Gural strikes a chord with Harlem bowling alley team.

Jeffrey Gural, chairman of Newmark Knight Frank, already a philanthropist for education through the "I Have a Dream"[R] Foundation that provides mentoring and tuition assistance to low-income kids, has also put his money behind a new entertainment venture, backing the opening of a bowling center in Harlem.

The founders of Harlem Lanes, Gail Richards and her niece, Sharon Joseph, had been considering ideas for a new enterprise in the area for years.

The two developed a preliminary business plan and initially called on Eugene Lang, founder of the Eugene Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University Graduate School, where Joseph earned her MBA. Their sincerity and ambition were clear, convincing Lang to provide the seed money to develop their plan for action. Lang, also founder and chair emeritus of the "I Have a Dream"[R] Foundation, then put Richards and Joseph in touch with Gural. He stated, "Jeff not only has a solid knowledge of real estate and the complexities of property development, but is deeply interested in facilitating the education and life experience of young people in the community."

Responding to the presentation of their entrepreneurial proposal, Gural arranged for Newmark Knight Frank to help the women secure a large part of their financing goal of $5 million. The company also helped find the suitable 25,000 s/f space for the enterprise, and negotiate the lease.

"There hasn't been a bowling alley in Harlem for nearly 30 years. For its economic and social value to the community, I considered the idea a significant example of entrepreneurial effort," Gural said. "It reflects the wide range of business opportunities that Harlem offers."

The 24-lane bowling center featuring leather sofas, a suede-paneled party room, sports bar and gift shop, is now open for business. "We have the opportunity to share our expertise with two young women who had a great idea that is typically hard to finance," said Gural. "It has been an interesting project."

It wasn't just his business knowledge that made Gural the right man for the project. "He is one of the finest, most considerate and socially responsible people I know. I have enormous respect for him," Lang said.

Gural hopes the investment will pay off in more ways than one. "It's good for the community to see that it's two local women who are spearheading the work," he said. "It's important to encourage such entrepreneurial projects. It's a healthy dynamic for the area."

The venture also piqued the interest of the founder of the Harlem Small Business Initiative, former President Bill Clinton, who was present at the ribbon cutting ceremony in March.

Gural continues to invest. Currently, he is supporting his passion for horseracing by reviving two racetracks in Upstate New York. Gural is also chapter president and benefactor to the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation's New York Region for the past 20 years.