creative economy

CapNY Relocation Stories: Chrissy and Ben Traore

July 8, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Chrissy and Ben Traore met while working in a New York City restaurant. Soon, they were commuting upstate on weekends for a cooking gig. To their great surprise, they began dreading going back to Brooklyn during the week. “We’ve always worked 70 to 100 hours a week,” Chrissy said. “And the city and the expenses just added stress to all of that.” Something had to give. So, by 2017, they settled in Cairo, a small, rural town in Greene County, about ten miles outside of Catskill.

Together, they founded S ee and Be Kitchen and Cafe. Their funky, functional, multi-building “compound” met all of their dreams. There’s a prep kitchen inside of a storage container (they insulated it themselves) and outdoor wood-fired oven for baking bread. Plus, there’s a chicken house and pen, and café / retail shop. Additionally, outdoor seating plans are in the works, in the shaded, rustic grounds.

See and Be’s Breads and Business Plan

Ben began baking bread in Burkina Faso, a West African country near Ivory Coast and Ghana. He uses a sourdough base for all of his products, including gorgeous croissants, pastries, and a full line of breads. The starter is fermented for 48 hours, making a refined and gorgeous loaf that even gluten-sensitive customers can digest (yep, this writer can vouch for that — and it’s fantastic).

The baking life isn’t easy. Ben goes to bed by 6 or 7pm, in order to tend to the wood-burning oven by 2am every day. Chrissy has pivoted their baking and food businesses from farmers markets to wholesale distribution, and now to online ordering and curbside pickups during COVID. Oh, and did we mention that they’ve also got an 18-month-old son in the mix now? These bakers are BUSY!

Chrissy utilizes Ben’s breads in all of her food creations, including a weekend sandwich selection. You can place online orders here, and pick them up at See and Be from Wednesdays through Saturdays.

“We’ve always taken things one step at a time,” said Chrissy. “We have room to grow here, and space to breathe. I want to let people know that they should not be afraid to try something new. We’re building something that is ours.”

Connect with See and Be Kitchen

Address:
512 New York 145
Cairo, NY 12413, US
Phone: (518) 719-9229
Email
Website
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Freelancing in Portugal with ACE Executive Director Maureen Sager

February 24, 2020 By Maureen Sager

I did not exactly plan to have a working vacation during Freelancing February. I’d booked this trip to Portugal last year, long before I knew that I’d be up to my elbows in the Regional Brand project (it’s a new initiative that we’re launching in the fall — more about that soon!). I also didn’t know at that time that I’d be traveling alone (I’d had the trip planned with a friend). I was tempted to cancel. I’d never taken a major trip by myself, let alone a two-week excursion to a foreign country. But here’s what I thought about:

I’m in no position to go on a two-week vacation right now because of work commitments, but what if I worked part-time from Portugal? My official contract is for 7 hours a day. If I worked two hours in the morning and 90 minutes at night, that would still leave me plenty of time for touring.
In my ACE (and now the additional Regional Brand role), I sometimes spend more than 20 hours a week driving to and from meetings. What if I didn’t drive for two weeks?? I’d potentially have more “desk time” in Portugal than I have in the Capital Region!
The price was right – plus, my Airbnbs were all booked and my flight was paid for, so I’d lose over $800 if I canceled this trip. Off-season prices in Portugal are fantastic – wonderful apartments in perfect locations for less than $30 per night. I could swing that.

So, should I stay or should I go?

The answer is, I decided to go. I’d freelance, on a part-time schedule for two weeks, from Portugal. Crazy? For sure. But, why not give it a try.

I started my trip in Lisbon on a Sunday, after a super-easy, five-and-a-half-hour flight from JFK. It took less than five minutes to know that my month of studying Portuguese had not done much good at all, because they speak way too fast, and it’s a notoriously difficult language to begin with. It all worked, though. I got a $15 Uber to my apartment, and within an hour of landing, I jumped onto email, just to make sure I was set. Everything worked. I spent the day walking up the ridiculously hilly streets, and took an “Airbnb Experience” tour, where local people show you their city. It’s much more personal than a corporate tour. I’ve become quite enamored of them.

Monday was the moment of truth – would I be able to work? I woke at 8 a.m. and worked for two hours as planned, making cappuccino in my lovely apartment. By the time I finished my “shift”, it was 10 a.m. in Lisbon, and 5 a.m. in New York. I headed out for an amazing day, then came back after supper and worked 90 minutes til 9 p.m. By the time I finished, it was 4 p.m. in New York. I’d spent about the same amount of time working as I do on a normal work day, if I’d had two meetings that were 30 minutes from my home.

While working and doing email, I rarely mentioned that I was in Portugal unless it was pertinent to the conversation – it actually didn’t matter where I was. I scheduled phone calls at mutually convenient times, and used WhatsApp when it was someone who knew I was away.

I’m on Day 11 of my working vacation. The usual things go “wrong” and need to be worked out, same as any other work week, AND I’m in my fourth Portuguese city — it’s in the south, called Evora. I’ve also been to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. All have been wonderful.

Like I said, I did not plan this as a working vacation, or my first big solo trip. Life just happened that way. It’s been a life-changing experience. I feel brave and competent and bad-ass, because there have been some damn challenging moments – like driving the wrong way down ridiculously narrow, cobbled streets — that totally worked out.

This working vacation NEVER would have happened if I’d not become a freelancer. I wouldn’t have had the imagination and gumption for it. It’s been fifteen years since my last traditional job. Fifteen years without health insurance, paid vacation, or 401K. And it’s been the best fifteen years of my working life, AND my personal life. Here’s to Freelancer February! Freelance forever. That’s my goal and motto.

I’m very happy to share travel tips on Portugal – it’s been absolutely gorgeous, stunning and affordable! Hit me up, and share your travel stories with us! maureen@upstatecreative.org

Creative Economy Mixer at Darn Good Yarn: Photo Highlights

February 14, 2019 By Maureen Sager

ACE held its February #CreativeEconomyMixer at Darn Good Yarn in Clifton Park. There were tours of Darn Good Yarn’s amazing facility, beverage tastings by Yankee Distillery and Single Cut Brewing: North Store, a performance by poet and visual artist D. Colin, and a “The Price Is Right” style giveaway! Many attendees also enjoyed the “Learn to Crochet/Knit” station as well.

NYS Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner led an engaging discussion with Darn Good Yarn founder Nicole Snow and Sarah Trop, owner of Funcycled Repurposing and Interior Design, with a focus on Women and Entrepreneurship.

FREE headshots were be provided by Ska City Photography when attendees registered for the ACE Job Hub.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, MVP Health Care, and Community Loan Fund, and promotional partners, She’s A Boss and Entrepreneurs’ Organization Albany. Produced in partnership with 2440 Design Studio and WMHT.

Sponsor Spotlight: Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership

January 24, 2019 By Maureen Sager

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.

Creative Beginnings- Meg Affonso

August 20, 2018 By Maureen Sager

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ACE’s Ashleigh Kinsey spoke with Meg Affonso, a creative who is a creative in every sense of the word – singer,dancer, actor, model, yogi, and now producer! Meg shares her journey as a creative and what led her to collaborating with other creatives to present the production of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf and The Women of Color in the Arts Expo in Albany NY.

Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Martinsburg, WV. I have lived in the Capital Region of NY for 12 years.

Did you seek out higher education, or are you self taught? Where did you study?
I studied Musical Theatre at Shepherd University for a few years before moving to Upstate NY. I then went on to study Meisner Technique with the Deena Levy Theatre Studio in NYC. Most of my training comes from being on set and around the stage.

Would you say you have always been a creative person? What other work have you done?
Creativity is in my bones. I began singing in my church at age 4 and formal dance lessons started at age 5. This was where my creativity really started to come out of its shell! I loved my dance lessons, so I cannot recommend them enough. If you have a creative child who is interested in that sort of thing, you could take a look at DivaDance to see if you could get them some lessons. I’m sure they’d love it and its so good for creativity and confidence building as well! Then, once my dancing and singing skills were practised, I became involved in the local theatre scene at 14. I’ve performed in plays, films, web series, commercials and occasionally do freelance modeling.

How did you become interested in your industry?
I’ve always been an entertainer and once I discovered how to tell a story through performance, I was hooked for life. There was a period of time that I stopped performing and doing creative work; I was discouraged because my life wasn’t working out the way that I had hoped it would. I had a child very young and I needed to find a means to an end to be financially stable, so I left the creative stuff behind and tried to move forward. Fortunately, my creative work wouldn’t let me go and I was forced to face it, to begin again. Beginning again didn’t come without some uncertainty and embarrassment. I’ve had my share of terrible auditions and worked through the awkwardness of learning how to communicate what I need. A true artist is not one who loves the work, but one who cannot live without it.

Did you have a defining moment that pushed you to start working on your production?
This play has been nagging at my mind for 9 years. From the moment I read Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem, it struck a chord in me that had never been struck before. Having gotten back into professional acting in the past 3 years has put me in a lot of situations where I recognize that I am sometimes the only person of color in the room for an audition or on set. I wanted to celebrate the beauty of black women artists in all their forms and this was the way to do it. I’ve also entered a point in my life where it’s time to tell my own stories, so I have been writing a few short films and I am beginning the process of directing a documentary. This whole process occurred all because my heart and my mind won’t let me rest. I want give life to stories that will help heal myself and others in the process, specifically women. I want to start a conversation and give people space to share their stories, as well.

What does running a production like this entail?
This is my first time producing and it’s probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done, but it is also incredibly rewarding. As the producer, I have had to find funding, secure the location, secure rehearsal space, hire creative talent + crew, be responsible for everything that goes along with promoting the production and more. As the director & choreographer, I am responsible for bringing the story to life through blocking, dance and working with my actors. There’s a lot that falls on my shoulders because I am doing so many things at once, but I am incredibly blessed to have a great crew, cast, mentors and a supportive network of people who want this to be successful.

What would you tell others who are aspiring to be doing what you are doing? What would you have done differently? Any advice?
The most important thing for others who are aspiring to do what I do, is to have people around you that can advise you though the process. I am doing well because I have a wonderful support system of other creative professionals who know more than me, which is quite possibly the most important asset that anyone can have. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help. Don’t be afraid to ask more than one person for advice or help. Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t have all of the answers, because you never will. The second most important thing is to start where you are and be okay with that. It’s so important for artists to be able to do their own work and tell their own stories. Advocate for yourself. I don’t know that I would have done anything differently, except begin sooner. I have no regrets, only lessons. A piece of advice for artists making their own work is to begin the grant process early, if you’re going that route. It’s very time consuming and a lengthly process. Also be prepared to hear ‘no’ frequently, but keep going. Be honest with yourself about where you need to improve and be flexible about working with what you have until you can work with what you want.

What would you like the community to know about the local arts scene and creative economy?
The local arts scene and creative economy is rich and diverse. I myself am excited to become more immersed in it. We have a huge theatre scene, visual arts, dance, music & several films are made in Upstate NY each year. Go out and experience all of the different art forms, support one another, spread the word and if you don’t know here to begin – ask around.

If there was one thing you would change about our creative economy, what would it be?
This goes without saying, but there has to be more diversity. Employers, theatre companies, filmmakers, producers, galleries, creative businesses must be aware of having workspaces that are conducive to a positive environment for women and people of color. I’m not talking about filling your quota of diversity, having your one woman at the top, or your token person of color, but I am saying make space for everyone and be consciously aware of the environment that you create. Advocate to see more art by women and by people of color, ask for it, show up for it and PAY for it. Hire that female director. Fund that female producer. Demand equality and set the standard for it to be commonplace.

Lotus & Bamboo Productions + Albany Barn are proud to present the production of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf & The Women of Color in the Arts Expo! On September 27th we will be debuting the SHOW ONLY at 6 p.m. On September 28th & 29th doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 6 p.m. The Expo will immediately follow the production on September 28th & 29th. You will be able to mingle, enjoy art in all forms and shop a variety of artistic items + pieces.

The Expo on Friday, September 28th will feature live music by Audrey Zaccarya & Sibie LaVoz, spoken word by D. Colin, an art exhibit + sale with work from Takeyce Walter, Danielle Colin, Anusha Sekhar + Paula Frazzle, vendors, light passed hors d’eouvres by 677 Prime, plus Beer + Wine cash bar by Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar.

The Expo on Saturday, September 29th will feature DJ Poetik Selektions, moving art by Victoria Rutledge with live drumming, vendors, women of color in food showcase & sampling, plus a Beer + Wine cash bar by Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar.

Sponsored by Albany Barn, Mantralogy, Ungerman Electric, Fifi’s Frocks & Frills, 677 Prime, Umana Restaurant, The Good Karma Studio, Heart Space Albany, Jai Albany, Yoga Mandali, CHEEK by Re’z Cosmetics, Yoga Garden, Mel eMedia, and Birth New York.

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