Find out how Rochester can become a hub for entrepreneurs
How can the city engage innovators from throughout the country and the world to come to Rochester? As the city moves into a post-pandemic recovery, can the focus on entrepreneurship be a selling point?
On June 24 at Noon, these questions will become a part of a discussion hosted by the Rochester Beacon and NextCorps. The event is titled “How Can Rochester Become a Hub for Entrepreneurs?”
The history of Rochester was established on a manufacturing-based economy dominated by the Big Three. Now, the city is operating on a knowledge-based economy with research centers of excellence and a highly-educated workforce. With the pandemic, technical workers have migrated away from larger cities, which has given Rochester an opportunity to become a entrepreneurship hub. Homegrown startups, tech startups and growth companies all exist locally. The region also has an affordability edge.
From noon to 1 p.m., the free event will take place live on Zoom, but registration is required.
Hear from three experts:
Sujatha Ramanujan, managing director of Luminate NY, a global accelerator for startups in optics, photonics and imaging technologies. Luminate has successfully attracted attention from fledgling companies from around the globe, who spend time in Rochester and establish relationships with local companies.
Rami Katz, chief operating officer of Excell Ventures, has been promoting the strengths of the region for several years. Most recently through a multi-stakeholder initiative called R2i, Katz and others worked to connect Israeli startups and local organizations. The virtual exchange was an effort to marry Israel’s strengths in digital health with Rochester’s expertise in health care.
Nish Sonwalkar, CEO of SunDensity, which relocated to Rochester to expand manufacturing and operations. The photonics startup won the top prize—$1 million—and was named Company of the Year at the culminating event for Luminate NY’s third cohort.
Alex Zapesochny, the Rochester Beacon publisher, who co-founded iCardiac Technologies and Clerio Vision will serve as moderator.
To attend, go to the website to register.