Behind The Business: Genesee County NY The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce

On this week's episode, Cohost's Sara Stockwell and Katy Hobbs are joined by Scot and Kate Pickard with Pickard Solutions.  Pickard Solutions provides small business IT solutions and managed services. Learn more about this incredible husband and wife duo, who started their company at home during the pandemic, while also raising their two kids!

Scot Pickard
Scot has been an IT professional since 2003.  He is a VMware Certified Professional in data center virtualization and an AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate with Amazon Web Services.  Scot has held multiple positions as a senior systems engineer in the Buffalo and Rochester job markets. His favorite non-computer-related activity is cooking, and he is learning how to barbeque.  Scot grew up in LeRoy, where he graduated in the early 2000s.  When Scot got married, they moved back to LeRoy to start a family.  


Kate Pickard 


Kate creates an atmosphere of collaboration, continued learning, and growth of others.  Her professional experience spans across leadership, education, and project management; all from solid roots as a Registered Nurse.  She graduated from nursing school in 2007. Since then, she obtained her Bachelors in Nursing, Masters in Management, and an advanced graduate certificate in Public Health.   She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management.   
Learning and reading are two constants in Kate’s life and what she points to when others ask how to achieve their goals.  Two values she is instilling in both her children as well.  When not working, Kate loves to bake, play games, and explore the many nature trails WNY has to offer with her husband and two children.   
To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/

On our first episode with Cohost's Kelly Bermingham and Katy Hobbs, we are joined by Karyn Winters - Director of the Genesee County Business/Education Alliance.

Karyn was born and raised in Genesee County and is a 2003 graduate of Pavilion Central School - Go Gophers! She has a  Bachelor's degree in secondary social studies education from Siena College and a master's degree in world history from SUNY Brockport. 

Karyn has served as BEA Director since March 2017 and is excited to introduce high-growth/high-demand careers and industries to Genesee County students.  She lives in Livingston County with her husband and daughter. 

The Genesee County Business Education Alliance (BEA) is an organization whose mission is to foster a partnership between business and education and to assist students in preparing for the world of work.



To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/

This episode we were joined by Guy Pellegrino of Pellegrino Auto Sales. He details his start in business at a young age and the mentorship he received from his former boss. He has devoted his entire adult life to building his car business into what it is today and expanding over the years. He gives a lot of credit to the employees and the people of Pellegrino Auto Sales for its longstanding success.

Guy is a graduate of BHS and a local boy through and through, and gives back to his community in many ways- including being involved in the naming of the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena for his friend and former teammate David McCarthy.
To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/

This episode we were joined by local comic, pop culture, star wars aficionado- Bill Hume of Foxprowl Collectables.

Bill brings his humor and pop culture knowledge to the interview and speaks about the growth of his business from hobby to full time job since 1999. Foxprowl is a collectables store in Batavia that specializes in unique items from the 70s, 80s but also has a flair for the new age of collectables with Marvel and Star Wars items. 
To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/

This episode we were joined by new business owner Mitch Kolb of Batavia Garage Door Co. Mitch had worked at Batavia Garage door for many years before having the opportunity to take over the business in the Fall of 2020.

Listen to his inspiring story of the heart and compassion he has experienced in the local business community in Genesee County, NY.
To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/

This episode we were joined by local businessman and community savant, Matty Gray. 

Born and raised in Batavia, Matty has had a huge impact on this community in his ownership of multiple businesses, and his involvement in the development of Genesee County, where he calls home.

In this conversation he speaks about how he cut his teeth in business at an early age and moved to North Carolina to open up a pizza place. After having some success down there, he decided to move back home to start his family and this is when he purchased the local staple of ribs Alex's Place.

In more recent years he and his partner Jon Mager have opened Batavia's first Downtown brewery, Eli Fish Brewing Co- providing a transformational change to Main St, Batavia.  In his most recent announcement he has been linked to the management of the ice arena in Batavia, where he plans to refurbish and repair the facility into a year-round destination.

Thank you Matty for finding the time to do this and sharing your great stories with us!
To learn more about our Genesee County businesses, visit us at https://geneseeny.chambermaster.com/list/