The New Adirondack Workforce

Our tech initiative is gaining momentum

Ryan Hutton wanted to return to his Chestertown roots. Alyona Smokvin missed the snow of her native Ukraine. Rob Britton relocated to live closer to family in Canada. Their reasons for moving to the Adirondack region vary, but what they have in common is a career that allows them to live anywhere with an internet connection. As remote technology workers — Ryan works for Google, Alyona is assistant vice president of operations for an insurance operations software company, and Rob is a software engineer launching a startup in Malone — they represent the leading edge of what ACF Trustee and fundholder Craig Weatherup sees as the best hope for revitalizing the Adirondack economy and reversing the region’s aging demographic trends.

Craig, a former PepsiCo executive, now lives full time in Paul Smiths with his wife, Connie. They opened a donoradvised fund with ACF because they wanted to address the big challenges facing the region and recognized that the community foundation, with its local knowledge and relationships, was the most effective way to do so. An initial gift from the Weatherups, along with a group of committed local donors, helped launch the Adirondack Innovation Initiative (A2I) to foster an innovation ecosystem that will allow more people to live in the Adirondacks full time with a good job that supports a sustainable lifestyle. Svetlana Filipson, A2I’s director, grew up in Lake Placid and, after working in the tech hubs of San Francisco, Boulder, and Boston, returned to raise her young son. She is part of a small but growing cohort of professionals who want the benefits of living in the Adirondacks without sacrificing their careers.

In just over a year, A2I has built a network of more than 300 remote workers, people in tech and tech-adjacent fields, and partners in education, business, and government. They are connecting on LinkedIn and, more importantly, in person, through monthly meetups that help make remote work feel a little less, well, remote. “A2I has been an integral part of my move back to the Adirondacks,” says Ryan Hutton. “Working remotely can be isolating, but through A2I I’ve found a welcoming network of innovators across industries — and it’s made this region feel like home again.” Up next, A2I is partnering with Clarkson University’s Shipley Center for Innovation to host entrepreneurial meetups and “tech talks,” as well as cofounding a professional mentorship program. Another partner, North Country Community College, is joining efforts to strengthen workforce partnerships and assess training needs for adult learners. “What excites me most is seeing people realize they don’t have to leave the Adirondacks to thrive,” says Svetlana. “We’re creating a future where the region is known not just for its beauty, but for its ideas and energy too.”

A2I has been an integral part of my move back to the Adirondacks. Working remotely can be isolating, but through A2I I’ve found a welcoming network of innovators across industries — and it’s made this region feel like home again.

“A2I has been an integral part of my move back to the Adirondacks. Working remotely can be isolating, but through A2I I’ve found a welcoming network of innovators across industries — and it’s made this region feel like home again.”