Several of the North Country’s entrepreneurs will gather on September 25 to share their experiences with growing an idea into a viable business in our unique region.

The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is hosting this forum as part of its 2015 Annual Meeting, themed “ANCA@60: Accelerating Local Economies.” Clarkson University President Tony Collins will open the program, which will also include recognition of the success of the Go Digital or Go Dark Campaign that concluded recently with the digital conversion of the Strand Theater in Schroon Lake.

“ANCA is celebrating this milestone by bringing together a group of innovators whose passion and drive are the keys to economic sustainability in our region,” ANCA Executive Director Kate Fish said in an announcement of the meeting. “These entrepreneurs have much to share about how to make a business idea succeed in our unique area and we want to bring that message to our members and the community.”

Cathy Dove, President of Paul Smith’s College, will moderate the entrepreneur panel, featuring Mary Joy Lu, who brought the Rail Bike experience to the North Country this summer; John P. Gaus, whose Potsdam startup, Agbiotic Inc., designs robots that provide precision tilling to remove weeds without the use of chemicals; and Margaret Finen of Norwood, who will soon start bottling water sourced from maple trees under the label “Tree H₂0.”

“Regional economic growth is highly correlated with the presence of many small, entrepreneurial employers,” says Fish. “ANCA has worked to expand markets and opportunities for entrepreneurs since our founding, and we are excited to showcase these innovators and their ventures at our Annual Meeting.”

ANCA’s 2015 Annual Meeting will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lake Placid on September 25 from 2:30 to 4:30, followed by a reception.

For full agenda or to register, visit ANCA’s website at www.adirondack.org. For more information about registration, contact Jake Vennie-Vollrath at (518) 891-6200 or jvennie-vollrath@adirondack.org.