May the 4th be with you! Join us today in celebrating Star Wars day! Hear from Jessica DeGroote Nelson, Director of Technology & Strategy, about the technologies behind the Star Wars blasters.

APRIL FOOLS! Explore our "new" Air & Space exhibit! This new exhibit, housed in the Star Theater of the Strasenburgh Planetarium, pushes the boundaries of air and space showcasing rare specimens not often seen.

Join Steve Fentress as he guides you through the universe in our newest Virtual Planetarium show.

Today's Topic: Employee Ownership Trusts: An ESOP Alternative Our Speaker: Rick Plympton, Christopher Michael, Sue Crockett Club E will be joined by Sue Crockett, Rick Plympton and Christopher Michael to discuss Employee Ownership Trusts. You can also watch live on our YouTube Channel. Selling to an employee ownership trust (EOT) should be considered as an alternative to an ESOP where the cost of an ESOP is a major consideration, as well as where perpetuity of the employee ownership structure is a major goal. The presentation will also include discussion of wealth accumulation strategies in an EOT, valuation for an EOT sale, choice of EOT trustee, oversight under state trust law, transition of an ESOP to an EOT, and examples of EOT-owned companies. You will come away from this event with the "Why" to use an EOT instead of an ESOP, the "How" to transition to an EOT, and the "Where" to look for further guidance. About our panelists- Rick Plympton: Rick Plympton is the CEO of Optimax, a precision optics manufacturer in Ontario, NY. He has provided leadership and vision over the past 25 years needed to grow Optimax from a small start-up to America’s largest precision optics manufacturer. Rick recently initiated a corporate restructuring to effectively give the corporation to the employees via an EOT. Rick is actively involved in supporting regional workforce development and the optics industry. Rick holds degrees in business administration, computer science, and engineering science from Finger Lakes Community College. He furthered his education at the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Science degree in Optics ’87 and an MBA ‘99. Christopher Michael: Chris is responsible for developing the perpetual purpose trust as a new legal mechanism for employee ownership in the United States and has published articles introducing the concept in leading peer-reviewed law journals, including Tax Notes and Probate & Property. He is currently a professor at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and a senior fellow at the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Chris received his BA from Columbia University and earned his JD and PhD at the City University of New York with a dissertation on the history of employee-owned businesses in the United States. He is admitted to practice law in Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, and the District of Columbia, and serves as a consultant for businesses across the country. Sue Crockett: Sue is the Executive Director of the MN Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) a non-profit organization created to educate business owners, advisors, community leaders, and members of local and state government entities on the benefits of employee ownership via Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs). It is the mission of the MNCEO to turn the state of Minnesota into a place where every working person can also be an employee owner. THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS Boulay Group, CPA's - https://www.boulaygroup.com/ Irish Titan - https://irishtitan.com/ Highland Bank - https://highland.bank/ Minnesota Sales Institute - https://mnsales.com/ Romain Berg - https://www.romainberg.com/ The Network Connect - https://thenetworkconnect.com/

Optimax Systems celebrated another success as lenses it produced for the new Mars Rover were launched into space in July.

For some manufacturing workers, AI-based technologies are a greater boon than threat, and the bigger issue is managing constant change in the work environments and responsibilities. Optimax, an optics manufacturer in Ontario, NY, lets us join them on the floor to learn how their employees are working with changing technology to build customized products.

Produced through Town of Penfield Television www.penfieldTV.org Hosted by Eric Townell, with guests Dawn Lipson, chair of the Arts and Cultures Council for Greater Rochester Eric Plympton, CEO of Optimax

Optimax helps its customers prove that great people can do great things with the right technology and support. We leverage our optics manufacturing technology for programs that benefit mankind and projects that defend our freedom. Our know-how, innovation and speed enable quicker production of precision optics to meet emerging market needs. Some of the most sophisticated programs in the world trust Optimax to produce the most complex optics reliably. Since Optimax was founded in 1991, optics have been behind enormous progress in technologies as diverse as fiber optic telecommunications, solid-state lighting, digital photography, displays, and diagnostic medicine. We have worked key programs in aerospace, government research, and defense, and our customers’ successes have fueled our growth.

At a time of record low unemployment, the problem we now face is not that people don’t have work, but that they don’t have good work. As the economy booms, low wages, limited benefits, and insecure employment are still the reality for many working people. What will it take to make sure everyone in the United States has quality jobs? The Aspen Institute and Urban Institute have been exploring this issue through different vantage points, to better understand the challenges that we face and the implications for policies and practices that improve job quality. And while the issue of quality jobs is one of national importance, solutions also need to respond to the needs of different places and communities across the country and be inclusive of all, regardless of race, gender, or other factors. Governments at all levels, businesses, civic, labor, and community organizations and more, all have roles to play in addressing the need for quality work. What do we know and what do we need to know so that we can build a world of work in which hard work truly does lead to a dignified living? This conversation will bring together different experiences and perspectives to explore this question. We’ll be featuring a senior researcher from the Urban Institute together with Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellows from business, community development finance, and workforce and policy development who are working to create quality jobs in their communities. Opening remarks: Sarah Keh Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Prudential Financial Speakers: Amanda BlondeauAmanda Blondeau Business Services Director, Northern Initiatives Demetra Nightingale Institute Fellow, Urban Institute Rick Plympton CEO, Optimax Systems Caryn York Executive Director, Job Opportunities Task Force Join the conversation on Twitter by following us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AspenWorkforce and https://twitter.com/urbaninstitute) and tweeting with the hashtag #talkgoodjobs. Learn more: For more information about this event, visit http://as.pn/qualityjobs. This event is part of the Working in America series, an ongoing discussion series hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program that highlights an array of critical issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers in the United States and ideas for improving and expanding economic opportunities for working people. We are grateful to the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, and the Walmart Foundation for their support of this series. For more information, visit http://as.pn/workinginamerica. Learn how the Economic Opportunities Program is helping low- and moderate-income Americans connect to and thrive in a changing economy. Follow us on social media at http://as.pn/eopsocial and join our mailing list at http://as.pn/eopmail to stay up-to-date on events, publications, blog posts, and other announcements.

Learn how Optimax Systems, a manufacturer of world class optics, uses #Mastercam's precision to minimize polishing time as well as keeping the surface as pure as possible.

In 2019, Optimax doubled its size and added 60,000 sq. ft. to its current facility in Ontario, NY. This expansion will make room for more than 59 new jobs in the next five years as part of our dedication to growing our workforce. Learn more here https://www.optimaxsi.com/about-opt...