What CNY Professionals Need to Know This Week

The Insider's Guide to The Central New York Business Network

Author

Mike Marcellus
November 07, 2025

The Syracuse Networker

👋 Good afternoon, Central New Yorkers’! Welcome to The Syracuse Networker, the local newsletter for professionals in the CNY business community.

In today’s issue:

👍 Grow-NY finalists estimate upstate impact ahead of summit

👀 With SNAP benefits delayed perhaps indefinitely, CNY businesses try to fill in

⭐ How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives

💼 The Top Jobs Postings and Top Job Seekers in CNY

📈 Central New York organizations looking Public Relations firm, Consultant, Snow removal services, Campus Master Plan, and more

✅ Onondaga County grants Micron $2 billion tax break; this is how it will affect schools

🔎 What are the top tips for doing business in CNY?

📅 Register for Central New York networking events

👨‍💻 And much more!

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COMMUNITY
🍇 The Syracuse Grapevine

The Business Buzz around Central New York

  • Grow-NY finalists estimate upstate impact ahead of summit (Read)

  • See 31 new businesses registered in Central NY (Read)

  • Syracuse Stories: How A Kenyan Immersion Taught Lessons In Business And Community (Read)

  • With SNAP benefits delayed perhaps indefinitely, businesses try to fill in (Read)

  • Local sales tax collections in New York up 4.3% so far this year, report says (Read)

  • See which five towns in Onondaga County have seen home sale prices jump over $40,000 (Read)

  • Central N.Y. entrepreneur raises funds for hungry families ahead of SNAP shutdown (Read)

  • Physician-technologist Sarah Matt on leadership: ‘Solve real problems, work with good people (Read)

STRATEGY
⭐ Deep Dive

How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives

It might not end up in the Guinness Book of Records (then again, who knows?), but I was thrilled to lead an event that delivered results unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

As the number of participants poured into my Netwinar on Zoom, I became increasingly nervous.

The Zoom waiting room kept ticking up… 37, 45, 56. My excitement suddenly turned to panic. Soon, sixty people were ready to log into my netwinar, and I knew Zoom only allowed 50 Advanced Polls.

This wasn’t your typical Zoom webinar with hundreds of attendees. This was a netwinar (“net winner” = part webinar + part networking) where every participant needed time to speak, connect, and complete their polls for each other.

Needless to say, I was in trouble …

CAREERS
💼 Syracuse at Work

Workplace Highlights in Central New York

Private-sector employment in the region rose by approximately 7,000 jobs, or about 2.6%, year over year, reaching more than 269,000 jobs. Growth was strongest in education & health services, leisure & hospitality, and professional & business services, reflecting ongoing regional momentum. The unemployment rate remains at 3.5%, while manufacturing employment showed a slight decline, underscoring a shift toward service-sector strength.

🔥 Top Job Postings

👀 Top Job Seekers

  • Prathu Garg, Electrical Engineer II & Project Engineer
    👉 Actively seeking learning opportunities |📍 Syracuse, NY (Profile)

  • Linda Lerch, Multi Unit Sales Spectrum & Sr. Account Executive
    👉 Looking for work |📍 Syracuse, NY (Profile)

  • Sarah Babcock, Mechanical Quality Engineer & Maintenance Co-op
    👉 Ambitious Mechanical Engineer seeking a role in Quality Assurance or Manufacturing Engineering | 📍 Syracuse, NY (Profile)

SALES
📈  Syracuse Leads

Who's Buying in Central NY Right Now?

  • The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CNYRTA) is seeking a professional full-service Public Relations firm (Link)

  • Clinton County needs a Consultant for the Department of Social Services (Link)

  • Snow removal services for the VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System, Bath VA Medical Center located in Bath, NY. (Link)

  • County of Oneida and Mohawk Valley Community College needs MVCC Campus Master Plan (Link)

  • Oneida County Medical Examiner Transport (Link)

SUPPORT
✅  Syracuse Resources

Helpful Tools & Positive Developments in Central New York

  • Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) is accepting applications for the 2026 Faculty Fellows Program (up to $15,000) in clean energy, efficient buildings and resilient communities. (More)

  • The city of Syracuse, New York has a 2025 road-reconstruction plan covering nearly 27 miles of roads across all quadrants of the city. (More)

  • Upstate Medical University reported that in FY24 its economic impact on Central New York was ~$2.8 billion, on Onondaga County ~$2.6 billion and on the city of Syracuse ~$1.0 billion. (More)

  • A settlement was secured for the nursing-home facility Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing in Syracuse: $12 million plus stringent reforms for resident care, oversight and staffing. (More)

KNOWLEDGE
🔎 Syracuse Insights

AI-Powered Business Tips & Trends for CNY Professionals

What are the top tips for doing business in CNY?

1. Build Relationships Through Local Networks
CNY has a strong sense of community. Success often comes from building trust and connections through organizations like:
- CenterState CEO (Syracuse’s main business alliance)
- Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce
- Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce (Ithaca)
Attend local mixers, expos, and chamber events — people prefer to do business with those they know personally.

2. Tap Into University and Innovation Resources
CNY is home to major universities like Syracuse University, Cornell University, and SUNY campuses, which drive innovation and talent.
Partnering with them can help with:
- Research collaborations
- Student internships
- Tech development via incubators (like The Tech Garden in Syracuse or Rev: Ithaca Startup Works)

NETWORKING
📅 Syracuse Events

Top Networking Events in CNY

🤝 11/12 Greg Chapman, Zero Cost Marketing Strategies to Get More Deals | (Register)

🤝 11/12 Coffee and Friends Speed Networking | (Register)

🤝 11/12 Business After Five @ SENNETT STIL L & BARREL | (Register)

🤝 11/14 Connect with SU’s Top Alumni CEO’s at the ‘CUSE50 Summit | (Register)

🤝 12/04 Your Leadership Journey Book Tour: Leadership Talks with Gwen Webber-McLeod | (Register)

🤝 12/11 A Business Without Borders! - Syracuse, NY | (Register)

🤝= In Person, 💻 = Virtual

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