The 2026 BIANYS Annual Conference of Incubators and Accelerators and 20th Anniversary Celebration

The 2026 BIANYS Annual Conference of Incubators and Accelerators and 20th Anniversary Celebration brought together more than 100 attendees across three days of programming, networking, tours, and partner events in New York’s Capital Region, co-hosted with the University at Albany Innovation Center.

On the first day, attendees boarded a bus for BIANYS’ first-ever incubator bus tour, visiting four Albany-area innovation and entrepreneurship hubs: the University at Albany Innovation Center at ETEC, the Accelerating Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (AMPS) Business Incubator, STEAM Garden, and Tech Valley Center of Gravity. Each stop offered a firsthand look at the different facilities, programs, and resources supporting entrepreneurs in the Capital Region. That evening, members came together for a welcome reception featuring networking, indoor golf, and an ice cream cake celebrating BIANYS’ 20th anniversary.

Day two brought attendees together at the University at Albany for a full day of panels, fireside chats, and conversations featuring more than 15 industry leaders. Sessions explored topics including makerspaces, industry partnerships and commercialization, regional venture capital, public policy, and collaboration across New York’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The day also included a fireside chat with BIANYS founder David Hochman reflecting on 20 years of the organization and a 20th Anniversary Luncheon featuring a keynote address from Ben Verschueren, Executive Director of NYSTAR at Empire State Development.

The anniversary celebration also marked the presentation of BIANYS’ two inaugural awards. David Hochman received the Robert Herz Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the vision and leadership that helped establish BIANYS 20 years ago and build a statewide network of incubators and entrepreneurial support organizations. Patty Rechberger of FuzeHub received the BIANYS Community Catalyst Award, recognizing her dedication to connecting people, building partnerships, and advancing entrepreneurship across New York State.

That evening, BIANYS partnered with Startup Tech Valley for its monthly meetup, bringing the conference community together with the broader Capital Region startup ecosystem. Five companies took the stage to pitch their ventures, followed by networking among founders, investors, incubator leaders, and other members of the region’s innovation community.

On the third and final day, BIANYS partnered with Upstate Venture Connect for a morning meetup featuring a fireside chat with Anna W. Topol, CEO of QLITHIC, as well as investor office hours for local founders. The conference concluded with two additional concurrent tours, giving attendees the opportunity to visit either The RNA Institute at the University at Albany or the Albany NanoTech Complex at NY CREATES.

Across three days, the conference combined peer learning with firsthand exposure to the organizations, facilities, founders, and partnerships powering innovation across New York State—celebrating how far BIANYS and its community have come over the past 20 years while creating new connections for the years ahead.