Tim Nekritz | nekritz@gmail.com
Upstate New York has long worried about young professionals and entrepreneurs moving out of the state, but a new generation of business owners is emerging.
Sarah Welkley, Maddie Leszczynski, Kate Devin and Kelly Holbrook have all started and run very different businesses, but they’ve all found ways to turn their passion into success.
They’re also bucking the national entrepreneurial trend.
According to an April 2024 report from Zippia, a company that provides online recruiting services nationwide, only 6% of entrepreneurs are under the age of 30. The vast majority (64%) are over 40.
They also stand out in a field where nationally, about 58.5% of entrepreneurs are male.
For Welkley, who owns Sweets by Sarah Bakery on Main Street in Fairhaven, baking is in her family’s DNA.
“My great-grandparents and great-grandparents owned two restaurants in Seneca Falls and Newark,” Welkley says, “Growing up, everyone in my family baked and I would spend days baking with my grandmother during the holidays. I’ve always loved baking and seeing simple ingredients like flour, sugar and butter transformed into amazing desserts.”
Welkley, who graduated from North Rose Wolcott in 2018, went on to earn an associate’s degree from Finger Lakes Community College’s culinary school. She started out as a roadside pop-up and order-taking business, and while she and her fiancé live near the Red Creek-Wolcott border, “we were looking for the perfect place to open our dream bakery,” she recalls. “Fair Haven is such a beautiful, friendly town, and when I saw the building for sale, I knew it would be the perfect place for a bakery.”
Welkey was just 20 when she saw the building, and 21 when the store — a former pizza place that had recently been used for a variety of purposes — on the east edge of Fairhaven’s business district opened in 2021. She quickly gained recognition for her quality products and one-pound cinnamon rolls.
Welkley quickly garnered support and recognition, winning the Cayuga County Most Outstanding and Attractive New Business Award for 2022 from the Cayuga County Tourism Bureau.
On the other side of town, on the west shore of Little Sodus Bay, an even younger entrepreneur had an idea that could lead to Fair Haven’s big tourism industry.
Leszczynski opened her business, Fair Haven Water Bike Rentals, on the pier at Turtle Cove Resort and Marina in spring 2022. The 16-year-old just finished 10th grade but is in her third year running the business.
She remembered seeing personal watercraft during a visit to Buffalo in the summer of 2021 and wanted to bring that experience to the local community. The business is set to launch in the spring of 2022.
Strong family role models also play a part in this: Her parents are Mike Leszczynski, entrepreneur and president of MTC Developments, and Jamie Leszczynski, senior vice president of communications and chief brand officer for Oswego Health.
“My mom and dad both work extremely hard and their dedication and tenacity got me excited about starting my own business,” Leszczynski said.
Her youthful passion and poise is evident to her customers as well as her win at the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation’s Kick Start Business Pitch event in November 2023.
“My goal is always to do my best and give my customers a great overall experience so they will return,” Leszczynski said.
Devin, 22, is a multi-talented entrepreneur who works as a singer-songwriter, runs Kate’s Character Corner, writes for Guitar Weekly magazine, and regularly hosts a talk show with other musicians on Instagram Live called “Communicate.”
“I play live frequently in central and upstate New York, and occasionally out of state,” Devin says. “I book all my own shows and operate independently, so I’m never without a busy schedule, but it’s a blessing and a blessing that I’m blessed to have.”
Cate’s Character Corner, which has been around for about a year and a half, started when Devin “realized there was a niche market in the Utica-Rome area for family-friendly events where people could interact with characters.” At her company, Devin and other characters play characters that are popular with children.
“Many of the venues I work with have never done character entertainment before and I find it extremely beneficial, so it’s very rewarding to know that I’m helping other businesses while doing what I love,” says Devin. “I’ve always had a huge admiration for working with kids and adding acting and music to that was a dream come true.”
Additionally, Devin is looking to parlay his acting skills into film acting, starring in an independent film set to begin production in August. “The timing was right, as I had just put out my own videotape and was starting to look for opportunities in my neighborhood,” Devin says. “I plan on doing more of that. In middle school, I used to make movies and skits with my friends, so it was nice to come full circle to pursue that.”
Devin managed to achieve all this despite living with chronic pain from a condition called trigeminal neuralgia, and she now shares her experience with the condition to help others.
“No matter what obstacles are in my way, I seem to have a compass inside me that shows me the way,” Devin says. “Creation has always been a part of me, and it goes hand in hand with business management. Gary Vaynerchuk is an inspirational figure in the entrepreneurial world that I follow online.”
Holbrook, now 25, wanted more control over her work and priorities when she returned from maternity leave in 2022. This led to the decision to open Mindful Aesthetic Studio in Salina in July 2023.
“I decided to open this shop because I wanted a warm, inviting space where I could provide clinical results and a perfectly organized client experience,” Holbrook says. The studio is a “broadcast-style beauty salon” — she specializes in facials and acne treatments, while other staff work in areas like makeup, eyelash extensions and lifts, and brow waxing.
“When you work for someone else, you have limited control,” Holbrook points out. “After I had my son, my time in the treatment room was even more limited, and I felt I needed to make the most of my time.”
Like others interviewed for this article, her source of inspiration was an exemplary family: “My father owns a restaurant in Phoenix, New York. [RFH Hideaway]”I’ve always admired the work he puts into his business,” Holbrook explains. “He taught me that if you want something, only you can make it happen.”
Challenges and rewards
Being an entrepreneur, especially when you’re young, requires a lot of hard work and versatility.
“One thing people don’t realize about the bakery is that I run it almost entirely by myself,” Welkley explains. “Photography, baking, wedding tastings, planning, desserts, cakes, special occasion cakes, online orders, online posts, emails, etc. I do it all by myself. I have a few high school kids help me on the weekends, and in the summer my parents and husband help out on weekends, but other than that it’s just me!”
Devin credits “willpower” with keeping her on the path to success. “Entrepreneurship requires your whole being,” she said of entrepreneurship. “Balancing your mental state with your various business activities requires a certain finesse that I’m still learning.”
“When you’re young, it’s hard to keep a schedule and keep everything on track,” Leszczynski says.
Holbrook pointed out that many parts of the work are invisible to customers. “For example, not only do I work with clients as an esthetician, I’m also a social media manager, laundry girl, cleaner, bookkeeper and many other roles,” she said. “Just because you’re a business owner doesn’t mean you can just sit back and watch everyone else do the work for you. The success of your business depends on your own success.”
But having a “great support system and schedule” has really helped her run a business as a young mother.
“I time block out every single day of exactly what I need to do to stay on top,” Holbrook explains. “This includes creating my social media content and when to post it. Time is very valuable and I try not to waste it during work hours.”
But despite all the challenges of being a young entrepreneur, those interviewed said the positives far outweigh it all.
“What I love most about running my own business is being able to come up with an idea and execute it right then and there!” says Welkley. “I love talking to and getting to know my customers, and I also enjoy going to events to meet new people, tell my story, and grow my business.”
“What I love most about running my own business is having complete creative control,” Holbrook says, “and being a mom myself, I can create a schedule that supports me and my family during this time in my life.”
“What I like about it is that I can choose when I work, I get my own pay and I have my own responsibilities,” Leszczynski said.
Speaking with Kate’s Character Corner, Devin said what she likes most about it is “how easily it gives families memories that will last a lifetime. The world is harsh, so preserving the magic wherever we can is really important to me.”
The job also brings Devin added satisfaction. “Participating in the various birthday party events allows me to relive my childhood,” she says. “As a person with a chronic illness, I can’t help but feel like I’m a child.” — I felt pain and thought I would never feel that way again, but fortunately I was wrong. Seeing so many kids excited and living in the moment brought tears to my eyes. I am honored to be able to explore the music scene and be part of the talented people in this area during my live performances.
Welkley encourages people of any age who want to start a business to explore different options.
“My advice to others is to follow your dreams,” Welkley said. “No matter how difficult or tough it may seem, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I went from baking bread for friends and family in my parents’ house to a little roadside stand to a brick-and-mortar bakery in Fair Haven, and I’m so glad I decided to follow my dreams.”
Tim Nekritz As director of news and media affairs at SUNY Oswego, she is at the forefront of telling the stories of the campus community.
