The Westchester Innovation Network’s (WIN) City Labs initiative recently delivered ideas for improving the Town of Greenburgh’s food scraps recycling program. The project, a collaboration between the BCW WIN and Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, tasked college students with using design thinking to solve the town’s recycling challenges. After conducting surveys and interviews with over 200 residents and local businesses, the students delivered a clear message to town officials: convenience is key. The students’ primary research revealed a significant gap between resident interest and actual participation. While 69% of respondents agreed that food scrap recycling is important, 63% […]

The Business Council of Westchester has joined with business leaders across the Hudson Valley to advocate for a pragmatic approach to New York’s energy future. In a letter to the Mid Hudson News, the group emphasizes our commitment to clean energy investments and the prioritization of reliability and affordability. The letter calls for an “all-of-the-above” strategy that integrates renewables, emerging nuclear technologies, and essential bridge fuels to prevent energy insecurity and protect the regional economy. The BCW’s Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC) has 120 members who are working to build the new renewable energy infrastructure. In addition to BCW Executive […]

Congratulations to BCW Member Community Housing Innovations (CHI) on the grand opening of their new headquarters at One North Broadway in downtown White Plains. CHI CEO Ron Abad joined with White Plains Mayor Tom Roach and Westchester County Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons to celebrate the event on Monday. “We are absolutely thrilled to have our headquarters in this beautiful office tower overlooking Downtown White Plains. This is a great location for our team, with convenient parking, outstanding restaurants and shops nearby as well as easy access to the White Plain Train Station with a 30-minute commute to Midtown […]

Congratulations to BCW Member Blythedale Children’s Hospital which recently named Nathaniel Beers, MD, MPA, FAAP has their new President and Chief Executive Officer, becoming only the third individual to lead the Hospital in the past 66 years. Dr. Beers succeeds Larry Levine, who concludes a distinguished 26-year tenure as President and CEO.   Dr. Beers brings extensive experience in medicine, public policy, education, and community leadership to the role. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Community and Population Health at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and previously held leadership positions across health, education, and social service sectors, […]

As a volatile year concludes, the Business Council of Westchester (BCW) gathered regional leaders on Tuesday to forecast the upcoming financial landscape. The KeyBank Speaker Series event, The Next Economic Chapter: From 2025 Realities to 2026 Opportunities, offered a blend of high-level economic data and ground-level operational realities. The breakfast featured a presentation by Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy at Key Private Bank, followed by a diverse panel of local executives moderated by BCW Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz. “Every year, the BCW appreciates hearing from senior KeyBank financial analysts who have a pulse on the […]

Less than two months after opening his platform to the public, Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) participant Michael Berlingo is seeing his vision for a student-centric workforce materialize rapidly. His company, Starteryou, began as a pilot program last year with White Plains High School arranged by WIN. The employment platform has now expanded into a growing network involving major local institutions like Pace University and Purchase College—and possibly future work with White Plains High School. So far, the platform has registered over 1,000 students and 65 companies. One of Berlingo’s primary motivations is that traditional job platforms don’t fit young people’s […]