Welcoming President-Elect | Greg Kauffman
Can you share your vision for TechRochester under your leadership, especially in light of recent industry developments?
My vision is for TechRochester to be the connective tissue between innovation, talent, technology and opportunity in our amazing city and region. As the tech industry evolves with things such as AI, cyber security and digital transformations, we all have a unique opportunity, to connect, collaborate and thrive together. It’s important to me, to continue the amazing momentum built by the past presidents, most recently Susan Kavanagh and Judy Miller, as well as the past and current board members.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the tech community in our region right now?
The speed and breadth of technology change is a huge challenge and also a huge opportunity. I love a term used by a fellow board member that we are “challenge chasers”, and that’s going to be essential as the evolution of technology is not going to slow down, or take a break for all of us to catch up.
Our tech eco system in Rochester is so full of talent, creativity and ideas, and we need to find a way to do a better job of seamlessly connecting all the amazing things that are happening between startups, established companies of any size and the incredible academic institutions in our area, to continue that momentum.
How do you plan to foster collaboration and innovation among members and stakeholders within TechRochester?
By being that connective tissue, we will continue to actively bring together members, non members, existing and future partners, businesses, and educational institutions around common goals such as workforce development, entrepreneurship and emerging technology trends. A great example of that is our recent launch of TechRiseRoc, which is TechRochesters newest program designed to empower the next generation of tech entrepreneurs by connecting them with seasoned professionals in the field. Whether you're launching your startup or scaling fast, TechRiseRoc is a dynamic program where knowledge, experience, and innovation come together to fuel your growth.
Could you highlight any upcoming initiatives or projects that members can look forward to?
We just completed our annual Tech Woman of the Year celebration on Thursday 4/24, which I am still energized by. There are so many incredible leaders with amazing stories and achievements, right here in our own backyard.
We are excited about SUNY Brockport hosting InnovateHer: Women mentoring women in business and tech on May 1st at 5pm.
With the launch of the TechRiseRoc Initiative we have a matchmaking event the morning of June 10th.
In the fall we are excited to have the Agile Connect Rochester Conference, bringing together agilists, scrum masters, product owners, technologists, developers, leaders and owners of companies for a day of learning, collaboration and practical insights.
In what ways do you hope to enhance TechRochester's impact on local businesses and the community?
Our goal is to make a meaningful impact on the community through outstanding events, and more importantly by fostering long term relationships, mentorships, and business growth. At our recent Tech Woman of the Year event, an inspiring leader shared her story about finding her voice and creating space for herself, and encouraging everyone there to continue to push to make space for themselves. We are honored to continue to provide platforms and arenas to share those inspirational stories, and to support the growing momentum of individuals and companies as they carve out space for themselves and discover their voices.
How do you envision strengthening partnerships with educational institutions and other key stakeholders to support tech talent development?
We will strengthen partnership by collaborating with local colleges and institutions, to align education with real world skills, and gain additional perspective about new technologies. It will be important to collaborate with each institution and key stakeholder, to collectively chase the opportunity we have right in front of us.
