From: @SarahRRoche
To: @StartupGrindSYR
One of my favorite things about being in the ever-growing Syracuse startup community is seeing new collaborations occur. Since our startup scene is relatively new in the grand scheme of things, those who are active in creating our environment are also active in shaping it into a welcoming atmosphere that is open to working together.
Often people assume that startups belong at The Tech Garden, and that venue has done an incredible job of offering startup support and being a go-to place for those interested in startups and tech. But innovation and connections can’t be relegated to brick and mortar boundaries. They occur in streets, offices, in fields, and virtually.
Hosting Startup Grind at WCNY, our local public access station, is a great fit. WCNY recently moved its location from the suburbs to a renovated factory on our city’s near west side, an area that has been plagued by downturns after manufacturing left upstate New York, but is now being revitalized.
Our first event, a soft launch streaming the Guy Kawasaki chat, was held at the new WCNY facility. Having been to many tech and startup based events in Syracuse, what struck me as surprising about the event was the unusual ratio of men to women. The Syracuse startup community has always been far more welcoming and open to women than many in other cities I have traveled to, but, even with the welcoming atmosphere in general, the ratio is still skewed heavily male. Even during my startup’s time spent in the Startfast Venture Accelerator, which last year had equal numbers of male and female company CEOs, events tend to have skewed gender ratios.
Seeing so many women in tech attend the event, to me, was a welcome change. There are countless factors involved in getting anyone to any event, but perhaps a new location, and a new reason for meeting, decreased the normal barriers of entry that occur.
There were many new faces at Startup Grind Syracuse’s first event overall, which just served to reinforce the idea that a new group serving a different purpose is beneficial to the community. I think that those of us who are active in tech in Syracuse need to work hard to maintain and encourage an open, welcoming atmosphere and shape this community into one that avoids the industry and interest silos that so easily occur.
I’m really proud of the work that Tony Kershaw has put in to creating our chapter of Startup Grind and I’m looking forward to our next event on May 13th. There are still so many people that are looking for events to attend that serve their interests and offer new friendships and new experiences. I’m happy to see Startup Grind Syracuse work to fill that gap.
Sincerely,
@SarahRRoche
COO, Platypus TV