A statewide initiative to grow entrepreneurship and make it a civic and economic priority is launching with an event Thursday in Buffalo.
The kickoff event for the New York Starters Coalition of Right to Start, a nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurial opportunity, will take place from 8:30 to 10 a.m. inside the 43 North Cafe at Seneca One.
While entrepreneurship and the support systems that help lift the community of business owners and small businesses continue to grow, there is still work to be done in identifying barriers to starting new businesses, including for those who have been historically excluded. Research shows that a 1% increase in entrepreneurship correlates to a 2% drop of poverty rates.
Thursday’s event is intended to bring together founders, policymakers, entrepreneur support organizations and community leaders from upstate New York to spotlight the needs of entrepreneurs and startups.
Jason Bartz, co-founder of Buffalo-headquartered Good Neighbor Fund, will be part of a panel discussion featuring leaders helping reimagine how entrepreneurs access opportunity, capital and support.
Bartz will share how community-driven capital and micro-grants are helping overlooked founders access early resources and thrive. The Good Neighbor Fund is a micro-grant program that gives $1,000 in belief capital to under-resourced founders with bold new business ideas.
Another participant from Buffalo will be Danielle Blount, partner at BOLD Ventures, which focuses on venture capital that prioritizes the well-being of founders to create more sustainable businesses.
They will be joined by Victor Hwang, founder and CEO of Right to Start, who’s leading a national movement to create a fair environment for all entrepreneurs.
There also will be a panel discussion featuring entrepreneurs sharing insights from their journeys, including what inspired them, the obstacles they faced, and the lessons learned along the way. It will include Monica Leising, owner of Buffalo-born 716 Accents, which helps transform residential and commercial spaces with custom murals and design projects.
The University at Buffalo Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships is among the 14 entrepreneurship-related organizations that are part of the New York Starters Coalition.
Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.
Gavigan joins 43North Foundation
John Gavigan, who once served as the executive director of 43North, will be joining the 43North Foundation.
Gavigan, an experienced entrepreneur and executive, has been appointed vice president of corporate connectivity at the 43North Foundation, the investment arm of 43North aiding the effort to lift startup activity and entrepreneurship. He spent three years running 43North, which runs an annual $5 million business competition that brings startups to Buffalo every year.
The corporate connectivity role will tap into Gavigan’s track record of connecting with business leaders on ways to engage with Buffalo’s startup and innovation economy.
Most recently, he served as CEO of CrediVault, a startup that developed WireVault, a wire fraud prevention platform, which secured funding and scaled its operations. Gavigan recently transitioned day-to-day leadership to a seasoned team prepared to drive the next phase of growth.
After leaving 43North, Gavigan became managing director of the Endeavor Western New York chapter, which supports late-stage, high-growth startups across Buffalo, Rochester and the broader upstate region. He’s also worked for SomaDetect as chief operating officer of the Canadian startup that won the 43North competition’s $1 million grand prize.
Accelerator in Olean names latest business cohort
The Laine Business Accelerator in Olean is awarding $40,000 in seed money to eight businesses as part of its fifth annual cohort.
The businesses represent a wide swath of industries, from consulting to farming to personal training. This year’s cohort includes 1907 Wax, Adored Boards, Fuller’s Fabrication, MDA Consulting Engineers, Olean Carpet Cleaning, Pine Hill Cattle Co., Preston Personal Training and Turbo Machining.
Each will receive $5,000 in funds and be part of a cohort that will learn through a 13-week program from faculty of Jamestown Community College and St. Bonaventure University and several local professionals who are experts in running a successful business.
Over the past four years, the Laine Business Accelerator has awarded more than $150,000 in seed money to 30 local businesses and provided those businesses with hundreds of hours of advice and counsel. It’s resulted in over 50 jobs by those businesses.
Programs expand access to youth tech education
Over the summer, TechBuffalo and SUNY Erie Community College launched two hands-on programs designed to expand access to technology education for students and educators across Western New York.
The Girls in Tech summer immersion took place in August at the M&T Tech Academy at Seneca One, followed by the Innovation Fellowship Training for K-8 educators, hosted at the Jacobs Institute and Seneca One. These initiatives are delivered in collaboration with partners like Microsoft, TechSpark and the 43North Foundation.
The programs are aimed at helping develop tech skills and aptitudes at the K-12 level to build the sustainable, accessible talent ecosystem Western New York needs to meet the demands of the modern and future workforce.
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The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.
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