Brooklyn Navy Yard Opens Retail Incubator

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) recently announced the opening of its Yard Opportunity Shop, a retail incubator program designed to showcase emerging local entrepreneurs by providing small, minority-, and woman-owned businesses access to premium Brooklyn retail space, infrastructure, and support.

Located in Building 92 of the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a pop-up storefront, the Opportunity Shop gives businesses a space to promote their products, test new concepts, and directly engage with the Brooklyn community. Each participating business will have a three-month rotation during which it can offer exclusive products and select in-store events that are open to Brooklyn Navy Yard tenants and the broader borough community.

“With the Yard Opportunity Shop, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is continuing to deliver on its economic opportunity mission,” said BNYDC Board Chair, Hank Gutman. “This is more than a space. It is an investment in improving equitable access. By lowering the barriers to brick-and-mortar retail, we are giving diverse entrepreneurs the runway they need to innovate, grow, and thrive. Our commitment to community means meeting business owners where they are and investing in their success before the lease is ever signed.”

The first business to operate in the Yard Opportunity Shop is health-focused bakery Monshe, which was founded in March 2020 by Bronx native Melissa Groneveldt in a personal effort to navigate the joy of a good treat without the unhealthy caveats. Monshe offers sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly cookies in a variety of flavors.

“Being named the inaugural business for the Yard Opportunity Shop is deeply meaningful,” Groneveldt said. “This moment represents more than a storefront — it’s about visibility, access, and what can happen when small businesses are truly supported. I’m proud to open this space in Brooklyn and to lead in a way that shows what’s possible for entrepreneurs who are building with purpose, heart, and resilience.”

“Brooklyn wouldn’t be Brooklyn without small businesses and the owners who show up every day for their communities,” said Brooklyn Borough President, Antonio Reynoso. “These entrepreneurs deserve space, support, and the opportunity to thrive. The Yard Opportunity Shop creates this supportive infrastructure for small businesses that represent the identities and backgrounds of this borough. I’m proud that our investment is helping open doors, and I’m excited to see Monshe kick things off.”