The Berkshire Forum Bows at The Colonial Theatre

Bess J.M. Hochstein reports from Pittsfield: The usually casual Berkshires saw a preponderance of jackets and business wear swarm its central city as the first Berkshire Forum convened at The Colonial Theatre on September 14.The three-day forum¹s theme, "Cultivating Commerce, Culture and Creative Entrepreneurship," drew a broad range of participants, blending captains of capitalism and culture with bohemian businessowners, media mavens, environmental entrepreneurs, and intrigued investors. The event was produced by Mary Collins George and Tina Chase, who work for Gilder Publishing LLC and have organized the annual Gilder/Forbes Telecosm Forum, founded by Tryingham resident George Gilder, one of several nationally prominent speakers to share the podium.

Mary & Seth Nash of Blue Q; speaker Steve Nelson president & CEO of Solar Electric Service Corp., with Michael Tesoro, chef/founder of Ooma Tesoro’s.

Photographer and SEO guru Kit Latham with M&A maven Bernie Plishtin and Women's Times publisher Eugenie Sills.

Berkshire Living's Amanda Rae Busch with Paul Soroken; Conference speakers Bret Swanson, a WSJ contributor, and William Little, Chairman, National Chamber Foundation and former Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Pittsfield financial planner Paul Gniadek & Catherine Taylor-Williams of The Wharton Salon; photographers Scott Barrow & Gregory Cherin.

Kay Oehler of the Center for Creative Community Development with former Colonial Theatre director David Fleming; entrepreneur Tonio Palmer and Diane Pearlman of the Berkshire Film & Media Commission.