Member Profile: Adele Connors

When did you join Point Positive?

I was a founding member of Point Positive.

What drew you to the organization?

I am a living example of founding and running a very successful business in the Adirondacks after 42 years of being a CEO of Adworkshop in Lake Placid and selling the company. At the sale, we employed 36 highly compensated employees, 85% of who own their own homes. Through those years, I witnessed the need for other professional companies to keep young people in the area and drive the lagging economy of the region.

What part of being a member investor do you like the most?

I have found that there is a huge need for mentoring entrepreneurs. Often, we see a business plan, but the entrepreneur has no idea how to sell their concepts to the savvy members of our group.

What type of organizations do you lean toward investing in?

Ones that can create meaningful jobs in the region and, of course, will become profitable at some point.

What businesses have you participated in, whether mentoring or financial investment?

Crua Outdoors, Birch Boys, Confluent... and I am mentoring in many more as well.

What is your vision for the Greater Adirondack Region?

Fiber throughout the Adirondack Park
Revitalization of our rural communities through business and job creation
Reverse to the course of an aging population

What inspired you to co-found Point Positive?

The thought was born when I was Co-Chair of the Adirondack Foundation in 2013. Lee Keet was also a driving force back then. It started as the Adirondack Business Creators (ABC). From there, we dialed it before, and it became Point Positive.

How long have you been a resident and coming to the Adirondacks?

I went in the summers all of my life. When I was old enough to decide where I would live, it was always in the Adirondacks.