As Head of Growth at BKLYN Commons, Johanne Brierre works to keep local entrepreneurs local.
Walking down Flatbush Avenue four years ago, Johanne Brierre noticed a billboard advertising a coworking space called BKLYN Commons, just open for business in the vast, clock tower-adorned building at the 495 address. At that point, Brierre had already been a resident of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens for a quarter century, having arrived from Haiti with her family at age 12. She frequently shopped at the Phat Albert Warehouse, a clothing store housed in the building prior to its closing, and had recently started a second career organizing community networking events.
Curious to see what BKLYN Commons was all about, what its arrival might mean for the evolving neighborhood, and perhaps for her entrepreneurial self, Brierre strolled inside and spoke to the company’s president, Jack Srour, who also happened to be the owner of 495 Flatbush. Continue reading