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Past Genius NY winner, Oswego County company collaborate on drone manufacturing
SCHROEPPEL, N.Y. — Blueflite, a provider of advanced drone-logistics products, has announced a strategic partnership with Think Variant, a firm described as a “high-precision manufacturing specialist,” to scale up production of its drones. Think Variant is based in southern Oswego County. Blueflite was the 2023 winner of the Genius NY competition at the Tech Garden […]
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SCHROEPPEL, N.Y. — Blueflite, a provider of advanced drone-logistics products, has announced a strategic partnership with Think Variant, a firm described as a “high-precision manufacturing specialist,” to scale up production of its drones.
Think Variant is based in southern Oswego County. Blueflite was the 2023 winner of the Genius NY competition at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse.
The collaboration leverages Think Variant’s additive manufacturing techniques to “meet the growing demand” for high-performance drones in both the commercial and defense sectors, CenterState CEO said in announcing the collaboration.
Production will begin this month at Think Variant’s facility in the town of Schroeppel “further cementing the region’s role as a center of excellence” for high-tech manufacturing.
“By leveraging Think Variant’s expertise in additive manufacturing and mass production, blueflite will meet the industry’s growing need for efficient, high-quality drone manufacturing that satisfies strict aerospace standards,” Frank Noppel, CEO of blueflite said in the CenterState CEO announcement. “Our collaboration aims to bring cutting-edge technology to the growing drone space that showcases the talent and capability found in New York state.”
Blueflite is known for its drone platform designed specifically for logistics and delivery. Its drones include a patented design capable of vertical take-off and landing, long-range flights, and carrying payloads “ideal” for industries ranging from medical-supply deliveries to e-commerce and defense applications, per the CenterState CEO announcement.
“Central New York is fast becoming a major hub for drone technology and advanced manufacturing,” Kara Jones, director of Genius NY, said in the announcement. “The collaboration between blueflite and Think Variant demonstrates the synergy between local innovation and global potential, and this is exactly the kind of partnership our program aims to foster.”
“This partnership allows us to apply our expertise in high-precision manufacturing to an exciting and rapidly growing industry,” Scott Antonacci, CEO of Think Variant, said in the release. “The demand for scalable, high-performance drones is skyrocketing, and Central New York is at the forefront of meeting that challenge.”

New York governor launches first phase of Empire AI
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul of Friday announced that New York’s “first-in-the-nation,” Empire AI consortium will begin research this fall. “New York is writing

Syracuse mayor appoints intergovernmental affairs coordinator
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has recently announced the appointment of Josephine Galdamez to intergovernmental affairs coordinator. She supports the city’s work with government partners at the local, state, and federal level, coordinates legislative and funding requests, and oversees multiple neighborhood, community, and intergovernmental initiatives. Prior to joining the City of Syracuse, Galdamez
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has recently announced the appointment of Josephine Galdamez to intergovernmental affairs coordinator.
She supports the city’s work with government partners at the local, state, and federal level, coordinates legislative and funding requests, and oversees multiple neighborhood, community, and intergovernmental initiatives.
Prior to joining the City of Syracuse, Galdamez served as a housing aid case manager for Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. She also worked as an environmental justice and data analyses intern with the Office of the Attorney General of New York, where she provided research on policy recommendations.
Galdamez recently completed an environmental program fellowship, working with Emerald Cities Collaborative through Yale University School of the Environment. In this role, she developed plans that maximized federal funds from environmental policies through the Inflation Reduction Act for local governments and community-based organizations.
She received her bachelor’s degree in politics and Latin American studies from the University of California Santa Cruz and her MPA degree with a certificate of advanced studies for data analyses in public policy from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

MACNY, PEB observe MFG Day with education tours at local plants
DeWITT, N.Y. — School students who toured Worthington Steel in Rome on Oct. 3 saw the entire process of making steel coils from raw material

Ithaca firm among the finalists in 43North startup competition in Buffalo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — 8B Education Investments of Ithaca is among the eight finalists in this year’s 43North startup competition in Buffalo. 8B Education Investments is a fintech platform enabling campuses to meet their revenue and enrollment goals “by tackling the $50 billion gap in education financing facing African students going to study in the U.S.,”
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BUFFALO, N.Y. — 8B Education Investments of Ithaca is among the eight finalists in this year’s 43North startup competition in Buffalo.
8B Education Investments is a fintech platform enabling campuses to meet their revenue and enrollment goals “by tackling the $50 billion gap in education financing facing African students going to study in the U.S.,” as described in the announcement from the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The seven additional finalists include companies from Buffalo; Brooklyn; Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline in Massachusetts; Tampa, Florida; and San Francisco, California
“We’re excited to welcome over 3,000 attendees for our tenth 43North Finals competition, where a new group of startups will compete to join our portfolio and the opportunity to become part of Buffalo’s growing innovation community,” Colleen Heidinger, president of the 43North competition, said in the state’s announcement. “With support from New York State and Empire State Development, 43North continues to foster innovation and growth across the Buffalo entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The competition’s final pitch event is set for Thursday night at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo.
About 43North
43North is an accelerator program that hosts an annual startup competition, investing $5 million per year to “attract and cultivate high-growth companies” in Buffalo, Hochul’s office said. 43North portfolio companies also receive free incubator space in Buffalo for one year, guidance from mentors in related fields, and access to other business-incentive programs such as START-UP NY.
43North operates through the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul, Empire State Development, the M&T Foundation and several other sponsors.

NYS Canal Corp. opens application period for tourism infrastructure and event grants
WATERFORD, N.Y. — The New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor are offering competitive grant funding to support tourism, recreation,

Community Bank has hired Lekia Hill as branch and community development manager of the bank’s new Hanover Square branch in downtown Syracuse. In this role, she

Naturally Lewis says 11 area businesses receive relief funding following July flooding
LOWVILLE, N.Y.— Naturally Lewis says its emergency-relief initiatives have helped 11 businesses that were impacted by flooding back in July. In total, more than $289,000

MVCC appoints VP for student affairs
UTICA, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) has announced Karey Pine as the new VP for student affairs. In her new role, Pine will lead student-support services, serve on the president’s cabinet, and provide strategic recommendations on policies and initiatives to further the college’s mission of student success and community engagement. She was confirmed
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UTICA, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) has announced Karey Pine as the new VP for student affairs.
In her new role, Pine will lead student-support services, serve on the president’s cabinet, and provide strategic recommendations on policies and initiatives to further the college’s mission of student success and community engagement. She was confirmed by the board of trustees on Sept. 16 after a national search.
Pine brings more than 30 years of experience to the role. Prior to joining MVCC, she served as dean of students and associate VP for academic and student affairs at Wells College. Her other roles have included VP for student affairs at Cazenovia College and assistant VP for student affairs at SUNY Brockport.
“Dr. Pine brings a great deal of diverse experiences in student affairs to this position,” MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner said in a news release. “I’m confident that her positive energy and leadership skills will make meaningful contributions to the MVCC culture and the overall success of our students.”
From 1989-2011, Pine held several leadership positions at Rochester Institute of Technology including resident-area coordinator, director of student-life teams at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and senior director for the Center for Campus Life.
Pine holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from William Smith College, a master’s degree in career and human-resource development from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

Broome County wraps up busy roadwork season
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Broome County Highway Division is wrapping up a record-setting roadwork season across Broome County that saw completed projects across 14 municipalities,
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