Some events sell merch. Some events build community. Saturday, September 5 in Co-op City was the second kind, and we'd do it again tomorrow.

From The Bronx tabled at Wellness in the Community: A Day of Health, Healing & Connection, a free health and wellness expo at the Dreiser Community Center on Dreiser Loop. The day was organized by Mōnshe, founded by Melissa Groneveldt, in partnership with the American Cancer Society and Riverbay Corporation.

Event flyer courtesy of Mōnshe

Over 30 exhibitors came out across wellness, beauty, food, financial education, community services, books, and fitness. There was chair yoga, Zumba, line dancing, music by DJ Black Icon, book giveaways, raffles, and a room full of neighbors who came to take care of themselves and each other. Co-op City is the largest cooperative housing development in the world, and it showed up like it.

The From The Bronx table at the Dreiser Community Center

There's another reason we were there. Melissa is a fellow in Cohort 3 of the Community Enterprise Accelerator, The Bronx-based fellowship that From The Bronx's Anthony Ramirez II has been part of since December, alongside LR2 Photo Studio, Terese Sydonna, and pinStripe IT. This month, that fellowship wraps up.

Nine months of weekly coaching, mastermind sessions with the other fellows, mentors from M&T Bank and NY PACE, and monthly events with the people who actually move things in The Bronx. Grant funding with no equity and no repayment. It's the kind of support small Bronx businesses usually have to pay someone for, and it's shaped how we think about growing this brand for years to come. We'll have more to say about that soon.

If you own a for-profit business operating primarily in The Bronx, have been in business at least a year, and are ready to grow, Cohort 4 is accepting applications now at ceabx.org. Apply. Then come find us at the next event.

From The Bronx to The World!!