Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Philanthropy Thursday!
Happy Women’s History Month and
MWBE Monday / Philanthropy Thursday to our Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Community!
We hope that everyone is well and celebrating Women’s History Month!
The origins of women’s history month are traced back to a school teacher Molly Murphy MacGregor in Sonoma County California in the 1970s. Women’s History Month is a legally declared international celebration honoring the
contributions of women to history, culture, and society. Since 1987, it has been observed annually in March in the United States.
 
As declared annually by a presidential proclamation, Women’s History Month in the United States is dedicated to reflecting on the numerous but often-overlooked contributions of women such as Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks to American history from independence to the present day.
Key Takeaways: Women's History Month
  • Women’s History Month is an annual celebration honoring the contributions of women to American history, culture, and society.
  • Women’s History Month is observed annually during March to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8.
  • Women’s History Month grew out of a Women’s History Week celebrated in Sonoma County, California, in 1978.
  • In 1980, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8th, 1980 as the first National Women’s History Week.
  • Women’s History Week was expanded to Women’s History Month by the U.S. Congress in 1987.
Women are great leaders, jugglers, negotiators, nurturers, etc., etc., etc. Many are CEO’s and Co-CEO’s of businesses and their households. Women make the world go round!   This past weekend Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. CEO Kecia Palmer-Cousins did a lot of juggling as she balanced, work, life and play! As always, Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. COO and hubby Kevin Cousins was right beside her juggling, work, life and play as well. It’s an equal playing field in the Cousins household where everyone’s contribution is acknowledged and appreciated daily.
Kevin and Kecia Balanced the Following This Past Weekend:

On Friday, Kecia (Feeding Westchester Board of Directors Member) attended the Blessing of the New Food Pantry Program at The Church of the Assumption.  She had a great time meeting Father Sanchez and Diana Loja (Community Liaison/Food Pantry Coordinator), Community Leaders and Volunteers at the Blessing of the Food Pantry at Church of the Assumption in Peekskill.  She was thankful for the opportunity to participate in this event on behalf of Feeding Westchester’s Board.
Kecia also met videographer David Carbone at the event who captured this much needed community event.
Early Saturday morning the Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. took care of business during their Mother membership meeting where Kecia is Chapter Historian.  This chapter of over 30 mighty women work together focused on their power to make a difference for their children and the children in their communities.
 
Saturday was also football day in the Cousins household. Kevin proudly watched in-person as Peekskill’s Varsity HS Football team won their 1st game of the season. An away game in Poughkeepsie. Kecia’s and Kevin’s sons, i.e. Kendall (Co-Captain), Kyle and their teammates celebrated their 1st season victory. Go Red Devils! Peekskill Pride!   Kecia was grateful for livestream so she could watch her “heart and soul” , Kendall and Kyle, have fun, giving their all on the football field.
On Thursday, 3/25/2021, the Peekskill HS Varsity Football Team gets the chance to play on their field of dreams against Mt. Vernon HS. (Kecia’s hometown.) This game will be extra special since it the will be the very first game played on the new football field. Many of the young men Playing for Peekskill HS, including Kendall and Kyle, advocated before the Peekskill High School Board of Education for a new field. Advocacy matters. They will get to
play on their field of dreams.
Saturday afternoon, Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc., The New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the Peekskill NAACP’s Economic Empowerment Committee co-hosted a MWBE Certification Workshop. Kecia assisted over 15 participants start their journey to complete their NYC MWBE Certification package. These MWBEs eyes are set on the prize of getting NYC MWBE Certified and securing contract opportunities with the NYC and NYS Agencies.
 
On Sunday, Wrestling was in the air. In Somers, Kevin watched Kendall placed 3rd Place at a Practice Scrimmage for NYS Sectionals. His regular season record was 6-0. Special shout-out to Peekskill Wrestling Coach Ortiz! Your dedication and support to the school’s wrestling program and the young men is truly phenomenal! We thank you for helping Kendall to soar in wrestling for the past 3 years. Kyle and Kecia took some much needed rest and relaxation at home and watched the match via livestream.
HS Varsity Football team, where he plays alongside his brother Kyle, he looks forward to a successful season.
On Saturday, he received the good news that he was accepted into Syracuse University (Mechanical Engineering). As he awaits decisions from other schools, he is grateful to thus far be granted early admissions into Morehouse College (Computer Engineering), University of Buffalo, Hampton, Howard and Temple Universities (Mechanical Engineering).
Decisions, decisions, decisions. We are proud of him and will support whatever engineering program he chooses to enter in the Fall, 2021!

Our children are our future. Let’s listen to them and guide them on this journey called “life”. Support and help them nurture their dreams as they bear their souls to us. Let’s not break their hearts nor their spirits. Let them be free to be whom are destined to be in life. Be kind.
I am blessed and grateful to love and see my sons grow every day and share my stories with them. Everyone has stories to share. Make room in your heart and soul to hear other’s stories as well as share yours with them. There’s room for everyone’s stories to be told.
We’ve “zoomed” and “bloomed” into Spring 2021!
 
The Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team’s goal this year is to continue to help our Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise clients and community partners implement and execute their dreams and goals in 2021! We motivate and collaborate with MWBEs , getting to their hearts and their souls as they thrive and survive to keep their businesses alive! We truly appreciate working with the fabulous, dedicated, women leaders leading our community partners and collaborators including the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Jean Kristensen Associates, LLC, New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Peekskill NAACP and the SBDC as we help MWBEs grow and sustain their businesses. In 1999, Kevin and Kecia were encouraged by their mentor Shellie Anderson- Tazi to establish Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. as a wellness and training business. In 2007, Kecia established G&K Sweet Foods, LLC with her friend Gay Wheeler-Smith. Women can and should continue to support each other through their personal and professional dreams and goals. In Unity there is strength. Hard work and dedication creates growth.
Women locally, nationally and around the world have contributed to and have built societies. Herstories make history each and every day! Congratulations to all women for all that you do each and every day! You make miracles happen every day in your own special way! 
 
Kecia and Kevin of the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team give a personal and loving salute to the first, very special women
in their lives, their mothers. Obie Palmer (Day Care Center business owner and Geriatric Nursing Professional) and NYS Senate
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins! We love you both and thank you for being inspirational role models to us, showering us both with love and affection in your own special way! You were our first herstory makers!
Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Fun-Fact – Kecia’s mother named her Kecia because she liked the name and the unique spelling of it. There were many versions of this name, Keisha, Keesha, Keesha, and so on. Kecia Nyman was a popular Finnish/Canadian model in the 60’s and 70’s, featured in an Ivory Soap commercial that Kecia’s mom saw the month that Kecia was born. Kecia’s mother loved fashion and kept seeing Kecia Nyman on the front cover of several magazines and an Ivory Soap commercial. Kecia means “rain”! Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.’s Kecia has met many Kecia’s of all races throughout the years
whose mothers also liked the spelling of this popular name and named their daughters after that same model. It is pronounced “Keesha”.
Kecia Nyman – Beauty Ads

One of the most prolific models of the Sixties and early Seventies is Finish beauty, Kecia Nyman. Her face never failed to sell, as her classic beauty appealed to women consumers all over the world. Whether she appeared in a Revlon ad shot by Richard Avedon or the smallest knitting magazine, women bought the product in droves. Many people consider Kecia Nyman to be the prettiest of the beautiful Sixties models. During her decade-long career, Kecia Nyman appeared on over 2000 covers worldwide and in ads for the top cosmetic companies. 
She worked with most of the greatest photographers of the time including Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Norman Parkinson and Richard Avedon.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Women throughout history have led nations, countries, businesses, educational institutions, governments, corporations, non-profits, Religious institutions, agencies, households, etc. If we can believed it, we achieved it and continue to do so! We are creative and make a way out of no way!
 
In 2021, we witnessed the inauguration of our first United States Vice President.  
In New York State, we have many dynamic, powerful women in government including Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, NYS Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and NYS Attorney General Letitia James. Sheroes making history empowering and encouraging other women to use their voices to affect change.
The Legislative Women's Caucus is a bipartisan and bicameral caucus of women elected to the New York State Legislature. Today, 69 women serve in both the Assembly and the Senate. These women represent urban, suburban and rural districts across New York State. Women are leading hospitals, medical teams, first responders, military teams, etc., as we deal with this global pandemic. We thank women everywhere who dare to make a difference.

OPRAH WINFREY – THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMAN IN THE WORLD

Thanks for letting us share a bit of Women’s History with you in today’s MWBE/Philanthropy Thursday. Women from all races have and continue to contribute to the history of the United States and to the world! Our stories and legacy are rich! Teaching and acknowledging our diverse herstories benefit everyone.
MWBE MONDAY RESOURCES 
Below are some networks and resources that Minority Women Owned Business Enterprises and small business owners can connect with to 
help them get through these challenging times. We’ve got your back!
Many minority and women business enterprise entrepreneurs use their local, County and State Agencies to stay current and tap into potential resources and procurement opportunities for their businesses and their communities. Getting MWBE Certified and procuring government contracts can help MWBEs build their businesses! Grants and loans are also parts of MWBEs portfolios to grow their businesses.
April 7, 2021
Tips to Help Prevent A Ransomware Attack from Closing your Business

April 14, 2021
Implementing a Security Model: Zero Trust It, Privilege Access Management, and Breach Monitoring
Emma Johnson Single Mother Grant

Every month, Johnson gives out $500 cash to one single mom, no strings attached. The 2021 Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant has one goal: Give a hand to single moms struggling with money, health, stress, child care, illness and loneliness. Qualifications are simple: 1. You’re a single mom. 2. You need the money right now. Click here to learn more.
Hudson Valley Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce Live Chat on MWBE Certification 
Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant

This grant is open to for-profit businesses that are majority-owned by a Black woman (cisgender or transgender) or a Black femme-identified individual.  
The program will award four grants of $10,000 each. 
Deadline to apply is May 1, 2021. Learn more here. 
Thurs. March 25, 2021 at 12:00pm
(SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce)
How to Start a Business
 
Thurs. April 1, 2021 at 9:30am
(SBA and Tech Incubator at Queens College)
Doing Business with the Federal Government
 
CONTACT:
Man-Li Lin
Economic Development Specialist
New York District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
PPP Revisions to Loan Amount Calculations & Eligibility
The SBA enacted changes as announced in February that expand eligibility and further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses. For example, Schedule C filers can now use gross income rather than net income when calculating the PPP loan amount. This change cannot be retroactive. Visit www.sba.gov/ppp or talk to your lender for more information.

Targeted EIDL Advance Mapping Tool
In case you missed it! Are you looking to determine if your business is potentially eligible for a Targeted EIDL Advance? A new mapping tool is available to help you determine if your business is in a low-income community, which is a requirement to qualify for a Targeted EIDL Advance.

Check the tool to see if your business address meets the low-income community eligibility requirement before applying. As a reminder, the SBA is reaching out to potential applicants to determine eligibility, so no action is needed on your part until you receive an email from the SBA. Learn more here and visit the FAQ for more information. 
SBA has added the following new materials on the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant website.
As a reminder, those looking to apply for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant will need to be registered in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management, SAM.gov.
The SBA only communicates from email addresses ending in @sba.gov. If you are being contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA who is not using an official SBA email address, you should suspect fraud.
More than 1,000 businesses have been certified to participate in the Woman Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program through http://beta.certify.sba.gov. Find out if your small business is eligible for the program and learn how to get certified.
ICYMI: SBA Celebrated Black History Month – Recognizing the Resilience, Grit and Tenacity of America’s African American Small Business Heroes
Award-winning entrepreneurs Tim Porter of Appddiction Studio, LLC, Diana Lewis Jackson of Action Facilities Management, Necole Parker of Elocen Group and Tisa Clark of J.D. Clark Professional Services shared amazing advice for other aspiring business owners during SBA's Black History Month.

Be Inspired: Small Business Success Story in Celebration of Women's History Month
When Nikki Guerrero moved to Portland from Phoenix, Arizona to pursue a career in commercial photography in 1999, Mexican cuisine had not yet made a significant impact on Oregon’s food scene.

Nikki grew up making salsa and tortillas with her grandmother from Mexico and was always asked to bring the salsa to social gatherings. One day, a friend from Arizona who had just purchased a local produce and grocery store in North Portland, asked Nikki if she could supply fresh salsa from locally sourced ingredients for the store.

Federal Coronavirus Resources
State, local, and federal agencies are working together to maintain the safety, security, and health of the American people. Check out coronavirus.gov for updates from the White House's COVID-19 Task Force. Go to cdc.gov for detailed information about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visit covid-sb.org, the official federal resource website for U.S. small businesses affected by COVID-19.

Virtual Mentoring and Training 
Offices around the country may be closed due to the pandemic, but SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers and other resource partners are providing free business mentoring and training by phone, email, and video.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced its fiscal year 2021 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I topics. NIST’s SBIR program encourages domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has the potential for commercialization with funding of up to $100,000 per project.

Funding is available in areas such as measurement, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and privacy, advanced communications, infrastructure and resilience. The deadline to apply is April 14. 
The SBA's Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development (IATF) and Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs (ACVBA) will hold virtual public meetings on March 3 and 4, respectively, via Microsoft Teams.

The advisory committees are dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by the military and veteran small business community, especially as businesses work to recover and rebuild in the wake of the pandemic. These quarterly meetings provide a critical opportunity to further support and advocate for veteran small business owners nationwide.
Be Inspired: Small Business Success Story in Celebration of Black History and Women’s History Month
Tisa J.D. Clark started her own construction and facilities maintenance company J.D. Clark Professional Services with help from SBA programs and services.
Clark credits the Small Business Development Center, a nationwide, SBA-funded business consulting and training organization, as particularly helpful in expanding her Upper Marlboro, Maryland-based business into new areas. She graduated from the SBA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative, an intensive executive-level training series designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses in America’s underserved communities. She also received no-cost mentoring through SCORE to help solidify her company’s revenue flow and profitability.
Mission and Installation Contracting Command Advance Planning Briefing for Industry
Registration is now open through March 12 at beta.SAM.gov for the virtual Mission and Installation Contracting Command Advance Planning Briefing for Industry taking place March 22-26.
MICC officials announced in November the virtual APBI event as their single, command-wide effort for 2021 to reach small business and large industry representatives and forecast 2021, 2022 and 2023 contract requirements in support of varied Army mission partners.
PEEKSKILL YOUTH BUREAU WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM
Join the Peekskill Youth Bureau in celebrating AMAZING women and young ladies near and dear to the Peekskill Youth Bureau youth and the Community! Special thanks and congratulations to Peekskill Youth Bureau Executive Director Tuesday McDonald on her dedicated leadership leading the PYB and presenting a phenomenal Women’s History Month presentation highlighting the accomplishments of the fabulous women and young ladies.
Have a safe and great week! Stay connected with us so you stay connected! Follow us on our social media! We will get through the year end of 2021 together! We thank each and everyone of you for your continued support and business!
 
Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc! We help MWBEs focus on the health and wellness of their business! Let’s get it done, in 2021! We are here for you! Just give us a call at 914-737-7237 or schedule a consultation with us at www.aerobasoul.com.
You’ll be glad that you did!
 
Happy Women’s History Month! Special shout out to our parents, family and friends for your continued love and support to us!
 
Let’s all support and celebrate women today and every day!


"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Kecia, Kevin and the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. family thank everyone for their continued support! We truly appreciate it as we continue to motivate and collaborate with MWBEs to project completion! Stay safe, stay well, stay connected with us, your Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Family!
Sincerely,
Kecia and Kevin
Contact Kecia and Kevin at (914) 737-7237 with questions about starting or growing your business!

You can also visit our website at www.aerobasoul.com or email Kecia at kecia@aerobasoul.com.

At Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. we build dreams to life with heart and a soul! Like a trusted friend and confidante, our personal project managers tap into their vivid imaginations, hearts and souls to analyze clients projects and engineer solutions through project completion. 

We are “imagineers”, igniting M/WBEs to refocus on themselves, their businesses and giving back to their communities. Our one-on-one technical assistance sessions and training programs are designed to help entrepreneurs and MWBE’s project manage their lives and get to the heart and soul of their personal and professional development. 

We “motivate” and “collaborate” with our clients through project completion! 

Our services include:
  • Business Management Consulting Services
  • Life Coaching
  • MWBE Consulting/Prepare NYC/NYS MWBE Certification Applications
  • Public Speaking
  • Project Management
  • Training
  • Career Preparation
  • Customer Service
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Leadership
  • Networking
Kecia Palmer-Cousins, MBA

Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.

Office: 914.737.7237
Cell: 914.512.4373

Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.