BRIGHT IDEAS

A bright idea is the start of an entrepreneur’s journey, and a SUNY Canton education has always been the perfect fit for those who have imagination in their DNA.

A tradition of providing an applied, hands-on education allows students to test and experiment, while faculty who possess practical experience provide support and mentorship along the way.

Building on the College’s heritage as an entrepreneurial training ground is the next chapter in the SUNY Canton story. An idea to create an Entrepreneurship Center in the Village of Canton has begun to take root (see the President’s Message on Page 2), and a $1.3 million Empire State Development Grant is a major leap toward realizing that goal.

“The next logical step as a college of technology is to further train our students to create new businesses and cultivate opportunities for themselves and for others,” said President Szafran.

The center represents an important investment in those who aim to follow in the footsteps of the alumni and students in this issue. With added resources and a support network of experts, even more people will benefit from SUNY Canton’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Tapped In

All successful entrepreneurs conduct exhaustive research to find out if their product is commercially viable. Six years ago, Philip V. Kaszuba ’80 and three of his fellow Vermont-based home brewers determined they could fill a need in the local beer market: authentic European-style lagers and ales that offered consumers an alternative to the IPAs that were popping up everywhere.

Armed with decades of collective brewing knowledge, they opened Queen City Brewery in Burlington in 2014. Turns out, their hunch was right: Queen City has become one of the most popular breweries in the area. But Kaszuba is quick to point out their journey from beer enthusiasts to business owners wasn’t easy. Perfecting their recipes and technique took years and several trips abroad to learn firsthand about the craft.

“Because we went to great lengths to understand the intricacies of brewing, the beer we’re making has the

same flavors, visual characteristics, and aromas as if it were produced in Germany, the Czech Republic, or the U.K.,” he said. “We like to say it’s worldclass beer without the jet lag.”

It may come as a surprise to some that 91% of entrepreneurs don’t have a formal degree in business, and Kaszuba falls into that category. However, his Electrical Technology associate degree from Canton came in handy when learning about the complexity of brewing. The academic rigor of the program also taught him organizational skills needed to balance his brewery work with his day job as an Electrical Engineer for Global Foundries.

“The time management skills I learned while attending SUNY Canton have helped me juggle all of my current responsibilities with growing a business. I received a top-notch education and a solid foundation that prepared me for a successful career.”

Phil Kaszuba ’80 at Queen City Brewery in Burlington.

Inspired Work

Today’s consumers have so many options, and smart entrepreneurs are creating businesses that incorporate a social mission to set themselves apart from competitors. In fact, the Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility found that more than half of people surveyed are willing to pay more for products and services provided by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.

Tiyawni K. Byfield ’03 and her sister, Maya, had this in mind when they started an online blog and e-commerce website, The Royal Bash (www.theroyalbash.com). Their vision was to create a supportive, inspiring virtual community for women of color while “providing fabulous apparel, accessories, and more to empower

Tiyawni Byfield ’03, right, and her sister and business partner, Maya.

our sisters to express their self-love,” according to their mission statement.

“Maya made it clear from the start that the business should have a purpose, so we worked on developing a concept that would not only be profitable, but special to other people,” Byfield said. “Our goal was more than getting the consumer to spend money; we wanted something that felt personal.”

In addition to being a resource for good conversation, the site also sells products the co-founders create themselves. “In addition to our own clothing line, we outsource items from vendors all over the world,” she explained. “We try to be as close to fair trade as possible by working directly with the artisans so they get the profit.”

Byfield works full-time as a substance abuse counselor and oversees the site in her free time. She said it’s too soon to tell if The Royal Bash will ever become a full-time job, so right now she’s simply appreciating the artistic outlet it provides. “I’ve enjoyed letting loose and being creative. It’s been different for me, but I really love it.”

Becoming an entrepreneur was not something that she ever intended. “I was very deliberate about my plans for college, and I knew very early on that I wanted to work in the criminal justice field.”

As a graduate of the two-year Criminal Justice program, she found a community of like-minded people at Canton who were just as passionate about forensics and criminal psychology as she was.

“I loved SUNY Canton, and I learned so much,” she recalled. “All of the faculty, like [Professor Emeritus David V.] Guccione, had years of professional experience. It was great preparation for wherever we wanted to go in our careers.”

Game Design and Development students Zachary Samalot ’22, left, and Paul Riggio ’22 in the College’s Digital Lab.

Making The Grade

About 36% of entrepreneurs start their businesses during school, which provides them with access to resources and mentors who have industry experience. Three of Canton’s Game Design and Development students have the College’s top-notch facilities and faculty to help realize their dream of creating the next hit video game. “He’s been a huge help, and I’ve consulted him a lot for advice,” Sanchez said. “He’s given me a bunch of tips and a lot of feedback.” Sanchez described “Stardust Force” as a “2-D action platformer, where you can pick two out of five characters, and you can switch between them at any point. They play differently and have different personalities. There’s even a two-player mode where you can tag in and out.” The objective is to complete every level, where there is a “boss,” or enemy, waiting for the character at the end. He came up with the concept after playing a well-known video game called “Mega Man X7.” “I thought it was really bad, and figured I could do better. So I made my own alpha [prototype] game from scratch and it was pretty well-received, so I just kept going with it.”

Being an indie developer like Justin T. Sanchez ’21 can be challenging. However, since he created the concept for his video game “Stardust Force,” he’s been able to make progress under the mentorship of Assistant Professor and Game Design and Development Curriculum Coordinator Ryan S. Hewer. Sanchez became passionate about video games at a young age when his parents bought him a Nintendo 64 game console. “I thought, ‘I want to make something like this someday.’” Two other Game Design and Development students, Paul M. Riggio ’22 and Zachary Samalot ’22 have also been playing video games since an early age and started their video game company, Splee Team, when they became friends in high school.

Right now, they have two games in development: “Into the Aether” and “Dreamscape,” the latter of which was completed in just a week and won first place in an online game design challenge.

“Basically you’re given a theme, and you have to make a game based on the theme,” Riggio said. “You’re judged on the quality of the story, art, and music.”

As their skills evolve, so do the games. Both “Into the Aether” and “Dreamscape” have been re-made twice.

“Our art and writing has improved, so it’s been a cycle of going back and re-doing it,” Riggio said. “Our biggest obstacle right now is time.”

The two say they have different strengths when it comes to game development fundamentals like programming, sound design, and storytelling, which is an advantage.

“If we were doing the exact same things then it would be very hard for us to produce something of quality in a decent amount of time,” Samalot said. “Having split skillsets allows us to work more efficiently.”

Their short-term goal is to work for a game development company after graduation while still maintaining their side business.

“I need to work for a company to hone my skillsets so I can save up to fund working in indie,” Samalot said. “I have a lot of ideas, and I want to have free reign to make them.”

Michael Larson ’90 leads a fishing excursion off Long Island.

Reel Skills

Entrepreneurs can benefit from creating multiple income streams in the current economy. For those with boundless energy and unique interests like Michael J. Larson ’90, owning several companies can be an economic safety net.

Not only is he an attorney at his own legal practice, he also helps clients purchase their Manhattan dream homes as a licensed Real Estate Agent. Most recently, the Long Island native found a way to create a third business connected to one of his favorite pastimes, fishing. He obtained his guide certification and opened a kayak and surf fishing charter business, Montauk Outfitter.

Attending Canton was attractive to Larson because of its rural location. A Criminal Justice graduate, he also fondly remembers Professor Emeritus Guccione and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Theodore E. Marlowe. Their no-nonsense attitude helped prepare him for the academic rigor of a four-year degree program at RIT, law school, and eventually the Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.

“They were career professionals who had worked in the criminal justice system and were all business,” he said. “They conveyed the importance of taking our academics seriously.”

He’ll be taking his new business to the next level when he begins leading fishing excursions in the Atlantic on his new boat. Larson is currently putting the finishing touches on his 25-foot Parker Pilothouse and will make his maiden voyage this spring, giving his clients a more adventurous offshore experience.

“I’m an avid outdoorsman and have been fishing my whole life,” he said. “I love being out on the ocean, and now I get to teach people how to fish and create memories.”

Going The Distance

The startup life can be challenging, and studies indicate entrepreneurs log in more hours compared to their nineto-five counterparts.

Kiawentonteh Casey Swamp ’02 said running his own business, Swamp’s Performance Automotive, is on his mind 24/7. “It’s certainly much more demanding than working for a dealership,” he said.

An amateur race car driver since the age of 15, he was his own mechanic and naturally thought Canton’s twoyear Automotive Technology program Things started to click during his second semester—the hockey team won a national championship title, and he found a supportive group of faculty who believed in him.

would be a perfect fit. And as a standout athlete, he could play his two favorite sports: hockey and lacrosse.

His first semester didn’t go as smoothly as he thought. “It was a huge wake-up call, because the courses were very different from my experience working on race cars,” he explained.

“Powersports Instructor Mark Hill was a big influence on me, as well as Professor Joe Rappa, Associate Professor William LaPierre, and Instructional Support Associate Dennis Tuper,” he said. The four of them put me on the path to own my own business and gave me the confidence that I could do it.”

After Canton, he joined his brother’s auto repair business as co-owner. In 2010, his brother went on to pursue other business opportunities, so Swamp took over and has been the sole owner since and eventually hired two nephews, who are also Canton graduates.

Swamp has a vested interest in the community he serves because of his roots in Akwesasne. A commitment to philanthropic endeavors is a core mission, and one that is a team effort among his six employees. They have made generous donations to the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, the Akwesasne Freedom School, and the Massena Environmental Science Club.

In addition to social responsibility, customer service can be a huge asset to an entrepreneur. Swamp has consciously placed an emphasis on honesty and transparency.

“The auto repair business has a reputation for taking advantage of people, so I’m trying to take away that stigma,” he said. “My staff is phenomenal, and they’re a huge part of our success.”

Casey Swamp ’02 at his automotive repair shop in Akwesasne.