Attracting venture capital from outside the region for startup companies is critical to the success of those companies. Historically, that type of capital was hard to come by in this region. Which is why it is truly exciting to share that over the previous six months, more than $56 million in outside investments have been made in five current and former Tech Garden companies. These investments include more than 

$22 million for SpinCar, a company that grew out of The Tech Garden in 2017 and is now part of the burgeoning tech corridor along Warren Street. It also includes a recent $16 million investment for Density, the Tech Garden’s anchor tenant. The company has just announced it will bring its manufacturing operation from Plano, Texas to a new 2,200-square-foot facility within the Tech Garden.

These investments demonstrate the impact so many private and public-sector partners have been working toward over the past decade. In fact, between 1996 and the third quarter of 2003, on a per-capita basis, this region attracted only $86 of venture capital compared with a national average of $541. 

We are proud of the progress that has transformed and strengthened the entrepreneurial community. Our commitment to providing quality resources to create a diverse ecosystem and advance companies along the Entrepreneurial Roadmap (www.thetechgarden.com/roadmap.html) is unchanged. But this progress is not a finish line, and we continue to have an eye on the future to meet the ever-changing needs of companies, at all stages, that utilize the Tech Garden. As such, we have begun to evaluate the physical space we provide our clients, look at opportunities to create more spaces for events and networking, and explore an enhanced storefront along Harrison Street to showcase our efforts.

This is an exciting time for entrepreneurs in the region and for those of us who have seen the full trajectory of this progress. To learn more about the Tech Garden and its programs, contact Rick Clonan, VP of innovation and entrepreneurship at rclonan@centerstateceo.com.

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Oct. 25. 

The U.S. economy continues to grow at a sustainable pace and that is good news for America. 

The slightly cooled 3.5 percent inflation-adjusted, annualized third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) gains should be seen by the Federal Reserve as evidence that the economy is not overheating. And when combined with the 1 percent increase in inflation on all goods and services over the past six months, the pressure for significant interest-rate increases should be allayed.

While the economic news is good with the 3.5 percent quarterly growth up from the 3.2 percent growth in the same quarter the year earlier, the Trump administration’s goal of reaching an annual growth rate of 3 percent for 2018 remains a challenge. It will depend upon a robust Christmas season. Based upon the methodology used by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine GDP, the economy will still need to grow by about 4.14 percent annualized in Q4 to achieve the 3 percent annualized growth rate which the president seeks.                           

Rick Manning is president of Americans for Limited Government (ALG). The organization says it is a “non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free-market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties.” This op-ed is drawn from a press release the ALG issued on Oct. 26.

Upstate New York’s recovery from the Great Recession is the weakest of any U.S. region, according to a recent study. You can examine all the nooks of upstate’s economy. Most every one is daubed with lackluster, papered with anemic, and writ large with blah. Yawn. 

Upstaters grew accustomed to this long ago. Our motto should be “We’re Number One at being Number Fifty!”

Most of us know what would help revive Upstate. Lower taxes, fewer regulations, and fewer mandates from an out-of-touch Albany bureaucracy would. A much slimmer state government would. Because the slimness would suck less money from upstate taxpayers. The slimness would reduce the number of state government fingers in upstate pies.

We tend to lead the nation in taxes and regulations. We lead the nation in making life difficult for businesses large and small. Don’t you wish we could lead the nation in something else?

There is one move that would help Upstate. Getting rid of downstate would. 

Yawn. The idea excites few. Lethargy pervades. (Maybe we lead the nation in lethargy too?) This is because upstaters know downstaters in the legislature would never allow us to split. And downstaters call the shots. In other words, the guys who know and care nothing about Upstate decide our fate. 

Downstaters really do know nothin’ about Upstate. This is more than a laugh line at a party. Folks in Glen Cove and Oyster Bay really think Jamestown is only in Virginia. Utica really is another country to denizens of Commack. Syracuse and Binghamton are Fuhgetusville to dwellers of Brooklyn.

Oh yeah? Well, vice-versa to you too, buddy. Really. I mean, tell me all you know about the latest problems in Amityville and Islip.

Truth is, we don’t know and we don’t care that we don’t know. We feel so little allegiance to each other.

We New Yorkers have scant connections. We have no state TV or radio network. No statewide newspaper. And Upstate doesn’t even get its fair share of the state’s greatest industry: corruption. We get no respect.

Splitting the state in two would work. Surely it would. 

First, we would have less corruption in government. Because no new state could ever compete with the sleaze that oozes up the Hudson River to Albany from New York City and Long Island. Downstaters are simply too practiced in corruption for us. 

Second, an upstate government would be sensitive to upstate issues and challenges. Its legislators and bureaucrats would more likely know how to locate Canandaigua without GPS. 

Third, a separate Upstate might well end up with two political parties. As now composed, New York state has one party with any power. Two parties with competing ideas? Hey, it might work.

This column goes to some heavies in the Big Apple. At this point I could write that they are all slobs. None of them would respond. Because none of them will have read this far. As soon as they saw the word “Upstate” they fell asleep.

A prime minister of Canada once mused that living in the attic of the U.S. was like sleeping with an elephant. The big fellow kept the bed warm, but when he rolled over, you had problems.

This is the predicament of Upstaters. If we all voted the same way and organized and outright demanded things, then maybe… Oh, forget about it. Yawnsville. It would never work. We have met puny and he is us. Even in the corruption business. We could all contribute to raise a mountain of money to buy off the downstate legislators and the governor. Yeah, but it would flop. Those birds are too accustomed to the big bribes. They would laugh at our paltry efforts. Not that they wouldn’t take the money.

From Tom…as in Morgan.       

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home in upstate New York. He has a new novel out, call “The Last Columnist,” which is available on Amazon. Contact Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com, read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com, or find him on Facebook.