The NYC Workforce Drop with NYCETC’s Gregory J. Morris

What does it take to turn opportunity from something determined by luck into something every New Yorker can count on? Greg sits down with Richard Buery, CEO of Robin Hood, for a wide-ranging conversation about poverty, workforce development, education, racial equity, public service, and building systems that create real economic opportunity. Rich reflects on growing up in East New York, discoverin...

How does New York City stay competitive while creating more opportunity for the people who live and work here? Greg sits down with Steven M. Fulop, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City and former Mayor of Jersey City, for a wide-ranging conversation about economic growth, workforce development, housing, public service, and the future of New York City’s economy. Steve reflects on...

What does it mean to represent a community that is continually asked to do more with less? Gregory J Morris (NYCETC CEO) sits down with New York City Council Member Althea Stevens (D-16) as she reflects on more than two decades in youth development and the nonprofit sector, the young people who encouraged her to run for office, and how that experience shapes her leadership as Chair of the Council’...

Greg sits down with Maria Torres-Springer, President of the Charles H. Revson Foundation and former New York City First Deputy Mayor, for a conversation about public service, economic opportunity, and building a city that works for working people. Maria reflects on growing up in a working-class immigrant family and how those experiences shaped more than two decades of leadership in city government...

Greg sits down with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine for a wide-ranging conversation about public service, economic uncertainty, nonprofit infrastructure, and preparing New York City for the next economy. Mark reflects on his path from teaching bilingual math and science in the South Bronx to founding Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union in Washington Heights, serving in the City Council a...

Greg sits down with Lauren Melodia, Director of Economic and Fiscal Policy at the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School, for a conversation about child care, affordability, economic justice, and building an economy that works for working New Yorkers. At the center of the conversation is New York City’s child care system and the workers holding it together. Lauren and Greg examine the...

"Don’t ask what’s needed of you. Find the need and fulfill it.” That idea has shaped Degan Mercado Leopold’s career across social impact, public service, diversity recruiting, philanthropy, politics, and now her work as Chief Partnerships Officer at the New York Jobs CEO Council. In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, Greg Morris sits down with Degan to talk about what it takes to build a...

What does it take to build a neighborhood people want to be part of? In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, Greg Morris sits down with Jeffrey LeFrancois, Executive Director of the Meatpacking District Management Association, for a wide-ranging conversation about civic life, economic development, housing, public space, politics, and the many ways New Yorkers build power by showing up. Jeffrey...

“A room and a job to pay for it.” That line has shaped The Doe Fund’s work for nearly 40 years, and in this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, Greg Morris sits down with Jennifer Mitchell , President and CEO of The Doe Fund , to talk about why that idea still matters and what it looks like in practice today. Jen traces the path that brought her to this work: growing up in a family grounded in serv...

Greg sits down with Angie Kamath , Dean of the NYU School of Professional Studies , for a conversation about career pivots, higher education, workforce systems, and what it really means to keep growing in a changing economy. Angie brings a career path that spans the private sector, nonprofit leadership, New York City government, CUNY, and NYU, and with it, a deeply practical view of how people mov...

Greg sits down with Ayesha George , Executive Director of STRIVE New York ,  for a conversation about leadership, second chances, career pathways, and the deeply human work of helping New Yorkers move toward economic mobility. Ayesha shares how her journey began in Michigan, where athletics opened a door to college and helped shape the discipline, competitiveness, and resilience that continue to g...

Greg sits down with Miquela Craytor , Senior Advisor (former interim Executive Director, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC), founder of Craytor Strategies , for a conversation about planning, power, environmental justice, industrial policy, and what it takes to build real economic opportunity in New York City. Miquela reflects on her path from Oregon to New York, from wa...

Andrew Rigie , Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance , joins Greg Morris for a conversation about restaurants, nightlife, small business survival, and what really happens behind the scenes in one of New York City’s most beloved industries. From hard-to-get reservations to rising labor costs, health inspections, outdoor dining rules, liquor licenses, and the future of nightli...

Anthony Barrows , Executive Director of ⁠ Lift New York⁠ and longtime advocate for economic justice and systems reform, joins ⁠ Greg Morris ⁠ for a conversation about poverty, public systems, and the role community plays in helping families thrive. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in public housing in Boston, navigating foster care, and relying on social support systems as a young person,...

Brian Aquart —Vice President of Workforce & Community Education at Northwell Health, host of the Why I Left podcast , and founder of Storyline by Kingswood —joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and building clearer pathways into healthcare careers. From arriving in New York after the 2008 financial crisis and navigating early-career setbacks to leading workforce educ...

In this special mini episode, Greg Morris and Gary P. Jenkins take a moment to honor the life and legacy of Fred Shack, the longtime CEO of Urban Pathways and a tireless advocate for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Fred’s impact on the city—and on the people and colleagues who worked alongside him—was profound. Known for his unwavering commitment, sharp insight, and deep compassion, he help...

Gary P. Jenkins —CEO of Urban Pathways and former NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner—joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and building systems that actually work for New Yorkers. From growing up in Fort Greene as the youngest of eight, to navigating early setbacks in college and rising through every level of city government, Jenkins shares the experiences tha...

In Part Two of this two-part conversation, ⁠ Aldrin Bonilla⁠ , Executive Vice President of the ⁠ Fund for the City of New York ⁠, joins ⁠Greg Morris⁠ to unpack the findings behind the Fund’s latest “ Overlooked and Undercounted” True Cost of Living brief and why it demands urgent attention. 46% of working-age New York City households don’t earn enough to meet the true cost of living. This episode...

Christine Quinn—President and CEO of Women In Need (WIN), former New York City Council Speaker, and one of the city’s most passionate advocates—joins Greg Morris for a conversation on leadership, housing, and what it takes to make change stick in New York City. From her early days organizing and cold-calling her way into the room, to breaking barriers as the first woman and first openly gay Speake...

Aldrin Bonilla , Executive Vice President of the Fund for the City of New York , joins Greg Morris for a conversation on public service, data, and what it takes to build stronger communities in New York City. In this first part of a two-part episode, Aldrin reflects on his journey growing up in Washington Heights and the experiences that shaped his commitment to equity, opportunity, and economic m...

Randy Peers , President & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce , joins Greg Morris for a candid and wide-ranging conversation on what it really takes to build a stronger, more inclusive economy in New York City. From his early days in workforce development to leading one of the city’s most influential business organizations, Randy reflects on the experiences that shaped his leadership and w...

In this episode, Greg Morris sits down with Jeffrey Ginsburg , President & CEO of Volunteers of America–Greater New York , to explore the systems driving the city’s housing crisis, and what it will take to fix them. Drawing on his experience in East Harlem and now leading one of the city’s largest human services organizations, Jeff shares how housing instability, education, and economic opport...

What happens after college graduation, and why are so many degree-holders still struggling to find their footing? In this episode, Greg Morris sits down with Kalani Leifer , Founder and CEO of COOP Careers , to unpack the growing crisis of underemployment among college graduates. Drawing from his early experience as a high school teacher in the Bronx, Kalani shares how a promise he made to his stu...

Greg Morris sits down with Randy Moore , President at CD&R Foundation , for a conversation about leadership, equity, and the role philanthropy can play in expanding economic opportunity. Moore reflects on his journey from teaching in Miami classrooms to working across the country in workforce development, education, and social impact. Along the way, he shares how those early experiences, worki...

Greg Morris sits down with Chris Watler , Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition Board and Executive Vice President of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), for a wide-ranging conversation about what it takes to build a safer, fairer New York—especially for New Yorkers returning from incarceration. Watler traces his path from growing up in Crown Heights to nationa...