Catharine Young
Director, New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech
“We are the Food State and that opens the door for great economic growth through the Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture. The stage is set for us to grab onto this economic development and maximize it to its fullest.”
Catharine M. Young, former state Senator and a longtime champion of food and agriculture enterprises and economic development, is the Executive Director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech.
Cornell University is globally recognized as a prestigious leader in food and agriculture research, innovation and technology. The Center of Excellence (CoE) is a business hub that connects startups and established food, beverage and agriculture technology companies with the resources they need to succeed, including world-class Cornell expertise, business mentoring, public and private funding, business-to-business partnerships, training and education, supply chain assets, and co-location opportunities.
The CoE has helped over 800 entrepreneurs, startups and mature food, beverage and ag-tech companies add or retain more than 920 jobs, increase their revenues by over $32 million and achieve more than $135 million in economic growth since forming in 2018.
Senator Young represented Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany and Livingston counties in the state legislature for many years and was the first woman in history to serve as chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. She was a strong voice for economic prosperity and rural issues, a legacy she carries on today at Cornell.
