On March 4, 2026, the HIA-LI Technology for Business Committee held their monthly meeting at Barry Tech to conduct a panel discussion and networking event with Jhohan Rodriguez’s morning Computer Technology class.
The HIA-LI is one of the recognized voices for Long Island business and a powerful force and economic engine for regional development for more than 40 years. They provide a forum for business leaders to connect, problem solve, and obtain advice on critical issues facing their businesses, and their member companies represent tens of thousands of business professionals. Barry Tech’s Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Lauren Engels, has been networking with various IT professionals at the HIA-LI’s Technology monthly meetings and invited them to Barry Tech for a second year in a row to speak with our IT students as part of the “Future of Tech Unlocked” panel to have real, honest conversations with students about careers in technology and business.
Amongst the panelists this year were: Anthony Lucidi, Owner, Lucidi Technical Solutions; Neil Abbruzzese, President and CEO, EDI Options, Inc.; Anthony Buonaspina, Founder and CEO, LI Tech Advisors; Samantha Persaud, Marketing Director, LI Tech Advisors; Kevin Barry, President, Harbor Sales Management; Joseph Horowitz, Director of Compliance and Audit, Stetson Cybergroup; Jennifer Albrecht, Business IT Manager, Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP; Ian Sterling, Vice President, Sterling Risk Insurance; and Arianna Harrelson, Vice President of Customer Relations, Apollo Networks. All of these professionals were gracious enough to happily and willingly give up their entire morning to spend it with our students.
The panel had a discussion with the students about a variety of topics, such as Cybersecurity, AI, Coding, Entrepreneurship, careers in the IT field, finding a mentor, networking, soft skills, what they look for when hiring candidates for jobs, and how to succeed in job interviews. The panelists were interactive with the students and asked them questions and answered their questions as well. The students were given time at the conclusion of the panel discussion to “network” with the panelists and other HIA-LI committee members who attended the event. It was impressive to see the students practice firsthand the “soft skills” they just learned, and it was incredible to see the students to actively engaged and eager to learn from these successful professionals!
Many students gave their feedback and input after the event. Here are some of their testimonials:
Khalil Joseph: “I personally enjoyed the event. I feel that all of the speakers were very personable and charismatic, and they all had their own way of keeping our attention.”
Aayden Robinson: “I learned from the speakers to always work hard, to try your best at what you do, and to always give 100%.”
Anthony Lombardo: “I think the speakers made the presentation very interesting and kept up with our generation. They had fun with us while also maintaining their professionalism. They kept us engaged, and it made me feel comfortable with them and even more comfortable approaching them during the networking portion of the event.”
After the event, panelist Joseph Horowitz said, “Thank you for the forum to speak to the Nassau BOCES students. I thought they were very engaged and did very well approaching us afterwards to ask questions. I hope we provided good guidance for all of them to help shape their future paths.”
Panelist Anthony Buonaspina said, “It’s always energizing to connect with the next generation, share real-world experiences, and talk about where technology, AI, and cybersecurity are truly headed beyond the buzzwords. Events like this remind me why investing time in mentorship and community matters.”
Panelist Neil Abbruzzese commented, "I always find visiting Barry Tech and chatting with the students an enjoyable experience. It's great to see the level of student engagement, and it's always a lively discussion. Honestly, the panel of presenters loves this event too because we get that great shot of youthful enthusiasm.”
Panelist Anthony Lucidi added to that, “I think that we, the panelists, get more from the day than any of the students can ever imagine. I agree with Neil that I am always impressed with the level of engagement from the students. They are extremely respectful and appreciative of our time, and their questions during networking really point out the fact that they were listening during the presentation. I also love the networking portion of the day as it really allows the students to engage further and provides them the opportunity to speak with experts in their fields of business.”
A huge thank you to the HIA-LI Technology for Business Committee for creating opportunities like this and for their continued commitment to educating our students in workforce development. Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Lauren Engels, looks forward to continuing to strengthen her partnership with the HIA-LI Technology for Business Committee and hopes to bring them back to Barry Tech year after year for the benefit of our IT students!
Anthony has been in the MSP business since before the acronym existed. Managed IT once started as break-fix solutions and some light phone support.
Since then, he has seen the industry flourish into a landscape of platforms, cloud servers, software tools and AI . Tailoring network configurations and software stacks to the specific needs of each business.
In his current role, he focuses on proactive planning, ensuring clients can avoid potential issues altogether. This involves meticulous planning for enhanced business continuity, allowing swift resolution of any unforeseen challenges. What initially began as addressing "fires" through break-fix solutions has evolved into a proactive approach, ensuring that such issues are prevented from arising in the first place.
