6:30 / cocktail connection (networking)
7:00 / interactive panel discussion
8:00 / breakout Roundtable sessions 1
8:30 / breakout Roundtable sessions 2
9:00 / cocktail connection continued
INTERACTIVE Panel
We'll kick off the night with an engaging panel discussion between business owners and city leaders — with audience participation. We'll tackle such issues as:
- institutional support (BeaconArts/Chamber/City of Beacon) — how can they help?
- city infrastructure (parking, trolley/shuttle service, etc.)
- tourism (promoting Beacon)
- the impact of popup shops and city events (parades, festivals, etc.)
- Second Saturday
- gentrification, rents and landlords
Kelly Ellenwood
PANELIST
BeaconArts
Kelly has lived in Beacon since 2002. In 2005, she was one of the founders of the Wee Play Community Project and was largely responsible for building the tot playground at Memorial Park. She has been on the board of BeaconArts since 2010 and currently serves as President. She is also on the board of the Beacon Arts & Education Foundation (BAEF), and serves as Secretary for the Rombout Middle School Parent Teacher Organization.
George Mansfield
PANELIST
City Councilman At Large + Dogwood
George Mansfield has been a resident of Beacon since 1999. He has a background in literature and fine arts and received a BA from Fordham University in 1983. He has served on the Beacon Planning Board for two years and is currently serving his fourth term as a Beacon City Councilman At Large. George opened Dogwood Restaurant/Bar in 2012.
Scott TilliTt
PANEL MODERATOR
Antidote Collective + BEAHIVE + Re>Think Local
Scott is a connector — of dots and people. Through his 20+ year career he has been a strategist, publicist, marketer, social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader and writer. He has a broad perspective working in various culture-shaping (and sometimes suffocating) worlds — advertising, media, interactive design, photography, tech, TV and fashion — before translating his skills to social impact.
Pat Moore
PANELIST
Beacon Chamber of Commerce + Antalek and Moore
Pat has been a New York property and casualty insurance agent for more than 35 years, and his office is on Beacon's Main Street. His experience from working with businesses both small and large as well as in a wide range of industries has earned him insight into what businesses need, as well as what questions to ask in order to improve.
BREAKOUT ROUNDTABLES
Following the panel will be two rounds of facilitated, roll-up-your-sleeves group discussions. Choose your own learning adventure!
- Marketing + PR
- Operations
- Staffing + Expansion
- Money Matters
Myriam Bouchard
FACILITATOR: OPERATIONS
Coherence Collaborative + Re>Think Local
Breakout Focus: day-to-day of your biz, opening hours, window displays, tourists vs locals
Myriam casts over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur in helping businesses grow. She worked as a business advisor for the NYS Small Business Development Center for 13+ years, winning a multitude of awards as one of the top performers out of 200 statewide consultants. She has an MBA from Syracuse University.
Galia Gichon
FACILITATOR: MONEY MATTERS
Down to Earth Finance + It Will Bloom
Breakout Focus: accounting, funding issues and options
Galia is an independent personal financial expert with 20+ years in financial services, including nearly 10 years on Wall Street and an MBA in Finance. Her career has spanned corporate bond research analyst, personal finance expert, angel investor, entrepreneur advisor and author. She is the Founder of Down to Earth Finance, independent personal finance education, and co-founder of It Will Bloom, strategic consulting to startup companies. Galia has been widely quoted in The New York Times, The Today Show, NBC, CNN, Real Simple and others.
Katie Hellmuth Martin
FACILITATOR: MARKETING + PR
A Little Beacon Blog + Tin Shingle
Breakout Focus: online marketing + social media, advertising, publicity, media, tourists vs locals, cross marketing opportunities
Katie is the publisher of A Little Beacon Blog, owner of Tin Shingle, and producer/designer/ghost marketer at InHouse Design Media. In all capacities, she works directly with small businesses, both brick and mortar as well as service industry professionals to help them get outside of their doors and in front of customers. She empowers business owners who do their own PR, Social Media, SEO, and undertake website and newsletter design overhauls with direct implementation and training.
JASON SCHULER
FACILITATOR: STAFFING + EXPANSION
Drink More Good
Breakout Focus: personnel issues, hiring, firing, employee benefits
Jason founded Drink More Good in late 2012 with one goal in mind: to make this world a better place. DMG specializes in the handcrafted beverage manufacturing space, specifically the hot filled syrup, kombucha, and RTD carbonated beverage segments of the industry. The mission is simple: global impact through local success. This is accomplished by operating on a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. As President and Founder, Jason believes that it is a privilege to be a business owner — and it’s one that he doesn’t take lightly.