The Harlem Business Alliance (HBA) leadership, HBA members, elected officials, lenders and entrepreneurs will gather together at the Harlem Hospital Mural Pavilion on Tuesday, September 27, for Disrupt Harlem 2016. Sponsored by Columbia University, Verizon, Creative Workspace, Harlem Community Development Corporation (HCDC) and Woori Bank. Disrupt Harlem 2016 will take place between 5:30 and 9:30 pm.  An evening of insights including disruptive presenters, Jonathan Jackson, co-founder of Blavity; Shaun Johnson, co-founder of Startup Institute; the Disrupt Harlem PitchTank competition; and a networking reception.

"At HBA, we believe that small businesses build thriving communities and that continuous growth is not possible without innovation" says Regina L. Smith, Executive Director of the Harlem Business Alliance.

Jonathan Jackson, co-founder of Blavity, will kickoff the summit with an inspiring presentation. Blavity, a venture backed technology and media company aimed at building products and experiences for black millennials. Founded in July 2014, has quickly grown to become one of the fastest growing digital media outlets on the web, reaching more than seven million millennials a month.

Also on deck to present is Shaun Johnson, co-founder of Startup Institute. Startup Institute is an innovative program that provides people with the skills,
mindset, and network necessary to find a job they love, while doing work that matters. Shaun is a technologist, helper of people looking for solutions, responsible for strategy and operations at Startup Institute.

Also, back by popular demand, Mike Street, will serve as event moderator. Street is a senior digital and social media marketing director with more than 14 years of experience who has been recognized nationally for his leading-edge work creating interactive marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies in the areas of digital and social media.

Last year's widely popular, Disrupt Harlem PitchTank competition is back. Pitch your business in under 2 minutes to apanel of esteemed judges including Corey Neufville,Media Solutions Managerat Facebook, Clayton Banks of Silicon Harlem, and Karen Taylor Bass, CEO and public relations expert at TaylorMade Media. The winner will be named "Harlem's Most Disruptive Business" and receive the grand prize of $1,000, and a six-month membership to Creative Workspace @HBA, and business mentorship. All pitch competition applications are due by Monday, September 19th @ 5:00PM.

This event is FREE to attend.Interested participants can register in advance athttp://www.disruptharlem2016.splashthat.com. #DisruptHarlem2016

About the Harlem Business Alliance

For over thirty years, HBA's primary mission has been to establish Harlem, an internationally known neighborhood, as an economically viable and self-sustaining business community. The organization serves as an advocate for the preservation and retention of Harlem's entrepreneurial community. Founded in 1980 by a group of prominent Harlem business leaders, and incorporated in 1990 as a class 402 501(c)(3) corporation, HBA provides technical assistance to local entrepreneurs through a myriad of programs