Roc Growth: Recent Episodes
Roc Growth Team
Empowering the New Rochester by identifying, supporting and building community for our new generation of leaders. We showcase our leading innovators and entrepreneurs by publicizing motivational stories from individuals who represent our talent pool.
RocGrowth instigates “creative collisions” by breaking down barriers, creating opportunities for interpersonal interaction, encouraging fellowship and pride in belonging to the Rochester community.
We promote equality of race, class, gender and age in all our endeavors, recognizing the mistakes of our past have impeded our progress.
RocGrowth is pleased to present
A Candid In-Person event with Zoom Option
Downtown Rochester at an Inflection Point
- Jenna Knauf, Roc Holiday Village
- Galin Brooks, Partnership for Downtown Rochester
- Suzanne Mayer, Hinge Neighbors
RocGrowth Candids features regional entrepreneurs and innovators who share their personal stories and describe their journey building successful organizations that have a meaningful impact upon our community.
Downtown Rochester has been experiencing a renewed vitality. It is widely accepted that a prospering metropolitan region has a thriving urban core, with successful collaboration between the public and private sectors. We face a moment when major decisions might determine whether Rochester is able to rise above mediocrity and achieve recognition as being one of America's great mid-sized cities. That is why RocGrowth is featuring three innovators from the private sector who are pursuing superior outcomes in different ways.
Join us on Thursday, March 28, 2024 to learn more about the entrepreneur behindRoc Holiday Village, the Partnership for Downtown Rochesterand revitalization efforts downtown, and Hinge Neighborsand their role with the Inner Loop North.
RocGrowth Candids is pleased to present
- Andrea Westerlund, Founder, Flower Power Magazine
- Renee Long, Board Member, Clarissa Street Legacy
- Quajay Donnell, Co-Curator, Behind the Glass Gallery
Innovative Community Building in Rochester RocGrowth Candids features regional entrepreneurs and innovators who share their personal stories and describe their journey building successful organizations that have a meaningful impact upon our community.
Community building fosters a sense of belonging and social cohesion among residents. When people feel connected to their neighbors and the larger community, they are more likely to work together, support each other, and participate in community activities. This is aligned with RocGrowth's mission.
Join us to learn more about Clarissa Street Legacy, Flower Power Magazine and Behind the Glass Gallery. Their leaders will discuss their initiatives, personal motivations and experiences building their organizations.
RocGrowth Candids is pleased to present
Steve Dubnik - President and CEO
The Strong Museum of Play and Its
Impact Upon Rochester
In recognition of relaxed pandemic protocols RocGrowth Candids is joyfully resuming its in-person event, providing a virtual participation option. We feature regional entrepreneurs and innovators who share their personal stories and describe their journey building successful organizations that have had lasting impact upon our community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Strong National Museum of Play, is a beloved Rochester institution that is undergoing a major expansion visible to all who pass by a neighborhood undergoing radical transformation. On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, we feature Steve Dubnik, President and CEO, who has guided the institution through this ambitious phase. We will learn how the museum has acquired an international reputation, the breadth of its work, and dedication to our city.
Join us for a discussion with Mike Colyer, CEO of Foundry. Foundry was created to meet the institutional demand for better capital access, efficiency and transparency in the digital asset mining and staking industry. Headquartered in Rochester, NY, Foundry leverages its institutional expertise, capital and market intelligence to empower participants within the crypto ecosystem by providing the tools they need to build tomorrow's decentralized infrastructure.
Adrian Hale,Director, Economic & Community Development, will join us to discuss Foundry's commitment to positively impact our region and seizing the blockchain's transformative potential to improve society.
Please join us for a discussion with Peter Jemison,Seneca Nation ( Heron Clan), founder of the Seneca Art & Cultural Center and former site manager of Ganondagan, and Erica Mock, Executive Director of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiative (FDFI).
The Finger Lakes was home to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Peter is the visionary behind the Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor and is nationally recognized for this work.
Frederick Douglass and his family resided in Rochester for 25 years, at the height of his abolitionist struggle and the critical years following the Civil War. Erica will discuss the ways FDFI is bringing attention to Douglass' message and his connection to our region.
We hope to inform you about how our remarkable history is a regional asset and differentiator. The New Rochester can embrace its past and blaze a better future.
RocGrowth Community
Please join us for a discussion with historian, Laura Warren Hill, and business leader, Tom Mitchell. Dr. Hill recently published Strike the Hammer: The Black Freedom Struggle in Rochester, New York, 1940-1970 and Mr. Mitchell is the former-CEO of Bergmann Associates and co-founder of Exploring Racism Groups (ERG).
Dr. Hill spent 12 years researching three pivotal decades of Rochester's history, revealing much about the origins of our present condition. Since 2015, Mr. Mitchell has been dedicated to educating community leaders about racism and how it impacts their organization's performance and potential.
Rochester is in the midst of significant change, experiencing an economic transformation, generational transition and revitalizing downtown. We hope this discussion will inform and educate RocGrowth's community so we can be more effective contributors.
RocGrowth has adjusted to the restrictions placed on social interaction by adopting Zoom in lieu of our typical convocation. We will moderate a 30 minute interview, followed by Q&A using the chat feature. It will be recorded and posted as a video and podcast the following day.
Simeon Banister, the incoming CEO and President of the Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF). Simeon is a Rochester native and a product of the Rochester City School District.
He will discuss the North Star Coalition that he helped launch to ensure an inclusive and equitable post-pandemic recovery. As he prepares to take over the helm of the leading non-profit funding source in our region, we'll also explore his plans to build upon the success of his predecessor and contribute to revitalizing and growing Rochester.
RocGrowth's mission has been about building community for our region's great innovators since its founding in 2004. One way we do that is by featuring leading and emerging innovators in a series of open interviews, including audience participation. We are honored to feature Simeon, who is entirely aligned with our purpose.
Please join us to hear a frank assessment of Rochester’s technology attributes from Steve Hoover, Katherine Johnson Endowed Executive Director of the recently announced Global Cybersecurity Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology and, previously Xerox’s Chief Technology Officer, and Walter Johnson, CEO of FLX AI and, previously, a senior executive at Xerox’s PARC, the renowned R&D affiliate.
Both Steve and Walter attained PhDs prior to launching successful technology careers. Over three decades, they experienced first-hand many of the major technology waves. Both spent considerable time in Silicon Valley prior to moving to Rochester.
00:43:42 Glenn Allen: Leaving contact info for networking....I’m a freelance SAP software developer based in Central NY. Feel free to connect www.linkedin.com/in/glennallen, glenn.a.allen@gmail.com. @glenn_a_allen, Cheers.
01:04:55 Suzanne Mayer/Hinge Neighbors: suzanne@hingeneighbors.com www.rochesterzap.com Text at 5857503127
01:07:27 Yaqub Shabazz: https://www.yaqubshabazz.com/
01:07:55 Yaqub Shabazz: info@yaqubshabazz.com
01:09:37 Mona Seghatoleslami: https://www.fivebyfivemusic.com/contact-1
01:09:39 Mona Seghatoleslami: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGjNOfHiIEsLqreK5Ho91fw
01:11:52 Josh Creager: EMBARK shout out!! https://nextcorps.org/embark/
01:14:43 Jason Hilton: If anyone has an interest in a project to help people control and profit from their own data, you can’t reach me at jason@spacerochester.com
01:15:16 Michael Thaney: https://www.startupgrind.com/rochester/
01:22:18 Karla George: I work with Walt at FLX. We have a few jobs open. Please see our webpage at: https://flxai.com/careers-2/ . We also post jobs regularly on our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flx-ai-inc/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
Congrats to Tina Paradiso, founder of Imprintable Solutions for winning the Social Enterprise Pitch Battle. All the startups had a great pitch and are going to make a social impact. Tina's pitch discussed how a social impact is embedded into her business model. This includes benefits and programming to employees ranging from a fully stocked kitchen, bathrooms and washer/dryers at work for all employees to programs to help employees to prepare for life and career advancement.
Thanks to Michael Thaney and the Startup Grind team for partnering with Roc Growth to bring the community together to make this event happen.
And this event is nothing without our judges! A Special thank you to: Maureen Ballatori, Kelly Metras and Kathy Driscoll.
Watch video from this event at RocGrowth.com
Congrats to Zack Ellis, founder of TheirStory for pitching on the Social Enterprise Pitch Battle. All the startups had a great pitch and are going to make a social impact. Check out this excellent pitch.
Thanks to Michael Thaney and the Startup Grind team for partnering with Roc Growth to bring the community together to make this event happen.
And this event is nothing without our judges! A Special thank you to: Maureen Ballatori, Kelly Metras and Kathy Driscoll.
Amy Bach, Founder and Executive Director of Measures for Justice, and Jaime Saunders, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester, discuss their organizations' innovative approaches to tackling some of our community's greatest challenges.
Measures for Justice (MFJ) equips communities with their own data to help solve systemic problems in criminal justice. Funded by some of the nation’s leading foundations, MFJ has just launched a new platform that helps police and prosecutor offices be transparent about their practices and accountable to their communities by publicly tracking monthly data and shared policy goals.
United Way has shown resilience and the ability to adapt to our community’s emerging philanthropic needs for over 100 years. Its efforts were recently recognized by global philanthropist MacKenzie Scott with a transformative $20 million gift. It was one of fewer than 400 recipients among 6,500 organizations considered.
RocGrowth's mission includes a commitment to promoting greater equity in our community. We also attempt to empower the new leaders of Rochester and highlight our community's great innovators. With that in mind, we proudly co-produce this event with Conscious Capitalism.
**Building a Diverse Talent Pipeline and Inclusive Culture:
Works In Progress**
We welcome Steve Metzger (LaBella Associates), Jeff Wight of (General Code) and Mohammed Ahamed to discuss LaBella and General Code's path to embracing a commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I) in their workplace. Implementation is a "work in progress" and they will share successes, setbacks and future plans. Mohammed will share his perspective as a D&I consultant to major organizations.
Hear Zach Sarkis, founder of NY HempLab, and Jason Klimek, Esq., Chair of the Cannabis Practice at Boylan Code LLP, to discuss the likely legalization of marijuana in New York State this spring.
The legislation is currently being crafted and negotiated by the governor and legislature. This is a critical time for New Yorkers to help shape the laws and regulations that will govern commercialization. Our conversation with two experts on this issue will shed light on the legislative process and what it might mean for our region.
RocGrowth's mission is about building community for our region's great innovators and entrepreneurs. For seven years, we have featured our leading entrepreneurs in a series of open interviews, including audience participation.
HearJay McHarg, CEO, AeroSafe Global, describe how his company is playing a critical role in distributing the COVID vaccine throughout the U.S. Having raised over $125 million from leading private equity firms and Merck, AeroSafe Global provides a critical link in the "cold chain" by ensuring delivery of the vaccine at the required temperature to its end user. The company, located on Buffalo Road, employs 200 people and almost doubled in size last year.
RocGrowth's mission is about building community for our region's great innovators and entrepreneurs. For six years, we have featured our leading entrepreneurs in a series of open interviews, including audience participation.
RocGrowth Candids-Virtual
Episode Links, Chat and Video
Norm Silverstein, CEO of WXXI,has been one of the most impactful and underrecognized innovators in our community. Celebrating 25 years as the leader of an organization that includes numerous TV and radio stations, along with City Newspaper and The Little Theatre, he has had a lasting and profound impact upon our community.
WXXI represents far more than Sesame Street and a place to listen to nomination hearings for Supreme Court justices. It is an essential contributor to our arts community and media source for critical issues shaping Rochester's future.
RocGrowth's mission is about building community for our region's great innovators and entrepreneurs. For six years, we have featured our leading entrepreneurs in a series of open interviews, including audience participation. Learn how Norm Silverstein has built WXXI into a public broadcasting affiliate recognized nationally by its peers for excellence and innovation.
RocGrowth Candids-Virtual
Show Chat and Conversation
Hear Austin McChord, founder of $4.5 billion publicly-traded Datto, describe why he has returned to Rochester to build his next billion dollar company. He will be joined by Nicholas Conn, PhD founder of Heart Health Intelligence (HHI). Austin and Nick share a strong connection to RIT and are leading HHI after its recent round of venture funding.
RocGrowth's mission is about building community for our region's great innovators and entrepreneurs. For seven years, we have featured our leading entrepreneurs in a series of open interviews, including audience participation.
RocGrowth Candids-Virtual
RocGrowth Community-
Please join us to learn how three of Rochester's leading innovators responded to the unanticipated challenges faced by the sudden onset of the pandemic.
Aerosafe Global, ITXand Rochester Contemporary Art Center are among the vanguard organizations in our regional economy. They represent our most promising sectors: technology, software, and arts and culture.
Listen to how Jay McHarg (Aerosafe), Fred Beer (ITX) and Bleu Cease (RoCo) relied on their culture and other intangibles to adjust and pivot. As Friedrich Niezsche said, "that which does not kill us makes us stronger."s
TEDxRochesterSalon in partnership with RocGrowth, focusing on how diversity enhances innovation and entrepreneurship.
We live in a dynamic city, and Rochester is looked at nationally as an innovation hub. Innovation work requires a vibrant and open community in which people feel welcome, have their ideas heard and opinions valued.
This TEDxRochesterSalon will explore how diversity and inclusion impact innovation and entrepreneurship here in Rochester.
Ana Liss, Director of Economic Development & Planning for Monroe County, will be conducting a candid interview.
Kevin S. Beckford, Sr. HR Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, University of Rochester kbeckfor@ur.rochester.edu
Dr. Deanna Kimbrel, Inclusion and Diversity Manager, Paychex dkimbrel@paychex.com
Victoria Van Voorhis, CEO, Second Avenue Learning tory@secondavenuelearning.com
Hinge Neighbors works to empower people in the neighborhood to raise their voice in a way that will be heard.
Hinge Neighbors works along with residents and other community partners currently separated by the Inner Loop North to prepare them to raise their voice in a way that will be heard.
suzanne@hingeneighbors.com
shawn@hingeneighbors.com
Recognizing the co-existence of a healthy creative class with a vibrant entrepreneurial environment, this is the launch of a series that will feature Innovation in the Arts! This will include the visual, culinary, theatrical, musical and performing arts. Here are some of our area's most significant contributors to the visual arts. The esteemed director of the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG), Jonathan Binstock, will moderate a panel that includes Bleu Cease, director of the internationally recognized Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), K.C. Sullivan, co-founder and director of UUU Art Collective and noted and distinctive artist, Sarah Rutherford. This discussion celebrates the relationship between art and entrepreneurship and demonstrates that Rochester continues to be very much at the forefront of artistic innovation.
Aaron Newman is a dynamic serial entrepreneur who, prior to founding CloudCheckr, already had several successful startups to his credit.
Founded just seven years ago, CloudCheckr already employs more than 100 people in Rochester’s Village Gate. Aaron’s innovative approach to technology and community leadership falls right in line with RocGrowth’s vision of New Rochester.
If you too are interested in helping to shape the future of our community, this is an event you don’t want to miss!
RocGrowth Candids
Mikael Totterman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Clerio Vision talks about innovation, creating new companies and why he chooses to do it in Rochester.
We are pleased to feature Mikael Totterman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Clerio Vision, Inc. Clerio is a UR Medical Center spin-out that has raised $12 million in angel and venture financing and has the potential to disrupt the field of vision correction.
Previously, a co-founder and CEO of several Rochester-based medical-related startups with connections to UR. Those include Virtualscopics, Qmetrics, and iCardiac. Mike has spent considerable time in Silicon Valley. We will hear firsthand from this highly accomplished entrepreneur about how he approaches innovation, creates new companies…and why he chooses to do it in Rochester.
RocGrowth Candids
Our esteemed guests are Rick Plympton and Mike Mandina, CEO and President of Optimax Systems. This optics company is no traditional success story. The website states it well: “We leverage our optics manufacturing technology for programs that benefit mankind and projects that defend our freedom.” Rick and Mike have fostered a corporate culture that empowers and dignifies the 280 people who work there. It’s nothing short of cutting edge…and fun. Rick Plympton, CEO, Optimax Systems Mike Mandina, President, Optimax Systems
Our next guest speaker is one of the more notable local success stories, Arunas Chesonis. Currently, Arunas and his colleagues operate an investment firm, Cranberry Capital, which provides hands-on support and funding to a portfolio of start-up companies. Arunas moved to Rochester upon graduating MIT to work for Rochester Telephone. He then became president of ACC until it was sold to AT&T. His next step was PAETEC, founding and building it into a publicly-traded and nationally recognized telecom company. Arunas will discuss his connection to Rochester and how it has played a role in his life and entrepreneurial endeavors. Additionally, he will provide insights into his current activities, particularly regarding Cranberry Capital and its innovative approaches to supporting entrepreneurs.
RocGrowth Candids