Rochester Junto - Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Rochester, NY was once well on its way to becoming a major city in the American landscape. Some of the most significant inventions of our time in photography, xerography, and optics have been developed in our city. Despite this rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship, Rochester's population has decreased to its lowest level since the census of 1900. What were the public and private sector successes that led to our becoming America's first boomtown? Where have we gone wrong since? Like you, I have plenty of opinions about our politicians, laws, taxes and local business policies. My hope is that we can come together to use this blog as a forum to learn, share, debate and innovate.

This year marks my first full year back in Rochester since moving away in 2000 after getting my Bachelors in Finance from RIT. I see opportunity all around me. When I left, I never wanted to come back to Rochester. My family had moved away in 1997, my friends had all taken jobs in big cities, and I saw no potential for me here. Having since spent time in Boston, Richmond, Philadelphia, NYC, and Atlanta as well as getting some international travel under my belt I began to see the true value in Rochester. In 2005 I purchased two multifamily homes in the city, quit my six figure consulting job and moved back to my hometown.

I have been blessed with an amazing network of friends and colleagues who are every bit as dedicated to turning this city around as I am. In December I was lucky enough to be called upon by Bob Duffy to be a member of his Economic Development Transition Team. The discussions we engaged in there opened my eyes to the wealth of possibilities that lie within our reach. Currently, I am neck deep in starting a website with business partner, Daniel Mooney. We hope it will be a major victory for local small business. Please, help me engage our community members and leaders in meaningful discussions by contributing heartfelt productive commentary on this blog.

As this effort evolves I will try to make the format more interactive with forums and increased user interaction. Stay tuned.