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Jacob Wright is the founder and CEO of Skyward Hospitality. Skyward Hospitality recently developed and financed the Saranac Waterfront Lodge, the first LEED Silver hotel developed in the Adirondack park. In addition, Skyward is developing and managing four additional hotels in Tupper Lake, Plattsburgh, Burlington and Ampersand Bay. The Ampersand Bay project is a mixed-use development with a planned spa resort hotel, 32 additional town homes, convention space and restaurants.

Jacob started his first business at the age of 18 and became a serial entrepreneur who has founded, led, and sold successful businesses in the action sports, website development, real estate development, restaurant, hotel, and management industries. He has funded, developed, and managed more than 25 companies and led teams as small as five to larger than 1,000 employees as a CEO and founder.

Outside of work, Jacob focuses a significant amount of time on civic programs and charities and has been a member of several boards including the Metropolitan Development Agency, the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, March of Dimes, the Crouse Hospital Foundation, the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell, and the Erie Canal Museum. In 2010, he was honored with Syracuse University’s 40 Under 40 Award.

Jacob has stayed connected and engaged with colleges and universities over the years as a visiting lecturer in hotel development and entrepreneurship at Cornell University and an entrepreneur in residence at SHA for more than five years. He lectured at the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans throughout its programing at Cornell. He has also been an entrepreneur in residence at Paul Smith’s College and has spent time as an EIR with an angel investment group.

Jacob is currently a member of the advisory board at the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell and completed his MBA at the Johnson Cornell Graduate School on Roosevelt Island in May 2022.