Hazra Joanne Ali

Hazra Joanne Ali, a Trinidadian American, immigrated to the United States in 2003 and founded her own small business, New Hope and Beyond, Inc., a real estate investment company that deals primarily, but not exclusively, with foreclosure properties in Brooklyn.

A former fashion model and a graduate of UWI – St. Augustine, Ms. Ali is a licensed pharmacist. She worked as an account executive with Akzo-Nobel, a large international pharmaceutical company and later, Ares-Serono, where she managed sales and marketing for the Manhattan market. For 13 years she successfully united her education as a pharmacist with the wealth of marketing training she received in the biotech industry.

Ms. Ali served as Director of Special Programming for New York, with a mandate to lead the charge in celebration of the very first “June as Caribbean American Heritage Month” in 2006. She represented New York at the White House reception to commemorate the first Caribbean American Heritage Month. She continues to assist in organizing annual events Celebrating June as Caribbean American Heritage Month, and is part of both the Brooklyn Borough President’s and the New York City Comptroller’s Caribbean American Heritage Committee. She currently serves as secretary of the executive committee.

Although her professional career takes up much of her time, Ms. Ali still finds time to give back. She volunteers her time and expertise to serve on the advisory boards of several not-for-profit organizations, media companies, government agencies and colleges that support the Caribbean community. She also serves on the Land Use Committee of Community Board 2. She is very active in local politics, and frequently serves on the strategy team and assists by organizing political fundraisers for candidates running for office. 

The recipient of numerous awards for her service and commitment to the community, Ms. Ali has made numerous radio and television appearances, including Brian Lehrer LIVE for a one-hour discussion on Trinidad and Tobago. 

When she is not helping others in need or working for the betterment of her community, Ms. Ali loves home decorating, traveling to exotic countries and enjoys making fine jewelry using gold, precious and semi- precious stones. Ms. Ali is truly an inspirational woman who has helped make the world a better place.