Advantage Magazine | February 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW

Feature

Leadership Greater Rochester

Another key program is the RYT Network (Rochester Area Young Talent Network) launched in September 2023. The RYT Network provides a dynamic space for young professionals to build relationships and develop a sense of community in their professional lives. With 24 events held annually, including Speed Networking, Industry Tours, CEO Connections, Social Hours, and Workshops on topics like crafting an elevator pitch, the RYT Network ensures there’s something for everyone. The program also held a new professional development conference in 2024, the RYT Summit that featured a career pathway panel discussion, professional development workshops, and keynote speaker. In 2024, the program boasted 160 active members, an increase from 126 members in 2023. “Employers who support their employees’ participation point to the professional development opportunities as a major upside of the program. With about 80 percent of Chamber members being small businesses, not all are able to offer professional and career development opportunities on their own, the RYT Network can fill the void,” says Claire Henneman, Workforce Initiatives & RYT Network Director at the Chamber. The Business Development Exchange (BDX) event series continued to grow in 2024, connecting members with content experts to tackle employer goals and challenges. Covering topics like HR, budgeting, and marketing strategies, these sessions offered actionable insights that attendees could apply in their organizations. The Branding Best Practices panel drew record attendance with over 50 professionals, providing strategies for purposeful marketing, sustaining a competitive edge, and enhancing brand awareness.

Since 1987, the Chamber’s Leadership Greater Rochester (LGR) program has been inspiring and equipping community leaders to connect, grow, and make a lasting impact. In 2024, this premier 10-month leadership development program immersed 38 area professionals in sessions exploring topics such as economic development, workforce challenges, engaging with government, building a sustainable community, public safety, and the local arts scene. The LGR Class of 2024, which graduated in May, featured two Community Impact Projects: Communication Stations and Forest Bathing Mental Health Signs. The Communication Stations aims to enhance public spaces that allow for inclusivity, sharing, caring, connectivity, understanding, and reflecting, while showing empathy and compassion. Communication Stations are positioned in local parks, pools and schools to aid in helping nonverbal, disabled, and or hearing-impaired children and adults to communicate with their fellow classmates, family, friends, and teachers. Forest Bathing Mental Health Signs were placed in various locations throughout the region. Forest Bathing is a Japanese practice of immersing yourself in nature and the signs provide tips on interacting with nature, while practicing deep breathing, relaxation, meditating and other mental health practices.

FEBRUARY 2025 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 9

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