Meet Andy Gaynor, IGNITE Program Manager
There’s a new IGNITE program manager, and he’s bringing about two decades of business and operations experience to northeastern Pennsylvania’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Andy Gaynor joins The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce as IGNITE Program Manager with a background spanning startups, local businesses and enterprise clients.
At Measured Results Marketing, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, Gaynor managed relationships with enterprise and Fortune 500 clients. He also helped build Oncue, a San Francisco-based technology startup, and spent nearly a decade at Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply, where he managed approximately 1,200 business-to-business accounts and led a service team.
Through these experiences, Gaynor has had a front-row seat to the different paths to success in business. He sees tenacity and a willingness to adapt as essential qualities for entrepreneurs.
“There’s no magic formula,” Gaynor said. “People succeed in business because they have tenacity. They don’t quit; they keep going. If something doesn’t work, they pivot, and they just keep pivoting.”
The ‘wild ride’ of entrepreneurship
Gaynor recognizes the all-in mentality it takes to be an entrepreneur in any sector. By his estimation, it also requires focus and reinvention.
“It’s the most fun, wild ride you’ll ever be on,” Gaynor said of the entrepreneurial journey. “It’s high-energy, building the plane while you’re flying. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of, but it’s also exhausting.”
Connecting with the local community and building relationships, he said, can help entrepreneurs navigate those demands. Through IGNITE, he wants business owners to have access to the education, mentorship and support they need as their businesses grow.
Joining The Chamber
Before becoming an employee, Gaynor experienced The Chamber as a member.
He joined in 2025 and attended a luncheon for new members, where he heard Chamber President Bob Durkin talk about getting as much out of membership as one puts into it.
Over the past year, Gaynor has taken Durkin’s words to heart. He has attended Chamber events, participated in Skills in Scranton’s Groundhog Day: Career Exploration Event and sponsored tables at The Chamber’s Annual Dinner.
“Ultimately, I had such a good experience at The Chamber,” said Gaynor. “A position opened up here, and I was eager to jump in.”
IGNITE’s next steps
As IGNITE program manager, Gaynor will help entrepreneurs grow their businesses through education, counseling, networking and mentorship. His priorities include overseeing the IGNITE program’s daily operations, including budgets, marketing and events, and bringing energy to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In addition, he will oversee programming of the Chamber’s incubator facilities: the Scranton Enterprise Center, TekRidge Enterprise Center and the newly acquired Carbondale Enterprise Center.
“We can be on the precipice of amazing new businesses happening right here in our backyard,” Gaynor explained.
Beyond Carbondale—where he expects community partnerships and educational opportunities to thrive—Gaynor wants IGNITE to continue offering comprehensive support to entrepreneurs across its locations in Scranton, Carbondale and Jessup.
“What I envision seeing,” Gaynor said, “is the whole IGNITE program continuing to be the leader in this space.”
To get in touch with Andy Gaynor, email agaynor@scrantonchamber.com.