About Us

PropelNY Semiconductor Supplier Program

PropelNY is a 15 week cohort program with cohorts kicking off on both July 27 and September 8, 2026. We help businesses build the capabilities needed to compete for emerging opportunities in the New York semiconductor supply chain through personalized learning pathways, industry expertise, and applicable resources.

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Powered By

Next Street

For more than 20 years, corporations, governments, and philanthropies have hired Next Street to strengthen the small businesses they rely on. As a firm, Next Street provides end-to-end solutions — from ecosystem assessments and strategies to resource platforms and accelerators — for their clients to propel the small businesses in their communities and supply chains. Next Street solutions ultimately help small businesses, whether they are solo entrepreneurs or advanced suppliers, to unlock new revenue, build wealth, and reinvest in their communities.

What We Do

Supported By

JPMorganChase

As America’s leading small business bank, JPMorganChase leverages its scale, resources, and expertise to help business owners at every stage of their journey access the capital and assistance to grow, create jobs, and build generational wealth. As part of JPMorganChase’s American Dream Initiative — multi-year effort to help make the economy work for more people — JPMorganChase is focused on powering 10M small businesses over the next several years with the capital, coaching, tools, and practical policy solutions they need to thrive.

Our Impact

In Partnership With

New York Working Group

PropelNY has been designed in collaboration with the NY SMART I-Corridor, convened by Centerstate CEO, OneROC, and Buffalo Niagara Partnership, as well as Empire State Development and University at Buffalo. Next Street has worked with our New York Partners to identify gaps in the New York semiconductor supplier ecosystem and to build PropelNY's program in a way that responds to real needs for qualified suppliers.

About The Partnership

We are proud of our commitment to security and social impact

Thank you to our industry partners and advisors on the platform

NY SMART I-Corridor

The NY SMART I-Corridor is a coalition of more than 100 organizations spanning businesses, higher education institutions, economic development groups, and community-based organizations, convened by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, CenterState CEO, and OneROC. Together, the coalition is positioning Upstate New York as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, innovation, and workforce development.

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Buffalo Niagara Partnership

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is the area’s regional chamber of commerce and privately-funded economic development organization. By mobilizing members and strategic partners around common goals, the Partnership grows private investment and jobs in Buffalo Niagara through advocacy, business development, and convening.

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Centerstate CEO

CenterState CEO is Central New York's premier business leadership and economic development organization, committed to creating a region where business thrives, and all people prosper. They work with partners in public, private and nonprofit sectors to find collaborative and innovative solutions to advance the region and its people.

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Empire State Development

Empire State Development is New York State's primary economic development agency, dedicated to promoting a vigorous, inclusive, and growing state economy, encouraging business investment and job creation, and supporting diverse, local economies across New York State.

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OneROC

OneROC is a capacity-building and coordination vehicle that aligns investment across Greater Rochester’s economic development ecosystem, using a data-driven approach to advance regional branding, talent strategy, place-based revitalization, and business growth.

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University of Buffalo Center for Supply Chain Analytics

The University at Buffalo School of Management's Center for Supply Chain Analytics is a multidisciplinary research hub dedicated to advancing the state of practice in supply chain analytics and operations across industries, government, and society. Through collaboration with industry leaders and academic scholars, transformative experiential education, and impactful research, the Center drives improved supply chain policy and practice to generate meaningful economic and social benefits.

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Bridge Taylor (PropelNY Advisor) - Imogene + Willie

Bridge Taylor, CPA, is the Director of Accounting and Finance with Imogene + Willie, a Nashville-based retailer. He has spent the past ten years working in accounting and sustainability reporting and has experience leading financial reporting, forecasting, and controls for growing companies. His focus is on educating and communicating financial topics to non-finance professionals.

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Denise Chaffin (PropelNY Advisor) - Top Source Talent, LLC

Founder and TA Leader of Top Source Talent, and host of the Talking TA podcast, Denise has35+ years of experience building high-impact recruiting strategies for the semiconductor, medical device, renewable energy, government, and PE/VC-backed companies. Denise blends legacy recruiting expertise with technology savvy for coaching and mentoring business leaders, key stake holders, Human Resource and Talent Acquisition professionals.

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Denisse Giron (PropelNY Advisor) - SBC Consulting

MBA-trained finance and strategy professional with experience helping small business owners strengthen their financial foundation, improve operations, and make data-driven decisions. Skilled in financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and translating complex financial information into clear, actionable insights. Experienced in developing business plans, financial projections, and accounting system improvements, with expertise in QuickBooks and financial statement analysis. Recognized for strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous learning in finance and data-driven decision support.

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Elizabeth Gilbert (PropelNY Advisor) - Trinity National Consulting, Inc.

Dr. Elizabeth Gilbert is the President and Co-Founder of Trinity National Consulting, Inc., a woman-owned consulting firm specializing in organizational readiness, leadership development, quality culture, compliance systems, workforce readiness, and responsible AI governance. She has over 15 years of experience helping organizations improve operational performance, strengthen accountability structures, and build sustainable systems for growth and contract execution. Dr. Gilbert serves as a doctoral mentor and faculty member, is an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor, and has supported organizations across regulated industries, higher education, and emerging technology sectors. Her work focuses on aligning leadership, culture, governance, and performance to improve organizational resilience and long-term success.

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Keli Hearon (PropelNY Advisor)

Keli Hearon is an independent consultant who helps small and diverse businesses grow, build capacity, and advance their business development goals. She previously served as Director of Supplier Engagement at Asplundh, where she led supplier engagement, procurement governance, compliance, data analytics, and project management. With more than 20 years of experience across the aviation, construction, and utility sectors, she is known for developing practical strategies that strengthen supplier relationships and improve operational performance. Her career includes leadership roles with Exelon, Washington Gas, and Xcel Energy, where she managed enterprise sourcing categories and strategic supplier programs spanning fleet, environmental services, transmission materials, and fuel operations. A graduate of Wayne State University, Keli brings a grounded, strategic perspective to procurement leadership that helps organizations build stronger supplier networks and more resilient supply chains. Bridge

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Marvelene Jones (PropelNY Advisor) - Procurement Prodigy Consulting

Marvelene Jones is a procurement leader with more than 20 years of experience driving supplier strategy, operational excellence, and inclusive partnerships. She has held leadership roles at General Motors Locomotive Group, Exelon Corporation, and Resource Innovations. At Resource Innovations, she served as Head of Procurement and Supplier Inclusion, leading enterprise procurement strategy and advancing sustainable supplier inclusion practices. Previously, as Principal Category Manager at Exelon, she directed procurement strategy across six utilities and helped increase diverse supplier engagement and spend by 50%. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

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Mike Demler (PropelNY Advisor)

With more than 45 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Mike offers his extensive expertise for consulting projects that require in-depth analysis, evaluation, and guidance on various aspects of technology, architecture, markets, and strategy. Clients benefit from the breadth and depth of his knowledge, which derives from numerous accomplishments in both technical and business roles. Mike holds both an MSEE from Southern Methodist University, and an MBA from San Jose State University. At SJSU, he was nominated for Outstanding Graduate Student - 2006, for his thesis on “21st Century Television Broadcasting Strategies”, in which he predicted the disruptions caused by mobile and streaming platforms.

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Mike Kotubey (PropelNY Advisor) - Construction Consulting Associates LLC

Mike Kotubey is a seasoned construction and service executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience in commercial plumbing, HVAC, process piping, and mechanical contracting. He helps contractors improve operations, increase profitability, and prepare for growth in complex facility construction and service. His track record includes doubling revenues while increasing profitability fivefold through Lean processes, operational excellence, and strategic business development. With executive experience across sales, operations, engineering, finance, and acquisitions, Mike helps organizations build the capabilities needed to compete and win in demanding, high-growth markets.

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Mike Sherwin (PropelNY Advisor) - Next Ridge Technologies, LLC

Mike is a teacher, researcher, and practitioner with over 20 years of industry experience. His teaching portfolio spans Lean Six Sigma, operations, supply chain management, quality, and project management, with additional experience leading experiential learning and capstone courses. His research focuses on developing decision-support tools for risk mitigation, operations, and supply chain management. Through his consulting and training practice, Next Ridge Technologies, Mike partners with businesses to drive improvement in strategic planning, operations, supply chain management, quality, and data analytics. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and holds degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering (PhD, Mississippi State University), Industrial Engineering (MS, Penn State University), Business Administration (MBA, Carnegie Mellon University), and Materials Science and Engineering (BS, Penn State University).

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Scott Smyser (PropelNY Advisor) - TechGrowth Strategies

Scott Smyser is a go-to-market executive, advisor, and business development leader with extensive experience helping innovative technology companies bring new products to market and scale their businesses. Throughout his career, he has built global sales organizations, established strategic partnerships, and guided commercialization efforts across startups,growth-stage companies, and established enterprises. Today, he advises founders, executive teams, and investors on business strategy, revenue growth, fundraising, market expansion, and customer engagement. His expertise lies in translating complex technologies into successful commercial outcomes and accelerating growth in competitive markets.

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Terence Collier (PropelNY Advisor) - CVInc

Terence Q. Collier is a nationally recognized advanced microelectronics packaging expert and material scientist with over 35 years of specialized industrial experience spanning standard integrated circuit (IC) assemblies, high-density optical arrays, aerospace devices, medical devices, and defense-grade components. As the president and founder of CVInc., a microfabrication and backend assembly company, he has a distinguished reputation as the industry's premier resource for prototyping, microfabrication process optimization, and advanced packaging. His technical mastery encompasses the comprehensive architecture of both front-end and back-end microfabrication tooling.

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Wassem M. Ali (PropelNY Advisor) - WMA CPA

Wassem Ali is a New York-licensed CPA and founder of WMA CPA, where he advises small businesses on tax, accounting, and financial decision-making. His experience includes several years in public accounting, followed by corporate accounting and financial reporting within the private equity industry. Through his firm, Wassem helps business owners strengthen profitability, manage working capital, and develop the financial systems needed for sustainable growth.

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