September 28th is a very exciting day, and the first of many more to come. The CEO Club will be hosting a “Year of Entrepreneurship”, and our first event will be a next Thursday in the Forum 12:30-2PM, lunch will be provided however you must RSVP with Amy Conley via email (avconley@genesee.edu) in order to be served lunch however anyone may attend 1-2PM without RSVP.

Our first speaker for this event is Nicole Manapol, the director of Letchworth Gateway Villages (LGV) Initiative. Manapol’s greatest concern is to help increase economic growth, including new tourism-related marketing efforts for communities that serve as a ‘gateway’ to Letchworth State Park. The USDA-funded collaboration works to stimulate economic growth and regional cooperation through the use of network building, technical assistance, and research and awareness building. Among many other things, recently they launched a blog that will highlight innovations and efforts throughout nearby communities. You can visit the site at:  https://www.letchworthgatewayvillages.org/.

You may or may not know that Dr. LaMattina and Professor Conley are the advisors for the CEO Club, and Dr. LaMattina shared her thoughts about the upcoming event. She says she is excited to have Nicole coming to GCC to help us kickoff our “Year of Entrepreneurship”. She also says the Nicole’s travels, experiences, academic degrees, career endeavors, and the energy she projects and embodies is the exact entrepreneurial spirit that GCC tries to foster.

Dr. LaMattina is also excited for the collaborative partnership with multiple local organizations throughout the “Year of Entrepreneurship”, all of which are going to even further “help nurture business ideas, plans, concepts, and an entrepreneurial spirit in the region”.

The next event in GCC’s “Year of Entrepreneurship” is October 26th, for the first annual Agri-Tourism Symposium. It will be hosted by GCC’s Tourism and Hospitality Management Program.  The goal of this event is to inspire entrepreneurial agri-tourism throughout the GLOW region with another feature keynote speaker as well as panelists and a Meet, Greet and Eat reception.

Make sure to RSVP with Professor Conley if you are interested in eating lunch prior to the event next Thursday, and if not then we will see you at 1PM to hear what Nicole Manapol has to say!

Myself and the CEO Club hope to see you there!

Stay inspired…

-Danielle