Talk CNY

A little more than two years ago, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca were recognized by the federal government as the NY SMART I-Corridor, the only tech hub dedicated to semiconductor manufacturing and development in the country. The first few years required identifying regional needs, creating new connections and establishing strategies that would help make the region a global hub for the se...

In this episode of Quarterly Market Insights , a special series on CenterState CEO’s Talk CNY podcast, presented by NBT Bank, host Kevin Schwab sits down with NBT Bank Chief Economist Ken Entenmann to provide a data-driven analysis of current economic trends.  Inflation is climbing, diesel has topped $6 a gallon, and Treasury yields have crossed 5%. Yet GDP growth is strong, and the markets are ho...

Artificial Intelligence is undoubtedly changing the way we work—bringing with it new opportunities and challenges as well. To ensure that our region is prepared to respond to its range of impacts, CenterState CEO is working with partners across the region and across the country to make sure our workforce system can set workers up for success for the future. On this episode of Talk CNY presented by...

CenterState CEO Chief Executive Officer Rob Simpson returns to the podcast for his quarterly check in. On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, Simpson disusses the latest on Micron’s Central New York investment, the project’s ripple effects and how to create a better future for Central New York.  CONNECT CenterState CEO Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube Rob Simpson Li...

NUAIR was founded in 2012 to help establish world-class uncrewed systems infrastructure in Central New York. Now overseeing 1,900 square miles of beyond-visual-line of sight airspace and holding the first and only FAA Letter of Acceptance awarded to a public-private organization for its proprietary airspace surveillance technology stack, NUAIR is ready to take on what’s next for the region’s UAS s...

What do good leaders have in common? Award-winning journalist Marie Morelli has interviewed countless leaders over the decades and shares daily habits that keep good leaders sharp. Morelli, the editorial/opinion lead at Syracuse.com and The Post Standard, joins us for this episode of the Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Discover how leaders build...

CenterState CEO opened INSPYRE Innovation Hub one year ago this September. It’s been a busy year, hosting more than 100 events, expanding programs and bringing greater resources to the region’s innovation and entrepreneurship communities. And we have much more planned.  On this episode of Talk CNY Presented by NBT Bank, CenterState’s Senior Vice President of Inclusive Growth Nora Spillane and Vice...

Partnership and collaboration is essential to so much of Center State CEO's work. It allows us to be more creative and find more holistic solutions to some of the region's most complex challenges.   The Westcott Community Center has been a vital partner to CenterState CEO for years now, working to remove barriers to family sustaining employment. On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by...

In this episode of the Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Syracuse University Athletic Director Bryan Blair discusses his approach to developing ideas, leading organizational change, building teamwork and learning lessons from every experience. He also shares his vision to make Syracuse Athletics a Top 10 program nationally, from creating an unmatc...

On this episode, we welcome a very special guest, Dave Kavney, NBT Bank's President of Central New York, the Southern Tier, and Pennsylvania. NBT Bank is the presenting sponsor for this podcast, and the entire Talk CNY team is so grateful to them for all of their support of this series. On this episode, we discuss NBT Bank's recent growth and how they're playing an active role in ou...

In this episode of Quarterly Market Insights , a special series part of CenterState CEO's Talk CNY podcast presented by NBT Bank, host Kevin Schwab sits down with NBT Bank Chief Economist and Chief Investment Officer Ken Entenmann to unpack the biggest economic headlines. From oil prices to inflation and AI-driven growth, Ken explains why market volatility may be masking a surprisingly resili...

From connecting Central New Yorkers to essential services and preventing lead poisoning to building a love of reading among city school district students and empowering workers to build strong financial futures, the United Way of Central New York is helping to create a region where all people can find opportunities to thrive.   Now with a new President and CEO, the United Way of Central New York i...

What does it take to scale a company without losing sight of its values? In this episode of the Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Community Financial System President and CEO Dimitar Karaivanov shares how one of Central New York's largest financial services organizations has grown into a national enterprise through intentional leadership, str...

Learn about the strategies and priorities guiding CenterState CEO’s work directly from those leading it. This special episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, features CenterState CEO’s entire Corporate Leadership Team and is guest hosted by Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Elle Hanna.  On this episode, the Corporate Leadership Team discusses the highlights of the last year...

CenterState CEO announced Dr. Carlene Lacey as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ON-RAMP CNY just about a year ago. In that time, Dr. Lacey has hired new staff members, forged partnerships across the workforce ecosystem, welcomed dozens of community residents into training programs, helped establish a Community Advisory Committee and much more.  As we enter year two, we sit down with Dr. La...

One of the greatest challenges we will undertake as Central New York grows is building enough housing to accommodate all the region’s residents. Available, affordable housing is imperative to creating a truly inclusive, competitive and sustainable future for Central New York.  For that reason, CenterState CEO and its Network have prioritized examining the region’s housing landscape, its obstacles...

What does it take to build trust, unite communities and lead with purpose? In this episode of the Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Evelyn Ingram of Wegmans reflects on her leadership journey, the power of showing up authentically and the role businesses can play in strengthening communities. From career-defining lessons to rapid-fire leadership i...

Communicating with animals is not just something out of a storybook, but a reality for the GENIUS NY Cohort 9 grand prize winner. Flox Intelligence is a wildlife AI company that aims to minimize harmful interactions between humans and animals. The idea recently won them a $1 million grand prize at the GENIUS NY pitch finals during CenterState CEO’s annual Innovation Night. On this episode of Talk...

Central New York is home to the world’s largest accelerator for robotics and uncrewed systems, GENIUS NY. Funded by Empire State Development and operated by CenterState CEO with support from National Grid, GENIUS NY has been bringing some of the most innovative uncrewed systems startups in the world to set up a headquarters in downtown Syracuse for nearly a decade now.  On this episode of Talk CNY...

In this episode of Quarterly Market Insights, a special series part of CenterState CEO’s Talk CNY podcast, presented by NBT Bank, host Kevin Schwab sits down with NBT Bank’s Chief Economist and Chief Investment Officer Ken Entenmann. From a strong jobs report to volatile oil prices, the conversation explores what the markets are signaling about inflation and growth.  Ken breaks down shifting labor...

What happens when two experts decide the solution they need doesn’t exist? They build it themselves. In this episode of Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, we sit down with Dr. Adrienne Bitar, co-founder of Seen Nutrition, to explore how she and her team transformed a deeply personal connection to bone health into a growing business serving customer...

CenterState CEO is hosting Micron’s Executive Vice President of Global Operations Manish Bhatia for its 2026 Annual Meeting. Bhatia’s visit to Syracuse comes as Micron preps its site for its first fab in Clay, NY, and the company continues to lay its roots in Central New York.  There are many moving parts, and it’s not always easy to stay on top of all of Micron’s activity in the region. On this e...

After more than 15 years, CenterState CEO is changing its leadership structure, splitting the President and CEO role in two. But the new titles are taken on by some very familiar faces.  On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, we speak to Rob Simpson and Ben Sio about their new positions as CenterState CEO Chief Executive Officer and CenterState CEO President.  CONNECT CenterState CEO...

CenterState CEO’s traditional membership model has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of members and clients, designed to meet businesses wherever they are in their journey.  But it's the thoughtful and innovative organizations that make up the CenterState CEO Network that make its impact so powerful. On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, we hear from two members of the Network. K...

In this episode of Talk CNY Miniseries: Leadership Lessons, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield , our guest Dr. Martin Stallone, Executive Vice President and Chief Healthcare Services Officer for Lifetime Healthcare Companies, the parent organization of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, shares how his leadership journey is fueled by service and purpose. From a passion for helping others to a d...