The Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship recently celebrated the graduation of its first class of 23 students from its two-year program. Among the key lessons the school learned were the importance of staying true to its foundational principles while also adapting to the evolving business landscape.
Now, as Golisano Institute president Ian Mortimer puts it, the school is entering its “third chapter.”
“I think this chapter is all about better understanding the future of the economy and the future of where jobs are,” he says. “That foundation for us was really valuable, and now it is time to build more on it with the lessons we’ve learned.”
This chapter means continuing the Golisano Institute’s professional learning culture, its support for entrepreneurship and innovation, and expanding the school’s physical space and offerings.
Renovations to the second floor of the institute’s building at 150 Sawgrass Drive have been completed, giving more space to companies in the Business in Residence program and students alike, Mortimer says. By the fall, 175 students will be in the building, the largest number thus far for the school. (Its target, based on the building capacity, is 250 students for next fall.)
A new partnership with Roberts Wesleyan University for housing and offerings at Innovation Square in downtown Rochester are representative of the desire to make sure students have housing options as the school grows.
New students will also be integrated into the collaborative but professional workplace cultivated by the institute. This emphasis on soft skills and professionalism requires a dress code, promptness to and full attendance at class, and personal accountability, all elements that Mortimer says have contributed to rave reviews from companies that have taken on Golisano Institute internships.
In addition, Mortimer sees evidence that both Rochester and the institute have proven to be effective entrepreneurial hubs. For example, the Growth X Revenue Accelerator, which helps Western New York founders with sales, and the school’s business partners have grown to include companies in Florida and California, as well as internationally.
The institute also hosted Launch NY’s Start Up Summit for the second time this May and continues to host its “Speaking from Experience” events for industry leaders. Last month, the institute presented a Sports Symposium for intersections of sport and business, which featured former NFL player Tim Tebow.
At the same time, the Golisano Institute’s third chapter also means embracing and applying technology for business, primarily in the realm of artificial intelligence. Reflecting on the graduation of the current cohort, Mortimer notes that the school has experienced the true complexity of placing people in jobs that are sustainable.
“Which is why the AI piece is so important,” he says. “We do not want our students to be a victim of this threat, which is legitimate, of 10 percent of the workforce being locked off because of advanced AI. That’s why we moved so fast into giving them those skills.”
Graham Anthony, assistant vice president for educational technologies and innovation, believes that in addition to soft skills, students need to be critical thinkers and have the ability to analyze data.
“Every company that doesn’t understand artificial intelligence and how it’s going to impact them will need someone to come in and help them,” he says. “And that’s as much technical as it is cultural. There will be some major cultural changes coming down the pipe, and the people who are going to help lead that change are going to have to have that trifecta of skills to usher that change through the process of an organization.”
Required AI classes have been woven into the curriculum, so any two-year Golisano Institute student will have a background in the technology. The school also offers an AI innovation hub, which is “dedicated to nurturing tech-forward ideas and providing guidance to students on the relationship between business and technology.”
“What students might do (with AI) is create a mathematical model which can be predictive,” says Anthony. “Imagine you own an apartment complex and have thousands of tenants. Predicting who is not likely to renew their lease would be a really valuable thing. You could be proactive and decide whether you want to incentivize them to sign a new lease in some way. That’s the kind of thing our students are able to do, create those types of models.”
Lucas Dorsey is a student in the first cohort who previously spoke about his belief in the Golisano Institute mission and approach. This time when conversing with him, he reads back a quote in his notebook from “Built, Not Born” by Paychex founder Tom Golisano, whose endowment launched the institute in 2023.
“‘Defying the status quo is what entrepreneurs do everyday,’” Dorsey recites. “And that’s something that the students, the faculty, the entire school culture is not afraid of here. It’s what they all do.”
For the 25-year-old, this meant seizing an opportunity after a meeting with Lee Stein, the chairman of Spiral Health. The company was started after Stein’s son Spencer, who is a founder, was injured in a parasailing accident and was suffering from chronic back pain.
Using AI technology, Spiral Health’s app tracks body movements through a phone camera and detects root causes of pain, stiffness, or discomfort. It then gives a daily routine and offers an AI coach to help alleviate those issues. Dorsey was impressed with the business and changed his goal from starting his own medtech company to helping with theirs.
“A big differentiator with (Spiral Health) and other AIs in the health/wellness field is that it will not only check your form, it will also make adjustments to your program so that, as you’re getting better, the program will adjust to continue to help you get better,” he says. “That’s a really impressive achievement.”
Dorsey was offered a job with Spiral Health in large part because of his attitude and training in the AI space, Mortimer, other instructors, and Dorsey himself observe.
Similarly, a partnership with Bangalore, India-based Machani Robotics will soon result in using its technology called RIA, a humanoid robot. The robot primarily engages in real-time conversations or can give presentations through AI-powered responses.
Machani Robotics says RIA is emotionally intelligent and can detect mood shifts and adapt its tone and content. The company believes it can help with repetitive tasks like orientation, engagement prompts, and basic monitoring, and can offer round-the-clock presence when dealing with reduced staff.
In other case studies, RIA has been tested to aid in the education of neurodiverse students and in medical language learners as well as for elder care. It also offers exercise and health care operations in association with Spiral Health.
The Golisano Institute plans to use the technology for classroom instruction, to remove common anxieties or pressures for students from role-play scenarios, Anthony says.
“We can run sales simulations where RIA plays a customer who’s hesitant to buy, challenging students to practice overcoming objections in real time,” he says. “We can also use her to simulate job interviews where she plays the interviewer. These exercises help build real-world readiness.”
For students who want to focus even more on this applied AI technology, the Golisano Institute is also now offering an advanced certificate in AI and business analytics.
The 15-course, one-year program was designed by Anthony and offers microcredentials in coding, data decision making, project management, and analysis through Syracuse University. He anticipates that the program will be best served at around 20 to 25 people.
Anthony says the program is intended for people wanting to deeply drill down into the topic in a way that no other higher education organization is currently doing. Formerly the manager of instructional technology and media services at Rochester Institute of Technology, Anthony joined the Golisano Institute based on a pitch that highlighted the democratized and innovative education at the school.
That focus includes the institute’s emphasis on AI tools—an area where he believes other colleges are already falling behind.
“It’s the way of the future,” says Anthony. “And the AI revolution isn’t just coming, it’s already here. We are going to need technologically literate people.”
Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.
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