Region Info

About the New York / New Jersey BNI Region

I wish I could lay claim to starting BNI, I wish I could say I was instrumental to bringing BNI to New York and, in most regards, was instrumental in bringing BNI to New Jersey. In 1989, BNI kicked off it's first ever chapter in the New York Region and I was there as a charter member of the 'Eastchester' chapter. The idea of developing relationships for the purpose of passing referrals to other members that I knew and trusted didn't seem to be unique but no one else was doing it!

As a member of other business organizations, I realized that I was not getting the amount of referrals that I thought I should be getting and when I heard the Founder & CEO of BNI, Ivan R. Misner, Ph. D., talk about the philosophy of the organization and summing it up in two (2) words "givers gain", I knew I had to participate. In fact, I liked it so much that I purchased the rights to the New York Region. Over the past several years I have opened a number of chapters with the help of some of the finest Directors in the entire BNI organization. Currently I oversee the regions of metropolitan New York, New Jersey, Memphis, TN; all of south Florida below Orlando (excluding Tampa, St. Petersburg), and Puerto Rico. In 1998, I also opened the 1st BNI chapters in South Africa and today have nearly fifty (50).

BNI, is truly a fantasic story

because it does all the things for business entrepreneurs that they typically couldn't even afford to do normally. The idea of developing your business through effective 'Word-of-Mouth' marketing in a structured environment that's conducive to perpetuate that ideal is remarkable. The efforts of our several thousand members in the New York / New Jersey Region has assured many, many success stories. But, our job isn't done. It's equally important that we maintain the highest level of networking techniques and try to help as many members as possible to achieve their goals in BNI. It's our obligation to continue to bring technological advances and information to our members. We still have communities that we haven't been able to develop chapters in and entrepreneurs who want to become a part of the 'largest referral organization in the world'.

Welcome to the New York / New Jersey Regions web site. I hope you will feel as I do that BNI-Business Network Intl. is an organization that can help you in your business and, your life! Feel free to contact any of the New York / New Jersey Director's directly or BNI HQ for more information.