Small businesses across Long Island were awarded grants at the 2025 Small Business Summit on Wednesday, June 18.
Local businesses received $5,000 as part of the L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants program through the Long Island Association and Optimum Business.
at Optimum’s office in Bethpage. A total of 20 businesses in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties were honored at the Bethpage office.
Two businesses will also be given $25,000 grand prizes later this summer.
“Small businesses are a reflection of how a community is doing,” said Jay Guy, vice president and general manager of Optimum New York. “They need to thrive and they need to be vibrant.”
Multiple leaders congratulated the recipients, including Stacey Sikes, the vice president of government affairs and communications for the LIA, and Andrew Rainone, the senior vice president of national sales at Optimum.
“Small businesses not only drive our economy, but they make our communities vibrant,” Sikes said.
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY), who represents the 4th Congressional District, congratulated the award winners and also shared her support for local businesses.
“We want to make it easier for your business to thrive by cutting out the red tape, making permitting easier, making sure that you have access to the capital that you need through small business loans,” Gillen said. “We are here to be a resource for you.”
U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who represents the 4th Congressional District, called on the importance of the grants for small businesses.
“You are dealing every day with real-life issues of how to pay your employees, how to pay your bills, how to increase sales, how to deliver for your customers, and how to keep on moving forward,” he said.
Carol Bottiglieri is the owner and founder of TrueCare, a day-care program for people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s in Massapequa and Seaford. She said the grant money the company received will go toward making an outside area for the daycare.
Thomas Lynch, the owner of Morgan’s Swan River Marina in Patchogue, said the grant money will go toward paying seasonal workers during the summer.
“It’s very nice to recognize small businesses,” he said. “You can always use help.”
Businesses applied for grants on the LIA website. Eligible applicants for the $5,000 grant needed to have 10 or fewer full-time employees, a brick-and-mortar storefront or spend most of their time in the community and the application needed to show how funding will support the growth of the business and the community where it operates.
The application deadline closed in March.
The program awarded $250,000 in grants to 50 small businesses on Long Island in 2024 as part of its first year.
The L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grants are provided through its founding partner, Optimum Business, as well as the LIA’s partnership with the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce.
“Supporting small businesses on Long Island isn’t just part of our mission – it is woven into the fabric of who we are,” Matt Cohen, the president and CEO of the LIA, said.
“What you’re doing is making a difference in people’s lives, and I think that’s very big.” President of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce Phil Andrews said to the award winners Friday.
The summit also offered networking opportunities for businesses and award winners received a free membership with the LIA.
