Chamber to Honor Two Businesswomen at City-Wide Event
On January 10, 2024, the Five Chamber Alliance and TD Bank will present the 2024 Five Borough MWBE Awards, which will recognize Minority and Women Owned-Business leaders for outstanding service to their communities. Among the ten honorees are two Staten Island small businesses owners.
Deya E. Felici, owner of Vinum and Don Cheech and partner at the Belvedere Hospitality Group, and Shaw-naé M. Dixon, owner of Shaw-naé’s House, each received a Five Borough MWBE Award from the five boroughwide chambers of commerce for their contributions to New York City’s small business community.
“Deya and Shaw-naé are two shining examples of MWBE businesses transforming our borough,” said Linda Baran, President of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. “These women, who both operate renowned and respected restaurants in the Stapleton area, have made significant positive cultural and socioeconomic impacts in the community they serve. We are thrilled to be recognizing them for their accomplishments at this city-wide event.”
The event, to be hosted at One Vanderbilt in Midtown Manhattan, will also highlight the importance of the Small Business Resource Network, a comprehensive approach to small business resiliency that offers free, personalized guidance and support to help businesses grow and thrive. Originally launched as a pandemic recovery effort, the SBRN continues to support small businesses today via a collaborative partnership between the five boroughwide chambers of commerce, with generous support from the City of New York.
"Being recognized by the MWBE Awards and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for the hard work we, as women, do is an incentive to continue our journey," said Deya E. Felici, owner of Vinum and Don Cheech, and partner at the Belvedere Hospitality Group.
"We are gifted by our presence to be our brightest and most beautiful self through our service, mission, and attitude. We should practice being kind and loving to those we encounter, and then we can expect the universe to respond with abundant prosperity ordered by the Most High. I bet my second life on it,” said Shaw-naé M. Dixon, owner of Shaw-naé’s House.
About Shaw-naé M. Dixon
Shaw-naé M. Dixon wears many hats: Wife, mother, entrepreneur, social change agent, and author. But her anointing of culinary mastery resonates to the delight of the masses and the elite alike in the tri-state area, but most notably in her home borough of Staten Island.
Shaw-naé developed a passion for cooking while bonding with her grandmother in the kitchen and honed her skills from a young age at church and the local soup kitchen. Since those humble beginnings, Shaw-naé has built a cult celebrity following through her mouth-watering entrees that transmute heartwarming, comfort food into a panacea experience that imports blessings and positive vibes with each delicious bite.
In 2014, Shaw-naé left the NYC Department of Education and her rewarding work with formerly incarcerated students to establish Say Grace. That pre-pandemic catering business gave her prominent exposure as she worked as an on-premise private chef for celebrity entertainers, Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Basketball Association (NBA) – including the local Brooklyn Nets. After receiving a glowing reception to alchemic creations catering for film, television, commercials, Fortune 100 companies, private chef service, and media appearances, she decided to open Shaw-naé's House – the only soul food restaurant on Staten Island – in the Stapleton section of the borough in 2021.
Shaw-nae's House is an intimate dining experience that has received rave reviews from critics and the local community due to its soul-stirring dishes served with love. The chef infuses herbs grown on-site, local produce, and even CBD into her creations. Shaw-nae's House provides meals for the homeless and is also available for private events and a gathering space for themed affairs like Poetry Night, paint-and-sip programs, and grown-up chess competitions.
In addition to her culinary talent, Shaw-naé is also an accomplished author. Her new book, Soul Food Therapy: Let's Get Into This, features original recipes from mouth-watering vegan and soul food and peace of mind. Her first book, Between You & I, is a transformational reflection tool that has the power to change lives by creating a conversation about one’s self and the journey to healing from a difficult and destructive past. She also works one-on-one with individuals to help them on their path to spiritual enlightenment.
Shaw-naé’s Staten Island heritage runs deep. She is a mom of six and an eighth-generation native of the borough. Her family hails from historic Sandy Ground in Rossville, an enclave established by African Americans that dates back to 1799. The two-and-a-half-acre swath of land was originally purchased in 1828 by John Jackson, the first Black property owner of the borough who became captain of a ferry that ran between the South Shore and Manhattan. That service pre-dates the current shuttle services in the region. Shaw-naé, nee Shaw-naé Mosley, is a direct descendent of Jackson and the granddaughter of the late Lois Agusta Mosely, author of Sandy Ground Memories.
About Deya E. Felici
Deyanira Encarnacion Felici was born in the Dominican Republic and migrated to the United States in 1999. She worked as a model for a few years and then went into the cosmetic industry, working for high-end cosmetic companies in New York City.
In 2017, with her husband by her side, a 1-year-old daughter, and a newborn son, she opened her first restaurant in Staten Island, Vinum, serving authentic Italian fare. Vinum has received the Michelin “Bib Gourmand” award 4 years in a row, Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” 4 years in a row, was named one the 4 best restaurants in Staten Island by the Michelin Guide and was also voted “Best Italian Restaurant in Staten Island” by the Staten Island Advance.
In 2018 along with her husband and 2 partners, she opened a new restaurant, The Richmond, an American bistro, and was part of the project until 2022, when she sold her shares to her partners. In 2019 along with her husband and 2 other partners, she obtained the contract for the Belvedere Hospitality Group, a restaurant within Casa Belvedere, Staten Island’s Italian cultural foundation.
In 2022, she and her husband opened another new restaurant in Staten Island, Don Cheech, that revives the old-school “Little Italy” Mulberry Street Italian-American-restaurant vibe.
Deya says, “The hospitality business was something totally new for me, but over the years I have learned the business and I have been able to run all aspects of it. My husband, Executive Chef Massimo Felici, has been my mentor and has taught me everything about the business.”