June 2018

If you’re self-employed, working on a side hustle, or just interested in networking around Rochester, you’ve likely heard about RocGrowth. Given their different events, though, it might unclear just what the organization is all about.

Who is RocGrowth?

RocGrowth is all about growing businesses in the Rochester area. It was created by the Finger Lakes Business Accelerator Cooperative and the former High Tech Rochester. Its programming aims to connect local changemakers and encourage collaboration between entrepreneurial support organizations. If it’s successful, RocGrowth will make it easier for local startups to find the right resources to help them grow their companies.

RocGrowth Coffee

Compared to other Rochester networking events, RocGrowth Coffee is networking, caffeinated. The model brings together local innovators, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists, then speeds things up with a few rapid-fire presentations, each of which includes an explicit “ask” to the community. Problem-solving, brainstorming, and resource-sharing take place live. The goal is to facilitate USEFUL collisions by sharing inspiring stories, empowering the new generation of entrepreneurs in Rochester. There is, of course, plenty of unstructured networking time. Attendance for RocGrowth Coffee is limited to the first 100 RSVPs. The event is free.

RocGrowth Candids

RocGrowth Candids is a long-running series that invites the community to the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre every other month for a peek into the mind of a successful local entrepreneur. Speakers share their personal stories and the lessons they’ve learned while building successful businesses here in Rochester. The format includes an open interview, as well as an audience Q&A with the featured guest. There’s plenty of time before and after the presentations for networking. Each event is free, but attendance is limited to the first 100 RSVPs — so register early and often.

An Incredible July Event

Recognizing the co-existence of a healthy creative class with a vibrant entrepreneurial environment, RocGrowth is launching a series that will feature Innovation in the Arts, slated to include the visual, culinary, theatrical, musical and performing arts. On Wednesday, July 11th, RocGrowth Candids will host some of our area’s most significant contributors to the visual arts. The esteemed director of the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG), Jonathan Binstock, will moderate a panel that includes Bleu Cease, director of the internationally recognized Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), K.C. Sullivan, co-founder and director of UUU Art Collective and noted and distinctive artist, Sarah Rutherford. If you’re interested in attending, be sure to reserve your spot early. Those 100 slots will undoubtedly fill up fast.