Innovation is not easy.
It takes creativity, vision, communication, teamwork, hard work, and much more.
Including humility, and the willingness to try — and fail.
StartUp Westport is our town’s public/private collaboration for innovators in a wide array of areas.
Yesterday, the organization presented 2 awards — Innovator of the Year, and Community Impact Innovator — to 3 Westporters who exemplify StartUp Westport’s mission.
And its energy.
A full house at the Westport Library honored Mark Shapiro, and Bill and Andrea Pecoriello.
The large audience was inspired by the trio.
They learned a lot from them too.
As president and COO of TKO Group Holdings, and president and managing partner of WME Group, Shapiro has helped shape some of the most influential names in sports and entertainment.
After a powerful introduction by Jay Williams — the Westporter, a former Duke and NBA star and now a television analyst — Shapiro sat with CNBC journalist Sara Eisen.
Jay Williams introduces Mark Shapiro.
He described his arrival in Westport — a community that had everything his family wanted, plus a professional editing facility halfway between New York and ESPN’s Bristol headquarters — before pivoting to lessons on leadership.
Shapiro has played key roles at ESPN, Six Flags, Dick Clark Productions and now WME, where his portfolio ranges from athletes and entertainers to journalists and brands. He works with everyone from Denzel Washington to the Professional Bull Riders League.
His work is all about being “a participant, not a passenger.”
Mark Shapiro and Sara Eisen, onstage at the Westport Library.
Shapiro talked about the human side of building a corporate culture: nurturing the talents of others, supporting them, placing high demands on them, trusting them, and holding them accountable.
“At the end of the day, everything is about relationships,” Shapiro said. “You don’t just go to people only when you need something.”
Shapiro makes decisions based “half on gut, half on data.” He fails “every single day,” he noted. (Including sometimes not checking in with his wife and family at least once daily, the greatest failing of all, he said.)
Shapiro advised: “Learn from your mistakes. Don’t dwell on them. Have faith that your team take care of it.”
The Pecoriellos — founders of Sweet P Bakery — were cited for “their dedication to social good, and sustainable business practices in the local community.” The company trains and provides jobs for adults with disabilities, teaches transferable skills, and builds independence, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Bill and Andrea Pecoriello, before the ceremony. (All photos/Dan Woog)
Andrea Pecoriello described Sweet P’s growth since its founding in 2019. It has trained and employed 19 people; moved from an 800-square foot bakery into a facility 4 times larger, and now ships its (amazingly delicious) cookies nationwide. (They’re at Yankee Stadium too.)
“We make cookies. But we also solve problems many people don’t even know exist,” she said. There are 19,000 adults with disabilities in Fairfield County — 70% of whom cannot find work.
Sweet P Bakery has 2 bottom lines, Pecoriello concluded: “financial and social. Our innovation addresses how business can serve society.”
The Pecoriellos also wanted to do something for Westport — the town they’ve lived in for nearly 26 years. They envision The Porch as a community gathering spot. “We want to be very inclusive,” they say, bringing together the neighborhood and employees.
