ACE

Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

Business

“Lessons from Austin” Moderators’ Notes

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Thank you to everyone that took time out of their busy schedules to join us for ACE’s First Cultural Tourism Summit: Lessons From Austin with Meredith Powell of  Public City. We hope it was as enlightening and engaging for you as it was for us. We are grateful to have had Meredith Powell share her knowledge with us and impart some important lessons that we can use as we continue our mission of shining a bright light on the powerful and thriving Creative Economy of the Capital Region. We also want to thank you for sharing your thoughts with us in our breakout groups. Here’s what we heard:

Your opinions are important to us and we take what you tell us seriously. You can review the photo highlights of the event here.

Branch VFX Executive Producer Sam Margolius

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Sam Margolius is a forward thinking producer and business executive balancing the hybrid spaces of art, entertainment, technology, production, and marketing. He is a Twenty year veteran of the content world with deep experience working with world-class studios, brands, artists, producers and visionary storytellers in both their core production needs as well as the strategy and implementation of new channels of communication.

 

Sam runs Albany-based Branch VFX which is a STARTUP NY designated company focused on high-level TV and Film projects for Netflix, Paramount, Disney/Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc. and is a sister company to Emmy-Award winning Shade VFX. He recently post produced Terrence Malick’s 360/VR experience, “Together” which debuted at SXSW 2018 and then at The TriBeCa Film Festival and is Executive Producer for the Haagen-Dazs, HTC Vive, Google Daydream 360/VR collaboration, “The Extraordinary Honey Bee“, which was voiced by Constance Zimmer and debuted at the World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, Switzerland. Additionally, he produced the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition VR and one of the first ever VR music videos, “Crown” for hip hop supergroup, Run The Jewels, which released on the New York Times NYTVR app and launched at SXSW 2016.

 

Raised in the Catskill Mountains for all of his formative years, he holds a deep respect for the vitality of nature, the importance of sarcasm, and the flavor of whiskey.

Below are two examples of how imagination comes alive in the digital effects that add the finishing touches to a film.

Community Loan Fund Business Spotlight: Coiled, A Textured Salon

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Lavida Barkley began braiding hair at the age of 12, and what began as a hobby gradually became a profession starting with her first “client” at the age of 15 . “I relied on hair braiding off and on for years, while living in the Capital Region, to Atlanta Georgia, and back.” When she returned to the Capital Region to get better services for her son who is on the autism spectrum, she decided not to return to a traditional job position and instead started her own business, called Coiled: A Textured Salon. Lavida says, “I did business development programs and was denied funding in the program. I even went to a local credit union for financial support. The programs had a lack of diversity, it was tough to get them to understand what I was trying to do.”

Typically, natural hair salons don’t do chemical treatments and focus instead on textured hair health. Many times these hair types are neglected in the mainstream industry, but that began to change with the natural hair movement of the 2000s. Statistics show that more women are embracing their natural hair, and the industry has seen a major shift in the past decade.

When Lavida connected with the Community Loan Fund, she said she noticed a difference right away. “They were kind and helpful. They took the time to review my business plan and helped me through it all, from start to finish.” She also mentioned that the team was more diverse than other potential lenders, and had more understanding of what she was trying to do. After a few months, Lavida was able to launch her business in her own space at 1305 Nott Street, Schenectady. For a lot of small businesses, having some sort of financial support is necessary when it comes to achieving their goals. Unfortunately, the community loan fund isn’t available for everybody but small businesses can still use sites like https://l3funding.com/line-of-credit to find a line of credit and fund their dreams. This is useful for business owners. There are so many things that a business owner needs to pay for, so loans and financial support can be really beneficial. Something that would probably benefit business owners would be more affordable access to broadband. In the UK, the Labour government had promised to give homeowners and business owners wider access to cheap broadband, according to this article here. If only the United States would offer their small business owners something similar to this. It could really help some people to chase their business dreams.

“I am blessed to have clients who travel from Vermont, Boston, and western New York to be served because they know the offerings are customized for their curl. I don’t believe there are limitations based on where a business is located or who it’s surrounded by. My salon is tailored for ALL curl types, from coils and curls to waves and my specialty is what sets me apart from other businesses.”
“Having moved away from the area for a year and returning was eye-opening. I can attribute my awareness of my calling to that experience. I know now that if I moved through life with a little more faith and fearlessness that my journey would have started much sooner. I am not where I will end up yet, but I hope to encourage others who may want to make the leap but are paralyzed by fear. I don’t want to look back on my life when I’m older and have ‘should have, could have or would have’ rolling around in my head.”

Lavida says, “If it’s something positive in the capacity of serving others… move without regret.”

The Community Loan Fund offers a variety of lending options and continued support for businesses like Coiled: A Textured Salon. Traditional banks and credit unions would call this a high risk, and it would be highly unlikely that the loan would be approved. The Community Loan Fund offers reviews on a case-by-case basis for its financial viability and positive social impact. If you are looking to expand your business, you can get more information and set up a time to talk with someone at The Community Loan Fund by clicking here.

Sponsor Spotlight: Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership

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Economic Forecast

In 2018, Saratoga County continued to be one of the fastest-growing counties in New York State, and for good reason. With an educated workforce, great companies from diverse industry sectors, and a vibrant quality of place, we possess all the attributes that make our community a great investment for businesses and residents. Who wouldn’t want to invest, live, work, and raise a family here? Our future is bright, but it is important that we continue to lead the public and private sectors to plan for long-term growth. This means investing in infrastructure, developing our workforce, attracting talent, and encouraging our companies to innovate and invest in Saratoga County. Laying the foundation for future growth is the key to maintaining our economic prosperity today and long into the future.

Throughout 2018, the Saratoga Partnership marketed Saratoga County to businesses and site selectors throughout the world. We met with more than 75 companies and 60 site selectors to educate them on why Saratoga County is the ideal location for expansion. The Saratoga Partnership is why Saratoga County was successful in siting New York State’s largest battery storage project, Key Capture Energy project in Stillwater; why Proctors – Universal Preservation Hall is transforming a former church in Saratoga Springs into a year-round world class arts and cultural venue in downtown Saratoga after we assisted them with assistance through the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency; why the Saratoga Partnership is working with the Ellms Family Farm, who will be investing in a $10M Saratoga Farm Hub, an agritainment venue and farm incubator project. The Saratoga Partnership’s pipeline of projects currently include over 37 companies that are considering investing and growing in Saratoga County. This pipeline represents over 1,200 jobs and $110 million in capital investment. Saratoga County is ripe for new investment and we anticipate more to come in 2019.

This year, the Saratoga Partnership attracted over 600 leading tech executives and professionals from around the world by hosting the first-ever Silicon Summit East in partnership with Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), and the 8th annual SEMI ASMC Conference. In 2019, the Saratoga Partnership will continue to bring technology executives and professionals from around the world to Saratoga County. Shining a spotlight on Globalfoundries and our high-tech research and development assets will attract investments from the international business community

The Saratoga Partnership will continue to work with industry sectors throughout Saratoga County and the region, to address workforce challenges. Although Saratoga County’s economy is strong, our businesses aren’t immune to changes in our local and global economy. With low unemployment rates (2.9% Nov 2018) and a high workforce participation rate (68% of the workforce is working), our businesses are being challenged to find talent and fill in skills gaps left by baby boomers retiring from the workforce. This issue is not unique to Saratoga County. In 2018, the national unemployment rate—at 3.7% in November—sits near a 50-year low. Economist Hugh Johnson recently cautioned that our workforce shortage will impact economic output and new job growth if it is not addressed through workforce development.

Entering 2019, the Saratoga Partnership will continue to forge strong partnerships with our colleges and universities to develop innovative workforce development programs that meet the needs of the private sector. In January, we will be launching the first-ever Computer Coding workforce development program in Saratoga County in partnership with Albany Can Code, SUNY ADK and SUNY Schenectady. This program will train Saratoga County residents for high-paying tech job opportunities and fill the talent pipeline. The Saratoga Partnership will also launch Circles of 7 (C7) mentorship program to provide critical strategic business assistance to drive the success of entrepreneurs in Saratoga County. We will continue to work with our partners at SCORE, the SBA, Innovate518, CEG, and SUNY ADK, to deliver innovative tools that support the needs of our small businesses and spark the spirit of budding entrepreneurs.

To help our local communities plan for the future, the Saratoga Partnership has launched the Next Wave Communities program to assist local towns within Saratoga County in developing custom-tailored economic development plans. In 2018, the Town of Moreau became the inaugural Next Wave Community and we look forward to helping more communities throughout Saratoga County plan for a brighter future.

In 2018, we have seen uncertainty amongst our businesses about how to manage the global supply chains or deal with rising prices for imported components hit by tariffs. Heading into the new year, the Saratoga Partnership is prepared to assist our business community with these disruptions in global markets and grow their businesses. Through our Global Markets Advisory service led by Mary Estelle Ryckman, companies can draw on her 30 years of expertise in negotiating international trade agreements and supporting global commerce in Washington D.C. The Saratoga Partnership team is poised to assist the Saratoga County business community and work hand in hand with our communities to lay the groundwork for future business growth.

Our unique quality of life makes Saratoga County an ideal location to attract and retain talent and help our employers fill the jobs that exist today. However, maintaining and expanding economic prosperity cannot be taken for granted. The Saratoga Partnership’s public-private model is one which is replicated and used around the world to conduct economic development and will result in a strong economy in 2019 and beyond.  

To learn more about the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, call 518.871.1887 or visit saratogapartnership.org.

Freelance Pattern Designer Needed: Darn Good Yarn

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Darn Good Yarn is looking for a freelance pattern designer to assist with the design and photography of new knitting, crochet or weaving patterns.

The candidate best suited for this position is a skilled knitter, crocheter or weaver, has experience designing patterns for all skill levels and can produce designs on a monthly basis.

The Pattern Designer will be responsible for the following;

• Ensure all designs are provided on a timely basis

• Designing projects based on project directive

• Provide Design photography

• Contribute ideas for design, yarn selection, etc.

• Format patterns in accordance to the Darn Good Yarns Pattern Standards

Requirements

We are looking for someone with the following qualifications:

• Intermediate or stronger knitting, crochet or weaving skills

• Strong communication, writing and organizational skills are a must

• Desire to work and grow in a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency with various online platforms including, Word, Excel and Publisher

• Obsessive attention to detail

• Strong work-ethic

• Ability to work independently and in coordination with various team members

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