Official Press Release from The Business Council of Westchester
The BCW’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) continued its groundbreaking business-development initiatives on Wednesday with the introduction of 16 participants for its 2023 round of matches.
Following on the momentous success of last year’s inaugural program, the 2023 cohort is significantly larger than last year’s group and it includes companies representing the healthcare, education and consumer products sectors, among others. The companies are matched with Westchester-based partners to help them test market concepts.
“As word spread about the opportunities offered through WIN, we were able to introduce a 2023 round of participants that is significantly larger than our inaugural group last year,” said BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon. “We are excited to see the results that emerge from these pairings.”
Last year’s successful matches were orchestrated by WIN director Luiz Aragon, and they included ShelterZoom’s first tests of its document security technology with law firms; Kool Nerd Connect’s pilot with the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester to refine its career education software for teens; and ConConnect outreach to new audiences for its job-resources app through a match with the Yonkers Housing Authority.
The WIN initiative is sponsored by Montefiore, Regeneron, Westchester County Industrial Development Agency, Webster Bank, Robert Martin Company, Simone Development Companies, Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers, Verizon, Empire City Casino, Dorf & Nelson and Fareri Associates.
This year’s WIN participants are:
CatchU
Jeannette Mahoney, PHD
Mobile multisensory device to predict fall risk.
Match with Burke Rehab Center (Dr. Mooyeon Oh-Park)
Kells
Boris Rjavinski
A rapid oral health screening device.
Matches with YMCA (Cindy Delfino) and the WIHD (Westchester Institute for Human Development / Dr. Susan Fox)
Cache Homes
Timothy Cheng
Using a simplified construction system, Cache builds high-density homes with walls that move. The movable wall system enables residents to free up and optimize space on demand.
Match with Mori LLC. (Kenji Larsen)
Undercare Inc
Susanne Leary Shoemaker
Undercare is addressing the problem of enabling the elderly and the disabled dress independently with dignity and style. Undercare’s fashionable lines include men’s and women’s undergarments, swimwear, and athletic wear.
Match with Wartburg (Dr. David Gentner).
Students 2 Science (S2S)
Paul Winslow
S2S mission is to level the education gap by bringing high-quality STEM education to students in need.
Match with North80 (John Fareri & Wendy Nadel)
VAE Labs
Orri Bogdan
VAE Labs is developing the fastest-acting, most convenient, and most affordable way to take supplements and medicine. VAE Energy uses a patent-pending nitro caffeine solution to deliver a coffee’s worth of clean, focused energy in just three sprays.
Match with C-Store, Chestnut Market (Faheem Jamal)
Everyones Earth
Tom Kallish
Diapers to improve your life and the planet.
Match with the YMCA (Cindy Delfino)
EverFoam Products
Traci Jones
Party Supply Retailer. Design reusable party décor that is constructed with recyclable materials. Developed a one-of-a-kind fabrication process and manufacturing process. Patent pending.
Match with DNK Events (Dwayne Brown)
The Regime
Yan Lawrence
On-line solution providing customers with the ability to purchase products and have them delivered the same day through a local two-sided marketplace.
Match with Hair Salon & Café (Danielle Settembre)
Politically Urban
Quinnel Williams
Eco friendly fashion brand that highlights black cultural art.
They source organic and recycled USA based garments to ensure the workers will be paid a fair wage and not overworked.
Match with Thompson & Bender (Elizabeth Braken-Thompson)
The RJ Project
Ryan McAlpine (Aiden Ramand)
Interactive video game platform that teaches primary grade students about managing their emotions and resolving conflict constructively.
Matches with White Plains Youth Bureau (Frank Williams & Catherine Backes) and Crafted (Greg Valvano)
Notes R Key
David S. Friedman
Note taking course using the “Friedman Note taking Method”. It improves student outcomes and increases profitability.
Match with the College of Westchester (Dean Erica Schacht)
Open Market
Imani Schectman
A socially responsible marketplace that is redistributing capital and customers to BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) businesses.
Match with NonProfit Westchester (Jan Fisher)
ConConnect
Andre Peart
A platform to assist justice impacted individuals.
Match with the Port Chester Housing Authority (Bob Vyskocil)
Clarapath
Eric Feinstein
Robotic medical device
Match with Montefiore Hospital (Dr. Amy Fox)
Kumospace
Maxwell Schilling
Immersive virtual events platform.
Informal match with the BCW
Matching innovators with local partners is one of WIN’s three efforts to propel innovation as the underpinning for the future economic growth of Westchester.
WIN’s City Labs spotlights a host community and teams that municipality with individuals focused on identifying projects to assist in delivering immediate economic benefit to that community and its residents through innovation. So far, City Labs partner Iona University has worked with the cities of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Yonkers on special projects.
The WIN Implementation Guide will be released in mid-2023 and it is designed to serve as a resource for elected officials, business leaders and municipal planners who want to remove barriers and create incentives for attracting innovators.
The Business Council of Westchester is working with Iona University in New Rochelle, New York and Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario to produce this roadmap for transforming Westchester County.
Can Your Business Benefit from WIN?
The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life through the support of its diverse business ecosystem in Westchester County through its WIN initiative. Its network is composed of small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and non-profits along with some of the most well-known brands in the world like IBM, Pepsico, MasterCard, Heineken, Danone, Morgan Stanley, and Regeneron. It also includes some of the largest hospitals and healthcare systems in the world and many colleges and universities.
To learn more about becoming an Innovation Partner or joining the WIN program, visit https://thebcw.org/westchester-innovation-network/
