First hour: Discussing wage enhancement goals in Rochester and Monroe County
Second hour: Michael Goldberg, owner of Chocolate & Vines The Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative is working toward a wage enhancement goal. The aim of the Level Up Champions program is to increase the starting wage to $15 an hour for 10,000 Rochester residents this year. So far, about 50 employers have raised their stating wages, affecting more than 6,500 workers. Experts say low wages are a leading cause of poverty. This hour, we discuss the Level Up Champions program and the impact raising wages may have on poverty rates in the region. Our guests:
- Aqua Porter, executive director of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative
- Myra Henry, president and CEO of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County
Then in our second hour, more than a decade ago, a couple of young entrepreneurs moved to Rochester and created the city's hottest new date spot. It was called Chocolate & Vines, located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. The owners had heard about Rochester and the relatively low cost of property in Monroe County, and they launched their idea almost on a whim. Now, Chocolate & Vines is closing. We sit down with the owner to discuss what he learned in his decade in the small business world of Western New York. Our guest:
- Michael Goldberg, owner of Chocolate & Vines
