Send us a Text Message. Talk CNY: Economic Champions Miniseries, presented by NBT Bank, gives us a chance to celebrate all the amazing businesses that make Central New York a great place to live and work. Host Kate Hammer speaks with a different business leader each episode to discuss who they are, what they do and how they’re tackling the growth in the region.   On this episode, Kate talks to VIP Structures CEO Meg Tidd. Meg discusses her music background, transforming the building that CenterState CEO now calls home, and finding “a better way” for the entire community.   CONNECT&nb ..read more

Send us a Text Message. Talk CNY: Economic Champion Miniseries, presented by NBT Bank, gives us a chance to celebrate all the amazing businesses that make Central New York a great place to live and work. Host Kate Hammer speaks with a different business leader each episode to discuss who they are, what they do and how they’re tackling the growth in the region.  On this episode, Kate talks to Dr. Bianca Gonzalez, CEO of AMPAworks, a company that manufactures IoT devices to count inventory. They discuss how Dr.Gonzalez’s medical background led her to her current position, the challenge of r ..read more

Send us a Text Message. Talk CNY: Economic Champions Miniseries, presented by NBT Bank, gives us a chance to celebrate all the amazing businesses that make Central New York a great place to live and work. Host Kate Hammer speaks with a different business leader each episode to discuss who they are, what they do and how they’re tackling the growth in the region.   On this episode, Kate talks to Haun Welding Supply and Haun Specialty Gases COO Kyle Pipes and Co-President Josh Haun. They discuss leaving and coming back to Central New York, their family’s journey to the business they run toda ..read more

Central New York’s current economic development pipeline, the mechanism we use to monitor economic opportunities, is 20 times what it was in 2019. As of May 2024, it’s tracking around $10 billion in interest investment, and advanced manufacturing projects make up around 75% of that. It’s a big shift from what we were seeing even a year ago. But CenterState CEO’s economic development work isn’t limited to the traditional business attraction and retention. It also aims to create opportunities and wealth for local residents and in underinvested neighborhoods.  On this episode of Talk CNY, Ce ..read more

Communities don’t often have the advantage of being able to plan for exponential growth until they’re in it. However, Central New York has the unique opportunity to do just that.   Because there is time to plan, there’s a chance to address the region’s current and upcoming demand for housing without creating unsustainable, inequitable conditions that often result from significant economic investment. CenterState CEO convened a Housing Task Force in the summer of 2023 to examine interrelated challenges and make policy recommendations that can be implemented under existing laws and economic ..read more

We are a quarter of the way through 2024, and the team at CenterState CEO is working to keep pace with the region’s growth. From convening a housing taskforce and creating career pathways with our partners to supporting our members’ growth and building a new center of innovation on Harrison St., CenterState CEO is engaging in a wide range of projects.  On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson returns to discuss all this work and how it impacts Central New York.  Learn more about CenterState CEO. CONNECT CenterState CEO Website | Facebo ..read more

CenterState CEO’s business development work includes aiding new entrepreneurs as they start their first business—entrepreneurs like Durin Leckie.  Durin utilized CenterState CEO’s small business development programming to formalize and accelerate his business. Through Up Start technical assistance and the Growth + Equity Fund, Durin took Ali Fix It Construction from a one-man operation doing handyman jobs to a growing team that’s helping to tackle Syracuse’s lead problem.  On this episode of Talk CNY, Durin Leckie talks about his journey to entrepreneurship, from Jamaica to Syracuse ..read more

An important part of CenterState CEO’s economic development efforts is community investment. This work ensures business development services help not just large companies, but also small, main street businesses and entrepreneurs from historically marginalized backgrounds. One of the people helping our region’s small business owners navigate the ins and outs of entrepreneurship is CenterState CEO’s small business manager Erik Jankowski. On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, Erik Jankowski talks about the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship in Central New York. He also ..read more

In 2016, local leaders recognized the potential of making Central New York a globally recognized center for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) innovation. That vision was turned into reality thanks to unparalleled state investments.   Now, our region has an ecosystem of research and development assets like an FAA designated test site, beyond visual line of sight testing and advanced air mobility (AAM) capabilities that are at the leading edge of this growing industry. Also, Central New York is home to the world’s largest UAS accelerator GENIUS NY, which is operated by CenterState CEO.  On ..read more

On this episode of Talk CNY Season 2, presented by NBT Bank, Empire State Development’s Regional Director for Central New York Dan Kolinski discusses the goals outlined in the recently released Regional Economic Development Council’s 2023 strategic plan. The 2023 plan is updated to include goals that reflect our current regional moment, such as creating a future ready workforce, connecting industry ecosystems, ensuring equitable growth and much more.  Daniel Kolinski, a graduate of West Genesee High School in Camillus, NY, earned degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from Hobart Co ..read more