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February - March 2018
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Young Professionals impact Capital business community
and pack a real punch (L-R): Yumi Kageyama, partner,
Risen Taekwondo; Anna Williams, owner, PensInk; Jenifer
Marten, VP, Commercial Relationship Manager, Ballston Spa
National Bank; Lauren Valentine, Certified Instructor, Sandler
Training; Eugene Refino, partner, Risen Taekwondo. Photo
courtesy Mark Morand, MPIPhoto.com
At the other end of the spectrum is Anna Williams, who at age
11 became the youngest member in CSSC history in 2012. She
STILL is the chamber’s youngest member more than five years
later. “The hardest thing I had to overcome was being taken
seriously,” says Williams. “Because I couldn’t drive, my Dad
had to take me to mixers. Other members would introduce
themselves and ask if it was “bring your daughter” day!
Lauren Valentine became the CSSC’s youngest board
member in 2017 while still in her twenties. She has found the
perspectives and opinions of fellow (older) board members
enlightening. “It’s been a great experience to learn more about
the different businesses that belong to the chamber and to be
a part of the decision-making process for an organization that
affects so many people,” says Valentine.
The CSSC’s youngest partnership is comprised of the martial
arts duo Yumi Kageyama and Eugene Refino, owners of Risen
Taekwondo in Malta. They are extremely excited to have gotten
off to a fast start with their business. “The Capital Region is an
amazing place to be young entrepreneurs!” says Kageyama.
The resources and the support we have received from our
families, the CSSC and the Stack Center at Siena College has
been instrumental to our success. For us, Taekwondo is more
than just a sport – it can change lives.”
Ex-Chairwoman Marten is proud of the work the CSSC has
done on behalf of members of all ages, backgrounds and
business sizes. “The Chamber helps all of our members
by providing connections to members, such as Leadership
Circle events and monthly business mixers,” says Marten. “I
enjoyed my time as the Chairwoman of the Women in Business
Committee, which is one of the most active and dynamic
groups within the chamber.”
Sandler’s Valentine concurs. “The CSSC has been a
huge advocate for Sandler Training. I’ve been able to
connect with businesses in the Capital Region because
we had chamber membership in common. I don’t believe
those people would have been as open to my call if I wasn’t
a fellow chamber member.”
Getting out of one’s shell and learning to meet and interact
with others is part of the growth process. For Valentine,
“I can honestly say that networking changed my life for the
better. There are so many misconceptions about what
effective networking really is.”
Anna Williams found ways to overcome the oft-intimidating
world of being a business owner. “Over the last six years,
I found myself in some interesting negotiations. I was so
scared, but I didn’t show it. I held my ground and went into
the discussion knowing what I would and wouldn’t agree
to.” Membership in the CSSC “family” helped ease her
jitters: “The chamber has been a safe place where I could
just “be me” and didn’t have to always have the answers or
be embarrassed when I didn’t.
For Kageyama and Refino, belief in their craft as a
conveyor of life skills is what motivates them to succeed:
“Taekwondo not only teaches someone how to kick and
punch to defend themselves, but also to develop well-
rounded, respectful and hardworking children, teens
and adults who will in turn change the world around
them,” she says.
These businesspeople and entrepreneurs are the up-
and-coming backbone of the CSSC. It will be exciting to
follow these careers as they mature into leadership roles
within all of Tech Valley. “Walt Disney was fired from his
job because he supposedly lacked imagination,” says
Williams. “I think the most important thing is to never let
someone crush your dreams.”