Bellmore businesswoman recognized

Bellmorite Lyle Cogen considers herself one of the lucky people who get to call work play. She’s also successful at what she does. Cogen was recently named one of 25 Businesswomen of Excellence by the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Cogen is a performer, writer and arts educator; she considers herself an entrepreneur by design. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Merrick, Cogen graduated from Kennedy High School in Bellmore and pursued a career in singing. From the age of 17, she performed in the Catskills and on cruise ships near and far. Over time, Cogen gradually moved into arts education.

Cogen’s three children’s recordings have received national recognition. The songs, which are educational as well as entertaining, have been recognized by many organizations, including the Parent’s Choice Foundation, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and Sesame Street.

Cogen said that while she has become a businesswoman, she still considers herself to be an artist at heart. “It’s a very special thing as an artist to be recognized as a businesswoman,” she said of receiving the NAWBO award. The artist also recently expanded into theater education. In 2008, Cogen received a grant from the federal government and was commissioned by the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Greenvale to develop a theater production about bullying for children and teenagers. Cogen created “Sticks and Stones,” a one-person show that deals with bullying in real-life situations. Cogen has traveled across the country performing the work for students in the hope of bringing an end to bullying one step closer.

Cogen, who said her biggest supporter is her husband, Jerry, constantly receives feedback from students who have seen the production. She wants parents and children alike to realize that bullying affects most everyone. Cogen provides a study guide for those who see “Sticks and Stones,” and after the show, she allows time for a question-and-answer session to see what the audience has learned and how her message has been perceived. She said that she hopes the play makes the audience, especially children, “feel welcome and included.” If the play is successful, “we might be one step further to getting rid of meanness,” she said.

When Cogen is not traveling, she is a resident artist at the Leo F. Giblyn Elementary School in Freeport. At Giblyn, she uses drama to teach anti-bullying skills to students and faculty members. Cogen has spoken at many conferences about the benefits of teaching through the arts. Through educational performances, Cogen said she believes that school and life can be made “easier for kids by telling them that they’re not alone.”

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