Page 10 - 2021 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

Westchester Forward
Businesses Resources
Recovery & Resilience
The County, as well as committed members of the local business community, offers a host of initiatives, programs and support to help entrepreneurs recover from the financial difficulties posed by COVID-19.
Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship
and Innovation at Westchester County
Even in the best of times, the Westchester County Office of Economic Development is committed to being “The Catalyst” for economic growth and vitality in Westchester County. Now, many organizations here are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and the County is here to help.
We talked to Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Office of Economic Development, about Westchester’s response to COVID-19 in helping small businesses to pivot or rebuild as a result of the virus, as well as build resiliency and strategize for future business growth.
Talk about your role at the Office of Economic Development.
As Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, my role is to drive entrepreneurship and to provide support to small businesses seeking to establish themselves in the County. I began this position just as the pandemic started in March of 2020 and we’ve been in high gear ever since, helping businesses through the significant disruption we have seen in 2020.
What’s your background?
I began my career on Wall
Street, working with early stage businesses on strategy and capital raising, as well as managing two small private investment funds. I’ve started two businesses myself and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs during 15 years of consulting. Before joining Westchester County, I was the Director of BioInc@NYMC, the incubator for bioscience startups based at New York Medical College
in Valhalla.
Tell us about some of the initiatives.
We created Westchester County’s Launch1000 program with the goal of enabling 1,000 Westchester residents to start a business or develop an income stream for themselves and their families. It’s an online, self-paced program teaching you to evaluate your idea, test it with potential customers, and see if it seems likely to succeed. As Launchers progress through the program, additional resources such as mentorship, valuable introductions, and even grants are made available. There are two online weekly workshops and an online community forum to connect, share ideas, hold each other accountable, and learn from other Launch1000 participants. Importantly, this program has participants from every zip code in the County, and offers laptops and internet access to participants who need them.
What are some other programs designed
to catalyze the growth of entrepreneurial business?
A few years ago, well before COVID-19 became a part of our lives, we established Element 46, an incubator for entrepreneurs. Created by the Westchester County Office of Economic Development, Element 46 is a 6-month, competitive entry program to help early stage entrepreneurial ventures accelerate their growth. The incubator program includes entrepreneurial skills sessions, facilitated team-building sessions, introductions to mentors, and pro bono consulting services from professional services providers, as well as the opportunity to collaborate and learn from a network of peer business owners. We are currently accepting applications for our third cohort.
In the biosciences space, which is a key area for growth in Westchester, we have the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator, a competitive entry, six-month program designed
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE