Harlem Community Spotlight

Nikoa Evans-Hendricks
Harlem Park to Park Founding Board Member and Executive Director

Nikoa Evans-Hendricks is the founding board member and Executive Director of Harlem Park to Park(HP2P), a social enterprise of 250+ entrepreneurs committed to cultural preservation, small business and economic development in Central Harlem. HP2P strengthens local businesses by producing community events, promotional campaigns, business development programs and institutional partnerships. Additionally, it creates new spaces and opportunities for Harlem-made brands to build and flourish, stewards and champions the brand of Harlem as a viable hub for entrepreneurs and preserves Harlem’s culture.

Currently HP2P, has been working closely with Harlem’s community partners to provide crucial support to our local businesses through the Harlem Food Pantry that has raised almost $10K; partnered with 12 Harlem restaurants to donate 385+ bags filled with nutritious food for local families; and contributed $2500 to Harlem restaurants delivering meals to healthcare workers on the frontlines. HP2P also highlights Harlem restaurants and small businesses that are currently open that individuals can support. Learn more about Nikoa and how Harlem Park to Park’s work helps Harlem thrive in our interview below.

1.What inspired you to to start Harlem Park to Park?

Prior to co-founding Harlem Park to Park (HP2P), I was an entrepreneur and co-owned a fashion men’s and women’s retail store called N, which had opened in 2005 with great success. In 2009 when the economic downturn began, our business felt the impact as many of our white collar customers were laid off due to corporate downsizing. Other business owners in the neighborhood were experiencing the same declines as a result of the market collapse. Additionally, due to the limited number of amenities and services available in the neighborhood at the time, many local residents were choosing to dine, shop and entertain downtown. As a result, the limited dollars spent on these experiences were circulating outside of the Harlem community. As small business owners, we realized that the only way we could survive this period is if we worked together as a collective to promote the retail, restaurants and entertainment offering that was available in the neighborhood.

Additionally, Beatrice Sibblies, CB10’s Economic Development Committee Chairperson at the time and also owner of BOS Development, had conducted a small business needs assessment to determine what initiatives were needed to support Harlem’s local entrepreneurs. The study’s findings indicated that local businesses needed a platform through which they could work as a collective to collaborate on cross promotions and marketing initiatives. Ultimately, several business owners joined together to co-found Harlem Park to Park in 2009 including my retail store N, along with Settepani Restaurant, Sylvia’s Restaurant, Melba’s Restaurant, 67 Orange Street, Make My Cake, BOS Development, and Chez Lucienne.  Harlem Park to Park produced its first cross promotional initiative in Fall 2009;  and in February 2010 produced the first Harlem Restaurant & Retail Week which is still produced today.

2.What has been Harlem Park to Park’s most successful project so far?  

Harlem Restaurant & Retail Week has been one of HP2P’s longest running and most successful marketing programs. Harlem Park to Park was the first organization to produce a program of this kind in Harlem. Many of Harlem’s businesses could not afford the cost to participate in NYC Restaurant Week. So HP2P decided as a collective to produce a restaurant week program for our community and include a cross promotional element with our retail business members. The Harlem Restaurant & Retail Week program launched with 15 business participants and grew over 10 years to feature 50+ Harlem businesses.

Other merchant organizations began to produce restaurant week programs in East and West Harlem. In 2019, Harlem Park to Park led the effort to collaborate with our peer business alliances in East and West Harlem and consolidate efforts to produce a neighborhood wide program, Harlem Restaurant Week. The program has grown to feature over 80 business with the most recent activation held this year March 1st to March 15th.

Harlem Harvest Festival is also one of Harlem Park to Park’s most successful programs. Launched in Fall 2010, Harlem Harvest Festival has grown to become HP2P’s largest events of the year, drawing 2K+ attendees with over 60 local vendors along with a Kids Zone, live entertainment and the Harvest Bake Off competition. Over the years, the businesses participating as booth vendors transitioned from the local restaurants and retail stores to local Makers who produced artisanal food, beverage, home, fashion and beauty products.  After identifying this trend towards locally made products, I realized there was a growing opportunity to support the development of product entrepreneurs to help them scale and pursue wholesale distribution in retail stores.

In 2012 when Whole Foods Market announced their decision to open a store on 125th Street, I seized the opportunity to partner with the grocery retailer to support the Harlem Harvest Festival as a brand partner. That partnership evolved into the launch of the Harlem Local Vendor Program in 2015. (www.hlvp.org) The program was designed to mentor and develop Harlem Makers to become suppliers for the Whole Foods Market Harlem store when it opened. In July 2017, Harlem Park to Park successfully launched 20+ Harlem businesses with the opening of the Whole Foods Market Harlem store. Many of the initial local brands launched in the Harlem store have since been expanded as suppliers to over twenty five (25+) Whole Foods Market stores throughout the Northeast region.

The Harlem Local Vendor Program now includes Columbia Business School, Hot Bread Kitchen, Harlem Community Development Corporation and West Harlem Development Corporation as strategic partners; and has graduated over 225 vendors, many of which currently have product selling at retailers including Whole Foods Market, Kings/Balducci Stores, Fresh Direct, Amazon, Sally Beauty Supply, Macy’s, Walmart, QVC; and serve as suppliers to Columbia University’s Dining program.

3.Is there any news, promotions or upcoming projects in-store that you would like to share?

Harlem Park to Park has had to pivot the organization’s services in much the same way that our business members have had to pivot their business models as a result of COVID19. Typically in June HP2P would produce the Shop Harlem Artisinal Fair which is a street fair featuring Harlem Makers and their products.  In light of COVID19 restrictions on social gatherings, Harlem Park to Park is developing HP2P LIVE which will launch this Summer. HP2P LIVE will offer live streaming content on our social media platforms and feature Harlem business owners and organizations along with product demos, interviews, panel discussions, performances and virtual tours. Audiences will have the opportunity to meet the entrepreneur behind the brick and mortar businesses and the brands; learn about their entrepreneurial journeys and virtually experience their businesses, products and services. HP2P LIVE will also serve as a virtual community engagement platform for our businesses to connect with their audiences.