For a second year, the Collar City will gather business owners, local entrepreneurs and industry leaders together to celebrate the ongoing economic renaissance of Troy and explore ways to support further small business growth across the community.

Mayor Patrick Madden announced the City of Troy will host the second annual Troy Small Business Summit (#TroySmallBiz) on Tuesday, October 17. The event, presented by the City of Troy, the Office of Economic Development and the Troy Local Development Corporation, will be held at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, located at 30 Third Street from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and will bring together local business owners and entrepreneurs from across the Collar City and Capital Region to discuss job growth, marketing, and other issues pertaining to entrepreneurship.

“Small businesses and entrepreneurs remain at the core of what makes Troy such a special place in the Capital Region,” said Mayor Patrick Madden. “We are pleased to again bring together the talented and passionate members of our thriving business and development community for this year’s Summit and look forward to exploring new ways to support the continued growth of Troy as a great place to do business.”

Cheryl Kennedy, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Troy, said “Troy’s business ecosystem is varied, running the gamut through nearly every industry. Our program offerings for the Second Annual Troy Small Business Summit are a reflection of that system and are built on the feedback we received from last year’s summit. There’s a bit of something for everyone! We have really enjoyed working with our partners and sponsors to put together a homegrown, dynamic, and educational business event unlike any other in the Capital Region.”

The formal program includes a ‘Troy Gaming Industry’ panel discussion with Guha Bala, President of Velan Ventures and Steven Flenory, Head of Studio for WB Games New York.

This year’s summit features extended breakout programming, an expanded two tracks of group breakout sessions from local and regional experts in marketing, human resources, and restaurant entrepreneurship, led by Francesca LoPorto-Brandow of GreyCastle Security, Danika Atkins of Excelsior College, Heidi Knoblauch, owner of Plumb Oyster Bar, and Aneesa Waheed, owner of Tara Kitchen.

Following the breakout sessions will be a group presentation about “Navigating Uncharted Territory in Small Business” which will go over information regarding the pipeline for small business in Troy, including business and financial planning, location and lease structure, navigating local regulations, and ultimately the awareness the local resources available to help make your business a success.

The summit will also feature a keynote address from Sinclair Schuller, CEO of Apprenda. With his two co-founders, Schuller led Apprenda through their recent capital fund campaign, securing $57M in venture capital funds from NEA, Ignition Partners, Safeguard Scientifics, and High Peak Ventures to deliver private and public PaaS to enterprise developers. Sinclair serves on multiple venture networks and speaks nationally on the topics of enterprise IT efficiency, cloud computing, and next generation enterprise architectures.

Registration for this free public event is open now with limited seating available. All are welcome to attend and participate. Individuals interested in attending the second annual Troy Small Business Summit can register online by visiting http://bit.ly/2w7XHk5

The 2nd Annual Troy Small Business Summit is sponsored in part by the City of Troy, the Troy Office of Economic Development, the Troy Local Development Corporation, the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), deFacto Global, The Rosenblum Companies, the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, Tech Valley Center of Gravity, Ignite U, Bryce Properties, and the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“The Troy LDC is pleased to again support the Troy Small Business Summit and its efforts to foster economic prosperity and business growth in the City of Troy,” said Steven Strichman, Executive Director of the Troy Local Development Corporation. “This year’s summit brings together important voices from across the private enterprise and business development sectors that have been critically important in expanding the growth of Troy. We are proud to continue our support of this summit and look forward to engaging with our partners on furthering the mission of the LDC.”

Katie Hammon, Executive Director of the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, said “Troy is a city that thrives on individuals taking risks and changing directions. The Troy Small Business Summit offers a wealth of information and resources for new and established businesses, and those with new ventures on the way. This year, participants will have an opportunity to learn from and engage with our neighbors, and share experiences, tips and tricks that have helped shape our businesses throughout our city.”

“The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce is highly-committed to the growth of small business; 80% of the Chamber’s membership is considered small business,” said Kate Manley, President of the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Troy’s Small Business Summit provides an opportunity for owners, managers and entrepreneurs from across the region to learn, engage, network and grow. Attendees will leave with tools, strategies and best practices needed to successfully compete in today’s rapidly changing business environment. We are proud to support such event.”

Holly Cargill-Cramer, Executive Director of Tech Valley Center of Gravity, said “Tech Valley Center of Gravity has been a catalyst for small business birth and growth in Troy since its inception. As we gear up for the official launch of our Manufacturing Incubator and Prototyping Center, it seems most natural that we should be serving as host location for Troy’s Small Business Summit. The growth of our region’s ‘second industrial revolution’ will be nurtured by creative individuals and partners catering to niche needs, as much as the former revolution was fueled by conglomerates. Our former department store turned enterprise center provides the right atmosphere for this year’s summit which supports further innovation and prosperity in our community.”

“Small businesses are vital to economic development at a local, regional, and national level,” said Michele Salisbury, co-founder of IgniteU. “The summit will be an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators to share knowledge and build networks in Troy and across New York State.”

“The resurgence of Troy is steeped in the concentration of locally owned businesses who not only provide important services and create jobs locally, but energetically promote their pride of place,” said Jeff Mirel, Executive Vice President at The Rosenblum Companies, which is currently undertaking a $23+ million redevelopment the former Troy Record newspaper property into 101 apartments and ground floor retail/office space. “We’re excited to join this chorus at the Troy Small Business Summit and highlight opportunities for existing businesses as well as the next wave of Troy entrepreneurs.”

Bob Bedard, President & CEO of deFacto Global, said “We are deeply proud and excited to be part of Troy’s thriving business community. Our productivity and office culture has positively evolved thanks to a breadth of local resources, the cooperative work environment found in the historic Quackenbush building where we are headquartered, as well as accessible fun, food, and entertainment. deFacto Global is very pleased to support this year’s Troy Small Business Summit and looks forward to engaging with fellow businesses and entrepreneurs during this valuable event.”

Immediately following the Summit, participants are invited to attend a special business networking mixer organized by the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District and Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce being held at Ignite U, located on the third floor of the Quackenbush Building (upstairs from the Tech Valley Center of Gravity) from 4:30 – 7:00pm.

Businesses interested in sponsoring the Troy Small Business Summit can contact Cheryl Kennedy, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Troy, at Cheryl.Kennedy@troyny.gov or (518) 279-7412.

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For more information and updated on the Troy Small Business Summit, please visit Troy’s Office of Economic Development homepage. Please share your favorite Troy small business on your preferred social media network by using the #TroySmallBiz hashtag!