Dynishal Gross is the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity (DEFO) at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. DEFO certifies minority & women-owned, emerging, & local businesses & also offers technical assistance and capacity building programs to help these firms grow through government contracting. In addition, Dynishal oversees the City’s Division of Labor Services, which monitors citywide vendor compliance with equal employment opportunity, labor standards, & other regulatory mandates.

Dynishal's career in public service includes five years of work for members of the New York City Council. She spent two years as Assistant Commissioner for Business Programs in SBS’ Division of Business Services, overseeing targeted programs for women entrepreneurs, New York City Housing Authority residents, and legacy neighborhood businesses.

Dynishal was shaped by a childhood spent on a family tobacco farm in southern Maryland. She is a first-generation college graduate, holding a B.A. in Africana Studies from Cornell University, an M.P.A. from Baruch College, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. She lives in Brooklyn with her wife Judith M. Smith, & their son, Bayard.