IgniteU Welcomes Our Spring 2026 Fellows!
We’re excited to welcome 21 students to the IgniteU Fellowship for Spring 2026! This semester, we have students joining us from Hudson Valley Community College, Lehman College, Le Moyne College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and The City College of New York to bring together a diverse, talented cohort.
Orientation took place on January 20 across all three NYSTEC locations (Albany, New York City, and Rome), where students were onboarded with their laptops, picked up some great new swag, and began building connections. They met the other fellows in the program, the IgniteU NY team, as well as representatives from NYSTEC Administration, Learning & Development, Recruitment, IT, and Security. We were also thrilled to have Kevin Owens, President and CEO, stop by the Albany location to welcome students in person and virtually.
The IgniteU Fellowship pairs fellows with small businesses for a semester-long partnership focused on solving practical business challenges. Participating organizations serve as placement sites and collaborate with teams of 2-3 students on a designated project, offering mentorship and guidance throughout the semester. While completing work at the businesses, students participate in a consulting-focused curriculum that integrates design thinking, problem-solving and research methods, and human-centered skill development, which complements not only the final project outcomes, but the student experience in general.
We’re looking forward to another strong semester and seeing our fellows continue to build their communication, teamwork, and professionalism, all key skills for success in today’s workforce. Welcome to Spring 2026, IgniteU Fellows!
January STEAM Highlights!
IgniteU NY was thrilled to continue our STEAM programming with students from Berlin Central School and Redemption Christian Academy. Across both our sessions, students explored electrical engineering and structural design through activities that both inspired creativity but also connected them to future careers they might see themselves in.
Students were introduced to the basics of circuits using Snap Circuits, where they learned how electricity flows and experimented with building working circuits. This activity encouraged a lot of critical thinking and problem solving, exploring how to troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Students tested different configurations with the Snap Circuits and saw immediate results from their designs.
At the end of 2025, we also wrapped up our engineering unit by analyzing the strength of the bridges students had previously built. Students tested their structures, recorded results, and reflected on what design choices made their bridges stronger or weaker. This final step helped reinforce key engineering concepts as well as what they had previously learned.
These STEAM sessions gave students the opportunity to learn by doing, asking thoughtful questions, and seeing how it connects to future careers. We’re looking forward to building this momentum in the months ahead!
Season 2 Coming Soon!
The IgniteU NY Podcast returns in March 2026 with Season 2, continuing its focus on elevating the people, partnerships, and programs driving innovation, workforce development, and economic growth across New York State.
This season features conversations with a dynamic lineup of leaders shaping regional and statewide innovation ecosystems, including Shawna Papale of Mohawk Valley EDGE; Dr. Lisette Nieves of the Fund for the City of New York; Ryan Silva of Empire State Development; Nick Viggiani and Eric Ledet from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Office of Strategic Alliances and Translation; John Liddy of CenterState CEO and the INSPYRE Innovation Hub; and Jim Gertner, Yoanna L. Ferrara, Jennifer Flagg, and Shannon Ealy of the NY SMART I-Corridor.
Across the season, listeners will gain insight into how cross-sector collaboration, research commercialization, workforce pipelines, and place-based strategies are fueling economic opportunity throughout New York. Episodes will explore how government, academia, nonprofits, and industry are working together to support small businesses, attract investment, and prepare communities for emerging technologies.
Season 2 of the IgniteU NY Podcast will begin rolling out weekly episodes in March 2026, offering practical insights and forward-looking perspectives for entrepreneurs, policymakers, educators, and innovation leaders statewide.
Catch us at the NYSEDC Economic Development Conference February 10-11, 2026
We hope to see you at the NYSEDC Economic Development Conference this year! Stop by our booth to connect with our team and learn more about our work supporting innovation and economic growth across New York State.
We’re also excited to host a featured panel discussion moderated by Shae Brown, alongside expert consultants Manna Doyle and Finn Kreidler from Empire APEX Accelerator. Our panel guests will also include representatives from Empire State Development, Derek Crossman and Jenny Low.
Together, we’ll explore Cross-Regional Collaboration and Coalition-Building for Economic Growth, highlighting strategies that strengthen partnerships and drive sustainable regional impact. We look forward to seeing you there. Click the button below for more information and to register!
Learn more about the Economic Development Conference