, Thomson & Kasegrande, P.C. Mr. Thomson has overseen these departments since 2007. In that capacity, he has handled thousands of transactions for hundreds of business owners, not-for-profits and individual clients. At the current time, his legal work is focused on the representation of commercial property owners and business owners. These services are offered in both New York and New Jersey. For more information, visit www.statenlaw.com
Jaclyn M. Tacoronte is an award-winning marketing and public relations professional with over 20 years of experience in both agency and client-side settings, serving Fortune 500 companies, including Canon, Puma, Harley- Davidson, and Proctor & Gamble. She is frequently a public relations guest speaker and panelist for New York State Council for the Arts, Staten Island Not For Profit Association, Center for Non-Profit Success, and Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness. She is currently the CEO & President of JMT Media, LLC., a New York certified M/WBE boutique marketing, public relations, and design firm that specializes in small business marketing and the non- profit sector. For more information, visit www.jmtmedia.nyc
Mr. McKernan has been practicing law for over 30 years, starting his career in criminal prosecution. In Mr. McKernan’s time as Bureau Chief of Investigation and Senior Trial Attorney in the Office of the Richmond County District Attorney he successfully tried numerous felony jury trials. This experience gave him a unique insight into criminal defense and thorough knowledge of how criminal court really works. In stressful life situations involving the law, Mr. McKernan guides his clients through the process step by step in order to produce the best resolution. Mr. McKernan is committed to excellence in all aspects of law and firmly believes that he has a duty to care for those he represents as individuals, not simply clients. For more information, visit www.kmckernanlaw.com
Sam Angiuli is the Chief Operating Officer of The Angiuli Group, LLC, a privately-owned company based in New York. The Angiuli Group invests in, develops, and manages various local business and real estate ventures. The company strives to build and maintain a strong symbiotic relationship with its business partners and tenants so that it may pursue diverse and creative projects that promote positive, sustainable impacts in the communities they serve. For more information, contact Sam at info@angiuligroup.com
John Tapinis, the founder of John Tapinis & Associates, is a native Staten Islander who started his business in 2002. He enjoys volunteering his time with various organizations – he was the chair of the board of the Staten Island Mental Health Society for over seven years, and is currently a Richmond University Medical Center Hospital board member. He has a passion for, and has devoted his career to, helping people, their families and their businesses. For more information, visit www.groupjt.com
Stephen Molloy was raised on Corbin Ave in Great Kills where he has wonderful childhood memories of all the neighborhood kids hanging out at the nearby schoolyard and play handball, etc. Stephen was introduced to a whole new world of electrical work and the places it can take you, from malls, live shows… the possibilities were endless, and that’s when he knew he wanted to do this for the rest of his life and he wanted to become a Master Electrician, later forming Molloy Electric. For more information, visit www.molloyelectric.com
Sadia Malik Sheikh is a first-generation Muslim American- Pakistani, born in Staten Island. She received her high school Degree from Notre Dame Academy and her degree in health care administration from St. John’s University. Her medical background includes Staten Island university hospital and Staten Island physicians’ practice. For the last 25 years, she is Vice President of operations and network for Interscience. For more information, visit www.intersciencelabs.net
Dominick Ciccarelli Jr. is a New York City- based entrepreneur with a strategic portfolio of business spanning the construction, architectural, and real estate industries. Dominick holds an architectural degree from the New York Institute of Technology and is currently a key member at Think Design Architecture, one of the largest architectural firms in Staten Island. Think Design boasts an impressive clientele of residential, commercial and corporate work across the tri-state area. Some local work includes Angelina’s Restaurante, Enoteca Maria, Crafthouse, James Carozza’s Cookie Jar on Forest Avenue, and A Piece of Cake on New Dorp Lane. National brands like Family Dollar, Gamestop, Panda Express, Mr. Daymond John from Shark Tank, FUBU, and Jennifer Lopez’s Viva Movil round out an expansive list of high-profile clients. For more information, visit www.thinkdesignarch.com
With more than two decades of operational and management experience, Lana Seidman established Help Organize My Business Inc., a New York State corporation designed to help businesses get healthy. Over the last seven years, Lana has helped business owners and their organizations establish best practices, streamline operating procedures, and gain a strong foundation as they grow their businesses. Lana utilizes her skills to help organizations set priorities and retool for a sleeker, more strategically-focused approach. For more information, visit www.helporganizemybusiness.com
James Prendamano is the CEO for Casandra Properties, Inc., Staten Island’s premier real-estate firm. For nearly three decades, with his trademark enthusiasm, creativity, and leadership, James has shepherded the completion of transformative projects, including major initiatives reshaping Staten Island’s commercial real estate landscape. For more information, visit www.casandraproperties.com
Todd Bivona and Michael Graziuso together have decades of television and film experience between them, deciding a few years back to form Gotham Trinity Productions. We are a film and media production company that comes from a varied background of small business ownership as well as extensive experience in the television and film industries. From the idea phase, writing, development, acting, shooting and editing, we are a full service operation. For more information, visit www.gothamtrinityproductions.com