2022 Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award Magazine

Recognized on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at the Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa

program agenda Welcome

Amal Elhelw, Reporter, News 8 WROC

Remarks

Bob Duffy, President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Keynote Speech

Sheila Dunne, COO & Co-Founder, Dunne Goodwin & 2021 Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award Winner

CLIMB Program Graduation Ceremony Alanna Stage, FLAC Co-Chair & Retail Brand Team Marketing Manager, Green Dot Corporation Joe Sayre, FLAC Co-Chair & Senior Economic Development Specialist, RG&E & NYSEG

2022 Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award Finalist Showcase Presentation of the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award Closing Remarks

Bob Duffy, President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Tag your photos on social media with

#IGNITERoc22

selection committee Sheila Dunne, Dunne Goodwin

Andrea Holland, Holland Communications Joe Stefko, ROC2025

celebrating young leaders

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is excited to present the 4th Annual Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award. Designed to honor outstanding young leaders in our community, all our finalists strive towards the highest levels of personally and professional achievement, and they excel in their respective fields but still devote time and energy to our community and create opportunities and paths of leadership for others to follow. This region’s young leaders such as the ones joining us today are some of its most valuable assets.

Each of the individuals in this year’s Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award publication is exemplary in their own way and represents a different industry or business sector in our community. Special thanks to our 2022 Selection Committee, a diverse group of community business leaders who independently assessed the nominations for each finalist and helped us determine this year’s Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award winner.

I would also like to congratulate the 17 young leaders graduating from our CLIMB leadership development program during today’s celebration. Each of these young leaders has a very bright future and I am eager to see what accomplishments and accolades will be next for each of them. We are excited to welcome to a fantastic group of CLIMB program alumni that make up the Future Leaders Advisory Council, a Greater Rochester Chamber Board committee which continues to impact our community in a positive way.

The CLIMB program would not be possible without the support of all our Executive Mentors; a huge debt of gratitude is owed to each of these community leaders who make time in their busy schedules to give back and take time to engage in important two-way dialogues with the young leaders in CLIMB each year. Additional thanks are owed to Andrew Brady of The XLR8 Team for his support for CLIMB over the past 5 years and for providing his thoughtful and engaging leadership curriculum year after year.

The things our Greater Rochester IGNITE Award finalists and CLIMB graduates have done for their organizations is exceptional and, as a result, has helped the Greater Rochester region as a whole. As you learn more about each of the individuals in this program throughout our ceremony today, I am sure you will share the same feels of inspiration and pride in them that I do.

Finally, I also want to extend the largest thank you to our participating members and sponsors whose support allow us to continue to present the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award program and welcome new leaders to the CLIMB Program year after year.

To all of our award finalists, and CLIMB graduates, best of luck and we look forward to watching your future, which will without a doubt be filled with success.

Bob Duffy

President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award | 3

thank you to our

sponsors!

Corporate Sponsor

Supporting Sponsors JK Executive Strategies Nixon Peabody LLP General Sponsors Dunne Goodwin YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County Special Thanks To CAUSE+EFFECT Strategy Remedy Intelligent Staffing RG&E Upstate Special Needs Planning

2022 Greater Rochester Chamber

IGNITE Award Finalists

Mubarak Bashir

Kimberly K. Harding

Kristen Elizabeth Beideman

Garrett Macdonald

Kamarah Caven

Jonathan Meagher-Zayas

Stephen DeVay

Emily Miller

Vice President for Youth and Community Services, Action for a Better Community

Director of Infection Prevention and Emergency Prepardness, UR Medicine Thompson Health

Accounting Specialist, L3 Harris

Partner & Deputy Leader, Litigation Department, Nixon Peabody LLP

Senior Vice President, three+one

Director of Community Engagement, Villa of Hope

Agile Coach, Office of the CIO, Constellation Brands Inc.

Director of Marketing, Wilmac

Jeiri I. Flores

Aly (Raco) Arena

Advocacy Specialist, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities

Director of Recruiting, JK Executive Strategies

Netsanet Gebregzibher

John Salter

Human Resources Director, YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County

Vice President, Business Banking, M&T Bank

Adrian Hale

Morrie Silver

Director, Economic & Community Development, Foundry

Flossie Hall

Director, Communications & Baseball Information, Rochester Red Wings

Director of Business Development & Marketing, Generation Capital Management

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Mubarak Bashir

Vice President for Youth and Community Services, Action for a Better Community Mubarak Bashir serves as the Vice President for the Division of Youth and Community Services at Action for a Better Community. He has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and his career has been dedicated to assisting and contributing to the Rochester community.

Mubarak spent over 11 years at the Urban League of Rochester in various roles and most recently as the Regional Director at Greyston Center for Open Hiring. He introduced Greyston’s innovative Open Hiring® model to the Rochester community, which assisted local businesses in creating more inclusive workforces and job opportunities for individuals who face barriers to employment.

Mubarak holds an MPA from SUNY Brockport and a Bachelor’s in Sociology/Criminology from Millersville University. He serves on the board at Urban Choice Charter School, Conscious Capitalism Rochester and previously served as a board observer at the United Way of Greater Rochester. He is the President and Director of Outreach at his local Mosque. Mubarak was recognized as one of Rochester Business Journal's 2020 Forty Under 40. Mubarak is also a 2021 graduate of Leadership Rochester and the United Way’s 2019 African American Leadership Development Program, where he was nominated by his peers as the class representative.

Kristen Elizabeth Beideman

Director of Infection Prevention and Emergency Preparedness, UR Medicine Thompson Health

Kristen Beideman is a former operating room nurse and public health nurse who has served as UR Medicine Thompson Health’s Director of Infection Prevention/Emergency Preparedness since 2019. Thompson credits her with playing a key role in ensuring it was well prepared for the pandemic. She established the basic plan and policies, offered hands-on education to staff, monitored compliance and worked as a liaison with different governmental agencies to keep the health system in compliance.

Both in terms of COVID-19 and routine measures, Beideman is described by Thompson’s CEO as a wealth of knowledge and a role model who continues to educate herself and effectively teach others what she learns.

Beideman recently received her master’s from the University at Albany School of Public Health. The mother of two is a volunteer firefighter with the Macedon Center Fire Department as well as the field operations lead for Team Rubicon’s Finger Lakes Metro Team.

In 2021, Beideman was named a Health Care Hero – in the COVID-19 category – by the Rochester Business Journal. In June of this year, she received the 2022 Emerging Leader in IP Award from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Kamarah Caven Acccounting Specialist, L3 Harris

Kamarah Caven is an Accounting Specialist at L3 Harris and has been in the accounting profession for over 7 years. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in accounting, as well as her CPA license.

Outside of the accounting realm, she enjoys planning and executing events where individuals can learn from each other, share experiences/knowledge, build relationships, or give back to those in need. These events include, leading professional books club sessions, partnering Junior Achievement & individuals with School #106 to teach children about financial literacy, coordinating a thanksgiving food drive, hosting networking events at local establishments, and hosting virtual events with local business owners.

Kamarah has always found joy in helping others and giving back to the Rochester community. She is honored to be a finalist for the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE award that celebrates young leaders who serve as a positive influence in bettering the community.

Stephen DeVay

Agile Coach, Office of the CIO, Constellation Brands Inc.

Stephen DeVay is a Rochester area native, originallyt from Hilton, NY and now calling Downtown Rochester his home. He works passionately at Constellation Brands Inc. as an Agile Coach within the OCIO. At this role, he works across the IT organization to help scale system operations and improve efficiencies. Outside of this, Stephen co-founded Tuesday Digital LLC, a local marketing and communications agency here in Rochester. While primarily focused on Digital Ads and Connected TV, Tuesday Digital also provide traditional options such as mail services and radio ads. Within the community he is an active member of the United Way’s Emerging Leader Society, Vice Chair of the Ambassador Council at Rochester Regional Health, and Executive Vice Chair at the Monroe County Democratic Committee.

Stephen strives to use his skills from his career and experiences to bring meaningful change to community focused efforts. He does this with focus on connecting people, forging relationships, and building a bridge to allow the next person to also impact positive change.

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Jeiri I. Flores

Advocacy Specialist, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities Jeiri Flores is a strong, passionate Puerto Rican disability rights activist from Rochester, NY. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in the study of Sociology and African-American Studies at SUNY Brockport in 2014. She serves as a resource for residents in her community by connecting them to existing services and supports.

As a disability advocate, Jeiri shares her unique perspective at various colleges and conferences where she introduces attendees to the struggles and invisibility people with disabilities face. She provides insight regarding inclusion, citizenship, disability intersectionality and challenges that remain unaddressed by society. She hopes to influence young disabled people to fulfill their purpose and create a new narrative for what it means to be disabled.

Netsanet Gebregzibher

Human Resources Director, YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County Netsanet Gebregzibher is an outcome focused leader who is passionate about talent acquisition, retention and motivational solution that help connect the full power of the organizations most valuable assets–the people. She is dedicated to creating a strong organizational culture that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion which supports continued growth by emposwering and motivating employees to realize their full potential.

Netsanet received her B.S in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources from the University at Buffalo and is currently working as the Human Resource Director at the YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County. She started her career in the nonprofit industry in a management role which allowed her to see the impact of service to others.

She commenced her career in Human Resources as a Talent Acquisition specialist. Since, she has grown in Human Resources and obtained her SHRM-CP certification in 2021. In 2011, she was named Messenger Post's Greater Rochester 40 under 40 African American Leaders and was featured in Rochester Business Journal 2012.

Through her lived experienced and desired future, she is driven to volunteer her time to support the Rochester community. Currently, she sits on Horizon’s at Harley Board and Rochester Refugees Helping Refugees Board of Directors.

Adrian Hale

Director, Economic & Community Development, Foundry Adrian joined Foundry as its Director of Economic & Community Development in December of 2021. Adrian is a proud son and champion for Rochester NY, who previously created and oversaw the office of Workforce Development, Regional Talent Strategy, and Education Initiatives at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

Before his role as a civic leader at the Greater Rochester Chamber, Adrian served in the United States Military. Adrian was an active-duty Marine for five years. As a Marine he made two combat deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). After his honorable discharge from the Marines, Adrian re-enlisted in the US Air Force Reserves, where he served for three years.

Adrian joined the Foundry team because he believes in the socio-economic problem-solving power of decentralized infrastructure technologies, particularly for communities such as Rochester. Adrian graduated with an Associate of Science in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Social Science from SUNY Monroe Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yale University.

Flossie Hall

Director of Business Development & Marketing, Generation Capital Management

As an active-duty military spouse and mother of four, Flossie recognized a need for healthy affordable meals while stationed in San Diego. She launched her first venture, Healthy Momma, which sold over 500,000 meals and employed over 100 military spouses, achieving 7-figure revenues its first year. She became an advocate for women in business and military spouse employment/ entrepreneurship by building global programs, education and business accelerators.

In 2019 Flossie launched the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs which has since helped more than 2000 military spouses start, scale, and sustain businesses worldwide. Flossie has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square. She has been invited to the White House twice in recognition of her advocacy efforts and works closely with Center for American Entrepreneurship on legislative change on behalf of military spouses. She sits on several nonprofit boards and speaks often on the topics of DEI and Underserved Communities.

Since returning to Rochester, Flossie has brought her skills and expertise to the team at Generation Capital Management as the Director of Business Development and Marketing. At GCM she is working to bring financial literacy, education, and services to underserved communities, women and service members nationally. She is hoping to continue to make an impact here locally in Rochester as she continues to serve the underserved with education, resources, and community.

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Kimberly K. Harding

Partner & Deputy Leader, Litigation Department, Nixon Peabody LLP

Kim Harding is a partner in Nixon Peabody’s Labor & Employment group and the deputy leader of the firm’s nationwide Litigation Department. She also leads the firm’s Women’s Resource Groups for the Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and Long Island offices.

Kim’s practice is a hybrid of traditional labor relations and employment litigation. In her legal work, she represents and/or counsels employers of every size and in almost every industry, particularly on matters relating to anti-discrimination and anti-harassment, wage and hour obligations, leave management, and other workforce challenges.

Kim serves as a commissioner for Rochester’s City Planning Commission, was the former chair of the board of trustees for the National Susan B. Anthony Museum (where she also served for six years as a trustee), and was a 2020 graduate of Leadership Rochester. Kim graduated with her BA, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University in 2007, and was first in her class when she graduated with her JD, summa cum laude, Order of the Coif from American University, Washington College of Law in 2011.

Garrett Macdonald Senior Vice President, three+one

Garrett Macdonald is the Senior Vice President at three+one®, a national fintech company that assists public entities of all sizes execute borrowing, investing, and cash-management decisions. Applying treasury-services efficiencies, he helps them generate measurable public value and increase interest earnings/savings. He works with governing boards and investment committees to improve financial outcomes for communities and taxpayers.

Garrett, a magna cum laude graduate of St. John Fisher University, has a B.S. in Corporate Finance and an MBA with high distinction, and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

He traveled nationally and abroad as an Efficiency Resource Consultant for a global non-profit. He also co-authored a textbook entitled Elementary Financial Derivatives and a publication on corporate sustainability. He is both a Certified Treasury Professional® and a Certified Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis Professional®. He earned a certificate in “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy” from MIT and a master’s certificate from the National Association of Counties’ High-Performance Leadership Academy.

Garrett has been a guest speaker or panelist at conferences sponsored by NACo, the Government Finance Officers Association, the Alaska Municipal League, the New York Association of Counties’ Finance School, the Texas Investment Academy, and the Pacific Consortium of College and Universities. Garrett is on the Alumni Board of Directors at St. John Fisher University and is on the Cash & Investment Committee for the New York Government Finance Officers Association.

Jonathan Meagher-Zayas

Director of Community Engagement, Villa of Hope

Jonathan Meagher-Zayas (He/Him) is a Queer Latinx Millennial nonprofit strategist dedicated to addressing equity issues, building capacity, engaging the community, motivating new impact leaders, and getting stuff done. Jonathan wears many professional hats including Director of Community Engagement at Villa of Hope, where he oversees the agency's grant writing, community engagement and giving, communications, and advocacy strategies. He also is a freelance consultant providing career development, training, leadership development, and diversity services. As a nonprofit strategist for over ten years, Jonathan is an award-winning fundraiser generating over t$6 million in his career.

Jonathan is proud to be an Association of Fundraising Professionals Global Board member and serves as Chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee, as well as a member of their Governance Committee. He is also active in his community serving on AFP Genesee Valley Chapter's IDEA Committee, the Rochester Latinx Leadership Roundtable, the Rochester Area Community Foundation's LGBT Giving Circle, and is a member of United Way of Rochester and the Finger Lakes' Emerging Leaders Society. Jonathan has received several accolades, including 2021 Hispanic Executive NextGen Collective Inaugural 30 Under 30 Latinx Leaders and 2019 Association of Fundraising Professionals Global Outstanding Young Professional.

Jonathan earned his MSW and MPA degrees at the University of Albany and his BS degree from the University of Rochester.

Emily Miller

Director of Marketing, Wilmac Emily Miller is a competitive and driven young leader who is the Director of Marketing at Rochester-based technology company Wilmac. Hailing from Buffalo, NY, Emily came to Rochester in 2016 to pursue a division II collegiate basketball career and marketing degree at Roberts Wesleyan College. After having one of the most successful and decorated basketball careers in Roberts history, Emily graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2020. She left the program with multiple national accolades for her performances on the court and in the classroom.

Emily pursued her master’s degree in Strategic Marketing at Roberts and soon after graduating, started at Wilmac as the Marketing Support Specialist. Emily has been working at Wilmac for over a year now and has been promoted to the Director of Marketing, where she coordinates and leads all marketing initiatives while also managing the business development team and intern program.

In her free time, Emily enjoys exercising and loves to make baked goods for her family, friends, and colleagues (which she gets from her mom). She has a personal mantra to pursue excellence every day and constantly reminds herself that “if it’s easy every day, you’re not getting better.” (Jay Wright, Villanova Head Men’s Basketball Coach).

Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award | 11

Aly (Raco) Arena Director of Recruiting, JK Executive Strategies

As a Director of Recruiting, Aly (Raco) Arena, CSP, MS, provides a specialized and strategic approach to talent search in professional services. She is a certified staffing professional with the American Staffing Association and has been with JK Executive Strategies since January 2019.

Bringing a unique perspective to the search process and HR consulting practice, Aly has valuable knowledge and experiences in human resource information system (HRIS) platforms, including platform implementations and training.

Aly is a graduate of Nazareth College, where she earned her master’s in Management and her bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in Finance. Having a passion for community involvement, Aly sits on numerous volunteer committees such as the HR Committee and Walking on Sunshine committee at the Mary Cariola Children Center and is the Co-Chair of the Make-A-Wish New Leadership Council of Western New York. Aly recently served as the National Human Resource Association Rochester Affiliate Co-Director of Programs and was a part of the ROC2025 Talent Strategy initiative through the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Aly is also a Make-A-Wish, Wish Granter! Aly is also a recent graduate of the 2021 United Way Emerging Leaders Development Program.

John Salter

Vice President, Business Banking, M&T Bank John Salter is a Vice President for M&T Bank’s Business Banking division. His responsibilities include commercial lending and relationship management for local businesses. John commonly finances commercial real estate, business acquisitions, equipment purchases, and a variety of SBA programs. John’s leadership at M&T Bank includes helping colleagues with credit underwriting, public speaking, and portfolio management.

In addition to John’s role at M&T Bank, he proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Cancer Support Community of Rochester (formerly Gilda’s Club). In May of 2022, John was the event chair for the organization’s annual stand-up comedy fundraiser at the Kodak Center. His past philanthropic efforts include volunteer work for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Seneca Park Zoo. John holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College. He resides in Greece, New York with his wife, Melissa, and their three daughters, Lucy, Layla, and Lena.

Morrie Silver

Director, Communications & Baseball Information, Rochester Red Wings

As Director of Communications and Baseball Information for Rochester Community Baseball (Rochester Red Wings), Morrie Silver is charged with developing the team’s strategic communication plans, disseminating pertinent information to the media and the public, organizing press availabilities for players, coaches, and executives, and coordinating the staff responsible for executing the team’s communications apparatus.

Morrie engages regularly with the team’s Major League affiliate, the Washington Nationals, to ensure seamless communication between the organizations.

As both entrepreneur and analyst, Morrie founded a full-service player development organization, Silver Dawg, Inc., implementing cutting edge technology aimed at developing clients more effectively. Morrie and his team at Silver Dawg have been successful in aiding numerous players in being drafted by Major League Baseball clubs, and has published studies in the player development realm.

Before being appointed to his current role at RCB, Morrie served as Pitching Coach and Director of Baseball Operations for St. John Fisher University’s baseball team, and served as the Wings’ assistant bench coach. In his time at Fisher, he led the program to become one of the top player development organizations in the nation.

Morrie graduated from St. John Fisher University with a degree in legal studies and sports management.

Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award | 13

past IGNITE winners spotlight Nicole VanGorder

2nd Annual IGNITE Award Winner, 2020

What has been your journey since receiving the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE recognition?

My journey since winning the IGNITE award has continued to be an amazing ride! Our business has grown geographically, and we recently acquired another practice which has expanded our service offerings. As a small business owner in our community, being a member of the Greater Rochester Chamber has helped me during times when I’ve needed it most! Being connected to an amazing group of leaders like IGNITE has been no exception!

What advice you would like to share those aspiring to join this amazing group of young leaders?

For someone who is looking to join the IGNITE group, my advice would be to find things you are genuinely passionate about and see how you can connect that passion to providing value in our community!

Sheila Dunne

3rd Annual IGNITE Award Winner, 2021

What has been your journey since receiving the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE recognition?

Since receiving the Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE recognition, I've been focused on expanding our footprint in the Greater Rochester area. In the past year, Dunne Goodwin has onboarded six new team members and celebrated our fifth year in business. We've added several new services to our portfolio including drone videography, 360-degree photography, and QR code design. Other highlights include being accepted into WeWork's Growth Campus and opening an office in Washington DC. I had the opportunity to participate in CLIMB and connect with inspiring leaders from all types of organizations each month. I also completed the SBA: Emerging Leaders Initiative, a 6-month intensive training program helping participants secure government contracts.

What advice you would like to share those aspiring to join this amazing group of young leaders?

The advice I would give young leaders is to stay optimistic and driven to make positive change, while always remembering to be kind to yourself and everyone around you.

MAKING AN IMPACT We celebrate our colleague Kim Harding and all the 2022 IGNITE Award finalists, who are blazing a trail toward a stronger community.

Nixon Peabody LLP 1300 Clinton Square Rochester, NY nixonpeabody.com @NixonPeabodyLLP

CONGRATULATIONS KAMARAH CAVEN Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce IGNITE Award Finalist Kamarah’s leadership, community service and personal and professional achievements make her an ideal role model for others.

We’re proud to have her on our L3Harris team!

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.

Presenting the 2021-2022

CLIMB Program Graduates

CLIMB brings together the most talented young members of the Rochester/Finger Lakes business community to learn and grow together, making connections and acquiring insight that will help them ascend to new heights of leadership and success within their organizations and community. Upon successful completion of the program, CLIMB graduates are asked to join the Future Leaders’ Advisory Council (FLAC) to provide key insight and engagement with Greater Rochester Chamber leadership.

Michael Adams

Abbey Phillips

Paychex

American Packaging Corporation

Ryan Carroll

Anwar Pickett, MRP

Sheila Dunne

Elias Sassine

Deonna Edwards

John Schlia

Reliant Credit Union

Dunne Goodwin

Ortolano Services, Inc.

Paychex

RG&E

John Schlia Photography

Kristy Gonzalez

Michael Schwab

Megan Hoffer, MSL

Brennon Thompson

Emma Jackson

Brandon Underwood

Taryn Mullen

Gennel Vieira, MHA

IntegrateXpress LLC

Paychex

Reliant Credit Union

Climate Solutions Accelerator

Mary Nicholas GreenSpark Solar

Weco Manufacturing Group

Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS, Inc.

Once Again Nut Butter Collective, Inc.

University of Rochester Medical Center

Thank you to our 2021-2022

CLIMB Executive Mentors

One of the four main components of the CLIMB Program is one-on-one executive mentoring. Participants are matched with an executive from the business community, forming a partnership designed to explore specific leadership challenges and foster a two-way dialogue between seasoned and emerging leaders in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region. We want to extend the biggest thank you to all of our participating executive mentors–this program and our graduates' success would not be possible without you and your support.

Marco Altieri

Amy Gurske

All-American Home Care

Human Integrated Insights

Dave Beinetti

Jill Knittel

SWBR

JK Executive Strategies

Talethea Best

John Loury

Best Innovations Consulting

CAUSE+EFFECT Strategy

Claudia Burcke

Faheem Masood

Julie Camardo

Wade Norwood

Ann Marie Cook

Barbara Pierce

Lauren Dixon

Tyrone Reaves

Barb Egenhofer

Matthew Tipple

University of Rochester

Zweigle's

Lifespan

DS+CO

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

ESL Federal Credit Union

Common Ground Health

City of Rochester

TruForm Manufacturing

J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Michael Gurowski

U.S. Employee Benefits Service Group

Greater Rochester Chamber IGNITE Award | 17

CLIMB Graduates

Hall of Fame

The CLIMB program will be returning in Fall 2023, with applications accepted beginning Spring 2023. Stay tuned to our Tuesday Voice of Business e-newsletter for more information, or email CLIMB@GreaterRochesterChamber.com to be added to the official interest list.

Learn more about CLIMB at GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

Britni Nagle, 2018-2019 CLIMB Program Participant

What has been your journey since completing the Greater Rochester Chamber CLIMB program?

I completed the CLIMB program in 2020, since 2020 I have continued my leadership journey with Remedy Staffing. In 2020 I was our Rochester Branch Manager, in 2021 I was promoted to our Regional Manager overseeing Avon and Rochester. In 2022 I was promoted to our Market Vice President overseeing Elmira, Batavia, Avon, Geneva, Syracuse and Rochester. I am beyond thankful for the opportunities I have been provided and look forward to growing as a leader and providing employment opportunities to our local community.

What are some tips you would like to share about your own leadership journey?

Everyone’s leadership journey looks different, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Find mentors and peers that are strong in the areas you are not and embrace this! Learn from others and share all of the knowledge you have.

John Loury, 2017-2018 CLIMB Program Participant

What has been your journey since completing the Greater Rochester Chamber CLIMB program?

I’ve benefitted greatly from not only the leadership training and experiential learning but most significantly through the relationships I built during CLIMB. I’m still in contact with several members of my class, always looking for an excuse to celebrate our many successes. CAUSE + EFFECT Strategy has experienced tremendous sales, revenue, and team member growth since I’ve completed the program and as a data-driven leader, I think there is a correlation between that success and applying what I learned in CLIMB to our business.

What are some tips you would like to share about your own leadership journey?

Continuous improvement is the key to sustainable success. There is no finish line when it comes to leadership training and personal improvement in general. I’d also like to share how important collaborating with others is as a leader and as people who want to positively impact their business and community. I’m a firm believer that if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.

Christyne Huerta, 2018-2019 CLIMB Program Participant What has been your journey since completing the Greater Rochester Chamber CLIMB program?

Since completing the CLIMB program I have advanced both within my organization and my professional career. It has helped me development confidence in my leadership skills by validating my own skills and introducing me to new ideas and perspectives. There is a lot to learn about the robust and innovative businesses within the Rochester community and this program is a perfect introduction to those avenues.

What are some tips you would like to share about your own leadership journey?

To be a strong leader, it is important to educate yourself and be willing to make impactful change within. I often times say that as a leader is not the responsibility of others to accommodate to me but the exact opposite. This has helped me take the time to learn about others on a professional and personal level.

Kyle Banks, 2020-2021 CLIMB Program Participant

What has been your journey since completing the Greater Rochester Chamber CLIMB program?

My journey has been based around fortifying my leadership abilities through action. A large focus of CLIMB was about understanding my abilities as a leader and then learning to trust those abilities. As an outcome, my journey has become more of an honest one focused around how economic development can encourage sustainable growth and revitalization in our resource-limited communities of color. The CLIMB program also supported my growth by partnering me with an amazing mentor, David Beinetti, Chief Marketing Officer of SWBR. Not only is he an amazing individual but he gave me confidence in my abilities.

What are some tips you would like to share about your own leadership journey?

I realized that I was most successful when I tried my best to see the entire picture. Zoom out and build your vision. It is next to impossible to fix an issue when we are simply using our site of the situation from our own view. Zoom out and try to see all of the moving parts outside of yourself because then you will be operating with true vision. Master the vision.

Mike Sutton, 2018-2019 CLIMB Program Participant

What has been your journey since completing the Greater Rochester Chamber CLIMB program?

Since completing CLIMB, our company has grown by over 300% in employees, had a significant increase in clients, and moved into a building in downtown Rochester. Personally, I have joined a few committees to encourage other organizations growth, including the marketing committee at Aquinas Institute. This has created a significant amount of opportunity to apply the leadership techniques learned at my time in CLIMB along with utilizing the relationships I built to continue learning.

What are some tips you would like to share about your own leadership journey?

Being able to slow down at times to ensure I am helping to coach and mentor others to free up more of my time has been the most difficult challenge. My leadership journey felt like an acceleration path, learning more about myself and how to teach as we rapidly grew. Understanding more about my style of work along with what our employee’s styles were allowed me to be more open to the many paths up a mountain, and utilizing all of our strengths, finding the best one.

JOIN US TO CELEBRATE CHANGEMAKERS WORKING TO ADVANCE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN GREATER ROCHESTER.

Inaugural Award Ceremony Friday, September 16, 2022 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Hyatt Regency

Sponsorships Available!

For details: Gena.Stein@GreaterRochesterChamber.com