Skip to Content
Author: The BCW

Leave a Comment

Youth Summit Shapes Tomorrow’s Workforce

From left: Ali Tourchun, Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board; BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon; Lucinda Cross, Activate Worldwide & Youth Summit MC; Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino; Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell and BCW Board Member Wiley Harrison

More than 200 young people ages 16-24 participated in the 6th Annual Youth Summit on Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains, where they learned team building skills and connected with mentors to help them on their career paths.

The Westchester Youth Summit is coordinated by the Business Council of Westchester and funded by the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board. The summit’s goal is to provide young people with ways to pinpoint their strengths and connect with information about a variety of careers, particularly in industries that are looking for talent within the region. This year’s theme was “Career Pathways.” The youth participated in a number of team building activities, heard advice from business leaders and learned about potential careers in up-and-coming industries like biotechnology, healthcare, information technology and advanced manufacturing.

The keynote speaker was Byron Stewart, Founder and CEO of Mr. Purpose LLC, a motivational speaking and coaching company. Panelists were Mecca Santana Esq., VP of Diversity & Community Relations, Westchester Medical Center; John S. Thompson II, Marketing and Business Development Manager, The Galleria at White Plains; Julie-Anne Selvey, Vice President of Brand, IAC Applications; Kevin Saunders, CPA and Financial Planner, Deloitte Services LP; Danilo Vicioso, Founder of Authentic Ink.

The day also included a College & Career Fair with more than 20 educational institutions and businesses. Sponsors were IAC Applications, KeyBank, Berkeley College, C.W. Brown, a division of LeChase, Inspiria Media and VeeKast.

Ebony White, the BCW’s Director of Workforce and Employer Development, said that developing talent was a pressing issue for Westchester’s many industries and a priority issue for the BCW. She said the Youth Summit not only helped young people with a career path but was a way to groom future talent for area businesses. “This day provided these young people with real life experiences and insight into potential careers,’’ said White. “It was also a great opportunity for the business community to invest in our future workforce. We are so proud and grateful to have had the support of the many businesses who participated this year.”

See Event Photos Here

Similar News Items

Congratulations to BCW Member Clarapath, a medical robotics company transforming the way pathology laboratories process tissue, which announced this week it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Mayo Clinic to propel a new era of laboratory automation. For decades, laboratories have relied on labor intensive, manual procedures to process tissue specimens for purposes of […]

Read Article

Two of Westchester’s significant transformational projects — Standard Amusements Playland and Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts — were the focus of a highly informative Business Council of Westchester State of Economy forum held April 11. Featured speakers were Evonne Keeler, CEO of Standard Amusements Playland and Taryn Duffy, Vice President of Public Affairs at […]

Read Article

The Rising Stars Leadership Council and the Rising Stars Alumni partnered with Neighbors Link to increase awareness about their mission. Each year, the BCW’s Rising Stars Alumni Not-For-Profit Partnership focuses their support on not-for-profits that have Rising Stars Winners. For the 2023-2024 Partnership, in addition to Neighbors Link, other not-for-profit partners include Feeding Westchester; the […]

Read Article

Become A Member

Join the county’s largest and most influential business organization today.

JOIN NOW!
The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate, and grow. Over 80 events and programs are offered every year, giving our members ample opportunity to connect and meet with businesses representatives in the Westchester community and beyond.
Back to top