Volunteer Insights: Start by Growing and Leveraging Your Network
By: Partnership For New York City
Tags: Venture Capital, Startup, Impact Investing

Guest post written by Robert Stillman, Vice Chairman of CBRE

Robert Stillman has been a Partnership Fund for New York City advisory board member and project team volunteer for over a decade. As a vice chairman of CBRE, Robert has over 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry.

This year, I worked with the Partnership Fund to evaluate an investment in Recycle Track Systems (RTS). RTS is bringing data, technology and thus transparency to commercial waste management, a critical industry in need of innovation.

As a project team volunteer, I collaborate with other business leaders and the Fund’s staff to assess potential investments for the Fund’s capital. Over the years, I have worked on both emerging tech companies solving big civic problems — such as RTS — and projects that do the important work of bringing jobs to underserved areas of the city. Our work on the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center project to revitalize small manufacturing in the city spurred the creation of over 500 jobs across Brooklyn and Queens. It’s been gratifying to see the impact of investments like these ripple across the city and create more opportunities for New Yorkers.

My relationship with the Partnership Fund began in 2007 after participating in the David Rockefeller Fellows program, an initiative of the Partnership for New York City to engage senior corporate executives in civic leadership. The Fellows program deepened my commitment to public engagement and broadened my network in New York City across all sectors. Just as I have benefited from the Partnership’s network, so do the diverse companies in the Fund’s portfolio — whether they are a startup or innovative nonprofit.

Why RTS

What impressed us about RTS was the team’s understanding of market demand — specifically the evolving needs of commercial businesses. These businesses are increasingly looking for sustainable, responsible solutions for recycling and diverting waste. Also, as laws on recycling and waste management change, RTS helps clients demonstrate adherence to new regulations. RTS’ technology benefits the business community and sustains a growing commitment to reducing the city’s environmental footprint. For companies like RTS that present New York’s strongest markets with innovative solutions, the opportunity is seemingly limitless.

Why the Partnership Fund

Year-over-year, new capital is poured into New York’s startup ecosystem, but building a successful company takes more than money. In a competitive landscape, young companies looking to scale start by growing and leveraging their networks. Regardless of your industry, New York’s concentration of business leaders across sectors provides fertile ground for entrepreneurs to tap into the expertise of executives, industry experts and investors.

The network the Partnership Fund connects founders to is priceless, reason enough to seek their investment or apply to one of their programs. The Fund has put together an incredible cohort of seasoned executives with deep insights on industry trends — an effort that I’ve been a part of for more than a decade. My team at CBRE has been called on to make key introductions to help companies identify and access growth opportunities. And if you want to build game-changing products that will resonate with your customers, you’re going to need an industry insider’s perspective to remain at the top of your field and break into new markets. Many of New York’s legacy industries are experiencing a new wave of digital innovation. The Partnership Fund helps young companies leverage those connections, improve their value proposition and overcome barriers to enter established industries.