Building a new Tappan Zee Bridge, cloud computing, accounting and the very nature of being an entrepreneur are on the workshop docket when Westchester Community College”™s Gateway to Entrepreneurship (G2E) program hosts its first conference May 3.
More than 200 attendees are expected at the “Westchester Grow Conference” in the Gateway Center on the Valhalla campus.
The 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. event is being held in partnership with Community Capital of New York, The Business Council of Westchester and the Women”™s Enterprise Development Center. The cost to attendees is $50, which includes continental breakfast, lunch, a wine and cheese closing reception and access to business experts during the conference.
Keynote speakers will be Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester, and Tom Kallish, founder and CEO of county-based clothier Tommie Copper.
“The goal of our first entrepreneurship conference is to connect budding entrepreneurs and business owners with the resources needed to start or expand their businesses,” Gordon said. “Ultimately, we expect this conference to help the local economy grow as we inspire potential entrepreneurs to realize their plans for starting new businesses, and simultaneously encourage existing business leaders to expand their ongoing enterprises,” she said.
“It is crucial to the economic vitality of Westchester County that we continue to nurture and grow new businesses as well as provide an environment that encourages entrepreneurship,” County Executive Robert P. Astorino said.
This intensive full day of business development and networking opportunities will include workshops and panels for startups and established businesses, presentations by industry leaders, and a closing reception. Entrepreneurs from Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Fairfield counties and the broader tristate region will attend.
Those attending workshops titled “Start-Up Track” will receive information on how to start a new business. Those in the “Business/Industry Track” will be coupled with experts in the fields of biotech/healthcare, green industries, construction/Tappan Zee project, information technology, and food/beverage and hospitality.
Representatives from GreenPath, Inc., a nationwide, nonprofit financial organization that assists consumers with credit card debt, housing debt and bankruptcy concerns will present a workshop on those topics.
There will also be an opportunity for certified Minority Women Business Enterprise members to meet with business representatives and government procurement staff in order to discuss the process for securing future contracts.
For more information or to register for, call (914) 606-5616 or online: mysunywcc.org/page/GrowConference.
