Business Inc. WIN Program Breaks New Ground with Dynamic Collaborations

The Business Council of Westchester’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) continued its groundbreaking business-development initiatives this summer with dynamic collaborations that involved product testing and new markets acquisition.

WIN’s 2023 cohort includes VAE, a caffeinated energy spray working with Chestnut Market; Undercare, a manufacturer of adaptive underwear working with the Meadowview at Wartburg; and KELLS, a provider of artificial intelligence-based oral health solutions working with the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester.

The New Paltz-based Chestnut Market will carry VAE’s caffeinated energy spray in 20 of its Westchester County stores for the product’s retail launch.

Chestnut Market is a regional convenience store chain operating in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

The VAE spray, enriched with caffeine and amino acids, delivers 20 mg of caffeine per spray. For reference, three sprays provide the same amount of caffeine as a 5 oz cup of coffee.

“We’re looking to see how our messaging and packaging performs in stores,” said Mohand Khouider, co-founder of VAE. “Part of it is doing some sampling in store to get people’s first reactions and part of it is to launch in the lovely Westchester County, a more relaxed environment than downtown Manhattan. The idea is to have a small test launch before doing a larger, New York City launch where we’re looking to start in select stores.”

The Mount Vernon-based Undercare tested its products with the Meadowview at Wartburg, an assisted-living facility in Mount Vernon. Undercare undergarments feature an easy-on, easy-off design with hidden Velcro brand closures at the waist and sides.

The collaboration was Undercare’s first in an institutional setting, and Undercare’s founder Susanne Leary Shoemaker said her goal was to receive feedback from users about the products’ ease of use and fit. Feedback will be used to determine future iterations and features to add or update on the current line. Undercare will also gauge user and caregiver’s openness to adaptive products.

“Regardless of effectiveness, products must be easy to use. In addition to endusers’ acceptance of the products, caregiver and staff acceptance is equally important,” said Shoemaker, an artist, teacher and designer. “The idea is to make dressing quicker and easier for all involved. Lightening the load of caregivers is an important consideration.”

KELLS’s first Westchester collaboration was with the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester in White Plains, where the company screened adults at the Y’s early learning childcare program with a portable X-ray device whose images are fed into a computer powered by KELLS’s AI-based software to produce personalized dental reports.

July 2023

“When people go through this screening and receive the report, they feel empowered to take control of their oral health, and that’s something that’s been confirmed by our surveys of screened patients. About 80 percent of the respondents answered that they scheduled follow up visits with dentists within six months of receiving our customized reports,” said Boris Rjavinski, partner, strategy and business development at KELLS. Following the momentous success of last year’s inaugural program, the 2023 WIN cohort is significantly larger than last year’s group and it includes companies representing the healthcare, education and consumer products sectors, among others. WIN’s goal is to drive economic development, innovation, and growth in Westchester County.

“The Westchester Innovation Network is determined to help companies like VAE, Undercare and KELLS test new products and technologies in our county with the hope that these innovators will see the value of remaining in a business ecosystem that embraces bold ideas and supports start-ups,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, BCW president and CEO. “We are committed to helping innovators in all sectors find collaborators among our members.”

The WIN initiative is sponsored by Montefiore, Regeneron, Westchester County Industrial Development Agency, Webster Bank, Robert Martin Company, Simone Development Companies, Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers, Verizon, Empire City Casino, Dorf & Nelson and Fareri Associates.

Can Your Business Benefit from WIN?

The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life through the support of its diverse business ecosystem in Westchester County through its WIN initiative. Its network is composed of small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and non-profits along with some of the most well-known brands in the world like IBM, Pepsico, MasterCard, Heineken, Danone, Morgan Stanley, and Regeneron. It also includes some of the largest hospitals and healthcare systems in the world and many colleges and universities.

To learn more about becoming an Innovation Partner or joining the WIN program, visit https://thebcw.org/westchester-innovation-network/

The Business Council of Westchester is the county’s only business membership organization focusing on economic development and advocacy. It is the county’s largest and most prestigious business membership organization representing more than 1,000 members, including multinational corporations, hospitals, universities, biotech pioneers, not-for-profits, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes. As the most influential economic development and advocacy organization in Westchester, The Business Council of Westchester’s members enjoy unparalleled access to today’s top thought leaders, diverse business development opportunities and lawmakers at all levels of government.

The BCW Data Exchange provides the latest demographic research to help guide smart business decisions. The LEAP program, a one - of-a -kind initiative, gives members direct access to lobbying efforts at the county, state and national levels on issues that directly affect their businesses. Build, Connect and Win with The Business Council of Westchester.

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