Connected Know

Just Announced - We are so excited Connected Cocktails is finally live.

This is a new monthly event series designed for Rochester's rising business leaders, founders, executives, investors, and innovators, Connected Cocktails brings together the people building the future of our region for an evening of meaningful conversation, new connections, and community.

​Each month, Connected Cocktails will spotlight a Rochester-area nonprofit or community organization doing meaningful work while bringing people together. The goal is to use this event series to highlight and support the organizations helping make Rochester a better place to live, work, and grow.

​July's Featured Organization: TechRochester

Your ticket includes light hors d'oeuvres, inspiring conversations, and an opportunity to support the Rochester community.

​A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to TechRochester to support its mission of strengthening and connecting the region's technology community.

Invite Link In The Comments

CONNECTED COCKTAILS · Luma Connected Cocktails | July Edition Supporting TechRochester Join us for the inaugural Connected Cocktails, a new monthly event series hosted by Connected…

With more than 140 festivals and major events held across the region each year, Rochester's festival economy drives visitor spending, supports local businesses, fills hotel rooms, and helps showcase the city to hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

As the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival gets underway, we took a closer look at the economic impact of some of Rochester's largest events.

Read the full article here

What Happens When 500,000 Visitors Show Up? Rochester's Festival Economy Explained ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As more than 200,000 visitors prepare to descend on downtown Rochester for the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival, the event is expected to do more than fill concert venues. It will also generate millions of dollars in economic activity for local businesses, hotels, resta...

On June 23, Rochester business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and economic development professionals will gather for the SB+AI Symposium to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping small business growth, workforce development, and economic competitiveness.

As AI adoption accelerates, the question for many organizations is no longer if they should engage with AI, but how.

Read more:

Rochester Business Leaders Gather to Explore the Future of AI and Small Business ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As artificial intelligence rapidly moves from emerging technology to everyday business tool, a new Rochester event is focused on helping small businesses understand how to use AI to drive growth, improve efficiency, and remain competitive.The SB+AI Symposium: From Awareness to Ac...

This Week's Connected Know Update:

This Week On Connected Know Business Insights Shaping Rochester Friday, May 15, 2026 What you need to know

Rockstar energy and Rochester coffee culture are colliding at Elvio’s Coffee.

Founded by musician and entrepreneur Elvio Fernandes, Elvio's is building a community-driven brand centered around coffee, live music, wellness and culture.

Connected Know recently featured the story behind the growing Rochester business.Read more:

Rockstar Energy Meets Rochester Coffee Culture at Elvio’s ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In a regional economy increasingly driven by experience-based businesses, Elvio’s Coffee is emerging as one of Rochester’s more distinctive lifestyle concepts, blending specialty coffee, live music and cultural programming into a single community-focused brand.Founded by Roch...

We are looking for founders to feature on CONNECTED KNOW. If you are a founder or know a founder please consider filling out a profile to be featured.

Tell Us Your Story | Be Featured on Connected Know At Connected Know, we spotlight the founders, builders, and business owners shaping Rochester’s economy. From startup dreamers to seasoned operators. If you’re leading a company, launching something new, or growing a business that deserves attention, we want to tell your story.

Growth without strong unit economics is often just accelerated inefficiency.

As capital markets continue to prioritize operational discipline, founders and business leaders need a clear understanding of the metrics that actually drive sustainable growth, from CAC and LTV to margins and payback periods.

Our latest article breaks down why unit economics matter more than ever.

Read here:

Understanding Unit Economics: The Metric That Separates Sustainable Startups From Expensive Ideas Rochester, N.Y., Every founder can tell you their top-line revenue. Fewer can clearly explain whether their business actually makes money on each customer, transaction, or product sold.That distinction matters more than most entrepreneurs realize. In today’s funding environment, investors, operato...

https://www.connectedknow.com/post/biotech-startup-reegen-secures-200k-state-grant-to-advance-rare-earth-recovery-technology

Biotech Startup REEgen Secures $200K State Grant to Advance Rare Earth Recovery Technology ITHACA, N.Y. — An Ithaca-based biotech startup focused on critical mineral recovery has secured new state funding to accelerate its path to commercialization.REEgen was awarded $200,000 on April 16 through the Innovation Matching Grants program, administered by Empire State Development’s Divisio...

$20M Growth Injection for Syntec Optics -

Rochester-Based Syntec Optics Taps Public Markets for $20M Growth Push ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTX) has raised approximately $20 million through an underwritten public offering, signaling continued investment activity in Rochester’s advanced manufacturing and optics sector.The company sold 2,857,142 shares of common stock at $7.00 p...

What's Happening In Rochester Now - Check Out Connected Know's Friday Recap:

This Week On Connected Know Business Insights Shaping Rochester Friday, May 1, 2026 What you need to know