CNY Professionals Under 40

05/07/2026

Networking Event is in 1 week!
Join us for the May CNY Professionals Under 40 Networking Event at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse—an evening designed to connect, inspire, and elevate the region’s emerging leaders.

Taking place on Thursday, May 14th from 5:00 to 7:30 PM, this event offers a unique opportunity to build meaningful professional relationships in one of Central New York’s most iconic cultural spaces. Whether you're looking to expand your network, exchange ideas, or simply unwind after the workday, this gathering brings together ambitious professionals from a wide range of industries.

Enjoy engaging conversations, a vibrant atmosphere, and the chance to connect with like-minded individuals who are shaping the future of the CNY community. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your network in a creative and inspiring setting.

Event Hosts are Chris Beal and Kaziah Searles

Tickets are $15

Come join us!

May Networking Event – Everson Museum of Art, Thu May 14, 2026 - Join us for the May CNY Professionals Under 40 Networking Event at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse—an evening designed to connect, inspire, and elevate the region’s emerging leaders. Taking place on Thursday, May 14th from ...

05/01/2026

Our Lions Den event last week at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub was a great business competition for entrepreneurs!

Here are the results:

1st place
$1,000, Sponsored by Nave Law Firm
Yasmin Madmoune
Yas Apothecary

2nd place
$500, Sponsored by NuMe Ecosystem Management Group
Founders Without Borders
Laurenne Yomi Mvete

3rd place
$250, Sponsored by ConsciousHR / Disruptstate
Adirondack Spirit Leadership Forge LLC
Daniel Clark

4th place
Stoic Teas
Devonn Dunbar

Thank you to the sponsors and participants!

We would also like to thank the judges for thier time and input:
Jason Minnamon
Sean Kelsey
Lindsay Mastrogiovanni
Randall Hon
Emad Rahim, PhD., DM., PMP
Indaria Jones
Joseph P. Viviano

Thanks also to all who attended!

04/28/2026

We had great college level business competition last Friday at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub

Here are the results:
1st Place
Medicflow
Bruno Arriola Flores
$1,000, Sponsored by Nave Law Firm

2nd Place
Power Cookie
Sophia Marie Rennison
$500, Sponsored by Copurpose Brand + Strategy

3rd Place
Pure Flow
Zack Ginas
$250, Sponsored by Hummingbird Heating and Cooling

4th Place
$250, Sponsored by Anonymous
Pin U
Joseph Rodriguez and Team

Thank you to the Judges for evaluating:
Christian C. Cobb
Joseph Correia
Merritt Harris
Addison Muller, CPA,
Michael Jennings II CPFA®
Dylan Werts
Wrenford Thaffe

Thank you to all who attended!

04/28/2026

Today’s member spotlight features the dedicated Danielle Bright, CFRE.

Danielle is a born and raised Central New Yorker, growing up in Clay, NY & graduating with a degree in psychology & communications from Le Moyne College. Danielle’s interests in human services & working with kids have led her to a career with charitable organizations throughout Central New York. Her interests came full circle as a dream come true when she joined the The Upstate Foundation team seven years ago, where she currently serves as the Director of Children’s Miracle Network Partnerships & Programs for Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital.

Danielle has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a background in strategic planning, program oversight, leadership development, community engagement, fundraising/development, major gifts, and marketing. Danielle earned her Certified Fundraising Executive designation in 2023.

Danielle believes there is a place for everybody in philanthropy, whether it be time, talent, or treasure. She thrives on building connections & enjoys the challenge of putting the puzzle pieces together to align donors with partnerships & projects that they can feel proud of. Danielle aims to bring warmth, authenticity, and joy to every donor conversation, creating an inviting space built on trust & possibility. Her favorite part of development is seeing the collective influence of what we all can make possible together, whether it’s through major gifts, corporate sponsorships, monthly gifts or community fundraising. Danielle loves using a blend of storytelling, creativity & numbers to highlight the impact being made locally thanks to the donors she works with.

Danielle’s love of communications also led her to establish Bright Creative Communications, LLC as a part-time passion project outside her work in development. Her focus is freelance writing assignments, copywriting, & helping local small business owners strategize & refine their outreach to aim to communicate with their community in a way that is heartfelt, original, impactful, and memorable.

In her free time, Danielle loves reading, traveling, running, journaling, & spending time with her family & friends. She tries to live every day with the following quote in mind:
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable”-Mary Oliver

Join us in congratulating Danielle on today’s well deserved member spotlight and we encourage you to connect with her!

04/20/2026

The CNY Under 40 Lions Den Business Competition is this Friday, April 24th at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub by CenterState in downtown Syracuse, NY (formerly The Tech Garden) Hosted by Chris Beal of CNY Professionals Under 40!

There will be 2 Business Competitions:
1:00pm to 2:30pm
College Students Competition:
This will be a Business Plan Competition for College Students with these level prizes:
$1,000 1st Place Sponsored by Nave Law Firm
$500 2nd Place Sponsored by Copurpose LLC
$250 3rd Place Sponsored by Hummingbird
There will be a maximum of 8 teams competing
To compete, college students and thier teams must submit their business pitch deck to:
[email protected]
Judges will be:
Christian C. Cobb
Joseph Correia
Merritt Harris
Addison Muller, CPA
Michael Jennings II, CPFA®
Dylan Werts
Wrenford Thaffe
Tickets to view the college competition are $20

3:00pm to 4:30pm
Entrepreneurs Under 40 Lions Den Competition. Participants can present a busines plan or an actual profitable businesses looking for investors like in the TV show Shark Tank. Lions (Judges) will make offers to invest in these companies for a stake in the company. This competition will also have 3 prizes:
$1,000 1st Place Sponsored by Nave Law Firm
$500 2nd Place Sponsored by NuMe Ecosystem Management Group
$250 3rd Place Sponsored by ConsciousHR / Disruptstate
Judges will be:
Jason Minnamon
Sean Kelsey
Lindsay Mastrogiovanni
Randall Hon
Emad Rahim, PhD., DM., PMP
Indaria Jones
Joseph P. Viviano
Entrepreneurs Under 40 must pay the $20 application fee and email their business pitch deck to:
[email protected]
Reception will be 445-7pm sponsored by TH Property Service

Buy Tickets Here:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cnyprofessionalsunder40/2110098

Hope to see you there!

CNY Under 40 Lions Den Business Competition – INSPYRE Innovation Hub, Fri Apr 24, 2026 - The CNY Under 40 Lions Den Business Competition will be Friday April 24th at the INSPYRE Innovation Hub by CenterState in downtown Syracuse, NY (formerly The Tech Garden) Hosted by Chris Beal of CNY Professio...

04/17/2026

Today's member spotlight is the helpful and knowledgeable Katie Durham!

Katie is a National Account Manager at Stanley Black & Decker Inc., where she contributes to key partnerships across the East Coast in the industrial construction space. She plays a role in supporting projects from breaking ground to finishing, helping ensure teams have the tools and solutions they need to get the job done right.

Her experience and knowledge spans an across a wide range of product used on jobsites every day. Supporting some of the most recognized brands in the world- DeWalt, Proto, Stanley, and Craftsman-Katie is committed to connecting customers with reliable, high-performance products that keep projects moving efficiently.

She’s known for her persistence in the field as well as her dedication to understanding each customer’s unique challenges. Whether she’s helping plan for a football stadium build or a bridge installation, she brings a steady, solutions-oriented mindset to her work.

Katie was raised in the Capital Region and attended SUNY Potsdam where she was involved with various on-campus organizations. She moved to Syracuse shortly after graduating in 2015.

Outside of her career, Katie lives in Syracuse with her husband and their two children. She enjoys spending time in the kitchen trying out new recipes and has recently picked golf back up. Katie is determined to instill a sense of community and gratitude to those around her, and does so by giving back to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and Helping Hounds Dog Rescue.

Join us in congratulating Katie on today's well deserved member spotlight and we encourage you to connect with her!

04/14/2026

Today's member spotlight is the diligent and dedicated Garrett Hassard, CPA!

Growing up in Upstate New York, Garrett Hassard has built a career defined by hard work, balance, and a genuine commitment to the people and organizations he serves.
Garrett currently works as a Senior Audit Accountant at Bowers Accountants & Advisors in Syracuse, NY, where he has spent the past three and a half years growing within the firm. Much of his audit work centers around Non-Profit Organizations, including School Districts, Labor Unions, and Private Foundations, while also contributing to engagements for larger Manufacturers and Railroads during busy season. After completing his third busy season as a Staff Accountant and earning his CPA License, Garrett was promoted to his current role in July of 2025 — a milestone that reflects his dedication to the craft.

Prior to public accounting, he spent two years at Bank of New York Mellon as a Data Analyst, where he developed a strong analytical foundation that continues to inform his work today.

Garrett earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting from SUNY Polytechnic Institute. His time at SUNY Poly extended well beyond the classroom. As a member of the Men's Volleyball team, he earned All-Conference honors, set multiple season and career records, and received several Athletic Department service awards, as well as Player of the Year recognition. He capped his collegiate career in 2022 by receiving the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence — one of the most prestigious honors a SUNY student can receive.

Looking ahead, Garrett is eager to continue growing in the public accounting space — not just in technical expertise, but in building meaningful relationships across the region to help organizations navigate their financial needs.

Outside of work, Garrett stays active by playing volleyball and basketball both recreationally and competitively. He also spends his time at Colgate University, supporting the Athletic Communications department by recording live stats for sports including Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, and Volleyball — stats that are pushed directly to the ESPN app in real time.

Please feel free to connect with Garrett and say hello!

Also please congratulate Garrett on today's well deserved member spotlight!

04/14/2026

Hello CNY Professionals Under 40. My name is Chelsea Jacobs and I am a 2nd Grade Teacher at Dr. Weeks Elementary. We are holding our annual College and Career Day on Thursday May 28th and we are looking for volunteers to join us and speak to our students. You can join us for one session or all day depending on your availability. We are looking for professionals from all backgrounds. We have had industries represented from banking, engineering, meteorology, cosmetology, legal, construction and more.

If you are interested please reach out to Chelsea at [email protected], or message me on LinkedIn. I appreciate your time and hope you are able to join us for a fun and exciting day!

Here is here LinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-jacobs-35890538?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_android

04/09/2026

Today's member spotlight is the helpful Jill Bilodeau!

Jill Bilodeau is a seasoned sales professional, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for small businesses. As the founder of Get Honest Solutions, she has built her career around one simple but powerful mission: bringing transparency, education, and integrity to an industry that often lacks all three.

With nearly a decade of experience in fintech, merchant services, and point of sale solutions, Jill has helped countless business owners navigate complex decisions with confidence. She recognized early on that many entrepreneurs were overpaying, underserved, or simply unaware of better options. That insight led her to create Get Honest Solutions, where she acts as a trusted advisor, helping clients streamline operations, understand true costs, and make smarter financial decisions.

Jill’s approach is rooted in relationship-building and real education. She believes business owners deserve clear answers, honest guidance, and solutions that truly align with their goals, not just a sales pitch. Her work extends beyond payments, connecting clients with vetted partners in areas like payroll, web development, and operational support.

While her professional life is driven and purpose-filled, Jill considers being a mom her most important role. She values work-life balance and is passionate about creating opportunities, both for herself and others, that allow for meaningful careers without sacrificing time with family.

Looking ahead, Jill aspires to continue expanding her impact by educating more business owners, growing her network of trusted partners, and redefining what it means to be a consultant in the payments space. She is committed to helping businesses not only survive, but truly thrive.

Outside of work, Jill enjoys spending time with her kids, staying active, and being outdoors whenever possible. Whether it’s traveling, exploring, or simply enjoying fresh air and movement, she values a lifestyle that keeps her energized and present in both her personal and professional life.

Join us in congratulating Jill on today's well deserved member spotlight and we encourage you to connect with her!