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October 17, 2019Siena College Announces 2019 Maddalone Wall Honorees
The annual Siena College Maddalone Wall of Success induction ceremony was held October 15 in the College’s Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The Maddalone Wall provides a highly visible platform to honor Siena alumni who have launched their own successful businesses, and to inspire current students who have entrepreneurial plans, according to Michael J. Hickey ’83, executive director of the Stack Center. Inductees have a plaque with their business’s logo featured on the wall.
The 2019 Maddalone Wall honorees are:
Michelle Annese Bleichert ’85 Christmas Land LLC, Altamont, NY
Christmas Land hosts holiday-themed activities for families such as visits with Santa, sleigh rides and crafting, and supports various philanthropic initiatives. Each year they bring in groups of children in need to share in the Christmas Land experience, and have founded the non-profit Seeds of Endless Hope, which grows produce for families with a member undergoing cancer treatment. Christmas Land is now hosting summer music events.
Thomas J. Burke, Siena Board of Trustees, Burke Companies, Malta, NY
The Burke Companies has interests in commercial real estate development and food service operations. Their portfolio includes supermarkets, drugstores, medical office buildings, strip malls, convenience stores and residential subdivisions located throughout the greater Capital Region.
Douglas P. Colbeth ’77 and Margaret R. Colbeth ’76 MedCircle
MedCircle is a professional mental health company that offers its members the ability to dial into conferences with featured MedCircle doctors. The MedCircle educational series was created for patients, parents, supporters, healthcare workers, educators, and first responders, enabling its members to take more control over their mental healthcare.
Douglas P. Colbeth ’77 Spyglass Inc.
Spyglass was one of the first internet software technology developers to enable billions of people and their devices to leverage use of the emerging World Wide Web. Spyglass created and licensed many technologies still in use today, including Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Browser. In 1995, Spyglass was the first internet software company to conduct a successful IPO and was one of the top performing NSDQ stocks in 1996.
Marisa A. Ricciardi ‘98 The Ricciardi Group, New York, NY
The Ricciardi Group is a marketing and strategy firm founded in 2014 that now includes Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, innovators like Adobe and merging technology brands like General Assembly among its clients. Recently, the firm was recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of America’s fastest-growing companies; Ricciardi herself was recognized as one of ‘10 Leading Ladies Changing Business as Usual’ by Inc. magazine.
John D. Smack ’95 OneConnect, Clifton Park, NY
OneConnect provides customized technology solutions to more than 600 businesses around the world. The OneConnect team advises and supports local clients like Siena College, Plug Power, St. Peter’s Health Partners, Pioneer Savings Bank and SI Group.
Chip J. Stein ’78 Stein Fibers, Ltd., Albany, NY
Stein Fibers produces, sources and sells synthetic textile related fiber products with a green environmental focus. They are a distributor of recycled polyester as well as a domestic producer, using global sourcing strategies and modern domestic production facilities.
The Maddalone Entrepreneur Wall of Success was made possible through the generous support of Guy Maddalone ’89, founder and CEO of GTM Payroll Services.
