BINGHAMTON, NY - The SUNY Business and Education Cooperative of the Southern Tier (SUNY BEST) will host "Growing Startups in the Southern Tier: Hot Spot and Beyond" at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 6, in room 220 at Binghamton University’s Downtown Center, 67 Washington St., Binghamton. This presentation is free and open to the public.

Guest speaker Tom Schryver, executive director of New Venture Advancement at Cornell University, will discuss the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Southern Tier. The Southern Tier was deemed a "top-performing region" by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the most recent round of Regional Economic Development Council funding announced in December 2013, and received $81.9 million to aid ongoing economic projects. One such project is a business incubator in downtown Ithaca, a partnership among Cornell, Ithaca College and Tompkins-Cortland Community College. Schryver has been directly involved in this project as well as in Cornell’s efforts in leading the successful application to have the Southern Tier designated an Innovation Hot Spot, a partnership comprised of Binghamton University, Corning Enterprises, the Ceramics Corridor and Cornell University. He will identify opportunities and challenges within the region, and describe work under way to address these challenges and help companies capitalize on the innovation assets that exist.

Schryver is an experienced entrepreneur, having served as a start-up founder and senior executive of high-growth companies. In addition to teaching entrepreneurship and business strategy at Cornell University and Ithaca College, his responsibilities include assisting people with company startups and growth.

Pre-registration for this discussion is required through the SUNY BEST website at http://ceo.binghamton.edu/sunybest. For additional information, e-mail sunybest@binghamton.edu. Directional signage to the meeting room will be visible for those entering the main entrance of the Downtown Center from Washington St. Parking is available in the Collier Street Ramp, the Water Street Ramp, (both within two blocks of the Downtown Center) or if available, at any of the metered parking spots in front of the building on Washington St.