We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of our crew, Elyssa Rossi, as our freshly created position, the Small Business Liaison! In collaboration with Highland Planning and the City’s Street Liaison program, this position will work closely with locally owned businesses and Merchant Associations along four merchant corridors in the southeast quadrant of Rochester: Monroe Ave, South Ave, South Clinton Ave, and E. Main St (Goodman to Culver). Elyssa will meet with businesses along these merchant corridors, offering information on a variety of grants and funding opportunities (available via the City and other avenues) to strengthen their business or brand. Another critical function of this position is relationship building and fostering a sense of community and inclusivity between the local businesses, Merchant Association, surrounding Neighborhood Association(s), and SEAC.
Elyssa has been an active member of the community, served as the Board Chair of the revitalized Monroe Ave Merchant Association for nearly two years, integral to the founding and activities of both the Monroe Ave Revitalization Coalition (MARC) and the Business Associations of the South East (BASE) coalition, founded the Shop Small Monroe initiative, and has participated in more Clean Sweeps than can keep count of!
It’s going to be an awesome (and busy) 2025-2026!!!
We are excited for this opportunity as it lets our small agency to continue to deliver on our promise of being the connective tissue of the southeast area of Rochester, connecting our residents, businesses, and community partners to needed resources and giving them the tools they need to create the changes they want to make.
Elyssa is a Rochester native who has spent over a decade working for and alongside Small Businesses in the Rochester area. Over those years, she has grown a deep passion for connecting merchants and assisting them in organizing their efforts to their fullest potential. In 2015 she started ShopSmall_Monroe to help support neighboring businesses and in 2022 she aided in reorganizing efforts with the Monroe Avenue Merchants Association. In 2023, she joined forces with neighboring Merchants Association in the South East in creating BASE (Business Association for the South East) as well as MARC, The Monroe Avenue Revitalization Coalition.
She loves any chance she can get to be on the ground working directly with businesses and neighbors. Whether it be clean sweeps, promotional events or helping businesses strategize, Elyssa enjoys finding solutions in light of challenges. Elyssa loves to share these experiences with her three daughters who will often join her in community events. Her motto is ” A little goes a long way.. and if everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot!”
