Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cristina Chianese. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Cristina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?
During the early stages of the pandemic, I was working as a marketing consultant for experiential marketing firms. Unfortunately, the pandemic had an immediate impact on in-person events and engagement, which significantly affected my line of work. With uncertainty looming, I decided to shift my focus to supporting local businesses in my community. I undertook a variety of efforts such as taking over a local gift shop run by an elderly couple, building websites, and coming up with new revenue streams. This work not only kept me grounded during an unnerving time but also assisted business owners in responding to the many challenges they faced. As a result of my work, I was asked to take over as the Chamber of Commerce for our town. This was a volunteer role aimed at supporting local businesses and fostering community engagement.
When I took over the Chamber, I realized that there were several areas that needed immediate attention. The website had not been updated in over five years, membership dues had not been collected in over a year, and our nonprofit status had lapsed. Despite lacking experience in running a nonprofit organization, I was confident that my marketing expertise could be instrumental in building a Chamber that provided value to our businesses and community. Over the next two years, I worked tirelessly to rebuild the Chamber, investing countless hours to create an organization that would benefit the community in the long term.
The Chamber of Commerce has transformed into an organization that local businesses found valuable. Although I was not an expert in running a nonprofit organization, I relied on my marketing knowledge to develop a strategy that would benefit our members. I am proud of the work I did and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to my community during such a challenging time. I’m even more grateful for the individuals who have joined my Chamber this past year and are working hard to make an even greater impact in the future.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
During the early days of the pandemic, the Chamber of Commerce recognized the opportunity to support our community during this challenging time. I organized our first event, the Small Business Saturday town-wide event, which was a huge success. In light of the pandemic, we offered green screen photos with Santa as an alternative to traditional photos, and the community response was overwhelmingly positive. Despite the challenges, we created a magical experience where children could still feel the spirit of the holidays, and local businesses were able to showcase their merchandise in a COVID-safe manner.
We continued to organize similar events that brought joy to our community during difficult times. For instance, we organized a hunt for hearts filled with local business prizes in February when COVID fatigue was setting in, and an Easter event called “Spring into Pelham,” where we had the late Mike Paradis dress up as an Easter bunny and drove him around town for children to see while they participated in a town-wide Easter egg hunt.
Thanks to our efforts, the Chamber has grown to 130 members with six board members, and we have a website that we built ourselves, which now collects membership fees electronically. We are proud of the work we have accomplished and excited about what the future holds for our Chamber. Our events have provided a sense of normalcy during these unprecedented times, and we are committed to continuing to support our community in any way we can.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistency. We have remained a consistence and steady part of our community where we continue to build relationships and scale our membership base. We have a proven track record for creating well-executed events and continue to find ways to bridge our local business owners to our community in ways that drive impact and meaningful engagement.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
In early 2021, the Westchester County government announced a grant program for Chambers of Commerce, which presented a fantastic opportunity to support our community. However, as someone with no prior experience in running a nonprofit organization, I was initially hesitant to apply. I was also aware of the challenges we faced from a nonprofit status standpoint. Despite my reservations, I was approached by Shari Asher Rosen, an influential figure in the Westchester County Government, who encouraged me to apply and reminded me that I had nothing to lose. Her support and encouragement gave me the confidence I needed to start the grant process.
I was pleased to learn that a few weeks later, we had been awarded $15,000 in marketing funds to fuel our initiatives. These funds were instrumental in supporting our businesses and community by funding social media initiatives, programs, and events that aimed to elevate our Chamber and continue our growth. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to apply for the grant, and we are thrilled with the positive impact it has had on our Chamber and our community.
Thanks to the support of Shari Asher Rosen and the grant program, we were able to make a significant difference and support our community in ways that would not have been possible without this funding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pelhamNYchamber.com
- Instagram: pelham_list
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1817847415135066/?multi_permalinks=3345532829033176¬if_id=1680800937538495¬if_t=group_activity&ref=notif
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pelham-chamber-of-commerce-new-york/?viewAsMember=true