Rafael A. Roger
Vice-President of BXEDC, President of BICNY
Rafael A. Roger is the President of The Business Initiative Corporation of New York (“BICNY”). It is the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lending arm of the Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC). Founded 1998, BICNY helps entrepreneurs and companies gain access to private and public funding around New York State.
Rafael is responsible for developing SBA 504 loans by connecting banks and other referral sources in New York State. In addition to overseeing the further development of SBA 504 lending, he oversees BICNY’s SBA 504 loan portfolio and marketing plans. BICNY has been featured in Crain’s New York Magazine, including being number 3 on the “NY SBA Lenders” list and “Top SBA Loans”. In 2022 BICNY was featured twice in the Top 8 of SBA loans in New York City.
BICNY has provided over $139,018,066 million in loans to businesses in The Bronx and throughout New York State which helped leverage over $409 million from banks and private equity investments. As of September 2022, these loans have retained and created over 2200 jobs. BICNY has received three “Bronze Awards” from the US SBA New York District Office.
In June 2023, BICNY was awarded the status of Small Business Lending Company by the SBA. This new designation opened the door for BICNY to launch a $10 million loan fund for Community Advantage loans for commercial businesses and entrepreneurs in the Bronx Empowerment Zone.
Prior to joining BICNY, Rafael worked in the healthcare and insurance industries. Rafael obtained his MBA & BS in International Business Management with a minor in Economics from SUNY (State University of New York) Empire State College. In 2023, Rafael joined the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) as a fellow, one of only nine fellows selected nationwide. He is currently a member of the LEAD (Latino Executive Advancement & Development) Fellowship program through George Washington University and the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute. He was raised in the Bronx and attended Fordham Prep.