Lark Street BID leader says her role is like running a business
Ella Montelone has been executive director of the Lark Street Business Improvement District for two years.
Montelone began as a small business owner herself – working in the theater world after college.
“I worked on Broadway. I managed a really large theater venue, so I’ve always been drawn to creative endeavors, and I think small businesses are that in a nutshell,” she said.
She tells us being a small business owner often requires you to do it all – marketing, retail, and creativity.
“So working for the bid is very much like being a small business owner,” she said. “There’s so many different facets to what every day looks like. It’s a little bit different each and every day.”
Day-to-day duties for Montelone include hosting ribbon cuttings, creating social media content, communicating with local government, or even working with police to ensure people’s safety.
“The main hopes that a BID can provide for any business is the ability to collaborate with others,” she said.
There are more than two dozen women-owned businesses on Lark Street. This Women’s History Month, Montelone said she is inspired to see so many new women in executive director roles coming together to share ideas for how to make Albany better.
“It’s a tribute to how I think women in general operate. They try to, you know, make the circle bigger or make the table longer,” she said.