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The annual GROW Your Business conference is Westchester Community College’s signature entrepreneurship event. GROW inspires and empowers entrepreneurs and business owners across the Hudson Valley. Attendees are able to:
- Tap into a network of like-minded business leaders, potential partners and resources
- Hear from marquee-name professionals and innovators from Westchester and beyond
- Attend business development breakout sessions
- Attend a networking reception
- Access resources
Jason Robinson is the Director of Marketing at UPS. He develops competitive strategies to support organizational business growth objectives in New York City and surrounding markets. Jason advances UPS’ awareness in competitive positioning for small to large businesses through market intelligence and portfolio assessments.
Jason fosters strategic partnerships and networking across the business’s supply chain to maximize opportunity and disrupt the future.
Prior to his current position, Jason had rotations in the operations, business development, and marketing functions at UPS based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Through his various roles, he has an understanding of UPS from an internal and external perspective, providing insight to effectively innovate with the changing global market.
Program
9:00 am Breakfast & Registration
9:30 am Welcoming Remarks
9:45 am Business Disruption: How to "Weather the Storm"
Are you concerned about how changes in weather patterns could affect your ability to operate your business? Join us at the GROW Your Business conference where Steven Wysmuller, Global Weather Leader at IBM/The Weather Co. (The Weather Channel) will explore the role of weather and climate risk on business. He will show how IBM services provide actionable weather insight to businesses across industries. Learn how leading-edge companies are moving from a reactive mindset to a proactive one that can “weather the storm."
Presenter: Steven Wysmuller, Global Weather Leader, IBM/The Weather Co.
11:00 am Morning Breakout Sessions
Want to be on the Edge of Innovation?
Create a Culture of Learning in Your Organization
Are
you building a business designed to succeed in a disruptive environment? Fast
access to ever-evolving technology is innovating work practices to develop a
successful team. How can you make sure your team will make your business
thrive? This workshop will shed some
light on the future of work, and will help define your HR strategy and
practices, focused on getting ahead of your market with a commitment to your
employees and customers.
Presenter: Kristy McCann Flynn, Founder & CEO, GoCoach
Disrupt Your Money Habits to Reignite Your
Business
In this session, the presenter will share his time-tested secrets on how to grow your business, re-engage your employees, and use intuition and happy habits to create more prosperity and abundance in your business and your life.
Presenter: Joel Salomon, Author of "The 9 Money Rules Millionaires Use: Only The Unconventional Ones"
Selling on Amazon: Lessons Learned
Businesses share
first hand experiences with developing their businesses through Amazon. Learn how
they got started, what has changed for the business since and how they stay
competitive. Get inside knowledge and
the pros and cons of working with
Amazon.
Panelists: David Salko, President, Bed & Bath Outlet; Miriam Friedman, Co-Founder and COO, Sportsmed Distributor Inc. & Thomas Kallish, CEO & Chairman, The Kane 11 Socks Company
Moderated by: Tamara Underwood, Hudson Valley Market Manager, New York Business Development Corporation
Design Thinking: Encouraging Creativity & Engagement in Your Business to Increase Your Bottom Line
Learn about the innovative field of Design Thinking and how it generates creative solutions to your business challenges. Dr. Alison Carson of Manhattanville College’s Center for Design Thinking will discuss how Design Thinking can inspire you and your employees with new ideas to help your bottom line.
Presenter: Dr. Alison Carson, Associate Provost, Center for Design Thinking, Manhattanville College
12:00 pm Lunch & Networking
12:45 pm Keynote Address: Jason Robinson, Director of Marketing for United Parcel Service (UPS) & the Honorable George Latimer, Westchester County Executive
1:40 pm Afternoon Breakout Sessions I
Evolution of the Workforce: HR, Environmental Impact, Remote vs. Office
In today’s economy, intellectual capital is a premium and the quality of your people can make or break your organization. At the same time, the workforce has been transformed by a myriad of factors from technology to generational expectations. Small and mid-sized companies (even companies with no employees) can harness these changes to expand and compete in the marketplace.
With the expansion of remote workers, gig workers and contracted employment, small- and mid-sized organizations now have access to large pools of talent without the expense and long-term commitment of a traditional workforce. Navigating the turbulent waters of being an employer (even of contract or gig staff) can be difficult without a workforce plan. This workshop will help owners and managers:
- Learn what trends are emerging in the workforce so they can better compete for talent
- Discover how to harness workforce changes to grow and compete with large organizations more effectively
- Find valuable methods to manage your workforce for efficiency and productivity
Presenter: Allison Madison, President, Madison Approach Staffing, Inc.
The Sharing Economy: The Benefits for Small Businesses
The Sharing Economy, what are the pros and cons as well how small businesses are being impacted and how they can benefit.
Presenter: Brett Swanson, Director, Government Relations & Community Affairs, Lime
How Small Business Owner Can Achieve Nonstop Growth by Doing Less
As a small business owner, can you really compete with the big players? The short answer: Absolutely! In today’s hyper-competitive environment, it is not possible to do all your business tasks manually. The first step to achieving your growth goals is to learn to let go and do less. How? By embracing automation and letting the tools do the heavy lifting. Chances are you can free up a ton of time by implementing just two or three of them. When you do, you will finally be able to put the majority of tedious business tasks on autopilot and start focusing on growing your business. In this workshop, the presenter will provide details on which specific automation tools to use to achieve your business goals while staying within your budget.
Presenter: Kyle McMurry, Founder & CEO, Grow Now Marketing & Grow Now Advertising
Blockchain: How it Will Impact Your Business
This session provides an overview of the Emerging Information Technology (EIT), Blockchain also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). We will discuss the business implications and business applications of blockchain by looking at business cases in different industries, specifically the use of this technology for smart contracts. We will explore decentralized autonomous organizations, how they are evolving, where they fit in today’s world, and the trajectory of blockchain applications in various industries, the opportunities and risks it currently present.
Presenter: Kirk Ritchey, Founder & Senior Advisor, Enterprise Solutions Group
Student Pitch Competition
Westchester Community College and Manhattanville College students will have the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of business leaders for the chance to win a prize.
Panelists: Andrew Bunyea, Google LLC; Dr. Alison Carson, Manhattanville College; Scorpio Rogers, Mercy College; Phyllis Wood, Westchester Community College
2:50 pm Afternoon Breakout Sessions II
Leading with Innovation Will Increase Your Revenue and Keep Turn Over Low
Creativity and Innovation: Many of us believe these two words mean the same thing, but they do not. Creativity is the thought of a new idea and innovation is executing that idea. In this workshop, learn how to effectively manage and leverage a diverse workforce to become both creative and innovative. You will recognize your own ideas and emotions, as well as those of others to guide strategic and creative thinking.
Presenter: Jocelyn Greenky Underwood, Managing Director, Sider Road
The Changing Retail Environment in Our
Downtowns
Local business
organizations play a critical role in bringing vitality and resources to
community businesses, especially in the current competitive climate. Come hear
from successful local leaders about how they are making a difference for their
members.
Panelists: Lauren Brady, Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce; Beth Vetare-Civitello, Mt. Kisco Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Gayle Marchica, Ossining Chamber of Commerce; Bob Giordano, Yorktown Small Business Association, Marcy Berman-Goldstein, Scarsdale Business Alliance
Moderated by: Alexa O’Rourke, General Manager of Washington Prime Group Inc.
"BIG DATA" Drives Another Industry Transformation
Everyone has come to understand that the internet and social media have altered the world; from Banking to Retailing to Education through the ever present collection of valuable Data. However, the Healthcare Industry is only now being radically transofrmed by the adoption of "Big Data" capabilities and the tremendous investments being made to manage and use these valuable business and clinical resources.
The consolidation and mergers of the traditional institutions as well as the integration of providers into group practices are only the tip of the iceberg in which the silos of healthcare are driving us towards "Population Health" and the "Value" based mantra. The importance and challenges of "Big Data" in the Healthcare Industry will be translated into the different challenges small businesses might face in their own day to day use of "big data".
Presenter: Paul Savage, President & Founder, HealthCare Intelligence
MWBE Resources to Attract and Retain Business
If you are thinking of doing If you are thinking of doing business with Westchester County, this workshop will give you the opportunity to have your questions answered. The Purchasing Department at Westchester County will
share their purchasing needs and how to successfully win contracts with the County.
Presenter: James J. Ferrara, Purchasing Department, Westchester County
4:00 pm Innovator's Panel
Leaders in innovative organizations share their stories, the challenges they face and lessons learned.
Presenters: Alexa O’Rourke; Washington Prime Group Inc., John Bekisz; UAS VUES, LLC; Ben Green, Peekskill Clay Studios & Michael Wieser, MJ Wieser Law
Moderated by: The Honorable Thomas Roach, Mayor, City of White Plains
4:45 pm Closing Reception & Announcement of the Winner of the Student Pitch Competition
Speakers
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Frequently Asked Questions
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