EmployeeChannel to open Center of Excellence at CUE downtown

EmployeeChannel will open its Software Development Center for Excellence in downtown Rochester and create at least 30 jobs over five years.  A $2.4 million project, the company will rent space inside Rochester Institute of Technology’s Downtown Center for Entrepreneurship located in the historic Rochester Savings Bank building at 40 Franklin St.

Founded in 2015, EmployeeChannel is a provider of a workforce communication application that allows employers to more effectively communicate with employees through cloud, mobile and artificial intelligence technologies.  Its new facility will house the EmployeeChannel product development team which will be focused on research, product management and development, development operations and customer support. Employee Channel will receive up to $500,000 in state tax credits toward the project.

The company had considered sites in Pennsylvania, Texas and Oregon before selecting New York State in which to grow its business.

“The proximity to world-class universities like RIT and the University of Rochester gives us access to an exceptional talent pool,” said Mark Oney, senior vice president of EmployeeChannel and an RIT graduate, who added that the region’s focus on entrepreneurial development and financial incentives for early-stage startups was also instrumenta in the selection.

The CUE has been working to reshape the regional economy and build wealth within the urban community by serving as a central resource for urban entrepreneurial programs and research. The 47,000 square-foot building was received by a donation to RIT from Rochester Historic Ventures which includes members of the Leenhouts, Tait and Tones families along with members of the Broadstone management team. The building was constructed in 1927, and in 1972 was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic places and has historic significance in art, architecture and commerce.