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Ossining's Mike Risko Music Named Westchester 'Outstanding Family Business'

OSSINING, N.Y. -- Mike Risko, of Mike Risko Music in Ossining, was recognized as the owner of one of Westchester County’s most outstanding family-owned businesses at an awards ceremony in White Plains last week.

Mike Risko, owner of the Ossining  music store and school that bears his name, with his wife Miriam and their children. The Risko family received an award honoring the most outstanding family-owned businesses in Westchester.

Mike Risko, owner of the Ossining music store and school that bears his name, with his wife Miriam and their children. The Risko family received an award honoring the most outstanding family-owned businesses in Westchester.

Photo Credit: Contributed/Ethan Gresko

The company, in business for 22 years as a music store, school and performing arts center, was one of 26 family-owned businesses in Westchester and Fairfield County, Conn., honored this year by Westfair Communications, Inc., publisher of the Westchester County Business Journal, Fairfield County Business Journal and WAG, a regional lifestyle magazine. It marked the fourth year the awards have been given.

Risko adds this latest award to a long list of honors. The business is a four-time winner of Westchester magazine’s Best of Westchester award, and the recipient of Music and Sound Magazine 2017 award for Best Music Clinics. 

Risko said he founded the business with his wife because of their desire to share their love and passion passion for music.

Asked which came first in a family-owned business, family or business, Mike said: “If we didn’t have this business, it’d be a challenge to support our family, but working with my wife 24/7 and having our kids in the business all the time, it wouldn’t be fun to have the business without the family.”

The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Doug Wade, fourth generation owner of Wade Dairy in Bridgeport, Conn., which was founded in 1893. He noted he started in his family’s business at age eight and attributed the company’s longevity to his family’s dedication.

The awards were decided by local judges, all with backgrounds in business and economics: Anthony Davidson, dean of Fordham University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Marcia O’Kane, president and CEO of Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, Pete Gioia, vice president and economist with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and Andi Gray, President and founder of Strategy Leaders Inc., business consulting firm.

Ethan Gresko is a member of the Purchase College Community Reporting Team.

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