Our Mission

Our mission is to be a resource to others. In the fields of Compliance, Business Development, Marketing, and Web Development, FBDC hopes to empower the Bronx community by collaborating with small businesses and sharing ideas that promote sustainable growth and inclusive business ideologies.


Compliance

Federal Regulations
NYC Regulations
NY State Regulations

Business Development

Loan Financing
Performance Management
Strategy

Marketing

Branding
Marketing Research
Social Media

Web Development

Information Systems
Site Development
Web Consulting

wide angle photo of Brooklyn Bridge under cloudy sky

About Us

The Fordham Business Development Collaboratory, the FBDC, is an initiative with the Social Innovation Collaboratory at Fordham University. The FBDC intends to build partnerships with businesses across New York, with a primary focus on Bronx communities, while also being a resource for business development, marketing, and web development needs. Historically, financial exclusion is an issue that has unfairly affected residents of minority-majority communities like The Bronx. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent events have disproportionately harmed small business owners. In response, we have assembled a cohort of passionate, diverse, and qualified students from Fordham University to offer cost-free consulting services for businesses interested in partnering with our team. 

This initiative, spearheaded by the Social Innovation Collaboratory, aims to address short-term and long-term needs for small businesses facing adversity compounded by the pandemic. The FBDC is committed to uplifting The Bronx and surrounding communities economically and socially, as well as being part of the anti-racism campaign that Fordham University is currently conducting. Thus, the undergraduate and graduate departments of students and faculty have joined to establish a way to better integrate the Bronx community with the University’s day-to-day operations. 

Each team is made up of students who are pursuing degrees in the areas of finance, marketing, economics, web development, communications, and more.  These students have previous experience working in these fields of interest. We also work with professors, alumni, and other professional contacts to ensure our student collaborators have adequate knowledge and qualifications for each one of our business-related endeavors. 

Through the use of our research division, we hope to create a virtual hub of information to be readily available for any small business to utilize. Within our resources, we hope to provide infographics, reports, and videos that are easy to understand and cover important issues relating to compliance, finance, marketing, and web development. We also aim to provide the majority of our resources in both English and Spanish versions. Overall, we hope to support our clients through direct work and supplementary learning tools. 


Welcome to the FBDC!

Get to know some of the team and learn some more about what we do!


Want to learn more about the FBDC?

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Meet some of the Team!

Rich Shrestha


Founder

Fordham College at Rose Hill | Class of 2022

Economics Major with a Minor in Business Administration and Classical Civilization

“Being a resident of the campus community for the past few years, I have observed how Fordham interacts with the Bronx. The barriers between both parties are explicit and implicit, and I see the FBDC as a way to connect the student body with the Bronx community and culture. In doing so, I hope that students will become members of the Bronx rather than just students at Fordham.”

Matthew Rosa Ruane


Assistant Executive Director

Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill | Class of 2023

Applied Accounting and Finance Major

“I see the FBDC as a way for Fordham students to get involved and become a part of the community that hosts our University. Many of us, at Fordham, are merely guests of the Bronx during our four years here, and I believe that through the work of the FBDC we can become true members of the community. I hope to make a lasting impact on the Bronx small business community through the FBDC, and get to know more of the community.”

Interested?

Get in touch! Send us an email and tell us about yourself. Feel free to mention any particular services that catch your attention, and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Contact Us