Photo courtesy of Assembly Member Vanel

Alumni

From Entrepreneur to State Assembly

New York Assembly member Clyde Vanel (’01) capitalized on experiences as a solo IP law practitioner and restaurant owner to propel him into local government.

One of ten children born to immigrant parents from Haiti, Vanel grew up in Cambria Heights, Queens, and since his youth has carried an entrepreneurial spirit instilled by his family.

“We believed in working hard and going to school,” he recalls of his upbringing.

As an undergrad, Vanel was passionate about technology, majoring in engineering and aviation. He took an interest in law after working with an attorney while serving as student body president and found that intellectual property law would be a good fit for his technical background. After graduating, he chose Boston University for law school.

“The law school had a great intellectual property program, which also allowed me to use my technology and science background,” says Vanel.

Admitting he’s not a “small city guy,” Vanel enjoyed Boston’s vibrancy and the University’s robust intellectual communities. He threw himself into the program, serving as the editor-in-chief of the BU Law’s Journal of Science & Technology Law and relishing the opportunity to engage his technical side in a legal capacity. He also served as a resident advisor for undergraduates and assisted the school’s hockey team.

After graduating in 2001, Vanel joined the intellectual property firm Fish & Neave, which jump-started his law career, but after serving two years at the firm he felt unfulfilled.

“I wanted to control my own destiny,” Vanel remembers.

He decided to establish his own practice. It was an ambitious leap for a young attorney, but Vanel stuck to his entrepreneurial mindset. He bought a house in his home neighborhood and traded classic cars to raise the capital to get the business started. Through trading, Vanel met an investor who would become one of his first clients. In 2003 he launched the Vanel Law Firm PC, a practice he continues to operate.

A creative and dynamic person, Vanel is constantly trying new ventures. He has represented media businesses, worked in television and music, and maintains Trademark Ready, a legal services website where he connects with clients remotely.

One of his proudest accomplishments was opening Vanel’s on First, a Southern food restaurant in the East Village. Inspired by working with restaurants in his legal career, he wanted to “be the business.” The restaurant operated from 2005 to 2011 and was one of the very few soul food spots in Midtown Manhattan. Vanel recalls that the venture taught him how to cook professionally and how to work closely with a community:

“It was a very different experience that helped shape my view of business and people in the world,” he says. “I really enjoyed that.”

Vanel’s biggest challenge was his shift into politics in 2008. Frustrated with New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s move to extend the mayor’s term limits, and feeling like he wanted to help his community, Vanel became interested in city politics.

“I was angry, I was frustrated, and so were many in the city,” Vanel recalls of the moment. “My city council member voted for it, so instead of complaining and writing him letters, I ran against him.”

He didn’t win that race for New York City Council, but it was an eye-opening experience, especially transitioning from the buttoned-up legal world to the streets and grabbing the attention of people in his neighborhood.

“I had to be able to relate to the average person,” shares Vanel. “It took me a while to learn how to be authentically who I am, but also be relatable.”

Vanel was persistent, and in 2016 he clinched the election for the New York State Assembly. Recently re-elected to a third term, he sees the role as a blessing and an opportunity to affect positive changes for the people of New York.

“As an elected official, we’re dealing with all these varied situations,” says Vanel. “We’re working on some of the most important and fundamental issues going on today.”

This is especially true in 2020, as Vanel and his colleagues are tackling major concerns facing New Yorkers. He is very involved in the response to the coronavirus pandemic—his home neighborhood in Queens was a hotspot and the hospital where he was born was overloaded with cases. He has had weighty conversations with state legislators about how to keep residents safe and manage recovery efforts.

Vanel is also closely following the Black Lives Matter movement and advocating for change following the death of George Floyd and the protests that have taken place across the state. He’s a strong advocate for economic development, ensuring more stable jobs for marginalized communities, encouraging small business growth, and establishing a task force to explore automation’s potential effects on workers.

“We have to prepare New Yorkers for tomorrow, and not try to stop progress,” mentions Vanel.

One success has been voter reform. In 2019, Vanel cosponsored a no-excuse absentee voting bill that passed, and is active for this year’s election cycle, allowing more New Yorkers access to the ballot. 

“Things are shifting in the world,” Vanel says. “People are fighting for change in the laws, and I sit in that seat to be able to do that.”