OYATE GROUP

Provides $20,000 and $5,000 scholarships annually to multiple high school seniors from The Bronx who have been admitted to college, including through the Brandon Hendricks Scholarship established in 2020. The organization has awarded over $200,000 in higher education scholarships to date.

Launched the Bronx Rising Initiative, which administered over 40,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to residents considered unreachable by local government and connected 40,000 Bronx residents to vaccines and other critical health resources through door-to-door outreach and mobile services.

Provides up to three local entrepreneurs annually with investments of up to $50,000 and a 10-week accelerator program including mentorship, business planning, marketing support, and coworking space; awards cash prizes of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 through a competitive pitch event, with ongoing post-program support.

Runs programs to fight food insecurity in the Bronx and has distributed over 20,000 turkeys across New York City since 2020 to support families during holidays.

Runs the AI Innovators Lab, a program that enables students with no prior coding experience to build and complete AI-based projects by the end of the course.

Runs Beyond Rising, a year-round paid internship program for undocumented youth that includes a six-week summer internship with a $500 weekly stipend (30 hours/week), a school-year internship with a $500 monthly stipend (10–12 hours/week), academic support, mentoring, career readiness training, and enrichment activities.

Operates a community workspace equipped with Mac desktops, high-speed internet, presentation technology, a full-service kitchen, and coworking space to support local entrepreneurs and program participants.

Provided direct grants under $10,000 to small businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitated over $1.2 million in grants and funding since 2020, supporting more than 700 small businesses overall.

Supports community organizations through operational and financial assistance to strengthen local capacity and programming.

Operates the Rise Leadership Program for high school sophomores and juniors, offering a $100 monthly stipend, weekly after-school meetings, college exposure trips, international service-learning travel to Costa Rica or Panama, and an annual youth art showcase featuring AR/VR projects based on personal storytelling.

Offers free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, computer literacy training, citizenship preparation, real estate education, and OSHA certification to prepare adults for employment in construction and labor-intensive industries.

Hosts community events, workshops, and art openings organized by local leaders, including the "Taste of Mott Haven" initiative that generated over $1.6 million in local economic impact and the Indo-Caribbean Arts Exhibition as part of a Caribbean Arts Series focused on cultural preservation.

Removed 403 guns from the streets of New York City since 2021 through targeted violence prevention programs.

Distributed over $100,000 in gift cards to families affected by the Twin Peaks fire in the Bronx, gave $350,000 in prepaid gift cards to community members, and distributed over 2,000 backpacks annually in New York City and the Dominican Republic before the school year.

Awards microgrants of up to $10,000 to food and beverage entrepreneurs in New York City, including $200,000 in total funding to support Latino, Black, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander restaurateurs. The Rising Restaurateur program awarded nearly $200,000 in microgrants to 30 local restaurant owners.