Four of Pulaski Business members received the “Outstanding Pole Abroad” award at the Consulate of Poland in New York.
Grzegorz Wiśniewski and Oskar Kowalski won the awards in the Business category and Paweł Wierzbicki and Daniel Kurzyna won the Young Pole category.
The awards ceremony started with a signing of a Polish national anthem and a speeches by Adrian Kubicki - The Consul General of Poland followed by Krzysztof Przybył - the President of “Teraz Polska” foundation. After the official opening Grzegorz Fryc who is a chairman of the awards committee in New York thanked the committee members for their involvement in selecting the winners and also highlighted the fact that this is the 12th year that the awards are being awarded in New York. He also mentioned the fact the the “Outstanding Pole Award” is the most prestigious non-governmental award given to Polish people that live outside of Poland and that Polish diaspora members are being recognized in 8 countries all over the world now. Throughout the years the award received a nickname as the "Polonia Oscar Award "
The awards ceremony started with the Young Pole award category where two of Pulaski Association of Business members received the statue.
During his acceptance speech Paweł Wierzbicki a New York City attorney spoke about his journey that started in Poland and the inspirations he got from his grandmother that told him that he can achieve anything he wants in life. He mentioned tough obstacles he had to encounter while getting the law degrees with English as a second language and still performing as the best student in the University. He thanked his family and friends for continuous support and also expressed gratitude to the awards committee and Poland Now Foundation. He said that the award is a great honor for him and the recognition motivates him to work even harder for the Polish community that he deeply cares about. He considers this award to be not only a recognition of present and past accomplishments. First and foremost, he recognizes that there is responsibility attached to this award. Responsibility to represent Polonia with dignity and pride. He emphasized that the generational bridge between younger and older generation of proffesionals and businessman of Polish heritage leads to strengthening ties within the Polish-American community
Oskar Kowalski a serial entrepreneur and innovator said that he deeply appreciates this award, the fact the he is a second time winner ( as he won the Young Pole award in the past ) shows that he has grown over the years and he is continuing his successful path of being an outstanding Polish-American. He also talked about his deep love for polish values and mentioned the Hussar knights who at one point saved Europe. He said that Polish people should be Hussars in their daily lives in whatever they do they should fearlessly conquer new frontiers in their respective careers and achieve success they are aiming for. He spoke about his tough beginnings and he thanked his family and friends and everyone that helped him on his path to success.
Daniel Kurzyna a Chief of Staff to New York City Council Member Robert Holden. was not present at the ceremony due to the illness but he provided a statement that said : “It is a great honor to receive the Wybitny Polak “Outstanding Pole” award by Teraz Polska,” “As the first-ever Polish-speaking Chief of Staff in New York government, and a first-generation Polish-American deeply involved in Polonia, I am proud of my heritage. Thank you to Teraz Polska, Consul General Adrian Kubicki of the Polish Consulate in New York, Grzegorz Fryc, and all involved in this initiative.”
Grzegorz Wiśniewski a long time Pulaski Association of Business member and owner of Integrate Comfort Systems company said that the success that he achieved could’ve not happen without a help of his family friends and co workers. He stressed the hard work of every small business man who at the beginning of their journey has to work not eight but eighteen hours a day in order to be successful. He thanked his family and Poland Now foundation for the recognition and he expressed deep appreciation to all of those who voted for him.
The evening continued with more awards being given in the Culture, Personality of The Year and Science categories. A Special In Memorian recognition was awarded to Mr. Janusz Sporek for his life time achievements.
The Full list of awards recipients is as follows :
IN MEMORIAN
Janusz Sporek
YOUNG POLE
Paweł Wierzbicki
Daniel Kurzyna
Bartek Szymański
BIZNES
Krzysztof Galik
Oskar Kowalski
Grzegorz Wiśniewski
CULTURE
Aleksandra - Ziółkowska - Boehm
Edward Dobosiewicz
Janusz Gilewicz
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Janusz Młynek
Janusz Skowron
Brian Rusk
SCIENCE
Dr. Danuta Piątkowska
Andrzej Krakowski
About The Award
The “Outstanding Pole Abroad “ award is the most prestigious civic ( non -governmental ) award given to Polish people that live outside of Poland. The competition takes place in The United States , France, Austria, Norway, and Great Britain. The New York City committee made out of 26 leaders of media and Polonia organizations has been awarding outstanding achievements in the fields of Business, Culture, Personality, Science and Young Pole since 2010. After winning the USA statues the awardees will automatically enter the “Outstanding Pole World” edition where they will compete against other candidates from other parts of the world and Poland. The World committee is made up of high government figures and the most prominent business and organization leaders that work with “Teraz Polska” foundation in Warsaw. Past winners of the world edition include among others President Lech Walesa, businessman Jan Kulczyk, oscar winning director Andrzej Wajda , world renown neurosurgeon Maria Siemionow music composers Wojciech Kilar, Krzysztof Penderecki and others.
About “Teraz Polska “( Poland Now) Foundation
The roots of The Polish Promotional Program Foundation date back to 1991, that is to the beginnings of economic transformation and appearance of a free market in Poland. When the borders were opened to new imported goods Polish society discovered new levels of consumption. At the same time, domestic producers, having invested in modern technologies, became able to offer products of competitive quality.
The initiative to establish the Polish Promotional Program was launched at that time. The Program was designed to promote Polish companies and to assist them in promoting their products on an increasingly competitive market. A foundation was established to dispense the “Teraz Polska” ( Poland Now ) Emblem and to carry out the Polish Promotional Program which gained the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland.
Every year the best products and services are awarded in the “Teraz Polska” ( Poland Now) contest. The entries for the contest are screened by a panel of experts and then the committee chooses the winners from a group of best products and services, both with established reputation and the not so well-known ones, which thanks to its quality, technology or functionality may become a model for others. The winners are granted the right to use the “Teraz Polska” Emblem.
The Teraz Polska Emblem stands for the highest quality. It is rated highly by both the producers and consumers. It helps products and services to stand out in today's very crowded marketplace, enhances the holder’s brand, his reliability and prestige thus contributing to higher sales. Since 2006, as part of the “Teraz Polska” competition, The Foundation has been selecting the best self-government entity in terms of economic use of funds and attractiveness for residents and entrepreneurs alike. So far there have been 21 Competitions held with over 4500 companies participating, about 500 of which have been awarded. They have become a market success or strengthened its position due to the market and promotional value of the Emblem, which boosts competitiveness, enhances the brand and builds the image of the Awardee.
The Foundation can discern the changing in our country. It is making continuous efforts to create and promote “Poland” as a brand, with more and more inventive ideas to achieve this end effectively.
“Outstanding Pole Abroad” Competition
By engaging in the affairs of the Polish community around the world, the Foundation has actively responded to the need of popularizing and promoting outstanding personalities, who through their achievements and commitment, contribute to the promotion and strengthening of the positive image of Poland and Polish people in the world. Furthermore, the intention of the organizers of this project is the desire to showcase and honor the Poles permanently residing abroad, who are well-known and respected abroad, but remain completely anonymous to the Poles living in the country. The competition has been conducted in five categories, with two editions - domestic and foreign ones.
More about the Teraz Polska Foundation
www.terazpolska.pl
More about the “Outstanding Pole Abroad” award
www.wybitnypolak.pl
Foto. Zofia Zaleska-Bobrowski
Oskar Kowalski
Oskar is a serial entrepreneur and innovator who has been featured in global media such as Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, the Associated Press and more. He is a regular keynote speaker at international business conferences including some of the biggest global crypto events such as NFT Week Miami and CoinAgenda in Puerto Rico. An avid early-stage investor, he currently holds equity in multiple ventures across a multitude of sectors such as Real Estate, Entertainment, MCA, and Tech to name a few.
His 15 plus years of corporate experience range from Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, as well as Alternative Funding and Unsecured Capitalization. In 2017, he Co-Founded Luxemark Capital (now LM Capital Solutions), a leading MCA syndication network. Since inception the firm has been instrumental in providing over $500 million worth of funding in the space on multiple levels. Luxemark Capital was acquired in February 2019 by CCUR Holdings (OTC: CCUR) in a multi-million dollar deal which was featured in international media outlets such as Yahoo Finance and the Associated Press. He is currently the Vice President of the company.
In 2020 during the start of the Covid-13 pandemic he partnered with international manufacturer Merchant Coterie which services Fortune 500 retailers to provide much needed medical equipment to government agencies and hospital chains. He was instrumental in garnering multi-million dollar contracts including the State of Florida and Temple University Hospital’s to name a few.
The same year he Co-Founded the NewCo Capital Group and was one of the company’s original investors. Since inception the company has become an industry leader in the MCA funding space with over $300 million of funded deals within the domestic market.
In his latest endeavor he founded The Global Incubator, an accelerator for early stage projects in the Crypto, Tech, and Real Estate sectors with his work being featured in leading global media outlets such as Cheddar News and Forbes. He is a senior advisor for tripsters.io where he was also part of the founding team and Bezoge Earth ($Bezoge), a crypto gaming token which he was instrumental in helping hit a high of $1.6 Billion market cap in December handling their media/pr/marketing and partnership negotiations.
An avid philanthropist he currently sits on the board of the #99 Warren Sapp foundation created by the NFL Hall of Famer to provide support for underprivileged children.
Oskar is a founding member of the Polish Association of Puerto Rico as well as a member of the Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men. He is a past recipient of the award for the Young Pole of the Year in Business by the Teraz Polska Foundation in association with the Government of the Republic of Poland.
Daniel Kurzyna
Daniel Kurzyna is a government and communications specialist. He is the first-ever Polish-speaking Chief of Staff in New York State government, currently serving in this position for New York City Council Member Robert Holden. As Chief of Staff, he is responsible for all day-to-day activities, including drafting legislation and advising on matters of communication and governance. He previously served as a House of Representatives staff member in the United States Congress.
During his tenure in the New York City Council, he led the charge to pass several pieces of legislation benefitting Polonia in New York. He was also instrumental in hosting the first-ever Polish Heritage Night in the historic New York City Hall.
Daniel completed his Masters of Arts in International Relations with a concentration in Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University (NYU). At NYU, Daniel was an editor and contributor for the Economics-Review Journal and the Journal of Political Inquiry. He also served as the Professional Chair for the NYU International Relations and Politics Association.
He completed his Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Economics and Political Science.
A first-generation Polish-American, Daniel currently lives in Queens, New York, with his wife Kinga, who was born in Rzeszow, Poland.
Pawel Wierzbicki
Pawel P. Wierzbicki, Esq. is a proud Polish-American and a talented and hard-working trial attorney associated with Block O'Toole & Murphy, LLP, a premier personal injury law serving New York and New Jersey which holds the best personal injury record in the State of New York. According to ALM's Verdict Search, no other law firm in New York resolved more cases exceeding $1,000,000 in value than Block O'Toole & Murphy since 2012. Pawel is the first attorney of Polish origin who joined that prestigious New York law firm. Pawel is a U.S. citizen who was born in Chicago and raised in Poland, where he first received his J.D. from the University of Warsaw in 2014. He then began studying at the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law, where he went on to receive his second law degree. While at the Levin College of Law, Pawel received the Book Award from the Dean for achieving the highest grade on the Torts exam (personal injury law). He was also awarded the Pulaski Scholarship for Advanced Studies (from the American Council for Polish Culture) in recognition of his academic excellence and support of the Polish-American community. He is a proud member and an officer of the Pulaski Association of Professional Men, Inc.
Pawel has years of experience as a successful New York personal injury lawyer and specializes in catastrophic injuries resulting from work accidents (especially construction), premises liability cases and motor vehicle accidents. He has also handled many Workers’ Compensation claims and has a thorough understanding of how those claims fit in with the larger picture of third-party personal injury lawsuits.
Pawel is highly motivated to do everything he can to help injured clients who come to him in their time of need. Through hard work, a keen understanding of the legal system, and experience dealing with a wide variety of people, Pawel is dedicated to do everything he can to secure the maximum amount of money available to the people he serves.
Pawel gives back to the New York Polonia community by supporting Polish cultural, artistic, and musical events. Pawel also proudly supports Adam Kownacki, Poland-born, Brooklyn-based heavyweight contender.
Areas of Practice
Construction Accidents
Workers' Compensation
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Premises Liability
Bar Admissions
New York
Education
University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
Master of Laws
University of Warsaw
Juris Doctor
Honors and Awards
Book Award – The Levin College of Law – Top Grade in Torts
Pulaski Scholarship for Advanced Studies – American Council for Polish Culture
Professional Associations and Memberships
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
New York County Lawyers’ Association
New York State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Injured Workers’ Bar Association
Pulaski Association of Professional Men, Inc.
Grzegorz "Greg" Wisniewski
Greg Wiśniewski founder of Integrate Comfort System
Born in Poland 1950 in small town Wloclawek. Graduated from Warsaw Polytechnic School Filia Plock in 1973. After graduation he worked in various industries before coming to the United States. In 1981 he started working for first HVAC company. He found it very interesting and close to what he was prepared for ,but his dream job came 1986 when he jointed Kelly Trane Service Agency. The company was the factory service company to serve all Trane equipment in NYC and five boroughs. He was exposed to very new technology that Trane was leading at that time, but also to new way of managing business since the company went for overhaul and son of the owner Jed Kelly became CEO of the company. He was his inspiration to open his own business. He spent five years of his professional life to work with Jed. "It was the best of my professional life" Greg says. In 1991 Jed left company and Greg decided to start his own business named Integrate Comfort Systems Inc. His son Chris helped him to build the business and when he graduated from NJIT in 1999 Greg offered him 50% of ownership. " It was probably the best thing I have ever done. Together we increased the size of company and variety of business we were doing. Our sheet metal shop became computerized and we also moved to new building that we bought in Belleville NJ. Today we employed about 60 people between office and field (prepandemic). " says Greg. He is currently semi-retired but still involved in company operations. " Iwould have to say to anyone wants to go to start its own “Go for It”. It is not easy but is worth it. If you lucky enough like me than bring your family to your business. And do not forget that only team work can make business successful." adds Greg Wisniewski.