High-tech companies are sprouting up throughout the region, helping to revitalize our local economy. Rising Stars, a quarterly event, showcases the entrepreneurs who are building Rochester’s emerging technology companies. It offers an opportunity to hear their personal stories and meet the individuals behind Rochester’s “rising stars.”

As the economy rises and falls, new competitive technologies emerge and markets change, the successful entrepreneur finds ways for his/her business to adapt to changing conditions. Companies that understand their core competencies don't chase the latest hot fad, but do continually reinvent themselves and their products so that they don't just weather the storms of the marketplace, but actually thrive in those challenging times. These resilient businesses set examples worthy of emulation.

Meet two Rochester entrepreneurs from very different industries whose businesses have demonstrated their resilience over time. By making careful adjustments to their strategies, they succeeded in staying the course despite the challenges that impacted their industries during the tough economic times of the last few years. Fred Beer, president, CEO and co-founder of Auragen Communications, Inc., has celebrated the company’s listing on the Inc. 500 and successfully battled the dot-com bust. Joe Lobozzo, the founder, president and CEO of JML Optical Industries, has reason to be proud of his company’s 30-plus year reputation as a leader in high quality optics. JML has successfully executed a substantial growth plan over the last five years by constantly monitoring industry and technology trends – and knowing when and how to act on that information.

[Register below]

SPEAKERS:

• Joe Lobozzo, President and CEO, JML Optical Industries, Inc.
• Fred Beer, President and CEO, Auragen Communications, Inc.

AGENDA:

7:30-8:00 am	Refreshments and Networking
8:00-9:00 am	Presentations and Q&A
9:00-9:30 am	Networking

SPONSORS:

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Joseph M. Lobozzo, II

Joe Lobozzo is the founder, president and CEO of JML Optical Industries, Inc. JML designs, manufactures and supplies the highest quality lenses, optical systems, and related products and services. Since 1972, the first year of operations, JML Optical has continuously served domestic and international original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers in the commercial and government sectors with high quality optics in prototype through high volume quantities. The 1990 introduction of the catalog — JML Direct — allowed the company to provide products to users of standard, off-the-shelf optical components. JML Direct now resides online, and the combined sales of catalog and OEM products surpass $12 million. Currently, the Rochester, NY headquarters employs approximately 80 personnel.

Joe has a bachelor’s degree in physics from City University of New York and an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has been often honored for his philanthropy and involvement in the community, including RIT's VandenBrul Award in 2003 and, recently, the the Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way. Joe has served on the Board of the United Way for nearly 20 years, where as Campaign Chair in 2000, he led a successful $41 million campaign. He is a member of the RIT Board of Trustees, the board of the RIT Incubator, the regional advisory board at M&T Bank, the University of Rochester Medical Center and a participant in Bishop Matthew Clark’s Stewardship Council of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, to name just a few of the notable ways Joe has served the Rochester region.

Frederick A. Beer

Fred Beer, president and CEO, founded Auragen Communications, Inc. together with Damir Saracevic and David Thiel in 1995, right after graduating from the Univeristy of Rochester. Auragen Communications is a full-service provider of strategic Internet, intranet, and extranet solutions for large corporate clients. Fred and his co-founders are members of the new breed of young entrepreneurs, taking the startup route versus joining an existing company. At Auragen, Fred oversees operations, strategic direction, manages Auragen's applications development group, and provides strategic consulting for many Auragen clients. Fred attributes Auragen's success to an innovative culture and an unwavering focus on becoming a national leader in the industry. Fred believes the culture and structure that the Auragen team has developed is a new model for successful corporations in the information age.

Fred graduated from the University of Rochester in May 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a concentration in computer architecture. Fred participates on the board of directors of Junior Achievement and often guest lectures at the University of Rochester Simon School for Business.