SYRACUSE — Participants in this year’s class of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders initiative have started their work. The SBA on May 4 announced this year’s class. The 16 local business owners, who the SBA says were “competitively selected,” include: Stephen Jocz, owner of Best in Bloom in DeWitt; Elizabeth Peterson, creative […]
SYRACUSE — Participants in this year’s class of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders initiative have started their work.
The SBA on May 4 announced this year’s class.
The 16 local business owners, who the SBA says were “competitively selected,” include: Stephen Jocz, owner of Best in Bloom in DeWitt; Elizabeth Peterson, creative director at Downtown Decorations Inc. in DeWitt; Tracy Foltz, president of Falk Precision Inc. in DeWitt; Neil Miller of Farmshed Harvest in Syracuse; Sandra Cirrincione, president of Solvay Electric Supply & Lighting in Solvay; Viktor Klyachko, president of Green Ignite Inc., Utica; Jaime Sweet, president and CEO of Hartman Enterprises, Inc. in Oneida; Matthew Holt, founder of Kishmish Inc. in Syracuse; Salvatore Lomedico of Sal’s Pizza & Restaurant in Baldwinsville; Ken Morse, principal at North Point Defense, Inc. in Rome; James Bogett with Omnicor Biomedical Services in Camillus; Jennifer Purtell with Quality Mechanical Services in Syracuse; Nate Beck of Rollingstar Mfg. Inc. in Barneveld; David Johnson, president of RP Solutions Inc. in Ithaca; Dana Scherzi, CEO of Scherzi Systems, LLC in DeWitt; and Erika Perez with SWANK in Hamilton.
The participants come from sectors that include manufacturing, retail, service and technology.
About Emerging Leaders
The program began on April 26 with the first class conducted by instructor John Liddy, entrepreneur in residence at The Tech Garden, and will continue through November.
Over a period of seven months of training classes, participants will work with mentors and develop connections with other business owners and community leaders, the SBA says.
Upon graduation, participants will exit the program with a strategic growth plan for their business, developed using the knowledge, skills, and techniques honed in the class.
The program, which the SBA describes as “intense,” provides more than 100 hours of advanced-management training.
It is a collaboration of the SBA Syracuse district office with CenterState CEO; CNY TDO; City of Syracuse Office of Neighborhood and Business Development; Onondaga County Office of Economic Development; Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc.; Manufacturers Association of Central New York; Onondaga Small Business Development Center; SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Syracuse SCORE; Syracuse University; the Falcone Center; Black Stone Launch Pad; Upstate Minority Economic Alliance; the Syracuse Tech Garden; and the WISE Women’s Business Center.