Voice of Business - Spring 2020

VOICE

OF

spring 2020

7

Rochester Chamber Annual Report

12

ATHENA International Awards

16

A Mission to Accelerate Growth

24

Data Strategy: The Next Digital Revolution

2

3

Welcome New Members!

COMPANY NAME

WEBSITE

2DAYSMOOD www.2daysmood.com Abrasive-Tool Corp. www.abrasivetool.com Allied Financial Partners, Inc. www.alliedfp.com AshHEALTH LLC. www.AshHEALTH.FIT Axiom Compliance & Ethics Solutions LLC www.AxiomCES.com Berardi Immigration Law https://berardiimmigrationlaw.com Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester www.beabig.org Bill Gray’s Inc. www.billgrays.com Boundless Connections https://bctechcenter.com Brighton Securities www.brightonsecurities.com Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care Inc. www.broccolotreeandlawn.com Challenger Miracle Field of Greater Rochester www.rochestermiraclefield.org Citizens Financial Group www.citizensbank.com Cognivue www.cognivue.com Colby’s Catering Inc. www.colbyspigroast.com Colonial Fire Protection Systems, Inc. www.colonialfire.com Continual Care Solutions Inc. www.continualcaresolutions.com Cornell Cooperative Extension http://monroe.cce.cornell.edu Diji Signs Inc. www.DijiSigns.com Edward Jones www.edwardjones.com Elite Alliance www.elitealliance.com Finger Lakes Community College www.flcc.edu Fox Pest Control www.foxpest-rochester.com Fulcrum Acoustic LLC www.fulcrum-acoustic.com GP Flooring Solutions www.gpflooringsolutions.com Granularity Analytics www.granularityanalytics.com Haus Capital Corp www.hauscapitalcorp.com Integritas www.integritas-tec.com JEM Consulting JSM Technology, Inc. www.jsmtechnology.com LPA Software Solutions LLC www.lpa.com L-Tron Corporation www.L-Tron.com March of Dimes www.marchofdimes.org/ny MAXIMUS www.maximus.com McQuaid Jesuit www.mcquaid.org On The Mark Utility Locating Services, Inc. www.otmlocating.com Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives www.PughSelfProtection.com Quality Office Environments www.qualityofficeenvironments.com R.P. Fedder Industrial www.rpfedder.com RDG + Partners www.rdgandpartners.com Red Roof Inn www.redroof.com Rochester Industrial Services, Inc. www.rochesterindustrialservices.com Rochester People’s Climate Coalition (RPCC) www.rocpcc.com ROCtography www.roctography.com RPI (Reischling Press) www.rpiprint.com SOHO Imaging www.sohoimaging.com T65 & Beyond LLC www.t65beyond.com The Harley School www.harleyschool.org The Susan B. Anthony House www.susanbanthonyhouse.org The UPS Store #0906 theupsstore.com/0906 The Upstate Lash Bar TiverBuilt www.tiverbuilt.com T-Mobile USA, Inc. www.t-mobile.com Venture X www.venturex.com Vertex Optics, Inc www.vertexoptics.com Weld Works, LLC www.weldworksllc.com Window Ware Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley www.womensfoundation.org Yoruk Development Company www.yorukdev.com

Partner Members

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Small Business Council to Realign with Rochester Chamber Greg Miller Small Business Council of Rochester President

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he Small Business Council of Rochester has a long history of working alongside Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce as an affiliated, yet separate, organization. After careful consideration, the SBC Board of Directors has initiated a broad reintegration with Rochester Chamber to best serve members moving forward. The SBC remains committed to representing the interests of Rochesterarea small businesses through presentation of programs aligned around our four pillars: Coaching, Celebrating, Connecting, and Caring. These programs, combined with the extraordinary set of services and advocacy efforts offered

by Rochester Chamber, will provide the most comprehensive membership benefits available to small businesses in Rochester.

SBC and Rochester Chamber leadership are confident this new, improved alignment will better serve the small business community. We know that small businesses often make difficult financial choices when it comes to membership in organizations and associations that offer programming to support them. By aggregating services under a single membership structure, we can offer small businesses a more robust set of benefits for a single annual fee. Combining our efforts into one membership makes it more cost-effective for small businesses to access increased programming and connect with a larger group of similar businesses, creating an even louder voice to advocate on their behalf at home, in Albany, and beyond.

For current Small Business Council members without a Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce membership, your account will roll into a Rochester Chamber membership at no additional cost for one full annual membership term.

For organizations with both SBC and Rochester Chamber memberships, you will no longer pay separate SBC dues at the end of your SBC term. For more information or questions on the full set of benefits and services available to you, contact Membership Coordinator Stephanie Helfer at Stephanie.Helfer@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

The SBC Board of Directors will remain intact as a Rochester Chamber advisory council and we are excited about the opportunity to influence programming and advocacy from the perspective of small business. Just as SBC members will now have access to Rochester Chamber services including human resources support, advertising opportunities, and a huge slate of business-oriented events, all Rochester Chamber members will have a chance to engage with the SBC’s uniquely active, intimately connected community of small business owners.

We are excited about this new journey to create a stronger voice of business for the Rochester and Finger Lakes Region.

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Unshackle Upstate Works to Strengthen Upstate’s Voice in Albany Michael Kracker Unshackle Upstate Executive Director

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nshackle Upstate is a pro-taxpayer, pro-economic growth education and advocacy organization made up of chambers of commerce and trade associations throughout Upstate New York. We are proud to work alongside Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, an Unshackle Upstate founding member, to improve New York’s business climate and help grow the economy in the Rochester area and across upstate.

Working together, Unshackle Upstate and Rochester Chamber have had a big impact on the agenda in Albany. A permanent two-percent property tax cap, meaningful workers’ compensation reform, increased investment in upstate and more have all been made possible by working collectively to advocate on behalf of our communities. To help shape our efforts, Unshackle Upstate releases an annual advocacy agenda outlining our priorities for the legislative session.

This comprehensive document covers major policy areas including taxes, spending, health care, economic development, infrastructure, affordability, and other reforms intended to make New York a stronger place to do business. A recent report from the non-partisan Tax Foundation ranked New York State as having the second worst business tax climate in the nation.

Our advocacy efforts focus on reversing that trend so communities in the Finger Lakes and throughout Upstate New York can grow and succeed. Included in our 2020 Advocacy Agenda are five key priorities for upstate: Rejecting a Costly Prevailing Wage Expansion New York is already an expensive place to build. Efforts to expand the state’s prevailing wage mandates to private construction projects would lead to additional cost increases and jeopardize economic development efforts throughout upstate.

We have worked closely with Rochester Chamber and other partners around the state to oppose any effort form the state that would halt the progress being made in communities like Rochester and will continue to do so in the year ahead.

Opposing Single-Payer Healthcare New York has made tremendous progress expanding healthcare coverage throughout the state. With less than 5% currently uninsured, and approximately to 3.5% upstate, we are closing in on universal coverage in New York. The New York Health Act, which would impose a state sponsored single-payer health plan is not the solution to our challenges. This proposal would lead to billions of dollars in new taxes and eliminate thousands of jobs in the Rochester area alone. Neither of these are prescriptions we can afford. We strongly oppose this effort, and instead encourage lawmakers to find solutions to reduce costs, improve quality, and expand coverage to every New Yorker.

Investing in Workforce Development Employers throughout the state are struggling to find the workers needed to operate and grow their businesses.

Across the state, tens of thousands of jobs remain unfilled and companies are struggling to find workers with the skills needed in today’s economy. Unshackle Upstate strongly encourages the state to invest in employer-led workforce initiatives like ROC2025, to give the local business community a voice in matching training with the skills needed in the region.

Preventing New Employer Mandates New York’s challenging business climate is notorious, but it’s not just our tax burden that stifles growth. Mandates and regulations on large employers, small businesses, and non-profits increase the costs and challenges of doing business in New York.

With new mandates being proposed in 2020, including a new Paid Sick Leave program, Unshackle Upstate is committed to highlighting the negative consequences of these proposals and urging Albany to reject new burdens that put New York employers at a competitive disadvantage.

Strengthening Upstate’s Voice in Albany Ensuring that the issues and concerns of upstate taxpayers and job creators are heard is an essential part of our mission. Without a voice in Albany, upstate taxpayers will continue to leave for opportunities in other states. We are committed to working with legislative leaders and the upstate delegation to give a strong voice to the state’s largest geographic region.

We also continue to support a regional regulatory approach that reflects the obvious economic difference between upstate and downstate.

These policies, along with the others included in our 2020 Advocacy Agenda, will help our state reverse course and create an environment where businesses can grow and succeed.

With the legislative session in full swing, we are continuing our strong partnership to advance an agenda that will help get our economy moving in the right direction. To learn more about our efforts or how to get involved please visit www.UnshackleUpstate.com.

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Top Disruptive HR Technology Trends for 2020

HR Services

KPMG’s 2019 Future of HR 2020 Survey says three out of five HR leaders think HR function will become redundant if not modernized soon and 40% of respondents in the same survey say their organization is increasing its investments in HR technology.

Data driven changes Organizations will need to integrate different applications to facilitate seamless data sharing among different functions and stakeholders in the organization.

Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Survey has outlined the prominent decision drivers propelling this shift.

• 86% of respondents want to remodel their learning • 84% of respondents want to reinvent their employee experience • 80% of respondents want a different approach to developing leaders

Changing work and workforce Remote work has come far from being an exception and is quite likely to become a norm in the years ahead.

Organizations are also including remote work as a perk for employees. A new job landscape is likely to appear.

AI metamorphosed jobs will be digital, data-oriented, and versatile, and they will be called Superjobs.

In 2019, organizational priorities underwent a big shift and income inequality, diversity, and the environment emerged as the biggest opportunities and challenges simultaneously.

Artificial intelligence and humans began complementing each other at multiple levels. Organizations invested more and extracted more out of their HR technologies. 2019 laid the foundations for HR tech and organizations plan to incorporate much more in the coming years.

In 2020, we can see a path that may start with discrete adoption of workforce shaping or piloting a more digital experience in one of their business units. But these steps must catalyze a more thorough rebuilding of HR capabilities.

Some HR organizations are indeed using the disruption they are facing to justify a multiyear roadmap that integrates changes to service delivery, people capabilities, technology, process, and data to create a more worker-centric HR function. The power of the next generation of HR isn’t in pursuing disconnected capabilities; rather, it is in creating a holistic and mutually reinforcing “whole system” approach to building the workforce (and organization) of the future. It lies in an organization’s ability to integrate new capabilities, taking a worker-centric view while addressing cultural shifts and embracing an increasingly digital workforce.

Investments in HR technology Many global organizations plan to increase the use of cognitive technologies, AI, robotics and robotic process automation (RPA) over the coming three years. 35% of organizations aim to invest in AI. To make their employees ready for this change, two out of three HR professionals are planning upskilling.

Learning and Development Learner engagement emerged as the prime focus.

Many are using online games for this purpose.

Employee and candidate experience 95% of organizations are focused on improving their employee experience. Many more employee and candidate experience boosting platforms are expected to hatch. 50% of organizations plan to use HR chatbots by 2022. These chatbots will free time for other human-centric tasks and will allow HR professionals to focus on more urgent and complex questions.

Read the full article here.

Survey Spotlight 2020 Turnover and Absenteeism Survey Release expected the week of March 16 2020 Annual Wage & Salary Surveys Release expected the week of April 13 2020 National Executive Comp. Survey Release expected the week of June 1

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2019

Annual Report

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Chairman’s Message As I look back at all we have accomplished at Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce in 2019, I am inspired by the incredible collaboration among the members of this organization – professionals from all walks of life, small businesses and large businesses, who share a deep desire to make a positive impact in our community.

In 2020, look forward to Rochester Chamber being a voice of support for investing in developing the workforce of the future, and continuing economic development programs like ROC2025, ROC the Riverway, the Regional Economic Development Councils, and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

In addition to our exemplary membership, we are fortunate to have such a dedicated leader in President and CEO Bob Duffy. He works tirelessly for the community we call home and that’s why it came as no surprise when in September of 2019 Bob was welcomed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of 14 new executives to its Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 – one of the most prestigious national appointments in the chamber community.

As a local businessman, I know the value of Rochester’s talent, resources, and collaborative partnerships. As chairman, I look forward to continuing to work with leaders across our region to further our economic prosperity. Together we will continue to make Rochester the standout choice for long-term growth and opportunity.

I am heartened by his appointment and know that Bob will continue to be a tremendous advocate for jobs, businesses, and economic growth in our region.

Robert S. Sands Executive Chairman, Constellation Brands Chairman of the Board, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

CEO’s Message I am very pleased with the accomplishments and successes that the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce team has had on behalf of our members in 2019. One of our goals is to always anticipate the needs of our members and provide services and advocacy that meet the highest expectations of customer satisfaction.

I thank the Rochester Chamber Board of Directors and Chairman Rob Sands for their leadership. I also thank our members for their support and engagement throughout the year.

complimentary, are a vital service designed to honor and serve our membership. Rochester Chamber Human Resource Services provide critical HR support for all members, but especially those companies that do not have the luxury of dedicated HR personnel. Many small businesses struggle with the complexities of human resource compliance. The Rochester Chamber HR team continually finds ways to serve and communicate the best strategies possible to all of our member organizations.

As I begin my sixth year as president and CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce has evolved into an agile organization, ready to meet members’ needs of today and poised to transform in the face of future challenges.

Rochester Chamber’s RBA Staffing and Background Screening divisions incorporated new technology and services in 2019 to better meet the needs of clients in a highly competitive environment. We constantly assess and improve these services as new methods and products emerge. It’s also important to note that RBA Staffing helps provide employment opportunities for the underemployed and underserved in our community.

This meshes well with Rochester Chamber’s ROC2025 charge of leading our region’s workforce development and talent strategy efforts. Again, Rochester Chamber is constantly evolving. There are new demands and new challenges every day, but also new opportunities.

I encourage our members to make the most of their memberships by engaging with our staff and taking advantage of the many services and benefits. I am fortunate to serve alongside 42 people who work tirelessly every day for our members, customers, and community. Learn more at www.GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

Advocacy is at the heart of what we do at Rochester Chamber, spanning from Washington D.C. to Albany to right here at home in the Finger Lakes region.

Our goal is to advance policies and positions that contribute to a positive economic climate and business success. Advocacy at Rochester Chamber means much more than just a legislative agenda. It also includes personalized service on individual member issues through phone calls, letters of support, and making direct business connections.

Our membership and programs and events teams did a fantastic job in 2019, creating experiences based upon the feedback of our members. Rochester Chamber events provide unparalleled professional development, educational, and networking opportunities as well as region-wide celebrations of our business community including the Rochester Chamber Top 100, ATHENA International, and IGNITE Awards. Our events, many

Bob Duffy President and CEO Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

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Marketing and Communications Twitter

9,784

122

Videos Posted

Facebook

4,606

54

News Releases Distributed

Instagram

1,677

36,000+

LinkedIn

Video Views

4,854

85

Events

Events

4

Sponsorship and Event Attendance Revenue

600,000

$

Training Classes

Total event attendance

6,000+ Signature Event Attendance Rochester Chamber Top 100

ATHENA International Awards

IGNITE Future Leaders

ROC Tech Conference

GO! Women’s Conference

1,900+

850+

350+

350+

200+

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RBA Staffing & Background Screening RBA Staffing

1,050

Employees Served

900

Paychecks Per Week Delivered

400

Employers Served

3

Employer Clients Served On-Site

Background Screening

Finance 570

101,180

Customers Total Background Served Searches Total Budget

20,741,000

$

Budgeted Net Income

539,000

$

Net Income

457,000

$

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Advocacy

Human Resources

2019 Legislative Session Wins

Friday HR Briefings

• Advocated against harmful predictive scheduling regulations

16

• Fought off a proposed

Meetings

expansion of prevailing wage

480 Attendees

HR Forums

• Advocated for passage of Small

93

Business Regulatory Cures Act • Assisted members with MWBE

126

Member Companies Individual Participants

certification/re-certification

Benchmarking Surveys

• Advocated against an infeasible

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healthcare proposal

Surveys

256

Unique Member Participants

9%

Membership

250+ Employees

12%

100-249 Employees

79%

137

New Members

20

Ribbon Cuttings

0-99 Employees

255

Company Visits

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macpherson, camardo, butler / till receive athena awards

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reater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate presented The College at Brockport, State University of New York President Dr. Heidi Macpherson with their 34th annual ATHENA International Award. Julie Camardo, Zweigle’s Owner and CEO received the sixth annual ATHENA Young Professional Award, and Butler/Till Media Services took home the third annual ATHENA Organizational Award.

The ATHENA International Award is given annually to a professional female leader who has demonstrated significant achievements in business, community service, and the professional advancement of women.

Dr. Heidi Macpherson is the seventh president of The College at Brockport and the first woman to hold this role. Macpherson has 25 years of experience in higher education as an English professor and administrator in both the United States and England, having previously held positions of Provost, Pro Vice Chancellor, and Dean. She has written or edited seven books, including a three-volume encyclopedia set. She is the chair of the Rochester Area Colleges Presidents Network. She has held a number of positions on national education bodies and

volunteer boards in the UK, Wisconsin, and New York.

Macpherson currently serves on the boards of the Rochester and Monroe County YWCA, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the Willow Domestic Violence Center, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and Roc the Future Convenors Group.

She is also an active member of Rotary International.

The ATHENA Young Professional Award recognizes emerging leaders in the 30 to 45 year old range who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession. Recipients also provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life of others in the community while serving as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Julie Camardo serves as the fifth-generation owner and CEO of Zweigle’s. Camardo started in the office environment and then transitioned to sales while both her grandfather and mother were still at Zweigle’s. In 2005, Camardo was named vice president. She took over as president of Zweigle’s in 2009 after her mother passed away. In 2015, the Zweigle’s Board of

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Directors named her CEO. Under Camardo, Zweigle’s expanded two times and has grown in product diversification, sales and employees. The company is guided by four core values of quality, caring, accountability, and integrity, each representative of one of the prior generations. Camardo is committed to the community where she lives. She sits on the boards of the MCC Foundation, ESL, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Holy Childhood, and Special Touch Bakery. She is a strong supporter of the Golisano Children’s Hospital, Susan B. Anthony House, United Way, and The Strong. She is also a current member of the Vistage organization.

The ATHENA Organizational Award goes to a woman-owned or womanled business or organization that creates a culture encouraging women employees to achieve their full leadership potential and supports leadership development opportunities for women and girls in the community.

In an advertising industry historically dominated by both male workers and leaders, Butler/Till has bucked the trend for more than 20 years.

Sue Butler and Tracy Till opened Butler/Till in 1998 in Rochester with a goal to not only deliver great results to its clients, but also to instill a corporate culture built to cultivate the advancement of women. Since 2004, Butler/Till has been a nationally certified WBENC and New York State certified women-owned business, but its ownership isn’t limited to its female founders. In a strategic decision to ensure all of its employees could share in the success of the company, Sue and Tracey sold Butler/ Till to its employees in 2014, officially making it a 100% employee-owned ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), giving every employee a greater share and stake in the agency’s collective success. Butler/Till is home to more than 150 employees, of which 65% are female. It remains headquartered in Rochester and has added satellite offices in New York City and San Francisco. With a strong women leadership team as a significant driver of organizational growth and prosperity at Butler/Till, the company has experienced double-digit revenue increases in each of the past eight years.

Past ATHENA Award recipients: 2019 • Hilda Rosario Escher, IBERO-American Action League President and CEO 2018 • Sharon Napier, CEO, Partners + Napier 2017 • Nannette Nocon, Nocon & Associates Private Wealth Advisor 2016 • Elaine Spaull, Executive Director, Center for Youth 2015 • Amy Tait, Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Broadstone Real Estate

Past ATHENA Young Professional Award recipients: 2019 • Shaquana Divers, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Executive Program Manager 2018 • Kim Allen, Managing Partner, Communications, Dixon Schwabl 2017 • Melisza Campos, Store Operations, Wegmans 2016 • Melanie Wolk, Partner at Trevett Cristo Salzer & Andolina, P.C. 2015 • Claudia Burcke, Project Manager, Trillium Health

Past ATHENA Organizational Award recipients: 2019 • HCR Home Care

SAVE THE DATE Thursday, January 21, 2021

To nominate a deserving candidate, visit www.GreaterRochesterChamber.com (nominations open in May, 2020)

2018 • Dixon Schwabl

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Networking in a Relaxed Atmosphere.

Apr. 9 • Rochester Chamber Annual Membership Meeting Jun. 4 • Oak Hill Country Club with SBC Jul. 16 • Rochester Chamber Member Scavenger Hunt (more info to follow) Sept. 14 • Chamber/SBC Golf Tournament Dec. TBD • Holiday Party

Timely information on today’s hottest topics.

Apr. 15 • CannaBusiness - Continuing the Conversation Jun. 25 • Higher Ed., SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson Nov. 18 • Healthcare Forum with Jordan Health Discounted Member Pricing Available

Addressing key areas of business concern with state, local + federal influencers.

Mar. 19 • Federal Policy Update with Congressman Joe Morelle May 28 • NYS Director of Workforce Development Oct. 1 • PAC Endorsed Candidates Night Dec. 10 • Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to NYS Governor Cuomo

Discounted Member Pricing Available

Community Service & Volunteerism Program.

Mar. 31 • The Junior League of Rochester Diaper Bank Aug. TBD • SBC Backpack Giveback Nov. 20 & 21 • SBC Cares Thanksgiving Box Drive Topical expertise to help you grow professionally. In partnership with SBC. Apr. 28 • Leading Through Change

Mar. 12 • Best Practices Throughout the Hiring Process May 14 • Dealing with Problem Employees Sept. 10 • Evaluating the Health of Your Business Nov. 12 • Digital Marketing and Why it Matters for Your Business

Hands-on tours + behind-the-scenes experiences.

Mar. 13 • Mindex May 14 • Rohrbach Brewery Aug. 11 • Seabreeze Oct. 8 • Love Beets

Indicates Complimentary for Rochester Chamber Member Organizations and their Staff

Signature Events April 21 Honest, Real Biz Talk for Women. A half-day event.

Jun. 11 • 2nd Annual Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award An awards program that honors young professionals between the IGNITE ages of 21 to 40 years for leadership, community service, and personal and professional achievements.

ROCHESTER CHAMBER AWA R D

ROC

TECH CONFERENCE

Sept. 17 • ROC Tech Conference A full day event exploring the changing landscape of technology. Hit the refresh button and start transforming how you do business!

Nov. 5 • 34th Annual Rochester Chamber Top 100 Awards Celebrating the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the Greater Rochester region.

Jan. 21, 2021 35th Annual ATHENA Awards Recognizing women who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession.

May. 13, 2021 Business Person of the Year Award

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STAND OUT

AMONG THE REST Sponsorship opportunities are available for upcoming Greater Rochester Chamber signature events.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the region’s most elegant and exciting occasions. To learn more, email Susan George at Susan.George@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

An open, interactive discussion with top executives.

Mar. 17 • Small Business Focus May 6 • Manufacturing Jun. 2 • Workplace Culture

An event series that helps build a diverse and inclusive workplace through educational programming.

Apr. 14 • Tapping Into the Full Capacity of Your Workforce May 12 • (more info to follow) Sept. 24 • (more info to follow)

Empowering young professionals + community action.

Mar. 25 • Biz or Bust? Determining the Viability of Your Business Idea May 21 • Golf 101: Skills & Etiquette Aug. 5 • Mindfulness @ Work Oct. 13 • Structured Networking Nov. 12 • Taking Charge: Dispelling the Myth that Management = Leadership

Rochester Chamber Workforce Training & Development Offerings Successful Supervision Jul. 14 - 28 Oct. 27 - Nov. 12 Discounted Member Pricing Available

Leadership for Managers Mar. 6 May 29 - Jun. 26 Sept. 18 - Oct. 16

Human Resource Management May 20 - Jun. 17

All dates and programs are subject to change.

Visit GreaterRochesterChamber.com for updated information

Rochester Chamber Affiliates

Greater Rochester Quality Council http://www.grqc.org

Small Business Council of Rochester https://www.rochestersbc.com

Women’s Council https://rocwomenscouncil.org

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ON A MISSION TO ACCELERATE GROWTH Joseph Stefko ROC2025 President and CEO

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S

omething’s changing, Rochester. We’re upping our game in a whole new way to create jobs, increase wealth, drive GDP, and enhance opportunity.

We’re investing to create a world-class economic development ecosystem where incumbent businesses thrive, new companies opt to locate, and the best talent chooses to live.

And we’re doing it together.

are good things happening in our regional economy and amazing assets to support them. The CES data for each month of 2019 showed a higher employment level in the Rochester metro than each respective month in any previous year. In fact, the November jobs number was the highest on record – 8,000 jobs higher than a year ago and 23,000 jobs higher than six years ago. This has been a growth story.

But we want that growth rate to be even higher. And we’re investing to make it happen.

ROC2025 is the new alliance of economic development organizations with a mission to accelerate growth in Greater Rochester. Together with Greater Rochester Enterprise, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Visit Rochester, the City of Rochester, Monroe County, Empire State Development, and partner counties, ROC2025 has a vision to increase our competitive capacity, coordinate our work, and create a movement around the nation’s boldest and most engaging regional brand.

BCG’s work focused on a series of improvement areas. First, creating greater consistency of priorities and coordination of strategy across partner organizations. Second, securing better alignment of our regional “place brand” and marketing efforts. Third, and perhaps most importantly, significantly increasing the level at which our private and philanthropic sectors invest in the region’s economic development infrastructure.

Established in 2019, the alliance is an outgrowth of work completed by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Starting in fall 2018, BCG worked with the partner organizations to, first, benchmark our region’s economic performance, and second, to assess how we’re positioned to do the “business” of economic development. BCG identified how each of the partner organizations – our regional economic development “infrastructure,” if you will – could be positioned to help Greater Rochester compete more aggressively and successfully for jobs and investment. Make no mistake, there

The ROC2025 alliance is not another economic development organization. It doesn’t displace any of the partner organizations or the roles they perform. Rather, its intent is to cultivate and coordinate.

That is the basis for ROC2025.

On cultivation, it’s leading the charge to drive at least $20 million in net new resources over the next five years into our economic development ecosystem in ways that deepen our capacity and position us to compete more aggressively.

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On coordination, it serves as a framework for implementing a capacity-building plan that is focused on five core areas – each with investment priorities to expand capacity, and each with a designed lead partner organization.

First is business retention and expansion. The growth of incumbent firms – companies already in the region – accounts for more than 80% of job creation in metros nationally, and about 90% in New York State. ROC2025 is investing to grow our capacity – staff, data, and coordination – in ways that support the growth of existing companies.

Second is business attraction. ROC2025 is investing to grow our business development horsepower – to build more and stronger relationships with site selectors and C-level decision makers and convince them of the merits of locating to (and expanding in) Greater Rochester.

Third is talent retention and attraction. We are in a war for talent with metros across the country. With Rochester Chamber as lead partner for talent strategy, ROC2025 is investing in intentional strategies to expand the effective size of our employable labor force across the skills spectrum. That means driving up our retention rate of the 19,000 students that graduate annually from our region’s colleges and universities, recruiting “boomerangs” back to the new Rochester, and working to eliminate obstacles to employment for unemployed and dislocated workers.

Fourth is our downtown core. The importance of a vibrant and exciting urban core is clear – especially in the battle to attract and retain millennials and young professionals.

ROC2025 will invest to build on our downtown momentum, supporting growth and innovation in our hub, working to amplify population growth, activating vacant spaces, and addressing impediments to growth.

Fifth is branding and marketing. ROC2025 is investing to build one of the boldest and most engaging place brands in the nation. One that builds on our proud history of innovation and breaking barriers, but which ushers in a new narrative about what this region is and will become. A fresh, audacious brand identity that will serve as the foundation for another ROC2025 investment – a major movement to reassert Rochester’s place on the map, shine a light on our region, and drive energy and attention to where we’re headed.

To reiterate, Rochester’s has been a growth story. But we want to accelerate that growth, and we’re investing to make it happen.

ROC2025 is an effort to bring significantly more resources to the table to “up our game” and deepen our capacity to expand economic development horsepower.

Not just to match that of recent economic high-fliers like Boise, Des Moines, Colorado Springs, and Omaha, but to blow past them.

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Join The

ROCHESTER CHAMBER TALENT STRATEGY TEAM Barb Egenhofer, ROC2025 Talent Strategy Director

I

t’s a new day in Rochester. It’s a day to hit the stop button on the traditional ways we think and talk about our “cold, dreary” city and write a new narrative on who we are and what we are becoming. We are no longer a city defined by a few flagship organizations.

We have evolved to become a city that is comprised of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, inventors, community builders, poverty busters, glass ceiling shatterers, disease curers, philanthropists, not for profit forerunners, and disruptors.

The new Rochester requires a different talk track. It requires us to become loyal ambassadors for our city and for all the amazing people who are dedicated to changing our outlook. It requires a commitment and focus on a positive and a community-wide collaborative effort.

The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce ROC2025 Talent Strategy team fully embraces this new vision. As regional lead for talent attraction, retention and growth, we are currently developing the strategies that support our broad community while discovering the many groups, organizations, and individuals that work tirelessly every day to make an impact in our community. We want to establish a new way of thinking and working – one that embraces the power of collective impact and collaboration.

Our mission is broad and deep – from elevating our impoverished community members to a new, meaningful, and impactful way of life and solving fundamental barriers around transportation, child care, and housing for our hard-to employ population – to implementing creative solutions and programs

Adrian Hale Sr. Manager, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Talent Strategy, Workforce Development, and Education Initiatives

that focus on the recruiting and retention of the talent pool Rochester needs to revitalize, expand, and energize our workforce.

If there is one thing we know for certain - it is that we can’t do this alone. It’s going to take a community-wide effort that engages thought leaders from all different sectors, genres, and perspectives. We need people to challenge the status quo and engage in activities and solutions that are meaningful and impactful.

It requires a team effort and a willingness to get things done. This is not a group that talks through our issues. We know what they are.

We are focused on solutions, implementation strategies, and sustainability.

Are you ready to join the cause and help us transform Rochester? If yes, we would welcome you to join one of our working groups. We currently have three in action: Talent Strategy and Business Growth Focuses on talent acquisition strategies, a “universal” career portal solution, tapping into new talent sources, and overall growth, retention and engagement of our workforce.

Education ROC Focuses on programs to engage and retain our high school and college students. We will look at internship and co-op programs and retention initiatives.

Employment Opportunity This group is putting strategies into place that will reduce/eliminate barriers to employment, develop strategies for our hard-to-employ population, and solve fundamental barriers like transportation and childcare.

Drop us a note at BEgenhofer@ROC2025.org and help us transform our amazing community! Groups are already formed and meeting monthly.

All are welcome to join.

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LET’S PULL TOGETHER FOR OUR REGION Bob Duffy President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

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s we wrap up the first quarter of 2020, there are many exciting things happening on the economic development front in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region. While driving from downtown through the suburbs and into the rural countryside, it is easy to see growth happening all around us. This is only just the beginning of much better things to come. Yes, Rochester does have its challenges, but we are also in the midst of a major transformation poised to carry us to success well into the future.

Thanks to the generosity of business leaders like Constellation Brands Executive Chairman Rob Sands, Wegmans Chairman Danny Wegman, Paychex CEO Marty Mucci, and many others, our region underwent an economic development study that gave us an introspective look at our greatest successes, challenges, and opportunities moving forward.

While not uncovering any striking revelations, the study reinforced basic fundamentals that we should improve upon to grow our economy.

Under the new effort known as “ROC2025,” our region’s economic development agencies have come together to develop a strategy based upon the roadmap provided by the recent study.

Through ROC2025, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rochester Enterprise, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Visit Rochester, the City of Rochester, Monroe County, and other partners have started to work much more closely together than in the past. I can already sense a culture change because of this renewed and focused collaboration.

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The study showed that the challenge of recruiting new businesses to Rochester has yielded mixed results. Rather than focusing on recruiting only, there are two keys to growth: supporting and growing existing businesses in the region and securing a strong supply of talent both in keeping skilled workers here and attracting new workers to fill job openings that can help keep businesses thriving. Rochester Chamber has accepted the ROC2025 charge to lead the effort’s workforce development and talent strategy piece. We have started to work as a convener of the already successful efforts happening across the region to develop an agile recruitment and retention strategy to manage the needs of a diverse cross-section of workers and employers. At any given time, our region has upwards of 20,000 open jobs. The key to filling them is ensuring that we have the talent pool with the requisite in-demand skills. Workforce development cannot be a stagnant process. It’s an ever-evolving world for employers.

As technology and demands in the marketplace change, so too must the way we train and prepare tomorrow’s workers.

In addition to these priorities, we also learned that Rochester has numerous marketing messages and campaigns going on rather than one unified, defining vision, message, and voice that sets us apart in today’s competitive economic development world in the eyes of both internal and external stakeholders. Through a competitive process, ROC2025 chose local marketing and advertising agency Dixon Schwabl to develop that singular message. We expect to roll out a regional marketing plan in the coming months. The important aspect of

this effort is that outside of Rochester and the Finger Lakes region, we have been historically best known as the home of Eastman Kodak. While Kodak still holds an important place in the Rochester of today, we also represent much more than just Kodak or any of our legacy companies. We have a burgeoning technology community, great advanced manufacturing, a wide expanse of successful small and medium-sized companies, as well as 19 colleges and universities that educate and prepare the workforce of today and tomorrow. Creating a galvanizing message is an important piece of the ROC2025 mission’s success.

We are all in sales, regardless of our occupation or position in the community. If we want to recruit and retain talent and companies here now and in the future, the best sales staff is each and every one of us. I encourage everyone to lift up and reinforce the many blessings we have in our region in our daily conversations, social media posts, and other communications.

While some in the New York City media may call our region “grim and depressing,” we know better. It’s time for all of us to share our positive messages. Our glass is beyond half full and will only overflow when all of us realize how good we have it here and share the positives with the world.

I have often described Rochester as New York’s best-kept secret. It’s time to share why we love this region more consistently and affirmatively in 2020. If we do this correctly, I believe we will see a growth spurt that we have not seen in decades.

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Greater Rochester Quality Council:

Helping Rochester’s Economy Win Through Performance Excellence Michael Caceci Board Chair Greater Rochester Quality Council

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nyone familiar with Rochester’s history knows we’ve invented, innovated and created some of the world’s greatest brands, products, technologies and companies. And despite market forces and other factors impacting our region in recent years we continue to fight, compete, and win. Not long ago, Rochester’s traditional manufacturers faced unprecedented foreign competition. Many turned to timeless methods of continuous improvement to stay competitive. Introduced as “Total Quality Management” (TQM), firms that adopted these tools did more than survive - many thrived. From this nascent ‘quality movement’, Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC) was founded in 1992 as a Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce affiliate to help meet the challenges of that time.

performing in Operations Excellence, Team Excellence, or Customer Excellence. But wait - there’s more! We celebrate their success with an evening of sharing and recognition of applicants’ efforts and results at our annual GRQC Showcase and Awards Dinner in May.

Rochester’s economy has evolved since then and GRQC has adapted to this transformation. Our unwavering commitment to performance excellence drives us toward our vision of making Rochester a nationally recognized showplace for performance excellence. However, we are not a heady group of statisticians.

GRQC is a member-led organization that helps Rochester and Upstate New York organizations make continuous improvement a driver for better results. We serve key sectors that power our region’s economy: business, healthcare, non-profits, education, and government. The proven principles of quality and continuous improvement apply to any organization that relies on processes to get work done or seeks to instill a culture that prioritizes excellence in the delivery of products and services that delight its customers. GRQC offers a great value; with programs and events that promote continuous learning, connecting to resources and celebrating excellence. These include:

Performance Excellence Forums Offered throughout the year, performance excellence forums are stimulating networking opportunities and talks from leaders on a range of topics. Forums are held at convenient times of day, so professionals can participate in these thought-provoking, action-oriented discussions.

GRQC Showcase & Performance Excellence Awards Wouldn’t you rather do business with an organization committed to excellence and great customer service? The GRQC Performance Excellence Awards program is Rochester’s equivalent of the prestigious Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award. Local organizations are invited to apply for recognition of the work they’re doing to continuously improve operations and results. Applicants receive an on-site visit from a team of experts in quality, lean, and other methods. They receive a detailed feedback report based on our criteria and site findings. (The feedback report alone would cost thousands if done by paid consultants.) We provide insights on how an applicant is

In summary, GRQC is not just about “TQM” or quality theory.

We are all about performance excellence in action. If the Rochester area is differentiated by our workforce, and our economic future depends on the ability to deliver the next generation of inventions, innovations and companies, we must make performance excellence an integral part of every Rochester and Upstate NY organization. GRQC wants to be your partner on your journey to excellence and would love to help your organization achieve its goals. Contact us at www.grqc.org to learn more.

Quality for Leaders Held multiple times during the year, this educational session gives managers the tools they need to drive continuous improvement and change into their culture. Participants leave with concrete action plans to immediately implement an improvement strategy. Rochester Chamber members receive our member discount, plus a one-year free GRQC membership for attending this program.

Day of Quality GRQC members are active volunteers, committed to spreading the gospel of excellence to all who ask for help.

That’s why we started our Day of Quality. Modeled after United Way’s Day of Caring, volunteer professionals devote a day with requesting organizations who want to improve a process or start their journey of continuous improvement. To date, we’ve helped more than 40 organizations! With guidance from GRQC volunteers, anyone can implement improvements with measurable results the very next day.

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data strategy

is your organization a part of the digital revolution?

In today’s increasingly interconnected and “smart” world, data is fast becoming one of the most critical business assets. It is at the heart of many transformative tech innovations including artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, machine learning, and the Internet of Things. Data matters to any company, regardless of size or industry. In order to get the most out of your data, it’s vital to have a data strategy in place. A clearly defined data strategy can help an organization determine how to best utilize its existing data, and ensure that critical data is captured moving forward. Data strategy helps you drill down to core business needs and create an actionable plan for the future.

At the end of 2019, Greater Rochester Chamber set out to formulate its own data strategy, with a goal of improving operations and enhancing the organization’s ability to serve, promote, and advocate for its members and the economic prosperity of the Finger Lakes region. Through an RFP process, we met with five exceptional member companies with expertise in this area. We encourage you to contact them to help begin or continue your own organization’s data and digital transformation journey.

cause + effect strategy “Organizations must embrace the transformative power of data and technology to remain competitive and best serve their constituents. It can inform their most important decisions, reduce costs and enable growth through better data insights.”

John Loury, President, Cause + Effect Strategy In collaboration with Greater Rochester Chamber leadership, CE Strategy will create a vision for a data-driven transformation that will integrate data and analytics into every department, creating a more effective and efficient organization.

CE Strategy is a rapidly growing business intelligence firm recently named

by Adweek Magazine as one of the fastest-growing agencies in the world.

Beginning as a data-driven marketing intelligence firm in 2015, CE Strategy has evolved into a business intelligence firm that leverages data science to develop strategies that achieve client goals for increasing top-line revenue and decreasing bottom-line costs across business units including, marketing, sales, operations, finance, human resources, IT, procurement, and others. The company is based in Rochester, New York.

2020 Greater Rochester Chamber Data Consultant

Click here for the official press release.

Contact: Amy Gurske, Director of Client Strategy agurske@causeandeffectstrategy.com (585) 445-3888 causeandeffectstrategy.com

dixon schwabl “Dixon Schwabl is a full-service agency offering digital services that solve our clients’ business challenges and deliver measurable results. Our work accounts for every touchpoint in the buyer journey, and our team proves marketing’s contribution to revenue and business growth every day by visualizing it through real-time business intelligence dashboards. Data tells a story—one that is not beholden to any one channel or philosophy. It drives us to create better customer experiences by building and consistently optimizing campaigns for bestperforming results. Our goal is to create not just customers, but brand advocates. Everything we build is designed to keep improving results.”

Jon Alhart, Managing Partner, Digital Contact: David Brodsky, Senior Account Executive, Client Relations David_Brodsky@dixonschwabl.com (585) 899-1952 dixonschwabl.com

Areas of Expertise • Business and marketing analytics • Business intelligence • Data governance • Marketing automation • Website development and design • Technology consultation • Plus traditional advertising, design, public relations and marketing services

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entre computer services “When it comes to helping organizations with their data-driven strategy, we understand that it is not just a technology based solution, but it is a culture, mindset, attitude, and embedded practice. Organizations have to be ready to adopt that mindset, and if they are we can help them implement and hone their datadriven strategy. We do this by identifying exactly where the data lives, so we can build powerful real-time dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) that allow them to transform, analyze and visualize data across the entire organization. In so doing, we enable employees to make data-driven decisions through smart, friendly, and easy to use analytics. Our Consulting Services Team is able to not only architect these dashboards and KPIs; we’re also able to ensure that it is done in a way that protects sensitive data and enforces data governance policies across the organization. With well over 150 years of experience, and expertise in everything from Business Intelligence and Data Visualization, to Cyber Security, Compliance, Infrastructure planning and Web Architecture we are uniquely qualified to assist our clients as they adopt a data-driven strategy for their organizations.”

Mark L. Lucas, Executive Vice President Contact: Mark L. Lucas, Executive Vice President mlucas@entrecs.com (585) 760-1013 entrecs.com

flynn “At Flynn, we combine data and daring to create breakthroughs for brands. Our approach starts with understanding business objectives. Laddering up to those objectives, we can guide your team in creating the unified vision for data-driven transformation and build the detailed plan to capture, connect, and act on data using the right blend of technology and people.”

Dan Beca, Director of Insights & Marketing Technology At Flynn, we help businesses courageously navigate the unknown, uncover new opportunities, and grow via something we call “informed innovation.” It’s an approach that’s part consultancy. Part creative agency. Fully invested in finding breakthroughs that drive your business.

We offer everything from consultancy-level analysis to end-to-end video production, web design and development to omnichannel media services. All at a size that allows us to be incredibly agile and ready to react at the speed of the market—not just month to month, but minute by minute.

Contact: Heather Riexinger, Director of Relationship Development hriexinger@helloflynn.com (585) 641-4528 helloflynn.com

miller & associates “Helping a business see the possible is what keeps us invigorated. Personally, it is the most exciting time in my career from a technology standpoint. We are experiencing businesses evolve firsthand leveraging evolutionary technology, a once in a lifetime experience! Businesses that are engaged, strategic and aggressive with their execution will benefit greatly from the digital revolution. The ones that flounder will eventually become historical foot notes. We can help you be successful in this rapidly changing digital world.”

David G. Sherburne, Consultant For many businesses, data is an invaluable resource – however unlocking the value is often the biggest challenge. Digital transformation’s dirty secret is that business value can’t be unleashed until enterprise data is cleaned up and curated properly. That’s why so many digital transformation activities don’t meet full potential. We have the experience to help you create a digital transformation vision, manage data sources both big and small, harmonize your operations, and overcome the disparate data challenges inside your enterprise. We work with your resources to help you build superior capabilities and further define your organizations decisive competitive edge.

Contact: David G. Sherburne, Consultant david@jmillerandassociates.com (585) 975-9598 jmillerandassociates.com

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Chamber Business Rounds: Chamber Business Rounds: Data Analytics and AI Data Analytics and AI

Isaac Training and Education Center Visit

2020 Rochester Chamber Advocacy Resource Guide Now Available Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce advocates for the Rochester and Finger Lakes region through direct engagement with elected leaders, building coalitions around critical issues, and delivering regular legislative updates to members and partners.

Our 2020 Advocacy Resource Guide features a legislative calendar and directory of key resources and elected officials as well as a listing of Rochester Chamber public policy and advocacy committees. It also gives an overview of the 2020 Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce advocacy agenda, which includes: • Support for Upstate New York • Tax and Mandate Relief • Workforce Development • Economic Development • Transportation and Infrastructure • Health Care • Workers’ Compensation

Visit http://bit.ly/2020AdvocacyGuide for a digital copy of the resource guide or contact Chief of Staff Marc Cohen at Marc.Cohen@ GreaterRochesterChamber.com for hard copies or any questions about Rochester Chamber public policy and advocacy efforts.

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Chamber

Bank of America Business Rounds: Ribbon Cutting Data Analytics at Sibley Square and AI

Rochester Chamber Holiday Party

Chamber

Give+Grow ROC: Business Rounds: Non-Profit Data Analytics Boards and AI

Environmental Sustainability Forum with Congressman Joe Morelle

Monroe County Sheriff’s K-9 Peak Visit