Recapping the 2025 CenterState CEO annual meeting

Renaming of the expanded Tech Garden & awards were highlights

 SYRACUSE — A new name for the expanded Tech Garden and Business of the Year Awards were among the highlights of the April 23 CenterState CEO annual meeting. A conversation with an official from autonomous-driving technology company Waymo and remarks from Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, were also part of event, which was held at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in downtown Syracuse and attracted more than 750 attendees. Themed “Metamorphic,” the CenterState CEO annual meeting “highlighted how pressures from the current cycle of change create a moment of transformation and opportunity to emerge as something stronger.”

INSPYRE Innovation Hub

CenterState CEO’s downtown Syracuse business incubator — which had been known as the Tech Garden — has a new name. The expanded facility is now called the INSPYRE Innovation Hub. Simpson introduced a name-unveiling video during his presentation at the meeting. “INSPYRE Innovation Hub will be where founders go to dream, build and scale,” CenterState CEO said in its announcement about the new name. The organization touted that “INSPYRE celebrates Syracuse’s legacy of innovation and is a beacon to its bold future. It’s where the innovation ecosystem convenes, and possibilities are redefined. No longer primarily focused on seeding tech-based startups, INSPYRE Innovation Hub will be a space where founders of all industries, sizes and stages of growth can find support. INSPYRE invites everyone to push boundaries and shape what’s next.” In describing the new name and brand, CenterState CEO says they include INSPYRE spelled with a Y, putting focus on the “why” — “the driving question that fuels curiosity, innovation and growth.” In addition, INSPYRE is a nod to SYRacuse, “reflecting its roots while pointing toward limitless potential”; and the primary logo tilted to 31.5 degrees, in recognition of the facility’s location. With more than 90,000 square feet of space dedicated to helping founders grow their vision and bring a business to the next level, INSPYRE is New York’s largest business incubator, CenterState CEO said. The facility will house a renovated Hardware Center and a new Makerspace. It will have an uncrewed-systems testing deck, a media-production facility, new coworking spaces, and a multi-purpose theater with more than 3,000 square feet of space for events. “I am so excited to reintroduce the community to INSPYRE Innovation Hub later this year and share this building’s next chapter with the entrepreneurs who are making our region more vibrant,” Simpson said in the announcement. “The name INSPYRE reflects both the expanded size and scope of our entrepreneurial programming and our vision for what is possible. This state-of-the-art facility is a symbol of CenterState CEO’s commitment to helping the business community thrive as Central New York begins a transformational period of growth.”

Business of the Year Awards

CenterState CEO used its annual meeting to announce its Business of the Year Award winners in front of an audience of more than 750 people from the Central New York business community. The awards recognize the outstanding achievements of regional businesses and nonprofits in five categories. This year’s winners are listed below by category. More than 50 Employees Winner: VIP Structures of Syracuse Additional finalists: Hidden Level, Inc. and Lotte Biologics USA, LLC Fewer than 50 Employees Winner: Home Sweet Home Cleaning and Gardening LLC of Manlius Additional finalists: Chimera Integrations and ConsciousHR Minority-owned Business, presented in partnership with the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance Winner: L Stacks Construction Co. LLC of Syracuse Additional finalists: Champions Martial Arts Inc. and Cuse Culture Media Group Nonprofit Winner: Oswego County Federal Credit Union Additional finalists: Loretto and YMCA of Central New York Community Involvement Winner: Upstate Medical University of Syracuse Additional finalists: AmeriCU Credit Union and Equitable

Simpson’s remarks

In his message, Simpson talked about the opportunities and challenges the community is faced with as it “undergoes a process of significant change, and the key role that innovation plays in accelerating new possibilities for the future,” per the CenterState CEO summary of the event, which it released on April 24. “Central New York is on a path toward profound transformation. Like a rock that has undergone Metamorphic change, our region is built on a solid foundation, which prepares us to respond to challenges, face new pressures and embrace change,” Simpson said. “Today, amid a new level of success and opportunity, the scale and impact of change and disruption has also accelerated. In fact, the CNY economy is expected to grow more in the next three years than in the past 16 years combined. This is a moment of growth that must be met. The region has faced intense, near-crippling pressures before. Strategically channeling this economic energy, good and bad, in a manner consistent with our values and that looks beyond our immediate horizon at a brighter future will remain the defining challenge for current and future generations of Central New York leaders.” CenterState CEO also noted the annual meeting marked its 15th anniversary.

Featured speaker

The event included remarks from featured speaker, Annabel Chang, director and head of state policy and government relations at Mountain View, California–based Waymo, described as the world’s leading autonomous-driving technology company. In a conversation with Simpson at the event, Chang discussed the importance of transparency, collaboration, and earning public trust during periods of change; rapidly evolving technologies and industries; and shifting economic and societal conditions. “Waymo’s fully autonomous driving technology is providing hundreds of thousands of paid passenger trips every week, reducing serious collisions and expanding access to mobility in cities across the country,” Chang said. “Waymo continues to move eastward, with plans to operate in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., but more is needed in Albany before New Yorkers can realize the benefits of fully autonomous driving. It’s exciting to see CenterState CEO and regional partners build on their vision to make the Empire State a welcoming destination for innovative technologies.”