Author: BNMC

BNMC’s Pledge for Racial Equity

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Buffalo, Diversity & Inclusion, MWBE, Neighbors, Outreach

BNMC’s Pledge for Racial Equity

During this heartbreaking time for our city and country, standing together as one community is more important than ever. We believe strongly in the need for diversity and the importance of inclusion. We are firmly against any form of racial injustice and hatred, and we pledge to speak up and speak out when we see this hwp-contentening in our community and beyond.
The BNMC has always believed that by continuing to build a welcoming and inclusive environment, people are inspired and empowered to be their most creative and innovative selves. And yet, we’re ever so aware that we’re always learning, always growing, and always challenging ourselves to be better tomorrow than we are today.
Today, we are reaffirming our strongly held beliefs in promoting justice for all people.
The BNMC’s pledge:
  • We will engage our community to enhance diversity, inclusion, and respect for every person.
  • We will break down barriers, push boundaries, and work as advocates for change.
  • We will create an inclusive environment that will seek cooperative collaborations and community-based solutions.
  • We will commit to an intentional and ongoing dialogue about racial injustice among our staff, partners and stakeholders.
We stand with you because you are a part of us. If you do not receive justice, neither do we. We promise to continue working together with our partners to create a better and more inclusive Buffalo.

Join Us for Meditation Mondays in November!

by BNMCin Community, Healthy Communities, Innovation Center

Free, Virtual Meditation Sessions

Every Monday in November Beginning Nov. 2nd from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. 

The BNMC Healthy Communities team presents Meditation Mondays, a 30-minute live guided meditation each Monday morning from 8:30 – 9:00 am in November. Each week has its own theme to provide focus, purpose, and intention. All participants will receive recordings of each session and an e-book to guide their own meditation practice once the series has concluded. Meditations are being guided by Amiyah King and Jasir Ali, full bios in our Facebook Events page. Register on our Medical Campus Wellness Events Public Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2243130692613771

Download our Meditation Mondays Flyer!

BNMC Shifts Existing Grant Funding to Increase Capacity of Local Food Supply Chain During Pandemic

by BNMCin Collaboration, Community, Healthy Communities, Neighborhood Engagement

BNMC Shifts Existing Grant Funding to Support Efforts of Farmers, Not-for-Profit Organizations, and Small Distributors to Increase Capacity of Local Food Supply Chain During Pandemic

Projects Support the Longer-Term Goal of Improving Access to Institutional Procurement

 

BUFFALO, NY—The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) has partnered with four local organizations to support projects that will increase the food system resiliency in our community. A total of $20,000 has been distributed to local partners to support the production and distribution of local foods, as well as the sustainability and growth of small farms and distribution businesses that may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding has been made available through “BNMC Fresh: Farm to Hospital Implementation,” an existing three-year grant that the BNMC received in 2018 through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Local Food Promotion Program.

This collaborative initiative is designed to create a model that prioritizes local agriculture from New York State, enabling farms to access new markets (hospitals), and can be replicated across the state. The initiative is expected to create a culture that embraces local farms through prioritizing local procurement; establishes and expands community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmers’ market programs; establishes food chain transparency; increases awareness and knowledge among consumers of local food procurement efforts; and provides knowledge and skill-building opportunities to agribusiness stakeholders (farmers, distributor, food service teams). This project ultimately aims to make local procurement a regular practice and culture among health care institutions.

“Our grant manager at USDA was very understanding about our efforts to increase healthy local foods in hospitals slowing as our health care partners shift their full attention to caring for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Marla Guarino, BNMC’s Farm to Institution Program Coordinator “We were able to redistribute the funds originally earmarked for conferences, travel, and longer-term strategies that are currently on hold, and expand the scope of the initiative to have a more immediate impact on making our local food system more resilient.”

Guarino added, “Implementing these short-term wins more quickly supports the overall goal of the grant – increasing the ability of small farmers and organizations to play a role in institutional procurement, such as hospitals, colleges and universities, prisons, and school districts.”

In order to support the local food chain supply quickly during the pandemic, the BNMC team looked to extend projects with existing partner organizations, primarily focusing on infrastructure capital improvement; equipment; and data enhancement.  Priority was given to projects that were able to be completed within 4-6 months; collaborative efforts; minority and women-led; and infrastructure moving toward institutional procurement in the future. All final decisions required wp-contentroval from the BNMC USDA grants manager.

The team worked with the USDA in April for wp-contentroval to redirect funding, and identified the priority projects with partner organizations in May. All organizations received the funding over the summer and are well on their way to enacting change.

The following four organizations each received $5,000:

St. John’s Baptist Church, God’s Farm’acy Mobile Truck

God’s Farm’acy is a mobile food truck and raised garden initiative that distributes hot meals, fruits, and vegetables for free throughout the Fruit Belt and other underserved communities. The team at St. John’s also uses the truck to offer healthy cooking classes in the community.  They used the funds to add refrigeration to the mobile food truck, allowing them to help eliminate food desserts by increasing access to fresh foods and nutrition information. Received: Funds toward refrigeration for Mobile Truck

Groundwork Market Garden: Groundwork Market Garden is a family-owned farm on the East Side of Buffalo. GMG received funds to develop and promote a digital catalog of local farm products available for purchase. This digital catalog will be updated regularly and used to secure business with larger institutions that small farms traditionally do not serve. GMG plans to include all local urban growers into the catalog as a way to procure larger contracts and promote local farms. Received: Funds for development of digital catalog, on-line marketplace and marketing support

“These funds are helping to bring our farm up to speed with the current trend for local food to be available through online marketplaces,” said Anders Gunnersen, GMG cofounder. “The online catalog will separate our products by retail and wholesale and will be used as a means to sell produce, and as a marketing tool for our farm to reach more people and institutions in the city of Buffalo and Western NY. This project is going to streamline our sales processes and tracking, and better market our products to a much larger and broader audience.”

Produce Peddlers: Produce Peddlers is an online marketplace for buying and selling produce that prevents food waste and saves money. They received funds to reconfigure its delivery van with a refrigeration unit to increase its ability to deliver fresh and local perishable goods to consumers and businesses in the WNY region. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed many businesses, farmers and other suppliers started to back up on product. In an attempt to help, Produce Peddlers opened its marketplace to individual consumers, who were also looking for alternative avenues to source their food that didn’t involve having to go out in public places. Refrigeration will allow Produce Peddlers to handle more goods safely, be GHP compliant, and streamline its delivery methods. Received: Funds for refrigeration for mobile truck

“The ability to refrigerate our delivery vehicle has propelled our business to new heights!” said Gina Wieczorek, Co-founder, VP Operations, Produce Peddlers. “We are now able to safely transport and deliver all sorts of locally grown and produced food, including animal products, meat and other processed items, to restaurants, schools and institutions all over WNY without breaking the cold chain.”

Urban Fruits & Veggies: Urban Fruits & Veggies is an urban agriculture business with two urban farms and a mobile produce market focused on providing access and nutrition education to underserved communities in the WNY area. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are growing three times as much as they usually do to support requests for food delivery, and therefore need additional growing supplies, specifically refrigeration equipment. They also need office equipment to facilitate data tracking and growing partnerships with organizations and established programs to ensure they are addressing the social determinants to health. Received: Funds for computer, laptop and printer

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About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC): re-imagining our city’s future through the dynamic intersection of technology, health, discovery, and collaboration. The BNMC is a social enterprise focused on cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. We do this by improving infrastructure, managing our transportation system, creating a culture of health and wellbeing, driving innovation, and working with our partners to continue to build an innovative district that reflects the best of our community. In addition, the BNMC owns and operates more than 150,000 sq ft of incubator space, helping to grow a diverse array of emerging and mature companies through dynamic workspace, programming, and networking. www.bnmc-old.local

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For more information: Marla Guarino, 716.867.9528

 

Be In Buffalo Newcomer Survey

by BNMCin Collaboration, Community

Be In Buffalo Newcomer Survey

If you are new to Buffalo, or if you’ve recently moved back, Be in Buffalo wants to hear from you!

Take the Newcomer Survey, designed to determine our region’s strengths and deficiencies, and create a roadmap forward for how to better welcome new residents to the City of Good Neighbors.

The confidential survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and questions range a wide variety of topics so we can best map our future needs. Take it today! The survey ends October 20.

Take the GoBNMC Commuter Survey Today!

by BNMCin Biking, Community, Commuting, Electric Vehicle, Parking, Transportation

GoBNMC Commuter Survey

The BNMC team has launched our bi-annual GoBNMC commuter survey to help with transportation planning for our district. We use this data to continually expand and improve the many safe, cost-effective and accessible ways for everyone to get to work. This year, we’re also hoping to learn more about COVID-19’s current and future impacts on how employees and students choose to get to the Medical Campus.

Please fill out the survey by October 30th to be entered into our raffle to win 1 of 10 $25 gift certificates to the Neighborhood Explorer Business of your choice.

 

 

Virtual Networking Event Creates Cross-Border Connections

by BNMCin Community, Entrepreneurs, Innovation, Innovation Center, Networking, Startups

Network with your Cross-Border Colleagues Virtually!

While the safety measures of COVID-19 have reduced international travel, they have not stopped our potential for cross-border collaboration.

About this Event

While the safety measures of COVID-19 have reduced international travel, they have not stopped our potential for cross-border collaboration.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, McMaster University Innovation Park and Spark Niagara have come together to facilitate a virtual networking event for startups across the Buffalo, Niagara and Hamilton regions to interact, collaborate and seek opportunities for partnership.

By organizing the group into numerous breakout sessions entrepreneurs will gain a meaningful experience in learning from and collaborating with other startups.

WHEN: Weds., October 21st from 1:30 – 3:00 pm

WHERE: Virtually!

WHO: Startups in Buffalo, Niagara & Hamilton regions.

HOW: Register today for this free, virtual networking event!

 

 

IC Success: Back to School Business Academy Virtual Series Begins Oct. 6th

by BNMCin Business Development, Collaboration, Community, Diversity & Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Event, Innovation Center, Local businesses, MWBE, Neighborhood Engagement, Small Businesses

IC Success: Back to School Business Academy

This free, eight-week webinar series will help you build and grow your business. Now is the time to invest your time and effort in yourself!

The BNMC’s IC Success: Back to School Business Academy webinar series runs every Tuesday from October 6th – November 24th from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm via Zoom. See below for the topic each week.

Register now for the entire series.

Zoom links will be shared after registration. We recommend attending all 8 sessions to get the most out of this series.

IC Success is an education series started by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) in 2019 as way to create pathways and building blocks for success in the small business community. BNMC is committed to helping all small businesses, including women, minority, and Veteran-owned businesses and enterprises to reach their full potential.

Attend all eight sessions and receive one free month at dig at the Innovation Center, the region’s best co-working space!

October 6th – So You Want to Start a Business – Now What?

20 questions to ask yourself, including: Who is my customer and how can I make them feel valued?; What is my product(s)/service(s)?; and What type of legal structure would be best for me to operate my business?

October 13th – Working through Start-up Costs

To properly understand if this will ultimately be a profitable business, we must do an analysis of all of the costs you will encounter to start and run your business. We will work through those on a provided worksheet. This will ultimately help us to determine what the price should be for your various product(s) and/or service(s).

October 20th – Creating Pricing and Revenue Projections – Will This Company Be Able to Make Money?

We will use provided Excel worksheets to determine fixed costs and variable costs to set a price for your products and services. From there, we can create revenue projections. Also, if the company is profitable, what are some investment options to manage the excess cash flow?

October 27th – Putting It All Together and Creating Pro-forma Financial Statements

We will use our Projected Revenue worksheets created in Excel and our Fixed and Variable cost worksheets to create the major pro-forma financial statements including an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow projections.

November 3rd – Marketing and Building Parts of the Business Plan

We will create a marketing plan including a definition of your customer and how to make those customers feel valued through customer satisfaction. We will include a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Threats) for your specific business.

November 10th – Management/Operations/Human Resources, Completing the Business Plan, and Legally Filing Your Business in Erie County

We answer questions such as, “Do I need a license to operate my business,” and “How do I file a business name in Erie County?” And, operationally, “What software packages can help me operate my business?” In addition, we will go over the “Guide to doing Business in Erie County” that is on the Erie County website. We will cover the major laws that you will need to know about if you hire employees, and how to retain and motivate those employees.

November 17th – Local Guest Speakers who have had Business Success

Open questions for entrepreneurs in our area who have already had success! Ask them what you would like to hear about! Perhaps, “How do you manage the life/work balance with this business operation taking up so much of your time.” Ask anything!

November 24th – Panel of Subject Matter Experts, Including CPA, Attorney, Insurance and a Banker

We will cover basics of taxes and the legal structure of your business. And, “Do I need an insurance agent, an attorney and a banker?”

This series will be led by Kerry Collard, MBA, a former banking executive who has taught in the field of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship for over nineteen years at local colleges in the Buffalo area.

Farm-To-Hospital: Fresh, Local Foods Coming to a Cafeteria Near You

by BNMCin Collaboration, Community, Health care, Healthy Communities, Kaleida, Roswell Park

Farm-To-Hospital: Fresh, Local Foods Coming to a Cafeteria Near You!

The BNMC’s Farm to Hospital initiative is designed to bring more locally grown and sourced produce, proteins, and other menu items to patients, visitors, and employees across the Medical Campus, in partnership with Kaleida Health and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Benefits of New York State Grown Foods

We all have heard the buzz about local foods.  But what does it really mean?

When businesses and institutions buy local it can have remarkable effects on public health, the environment and the local economy.  The mere questioning of where food is produced allows us to become more aware of what we put into our bodies.  And when the benefits are listed, there seems to be little question of the better option.

Wow, this stuff is tasty!  Locally grown food is at optimal freshness, picked at the peak of ripeness and therefore full of flavor.  Produce retains more nutrients and is higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  With fewer steps between you and the source of your food, contamination is far less likely. As well, local farmers may be using less or no pesticides and herbicides, which is healthier for the body especially for those who are immunocompromised.

In Western New York we love our green spaces and blue waters.  And, our “City of Good Neighbors” nature can extend to helping the environment too.  Eating more local foods reduces C02 emissions through less food miles travelled, helping with overall climate change.  When our producers operate well-managed farms it help protect the naturally rich ecosystem by conserving our fertile soil and fresh water from Lake Erie, as well as sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.  Buying local protects our amazing natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

Money helps too!  Choosing local supports OUR farmers. More dollars stay within the local economy and provide the security producers need to continue in this rewarding yet challenging work.  We should all be proud.  New York State ranks nationally for its top agricultural products such as wp-contentles, maple syrup and pumpkins. We are third in the nation for our dairy, wine & grapes, cabbage, cauliflower and fourth for tart cherries, fresh market sweet corn, squash, pears.  Here in Western New York we are surrounded by rural farmland and in the past decade, urban farming in Buffalo has become a mainstay and hydroponic farms provide offerings throughout the year.

Grant-Funded Program Increases Access to Healthy, Local Foods in Hospitals

In 2018, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) was one of 44 organizations nationwide and one of just four organizations in New York State to receive a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Local Food Promotion Program to help create a culture of healthy food practices and increase local food procurement.  “BNMC Fresh: Farm to Hospital Implementation” works to prioritize local agriculture within hospitals and enables farms to access new markets such as health care institutions.

Our Partners’ Role

From the beginning of BNMC’s commitment to supporting local agriculture, the food services teams at both Roswell and Kaleida Health have been leading the charge.  Devoted to providing the healthiest options, Roswell Park’s Director of Nutrition and Food Services Chris Dibble had this to say, “The culinary team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center strives to procure and utilize local produce whenever possible. Our Farm to Table program not only supports local farmers, but also provides benefits to our patients and visitors.  Eating fruits and vegetables closest to their harvest times is always ideal because they are most nutritious at that point.”

RPCCC has encouraged their employees to take part in Community Supported Agriculture programs, extending these benefits to home dinner tables.  Their team has travelled to learn more about what other hospitals are doing to support regional local food systems.

Similarly, since the start of this initiative at Kaleida, Metz Culinary has worked with the BNMC team to build on their promise of healthy offerings as well as providing helpful information on where they are sourcing their foods from and the benefits of farm fresh local foods.

“Metz’s commitment to procuring locally grown and sourced produce and meats aligns well with Kaleida Health’s commitment to advancing the health of our community,” said Hank Cole, director of Rehabilitation Medicine and Ambulatory Clinics at Buffalo General Medical Center. “Through Metz, we’re able to provide our patients, residents, employees and guests with healthy meal options, made with the freshest ingredients, while also supporting our local farmers. It’s a win-win situation. “

Kaleida and Metz are launching a Farm to Hospital campaign to share information on fruits and veggies they use in their menu as well as introducing the producers. Recently they featured a pop-up Farmer’s Market in the cafeteria, which is a fun way of getting these veggies out into homes.

Stay Tuned!

The BNMC team are proud to showcase the hard work of our food service teams and our local farmers and are hwp-contenty to help provide the healthiest – and tastiest! – culinary offerings out there.  Throughout the upcoming year, our Farm to Hospital team will provide employees, patients and visitors with BNMC Farm-to-Hospital Implementation information about featured local produce, as well as introducing the amazing farmers behind the products.  Keep your eyes out for the latest informational messages coming your way. And enjoy the tastes of the season!

BNMC Food Truck Rodeo Wraps Up October 2nd for the Season

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Healthy Communities

BNMC’s Food Truck Rodeo Wraps Up Oct. 2nd

We Look Forward To Seeing Everyone Again Next Year!

View food truck schedule

Many thanks to all of you for helping ensure a safe and delicious Food Truck Rodeo this summer. We will be wrwp-contenting up the FTR at Washington & Carlton this season on Friday, October 2nd. We look forward to seeing everyone back again next year!

 

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Previous post:

Having our favorite food trucks on the Campus have provided some sense of normalcy – and delicious food offerings! – this summer. We are so hwp-contenty that our daily food truck rodeo continues to draw employees in a safe & physically distant way. For those of you planning to stop by the food trucks on the Medical Campus, please note the following changes to ensure we are able to keep this Rodeo going well into the fall.

Food Truck Rodeo Details:

  • Please wear a mask and practice physical distancing.
  • Only 4 trucks are allowed daily to provide enough room.
  • Unfortunately, there will not be any outdoor seating.  Food trucks will package all food to go. Please do not linger on the lawn after getting your food.
  • Please be respectful.

Despite these precautions, we are looking forward to another wonderful 2020 season.  Thank you for supporting our local food trucks!

The Making of Ognomy: Revolutionizing Sleep Wellness Through Telemedicine

by BNMCin Innovation, Innovation Center

The Making of Ognomy: Revolutionizing Sleep Wellness Through Telemedicine

Check out how the Ognomy – The Sleep Apnea App went from dream to wp-content MVP in 4 months through on-demand talent. The Topcoder team leads this conversation with Dr. Dan Rifkin, visionary behind Ognomy and our very own Sam Marrazzo as they describe the process that covered design thinking workshops, dev sprints, crowd-sourcing, and everything in between to get to this successful outcome.

Watch now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPRGpvFt4E&feature=youtu.be

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New Portable E-Bike Upgrade is Coming to Campus

by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Innovation

New Portable E-Bike Upgrade is Coming to Campus – Take Survey For A Chance To Be a Part of the Pilot!

BNMC is committed to expanding access to healthy and green transportation options. To that end, we are excited to be working with CLIP, an electric-assist bicycle start-up company coming to town through the Launch NY Clean-Tech ECO incubator. CLIP is on a mission to make getting around by bicycle effortless, safer, and faster.

The company is ready to pilot its e-bike device – and you can be among the first to try it out for yourself! Complete this short 2-3 minute survey for a chance to participate in an upcoming pilot program exclusively for members of the BNMC community.

If you have any questions, please contact the project lead, James La Vela at james@clip.bike. Selected participants who complete the survey will also be given a $25 gift card to the Neighborhood Explorer Business of their choice.

AR Signage for a Safer Reopening

by BNMCin Innovation, Innovation Center, Technology

AR Signage for a Safer Reopening

The BNMC has recently partnered with Twisted Rope to launch augmented reality (AR) signage in the Innovation Center to communicate safety information more efficiently using the AReveryware wp-content. Download on Google Play or the App Store. This exciting technology uses augmented reality with signage to play videos on smartphones to give employees and visitors important instructions. 

See how it works in this video.

“Until Sam Mazzarro from BNMC contacted us, we had not considered how our augmented reality technology might help in a safety context. BNMC has been a great partner and catalyst. Since that first call, the ideas and uses of the technology as an informational system have been expanding incredibly and it’s led us into additional deployments with public and private companies.” – Greg Norton, President – Twisted Rope

Benefits of SafeReopen

  • Reduce Risk
  • Easy to Use
  • Update Information Remotely
  • Customize Information for Your Facility

If you’re interested in learning more about this technology for your facility or workplace, please reach out to Parrish Gust at parrish.gust@twisted-rope.com.

Creating Pathways to High-Tech Employment

by BNMCin Innovation, Startups, Students, Technology, Workforce and Procurement

Creating Pathways to High-Tech Employment

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic caused unemployment rates to soar, a group of collaborators in Buffalo were working toward a hands-on, lab-oriented technology certificate program designed to get out-of-work individuals back to work.

Last fall, Mark Hoeber, Dean of Continuing Education at SUNY Erie, began pulling together key local partners to help him build the full stack web development boot camp he saw successfully run in other communities. He identified David Adkins, formerly the VP for Information Technology at the Buffalo News, currently an engineering manager at Facebook, as a partner to develop and lead the course. He also reached out to Sam Marrazzo, BNMC’s Chief Innovation Officer.

Sam provided curriculum support and also brought in Raj Suchak, founder of Grit Seed, which offered the use of its technology platform pro bono to help market the program and identify candidates likely to succeed. Grit Seed’s technology made it convenient for people to wp-contently via text. After a potential candidate expressed interest, they were automatically encouraged to complete the process and answer simple questions.

Cristina Lopez from Workforce Buffalo was instrumental in providing funding for tuition. Seventeen people are currently enrolled in this class, with 14 students’ tuition paid for by Workforce Buffalo as part of its efforts to help upskill unemployed or dislocated workers. Originally designed as an in-person class starting in April, the class launched on Zoom in June and runs through mid-August. Graduates will earn a Microsoft certificate. SUNY Erie is also developing a Google programs and a Facebook marketing course.

Other partners include TechBuffalo and InfoTech WNY, which are helping to connect the students to mentors during the program and employment opportunities after completion.

Learn more about the program.

BNMC Offers Biking Perks for Campus Employees

by BNMCin Employees, GO BNMC, Sustainability, Transportation

Free Reddy Bikeshare Memberships for Frontline Employees

Employees who work on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus can redeem a FREE annual pass to Reddy Bikeshare, courtesy of GOBNMC. New Reddy Bikeshare members can start by registering today at this link:  Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Employee Annual Pass.

For returning members, please email info@reddybikeshare.com to request to be re-subscribed for free. Provide your work email address as well as your account number and a Reddy Bikeshare representative will confirm your new subscription within 24 hours.

 

DETAILS

Members pay an additional $0.01/ minute to ride and must be 18 years of age or older. Employees must sign up using their work email address and a have a valid debit or credit card. Please note that parking fees and fines may still occur. The parking fee is $2.00 to end your trip anywhere outside of a Reddy Bikeshare station or free parking zone. End your trip at any other Reddy Bikeshare station at no extra cost.

The pass will allow you access to any one of 385 bikes in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, 24/7, April – mid November.

Pro Tips: 

  • Download the Social Bicycles wp-content and use it to locate bikes, or simply walk up to one and enter your account number and PIN. Unlock the bike, place the U-lock in the holster and ride! You can lock the bike to any other Reddy station, public bike rack, or secure public infrastructure at the end of your trip.
  • The seat adjusts to your height, and there are three gears on your right handle and a bell on your left, use them!
  • Press the “HOLD” button on the bike’s keypad before locking the bike in order to keep your bike reserved while you make stops along your trip.
  • Find Bounty Bikes to accrue credit. When you find a Reddy bike outside of a station, bring it back to a station for us and receive $1.00 in riding credit.

COVID-19 Update

Reddy Bikeshare is considered an essential service as a valuable transportation provider under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s “New York on PAUSE” executive order and is available for users for essential travel only.

Reddy Fleet Team has increased bike cleaning and sanitation procedures.
Frequently touched surfaces like hand-grips, brake lever, seat and seat lever, U-locks and keypad, are undergoing more rigorous cleaning and disinfecting. Each bike is cleaned at least twice per week. Our Team is also taking additional precautions by wearing gloves and facial covers while they interact with bikes.

Hand Sanitizer Available

Courtesy of Independent Health, bikes are equipped with hand sanitizer for each rider to use before and after their trip, while supplies last.

Follow CDC and WHO recommended guidelines to stay safe and healthy.
While we will certainly do our best to disinfect bikes frequently, everyone should do their part to stay safe and healthy. Here’s some guidelines that have been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization:

  • Wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer
  • Provide your own personal cleaning and disinfecting measures as you see fit
  • Wear gloves to add an additional layer of protection, but remember to wash your hands before and after putting gloves on
  • Stay at home if you are sick
  • Avoid touching your face without first washing your hands
  • Avoid close contact with others

Visit reddybikeshare.com or e-mail info@reddybikeshare.com for more information.

Sign Up for BNMC’s Secure Bike Parking & Discounted GObike Buffalo Memberships

It’s the perfect time to ride! Don’t forget that the BNMC has two indoor secure bike parking locations on the Medical Campus – one at the 854 Ellicott St. parking garage and the other at Ellicott & Virginia Streets. The best part – we’re partnering with GObike Buffalo to offer you discounted memberships through the end of the summer using promo code 2020GOBNMC50. Sign up today at gobikebuffalo.org and be sure to select BNMC individual membership.

Details:

  • BNMC Individual Membership includes member-only access to secure bike parking at 854 Ellicott and Ellicott & Virginia Streets.
  • The discount cuts the BNMC Individual Membership price in half to $17.50.
  • The bike parking membership includes all of GObike’s general membership perks. All information for membership perks can be found here.

 

Case Study: Ognomy – Disrupting Sleep Medicine

by BNMCin Community, Healthy Communities, Innovation, Innovation Center

Innovation-As-A-Service: Ognomy Case Study

Check out how the Ognomy sleep apnea telemedicine wp-content went from dream to wp-content MVP in 4 months through on-demand talent. Read Topcoder’s blog on the process. Watch the Ognomy video.

When Dr. Dan Rifkin had an idea to transform the sleep medicine industry using telemedicine, he knew who to call. His company, Sleep Medicine Centers of WNY was one of the first companies to locate in the Innovation Center nearly 10 years ago, and he has known Matt Enstice, BNMC CEO, for a number of years.

“I reached out to Matt to get his feedback, and he immediately jumped into action,” said Dan Rifkin, M.D., Medical Director of Sleep Medical Centers of WNY. “I wanted to transform my business, and he gave me the tools to do so.”

Matt connected Dan to Sam Marrazzo, BNMC’s Chief Innovation Officer. Sam’s niche is helping companies – any company, regardless of industry – innovate from within.

“Our goal is to connect people with ideas to a quick but thorough process using agile innovation that can create the platform for a solution that minimizes investment and risk in the marketplace,” according to Marrazzo. “We take your domain knowledge and bring connections and ideas to move your initiative along quickly. We use novel methods to solve problems and deliver solutions at a rapid pace, allowing you to prototype prior to building a final product, saving time and money. If the idea is not going to work, we want to fail fast and move along to the next idea. Through this wp-contentroach, we are changing industries by cultivating people and ideas, much like we did with Dan and sleep apnea.”

Marrazzo pulled together an innovation team from across the country, including the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State, who helped hone in the idea and its unique business proposition, along with the UB School of Business MIS Department students and professors to help with requirements and overall implementation strategy.

He also engaged BNMC partner Topcoder, an international technology platform connecting companies to top talent. Marrazzo has worked with Topcoder for more than a decade, including bringing 200+ technology superstars to Buffalo in 2017 for its international conference. With the combination of Topcoder, UB, and BNMC’s Innovation team, we were able to develop a solution within budget and timeline that met the needs of Dan’s team.

“Within three months, we went from idea to implementation,” explained Rifkin. “It would have taken me years to get this far on my own. The connections that Sam, Matt and their team made for me are going to disrupt not only my industry, but other health disciplines as well.”

The team developed a telemedicine wp-content that incorporates practice automation and allows diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea to be done via a mobile wp-content—all in the comfort of a patient’s home. Typically, patients need to spend the night in a sleep center, hooked up to monitors in an unfamiliar room and setting. Now, with advances in diagnostic technologies, Rifkin is able to ship the equipment directly to a patient’s home and monitor them in their own environment, increasing access and ease of diagnosis.

Rifkin is now looking at other disciplines that follow similar platforms, such as cardiology, to see how they might benefit from this technology.

 

 

 

BNMC Presents Virtual Stress Reduction Series

by BNMCin Community, Employees, Entrepreneurship, Healthy Communities, Small Businesses

BNMC Presents Virtual Stress Reduction Series

Weekly Webinars in June with Innovation Center Tenant Lindsay Amico from Picture Perfect Mind LLC

The BNMC is excited to announce a free virtual Stress Reduction Series with Lindsay Amico, founder of Picture Perfect Mind LLC. In these uncertain times, many of us are feeling anxious and overwhelmed, and are looking for an outlet to help manage all the added stress we’re experiencing.
Join us for our June webinar series every Tuesday at 2pm via Zoom to discuss topics including: stress awareness and your biological make up, thought management, mindfulness, goal setting, and more. Let’s end the stigma against mental health!

WEBINAR DESCRIPTIONS & SIGN UP

Part 1: Awareness: How is Stress Showing Up For Us? ?
Tuesday, June 2nd at 2pm
In our opening webinar, we’ll discuss awareness and begin to identify where stress currently exists for us. We’ll understand the long-term effects of stress and how it is an important part of our biological makeup. Participants will learn helpful tools to drop into the present moment and reduce stress in 5 minutes or less. Each participant will be emailed a workbook for this session.
Part 2: Perception: How Do Our Thoughts Affect Our Reality? ?
Tuesday, June 9th at 2pm
In the second part of our four-part series, we’ll discuss how to bring awareness to our current thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Participants will learn a simple thought management model as well as how to identify when their judgmental mind arises. The goal of this webinar is to learn that we are not our thoughts and we can always choose again. Each participant will be emailed a workbook for this session.
Part 3: Dropping Into the Present Moment: Tools to Tune Into Body and Mind ??‍♀️
Tuesday, June 16th at 2pm
For our third week, we’ll learn more about mindfulness and what it means for the busy professional. You’ll experience various exercises to explore mindfulness and how it can create space in your life. Tools include a body scan, meditation, visualization, and deep breathing techniques. Participants will be emailed a workbook for this session.

Part 4: Habit Creation: Stress Reduction as a Lifestyle ✅
Tuesday, June 23rd at 2pm

Congratulations! You’ve made it to week four of the series. In this webinar, we’ll discuss how to implement everything we’ve learned over the past three weeks into our day to day lives. Participants will learn how to create a personal stress reduction commitment and how to achieve realistic goals in life. We’ll share what our biggest epiphanies and challenges have been and where we see ourselves going from here. Participants will receive a workbook via email for this session.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR ?‍?

Lindsay Amico is a Mindset Coach in Buffalo NY. Her business, Picture Perfect Mind LLC, focuses specifically on helping people to feel better on a day to day basis with mindfulness, motivational and thought management tools. With an wp-contentroach the goes beyond stress reduction, Lindsay provides people with the tools to release limiting beliefs and connect to their true purpose.

How ‘innovation districts’ are continuing the fight against COVID-19

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Buffalo, Collaboration, Innovation

How ‘innovation districts’ are continuing the fight against COVID-19

Local research and discoveries relating to COVID-19 were featured recently in a blog from the Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID) and published by the Brookings Institute. Work being done at the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and local companies Rapid Medical Parts and Innosek were included.

The BNMC is a steering member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts, a global network of practitioners. Our work with these international leaders provides strategic connections around the world.

 

 

Local, State & Federal Resources for Businesses

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, Innovation Center, News

Resources for Businesses

If you’re like us, you are constantly getting barraged with information – emails, social media, texts, and constant news alerts about the COVID-19 pandemic and the resources available to businesses and individuals. We have started this page as a place for you to find accurate, timely information that can help your business today. Many of our colleagues and partners are doing a great job collecting this information – we are going to link to their resources as opposed to recreating the wheel. Please let us know of resources or information that you think should be added.

Upcoming Webinars

  • In our final IC Success Zooms, Kyria features home schooling tips and resources on Tuesday, May 5th, and grants, loans and business resources on Thursday, May 7th. RSVP for these free community conversations today!

Additional Resources

 

last updated 4.27.20

BNMC Update: April 2020

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, News

Update on the BNMC Inc.

For nearly 20 years, the BNMC Inc. has been an organization built around the concept that bringing diverse groups of people together drives innovation and builds community. Throughout that time, “together” has meant in person. Moving to a remote workplace may have challenged our work, but it definitely hasn’t stopped our dedication to leveraging opportunities to solve problems, strengthen partnerships, and continuously learn from each other.

 

How are we doing this? We’ve shifted all of our work councils to virtual meetings, ensuring that our partners are still able to “see” each other and benefit from longstanding relationships. We continue to manage and monitor the parking and transportation system across the Campus, and continue to keep the grounds clean and safe for the essential staff, patients, and visitors that are on the Medical Campus each day. Our team is also still advancing planning efforts around infrastructure, healthy food access, building operations and management, and community-building on and around the Campus.

 

We will never get used to seeing the Innovation Center empty, our usually bustling building stilled as our friends and colleagues adhere to social distancing and working from home, but we continue to engage with our tenants and partners. We have moved some of our programming and social gatherings online, and our next series of IC Success begins virtually tomorrow.  We are also offering a small business seminar for our Neighborhood Explorer business this week in partnership with Lumsden & McCormick.

 

We continue to join our peer districts around the globe through the Global Institute for Innovation Districts for regular video calls to stay in touch. It is sobering to hear from our European colleagues, especially those in Switzerland, just 10 minutes from the Italian border, but encouraging to see the research and discovery around COVID-19 also coming from these districts. We discuss how this pandemic makes all of our focus on innovating and strengthening transportation and energy systems, building healthy communities, integrating technology, and encouraging creativity even more necessary, and wonder what it will look like moving forward. Some of the work being done in Buffalo to fight COVID-19 was featured in GIID’s recent blog.

 

We’ve also recently partnered with Mission:Ignite and Say Yes Buffalo to provide home computers for students in the Buffalo Public School district, creating a connection that helps increase access to technology and education for students who did not otherwise have that opportunity. We are looking for individuals and companies to support this effort to ensure even more kids have access to computers at home – for $150 Mission:Ignite can refurbish and certify a computer.

 

We are proud to have helped launch a telemedicine platform for sleep apnea with partner and longtime Innovation Center tenant Dr. Dan Rifkin. We have been working on this together since last year in partnership with Topcoder, UB School of Business MIS students, and Buffalo State’s International Center for Studies in Creativity, but the timeliness and importance given today’s landscape of effective telemedicine makes last week’s launch especially gratifying.

 

We share all of this to say that, like most of you, we continue to do what we can to grow and improve our little corner of the world, while taking care of ourselves, our families, and our community.

 

We will get through this in the same way we have all worked to rebuild Buffalo – together.

 

Stay healthy and safe.

 

Matt and the BNMC Team

IC Success Kicks Back! New Series Begins April 21st

by BNMCin Uncategorized

IC Success Kicks Back! New Series Begins April 21st

The BNMC team will be holding virtual chats with local entrepreneurs to help keep people engaged, moving forward, and building community.

IC Success is designed to create stepping stones and pathways to success for local entrepreneurs and small business owners. Our programs help existing companies and individuals looking to start something by connecting them to resources, giving opportunity to expand their networks, and fostering a community of innovators. 

In the past we have had dynamic facilitators who bring an array of knowledge and plenty of energy into every session.  Although we will not physically be in the same space due to this period of social distancing, we are still committed to bringing the same helpful content and energy to you virtually. RSVP today! Watch the fall series rewind video. 

Our social distanced series includes:

Tuesday, April 21st – Social Gathering During Social Distancing – How to Stay Connected with Your Customers and Network

Guests:

Dennis Wilson, Owner of The Oakk Room Restaurant and Owner of Mr. D Wilson Enterprises

Otis Barker, Co-Founder of GUAGGI, Organizer and Host of HipHop Karaoke

Adriana Viverette, Radio & TV Personality, Educator, Owner of Ho

Thursday, April 23rd – Foodies – How to Eat Well and Eat Good During Quarantine

Guests:

Evetta Applewhite, Owner of Evelina’s Kitchen

Beth Machnica, Healthy Communities Catalyst, BNMC

Marla Guarino, Farm-to-Institution Catalyst, BNMC

Tuesday, April 28th – Total Fitness- Keeping Your Mind, Body and Soul Healthy

Guest:

Kris Holley, Founder and Owner of Impact Training 716

Thursday, April 30th – Look Good Feel Good- How to Still Look Good When You Can’t Get to Your Barber/Hairstylist, Skincare Professionals or Nail Tech

Guests:

Salley Nycole, Owner of SalleyNicole’s Skin & Beauty Boutique

Chris Bishop, Owner of High Klass Hair and Licensed Insurance Agent

Sean Thompson, Owner of Sean’s House of Masters Barber Shop and HOM Grooming Lounge

Tuesday, May 5th – Home School – How to Add New Skills and Further the Education of You and Your Kids

Guests:

Scott Traylor

Thursday, May 7th – Show Me the Money – Grants, Loans and Business Opportunities During the COVID Crisis

Each conversation will have a panel of experts who will give tips and tricks on how to go from just trying to survive to knowing you can thrive during this pandemic.

Each session will run from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Once you register for this FREE event, you will receive the link to access.

RSVP today!

Talking Cities Podcast: Perfect Stay-At-Home Listening!

by BNMCin Uncategorized

Talking Cities Podcast: Perfect Stay-At-Home Listening!

Exhausted all your usual podcasts? Tired of the TV? Tune in to Talking Cities!

Talking Cities is the place where we investigate cutting-edge innovations for cities in America and beyond, featuring people working to create vibrant, healthier, more sustainable communities. We’ve talked with more than 70 local, national, and global leaders over the past 2 1/2 years.

Hosted by Matt Enstice, president & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, a not-for-profit furthering economic growth, igniting urban revitalization, and building a strong, thriving community.

Start listening today!

BNMC Inc., Mission:Ignite & Say Yes Buffalo Provide Computers for Students

by BNMCin Community, Homepage, Neighborhood Engagement, Neighbors, News

BNMC Inc. Partners with Mission:Ignite & Say Yes Buffalo to Provide Home Computers for Buffalo Public School Students

More Support Needed to Increase Available Computers

BUFFALO (April 6, 2020) – Three Buffalo not-for-profit organizations partnered to provide desktop computers to Buffalo Public School students who would otherwise not have access to this technology at home. More than 65 families will receive computers through an initial donation of $5,000, and the partners are seeking additional donations from individuals and corporations to reach even more families. For the cost of $150, Mission:Ignite will refurbish and certify a computer, and Say Yes will distribute to their families.

The first 20 computers were distributed on April 6th at P.S. 89 Dr. Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence and P.S. 80 Highgate Heights Elementary, with additional computers delivered on April 16th to South Park High School, PR 74 and iPrep Academy.

“When I thought about education shifting to homes when the schools began closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my mind immediately went to the technology gap,” said Sam Marrazzo, BNMC’s Chief Innovation Officer. “I knew that Mission:Ignite could help provide the hardware, so we reached out to Say Yes to see if they could help with the connection to the families. We hope to see other companies and individuals step up as well to help make sure kids have access to technology during these times.”

“We immediately agreed to help when we got Sam’s call,” said Christine Carr, Executive Director for Mission:Ignite. “Providing technology solutions for kids is our core mission. We are able to build computers relatively quickly to meet the tremendous needs of our community.”

“We were thrilled that BNMC and Mission:Ignite wp-contentroached us with this idea,” said David Rust, Executive Director of Say Yes Buffalo. “Our team has been providing basic needs to the 500+ families in Buffalo that we serve, and we know that parents are concerned that their kids will fall behind in school without access to the right technology.”

Say Yes Buffalo Family Support Specialists and BPS Principals will work to determine families with the highest need to distribute the laptops. The first 20 computers were distributed this morning.

For more information about how you can get involved with this initiative, including donate online, visit http://techforkids.716innovations.com or contact Sam Marrazzo at smarrazzo@bnmc-old.local.

Partners

Mission: Ignite, Buffalo’s source for affordable technology and refurbished computers; the BNMC, Inc., an organization focused on furthering economic growth, igniting urban revitalization, and building a strong thriving community; and Say Yes Buffalo, dedicated to strengthening the Western New York economy by investing in the education of Buffalo’s future workforce.

 

 

M&T’s New Tech Startup Makes Business First

by BNMCin Buffalo, Business Development, Innovation Center, Local businesses, News, Startups, Technology

Congratulations to M&T Bank on its feature in Buffalo Business First for the establishment of new tech company Nota! Nota – a digital banking solution — functions like any other fast-growing startup in the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center. The only difference? It was created by one of the region’s largest companies. To read more about M&T’s new tech company, CLICK HERE!
(Pictured: Paul Garibian, who leads M&T’s new tech startup, Nota.)

March Madness Data Metrics – Postponed

by BNMCin Buffalo, Collaboration, Community, Event, Innovation Center, Technology

This event has been postponed, We will make an announcement when it can be rescheduled.
On March 18, 2020, 2:30-4:30 pm, TIBCO will be at the Innovation Center to show YOU how you can accurately predict the winners and losers of the largest basketball tournament of the year with TIBCO’s industry-leading data analytics software. Last year, TIBCO customers had a 98% accuracy rate, and a majority of last year’s attendees actually won their office pools! So come ready to make your predictions, compare your bracket with other attendees, and gain last-minute tips to improve your chances of winning this season!

Oh yeah, did we mention that there’s a FREE HAPPY HOUR too???