Three Women Honored at Brooklyn Borough Hall for Leadership That Moves New York Forward
By Tracey Khan Pamela Morgan, Kanchana Suggu and Dr. Erica Ford were honored with Crystal Apple awards on Oct. 22 at the 2026 Pink Apple Awards, recognized for leadership with global reach, community impact and a lasting legacy. Women Who Influence presented the awards at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where the theme was “How Small Businesses…
Black News 
By Tracey Khan
Pamela Morgan, Kanchana Suggu and Dr. Erica Ford were honored with Crystal Apple awards on Oct. 22 at the 2026 Pink Apple Awards, recognized for leadership with global reach, community impact and a lasting legacy.
Women Who Influence presented the awards at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where the theme was “How Small Businesses Are Moving New York Forward.”
Together, the honors celebrated women whose leadership is making a difference in their communities. Morgan received the Crystal Apple Award for Global Leadership. Suggu received the Crystal Apple Award for Community Impact. Ford received the Crystal Apple Legacy Award. Between them, the honors recognized influence that crosses borders, work felt close to home and a body of leadership that endures.
The recognition came after The Power Seat, a conversation on building sustainable businesses. Jodi Brockington moderated a panel that put founders and city officials at the same table: Ka-Wana Jefferson, owner of Sweet Catch BK and co-owner of Lost Borough Ice Cream; Kitty Chan, deputy commissioner of business services at NYC Small Business Services; and Delia Awusi, the city’s Mom-and-Pop Czar.
The panelists discussed what often determines whether a business survives its first years: access to capital, M/WBE contracting opportunities, business resources and the relationships owners need to grow beyond launch.
The program also featured remarks from Gabrieline Reece, founder and executive director of Women Who Influence, and Jeanny Pak, chief operating officer of the NYC Economic Development Corporation. Monique Glover hosted and emceed.
Afterward, guests continued the conversation at the Leadership Networking Reception, sponsored by PNC Bank.
The pairing of the panel and the awards made a point: the women honored and the entrepreneurs at the table are part of the same story, about who builds New York’s economy and communities and who gets recognized for it.
