CLICK HERE to watch An Experiential Economy: The Transformation of Retail & Hospitality.  

In big news on the retail front, announced at Wednesday’s Business Council of Westchester and Fordham University Real Estate Institute event, BCW Member Marx Realty announced this week it has begun construction on a two-building, 58,000-square-foot retail expansion at Cross County Center in Yonkers. The 1.15 million-square-foot retail center is now home to over 100 retail, dining, educational and entertainment outposts across several buildings and serves as the heart of the Westchester community. “The incredible demand for space at Cross County Center created the need to bring new physical space to the property,” said Craig Deitelzweig, CEO of Marx Realty. […]

RYE BROOK, NY – The digital transformation of Westchester County’s small business landscape took a significant leap forward on Tuesday as The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) launched the first session of its “AI Intensive 2026.” Supported by Google.org, the groundbreaking professional development program aims to provide local enterprises with the tools and expertise necessary to compete in an AI-driven economy. The debut session focused on moving beyond theoretical concepts to practical, hands-on application. Led by industry experts Kathy D’Agostino of Win at Business.AI and Nikhil Jagga of CMIT Solutions of White Plains, the first cohort of 25 diverse organizations […]

Westchester County business and civic leaders say the region is emerging as a textbook case of how retail, real estate, and hospitality can thrive in an “experiential economy” where people value connection, memory, and community as much as products and services. That was the core message of a February 25 webinar hosted by the Business Council of Westchester (BCW) in partnership with Fordham University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies and its Real Estate Institute. The webinar included a keynote presentation by Sarah Jones-Maturo, President of RM Friedland, followed with commentary from panelists Luisa DeCicco, Director of Human Resources at […]

BCW Member Iona University will launch a groundbreaking summer program in May to prepare students for a workplace where Artificial Intelligence is a daily collaborator. The four-week intensive program focuses on three pillar industries: energy, construction, and hospitality. By blending technical industry insights with liberal arts reflection, the program ensures students develop “human intelligence” alongside technological fluency. “The best way to ask questions about what’s ahead is to start with what leaders in key sectors are already doing,” said Iona President Seamus Carey. “At Iona, we see artificial intelligence as a partner to the real intelligence education fosters—and that the […]

BCW Member Manhattanville University recently kicked off its 2026 cultural season with the debut of the Jazz at Reid Castle concert series. The opening performance, titled Celebrating Brazil!, successfully transformed the university’s iconic Great Hall into a sophisticated, candlelight-filled jazz club for a sold-out crowd of 120. Led by acclaimed trumpeter and flugelhornist Mark Morganelli, the evening featured the Jazz Forum All-Stars, who delivered a vibrant program of Brazilian jazz and Bossa Nova. The cabaret-style arrangements encouraged an intimate connection between the musicians and the audience, a hallmark of the new series. The concert was held February 12. “Playing jazz […]