Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrow’s (GET) Hudson Valley Entrepreneurial Conference and Expo
10 Years Worth Celebrating
A decade promoting economic development in the Hudson Valley Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows, Inc. (GET) is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on Thursday, October 23rd, together with a new edition of the Hudson Valley Entrepreneurial Conference and Expo. The event takes place at Villa Borghese in Wappinger Falls. GET is a nonprofit organization born out of a study conducted by Marist College School of Management and Patterns for Progress, with funding from the Dyson Foundation. GET helps women, minorities, youth and veterans advance their financial lives by starting their own businesses. In the last ten years, GET has worked on 857 projects and 380 businesses. Seventy per cent of businesses receiving GET’s assistance are still in business after the initial two years of receiving assistance. GET offers free and confidential technical and marketing assistance as well as business seminars, entrepreneurial boot camps, micro-loans, business incubator facilities and a host of networking opportunities. GET services are fully bilingual.
Anniversary Luncheon Celebration
Every year GET recognizes its entrepreneurs and regional business individuals who exemplify the best of the entrepreneurial spirit with the Hudson Valley Entrepreneurial Award.
This year’s awardees to be recognized at the Anniversary Luncheon are:
GET Entrepreneurs of the Year
- Ms. Cecilia Cook, Smart Staffing Group, LLC
- Ms. Mercy Turugh, Smart Staffing Group, LLC
- Ms. Denise Bolds, Bold Selah, LLC
Entrepreneurial Women of the Year
- Ms. Sheila Appel, U.S. Regional Director, IBM Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs
- Ms. Denise Doring VanBuren, VP of Public Relations at Central Hudson
- Ms. Mariel Fiori, La Voz Magazine Co-Founder & Managing Editor
Hudson Valley Entrepreneurial Conference & Expo
Held from 9 to 3:30 on the same day as the Anniversary Luncheon, the Conference & Expo is free and open to the public. It offers a true marketplace of ideas, opportunities, services and vital information for anyone striving for business success. Exhibitors include a host of financial and business service companies that help and support the work of entrepreneurs in the Hudson Valley. Seminars and workshops are also free and open to the public.
The yearly HVECE has been held at different locations in the Hudson Valley. This year it returns to Dutchess County. The theme of the Expo also changes from year to year. This year’s theme focuses on “Women in Business” though the information given applies to all entrepreneurs. This year there are two tracks of seminars from 9:00 to 3:30.
Panel Discussions
Expanding Opportunities for Women in Business 9:00 – 10:00 AM
- Sara W. McGinty, P.C. Attorney at Law, Rosendale, NY
- Tracy Badgley, CPA, Partner at GKG (Goldstein, Karlewicz & Goldstein, LLP) Newburgh.
- Steve Jones, VP of Lending, Bridgeway Federal Credit Union, Poughkeepsie, NY
- Beverly Franklin, co-founder and partner Measured to Fit, LLC and GET Entrepreneur
- Meridith Nierenberg, MBA in Sustainability; Green Jobs-Green NY Program Manager at RUPCO, Kingston.
Workshops / Seminars
Five Money Questions for Women10:00 – 11:00 AM
Marlene Pagentine, AAMS; Financial Advisor, Edward Jones, New Paltz, NY
Speak to be Heard. How to Talk about Your Business So People Will Listen! 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Eva Tenuto, Founder & Executive Director, TMI Project, Rosendale, NY
Using Email & Social Media to Extend Your Brand 11:00AM – 12:00
Erik Bunaes, Auth. Local Expert for Constant Contact
Marketing to Latinos in the Hudson Valley 2:15 to 3:00 PM
Mariel Fiori, Co-Founder and Managing Editor, La Voz Magazine
Panel discussion with Claudette Aldebot, Sr. Associate Cultural Markets, NY Life Latino Newburgh, and Monica Lorca, owner Los Hornitos Bakery
Green Jobs & Programs: Pathways for a More Sustainable Lifestyle 2:30 to 3:30 PM
Meridith Nierenberg, MBA in Sustainability; Green Jobs-Green NY Program Manager at RUPCO, Kingston.
For more information and/or to participate with an Exhibit Table or to attend the Anniversary Luncheon, interested individuals can call GET at 845-790-5004, write to info@gethudsonvalley.org or visit the web site at www.gethudsonvalley.org
Main sponsors for these two events are: Riverside Bank, Orange County Trust, Bridgeway Federal Credit Union, Central Hudson, IBM, La Voz Magazine, Williams Lumber, New York Life, Constant Contact, Villa Borghese, The Poughkeepsie Journal and Entrepreneur360.