Author: Maria Morreale

BNMC’s Third Annual Food As Medicine Symposium “Transformative Practices for Health” Will Take Place on September 27th and 28th at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, Collaboration, Health care, Healthy Communities, Wellness

Buffalo, NY – BNMC is pleased to announce the upcoming Food as Medicine Symposium, “Transformative Practices for Health.” The symposium will take place on September 27th and 28th, 2023 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. The school is located at 955 Main Street.

This two-day event aims to bring together national and local speakers to facilitate discussions and workshops centered around value-based practices. This year’s symposium will focus on the food industry, food equity, and lifestyle medicine. Additionally, the event will highlight partners’ food and nutrition practices rooted in integrity, accountability, and transparency, which are contributing to meaningful and sustainable change in clinical and population health outcomes.

The agenda for the 2023 symposium includes a range of activities designed both for community members and healthcare professionals.

On Day 1, participants will have the option to choose between two workshops. The first workshop, led by Registered Dietitian Rachel Laster and Rhonda Wilson of Buffalo Black Nurses, will offer a cooking demonstration for the general public, showcasing how to incorporate food as medicine in daily life. The second workshop, facilitated by Dr. Ted Barnett of the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute, is tailored for clinicians and members of the healthcare team, focusing on integrating food as medicine, and whole-food plant-based nutrition, into their practice.

Day 2 of the symposium will feature a morning keynote address on food equity by Dr. Angela Odoms Young from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. This will be followed by a panel discussion on food equity, exploring how stakeholders outside the food system can advance health and food equity through food as medicine programs. The afternoon keynote by Chef Dr. Robert Graham of Fresh Medicine NYC will delve into the field of lifestyle medicine, followed by a panel discussion highlighting best practice models for lifestyle medicine and culinary medicine programs.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion featuring representatives from the private food sector, examining their contributions to health outcomes, sustainability, and profit within the complex landscape of nutrition and health.

Accreditation for continuing medical education (CME) will be provided by the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.

To learn more and register, visit: https://bnmc.org/health-and-wellbeing/.

BNMC is happy to offer discounted tickets for non-profits with this code FAMNP2023 and FREE tickets for students with this code FAMSTU2023.

This year’s symposium is generously sponsored by the Jacobs School and the School of Public Health and Public Health Professions at UB.

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. BNMC launched its flagship program, IC Success in 2021 to provide support to aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adriana Viverette

Digital Communications Manager

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

(716) 348-4126 aviverette@bnmc.org

IC Success Alum, Jillian Hanesworth, Nominated for Emmy Award.

by Maria Morrealein Awards, BNMC's IC Success, Education, Local businesses

Choose Love: Buffalo Bills Honor East Buffalo Video is Produced By Literary Freedom, LLC.

Jillian Hanesworth, founder of Literary Freedom LLC, is making waves in the literary world for her Emmy-nominated collaboration with the Buffalo Bills on the “Choose Love: Buffalo Bills Honor East Buffalo” video. An IC Success Business Accelerator Alum, Hanesworth is dedicated to expanding literary access to communities of color and historically excluded communities.

Literary Freedom LLC was established by Hanesworth in 2021 with the aim of providing educational tools and empowering individuals to use the arts to share their stories and uplift their experiences. Recognizing the pivotal role that poetry, music, visual art, dance, and traditional storytelling have played in sharing Black stories, Literary Freedom strives to uphold these traditions.

Under the umbrella of Literary Freedom, workshops, trainings, and lessons are conducted to reinforce the company’s mission of providing access to educational tools and helping individuals develop the necessary skills to use the arts to make a meaningful impact. By ensuring that marginalized communities have the resources and support to share their narratives and preserve their culture, Literary Freedom is working to dismantle systems of oppression.

Hanesworth’s collaboration with the Buffalo Bills, titled “Choose Love: Buffalo Bills Honor East Buffalo,” has garnered much attention and acclaim, earning her a well-deserved Emmy nomination. The video serves as a testament to the power of using art to bring about positive change and highlight the resilience and strength of communities.

As the Poet Laureate of Buffalo NY, Hanesworth has demonstrated her immense talent and commitment to using poetry as a tool for social change. Her work has touched the lives of many, and her inclusion in the Emmy nomination is a testament to her dedication and skill.

At BNMC we are building an Innovation Community where everyone can access great programming and the resources all entrepreneurs need to start or grow their businesses.

To date, BNMC has supported over 500 entrepreneurs, graduated 200 companies from their programs, and engaged more than 1,000 volunteers and supporters championing this effort.

New Program for Entrepreneurs in WNY

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, Business Development, Community, Education, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Innovation
First-of-its-kind free initiative connects business owners with mentors and marketplaces
 
April 1, 2023.                                                                                           
 
BUFFALO NY– The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is pleased to announce the launch of IC Success—a free, year-long program to connect historically marginalized, early-stage entrepreneurs with mentors, marketplaces, and other resources.

IC Success provides new and early-stage entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to launch and grow their businesses—all at no cost.

Entrepreneurs who are accepted into IC success receive full access to the business accelerator program, extensive mentoring from business experts, access to connections and customers throughout the downtown medical campus (where 17,000-plus people work), and semi-annual pitch contests where entrepreneurs can earn seed funding.

“We’re here to connect people,” said Juweria Dahir (pictured above), who has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners as BNMC’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “For too long, people in historically marginalized and underserved communities have not had equal access to mentors, funding, and other resources—even though they have brilliant ideas and have proven to be amazing businesspeople. Creating these integrated networks eliminates many of the barriers for these entrepreneurs.”

A cohort comprised of 15 talented Buffalo entrepreneurs began the IC Success business accelerator program in January. This intensive 10-week program provides classes on all aspects of running a business, including finance, law, accounting, and marketing. In addition, each participant is matched with three mentors who support entrepreneurs throughout the program, and beyond.
Shéquanda Long, the founder of the educational resource company Teacher Tidbits, is one of the entrepreneurs in the spring 2023 class. “Through IC Success, I’ve met with mentors who are helping me create new products, focus my marketing, and get in front of new customers,” said Long. “It’s truly a game-changer.”[GU1] [MM2] 
Underrepresented entrepreneurs face unique obstacles. For example, Black business owners who apply for funding were three times more likely to be rejected by banks than white business owners, according to a report from Goldman Sachs.

“We started this program because there are entrepreneurs all over Buffalo who still don’t feel welcome in the flourishing startup ecosystem here—especially people of color and women, who often face discrimination and other obstacles when building a business,” said Matt Enstice, President of BNMC. “By purposefully integrating networks—and caring for those connections on a long-term basis—we can help communities grow from within, driving the next wave of our region’s economic development.”

IC Success is the latest equity-focused program from BNMC, which has helped drive economic growth and development for more than 20 years. IC Success, which stands for Innovation Community Success, replaces EforAll, a national program that recently left the Buffalo market.

Contact:
 
Maria Morreale
Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. 
Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott St. | Buffalo, NY 14203
C 716.866.7344 | Mmorreale@BNMC.org
About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  
 
For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being, and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community, launching the IC Success[GU5]  (Innovation Community Success) program to support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. www.bnmc.org

BNMC Director of Inclusion & Community Initiatives Featured in New Book

by Maria Morrealein BNMC Team, Community, Diversity & Inclusion

A powerful opinion piece by Kyria Stephens, Director of Inclusion & Community Initiatives, was recently selected for publication in a new e-book compilation, Resilience Matters: Collective Action for Healthier Communities. 

The essay, “People in need don’t want your pity,” explains why we need to rethink how we think about charity. As Stephens explains, people in need do not want pity; they need “solidarity, respect, and loving support.” These people are teachers, professors, CEOs, police officers, nurses, and artists. They save lives, drive the economy, and create culture. And they are successful, notes Stephens, “in spite of the obstacles placed (often intentionally) in our path.” By sharing time and resources, says Stephens, “you are not simply helping the less fortunate—you are nurturing the powerful.”

As a well-known speaker and thought leader on diversity and inclusion, Stephens is glad to see his message being shared with an even wider audience. “This is such an important time in our history,” said Stephens. “It’s going to take all of us, working together, to build a more equitable future. We must be detailed and strategic in how we move forward.”

At the BNMC, Stephens helps promote collaboration and inclusivity throughout the organization and community. His efforts have helped establish the BNMC as a regional and national model for diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Resilience Matters, published by the Island Press Urban Resilience Project, features contributions from dozens of leading authors, and is available for free online thanks to grant support from the Kresge and JPB Foundations. 

Island Press is a well-known publisher of critical ideas on both the natural and built environment. In 2022, they published City Forward: How Innovation Districts Can Embrace Risk and Strengthen Community, which highlighted the BNMC’s commitment to equity.

Campus Update: Ellicott Street is Reopened.

by Maria Morrealein Construction

As construction continues at the Trico building located at the corners of Ellicott/Washington Streets and Goodell, The City of Buffalo has advised BNMC that Kandey Corp, one of the contractors working on the project has reopened Ellicott Street, which had been closed since December 1.

About the BNMC

For more than twenty years, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being, and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. In 2021 BNMC spearheaded the initiative to bring the national programs forAll and Eforever to Buffalo. These proven programs support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth.

IDEA Center Helps Design BNMC Touch Model to Improve Wayfinding for All

by Maria Morrealein Campus-wide, Innovation Center

BUFFALO NY– The Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental (IDEA) at the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, and Touch Graphics, Inc., collaborated to create a multi-sensory interactive 3D touch model to assist with orientation and wayfinding on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC).

The IDEA Center received a generous gift from the Chur Foundation in January 2021 and used the funds to design, develop, and install the model.

The recently unveiled interactive model is located at the BNMC’s Innovation Center, a home base for campus tours, and a site providing services for over 100 start-up companies and serving as a hub for research and knowledge exchange. The touch model allows users to preview the campus layout, locate buildings, and identify travel routes prior to setting out for their destinations. A user-friendly touch interface that includes visual, auditory, and tactile outputs allows visitors to simply hear or see information related to both the campus and individual buildings.  

All features of the model are touch responsive, including roads, parks, parking lots, and Metro stations. Additional features for accessibility and legibility include braille labels and aerial photographs of building rooftops printed on the 3D buildings.

Jamie Hamann-Burney, Director of Planning and Implementation at BNMC said “We are so grateful to our colleagues at the IDEA Center for bringing this project to us. The model unites a range of technologies being developed at the Center that will speed the creation of more inclusive environments for everyone.” 

The design of the model was developed by first documenting the campus, drawing digital models of the campus’ buildings and landscape, 3D printing the buildings, and laser printing a tactile skin of the landscape. The 3D buildings were treated with a conductive layer and then both tactile skin and the 3D buildings were adhered to the large touch screen. The model works by simple touch commands including tapping once to hear the name of the building and a second time to hear descriptive information. An application was developed to listen to finger touch and provide a corresponding audio description.

“The touch model is an excellent example of how inclusive technology benefits a broad range of users. We’re hoping that this touch model is not only useful for the visitors and staff of the BNMC, but also inspires the thought leaders and tech developers at the Innovation Center to consider the needs of individuals with disabilities in their own work.” Heamchand Subryan, Director of Interaction Design at the IDEA Center.

In addition to the BNMC, similar touch models have been installed at large tech companies, museums, and a national park. The BNMC touch model demonstrates how integrating universal design into wayfinding technology can benefit all visitors and serves as a best practice for similar maps at other medical campuses.


About the IDEA Center

Aside from this project, the IDEA Center, part of the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, is also collaborating with colleagues at the Toronto Rehab Institute/University Health Network and the U. of Pittsburgh on a National Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design in the Built Environment and partnering with Carnegie Mellon University on a five-year RERC project to advance public transportation for people with disabilities. Both initiatives are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). 

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force of Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. In 2021 BNMC spearheaded the initiative to bring the national programs EforAll and Eforever to Buffalo. These proven programs support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

Presenting the 2nd Annual Food as Medicine Symposium, “A Bridge to Health.”

by Maria Morrealein Healthy Communities

BUFFALO NY– On October 13, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus’ Health & Well-Being division presented its second annual Food as Medicine Symposium, bringing together a range of national and local pioneers in the field to discuss research and policy in the Food as Medicine space. The Keynote address “Food as Medicine: Dietary Priorities and Policy Actions After the White House Conference,” was presented by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of Policy at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. The symposium was held at the UB Center for Bioinformatics and Life Sciences at 701 Ellicott Street in Buffalo. More information about the event can be found here.

BNMC and its partner institutions have been a driving force in a campus-wide effort to improve access to healthy food in hospitals and the surrounding community, collaborating with Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and other medical facilities on the Campus. Together, they have implemented the Farm to Hospital program which has connected local farmers and growers to food procurement systems at area hospitals. This program has allowed BNMC partners to serve healthy, locally sourced food to the tens of thousands of patients and visitors that rely on campus resources each year while also benefitting local farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs.

More recently, the BNMC has spearheaded the formation of the Western New York Food as Medicine Coalition, a group that brings more than 40 partners together to share best practices and expand and accelerate the impact of Food as Medicine programs on advancing health in our region.

Elizabeth (Beth) Machnica, Director of Community Well-Being at BNMC said, “Food is undoubtedly a major factor in the determination of medical outcomes, decades of research have shown us this. What we are missing is a broader awareness of the concept and the movement. Our symposium is open to all that would like to learn more and join us in discovering the latest developments and innovations to engage and empower our communities to evaluate the relationships between diet, medical outcomes, and overall health and well-being.”

Conference organizer and BNMC Associate Director of Health and Well-Being Marla Guarino added “The food as medicine discipline is growing and gaining momentum in the United States, at the BNMC we want to ensure our campus and community are at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the field. This is important for our city which has been, and still is, home to food inequities in our communities. Our symposium will spotlight that and point us toward how we can make meaningful change.”

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being, and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. In 2021 BNMC spearheaded the initiative to bring the national programs EforAll and Eforever to Buffalo. These proven programs support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

Introducing City Forward, the story of the BNMC.

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, News

We are delighted to share the news that City Forward: How Innovation Districts Can Embrace Risk and Strengthen Community, a new book by Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) President and CEO, Matt Enstice with Mike Gluck, was published today by Island Press.

The book tells the compelling story of the establishment and growth of Western New York’s premier innovation district.

Innovation districts and anchor institutions—like hospitals, universities, and technology hubs—are celebrated for their ability to drive economic growth and employment opportunities. But the benefits often fail to reach the very neighborhoods they are built-in. As CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Matt Enstice took a different approach. Under Matt’s leadership, BNMC has supported entrepreneurship training programs and mentorship for community members, the creation of a community garden, bringing together diverse groups to explore transportation solutions, and more. Fostering participation and collaboration among neighborhood leaders, foundations, and other organizations ensures that the interests of Buffalo residents are represented. Together, these groups are creating a new model for re-energizing Buffalo—a model that has applications across the United States and around the world.

City Forward explains how BNMC works to promote a shared goal of equity among companies and institutions with often opposing motivations and intentions. When money or time is scarce, how can equitable community-building remain a common priority? When interests conflict and an institution’s expansion depends upon parking or development that would infringe upon public space, how can the decision-making process maintain trust and collaboration? Offering a candid look at BNMC’s setbacks and successes, along with efforts from other institutions nationwide, Enstice shares twelve strategies that innovation districts can harness to weave equity into their core work. From actively creating opportunities to listen to the community, to navigating compromise, to recruiting new partners, the book reveals unique opportunities available to create decisive, large-scale change. Critically, Enstice also offers insight into how innovation districts can speak about equity in an inclusive manner and keep underrepresented and historically excluded voices at the decision-making table.

Accessible, engaging, and packed with fresh ideas applicable to any city, this book is an invaluable resource. Institutional leadership, business owners, and professionals hoping to make equitable change within their companies and organizations will find experienced direction here. City Forward is a refreshing look at the brighter, more equitable futures that we can create through thoughtful and strategic collaboration—moving forward, together.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to further diversity, inclusion, and equity-related efforts throughout our community, You can purchase a copy here.

You can read the full press release here.

Ted Walsh to Assume Leadership of BNMC Board to Lead Next Phase of Region’s Economic, Social, and Environmental Development

by Maria Morrealein Entrepreneurship, Innovation, News, Small Businesses

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Edward F. Walsh, Jr. (Ted) as the new Chairperson of the Board of Directors. An active champion of community development and growth, Ted brings over 44 years of experience in leadership to the BNMC Board and is poised to lead the organization as it advances the next wave of Buffalo’s economic development. He succeeds David Zebro, who led BNMC to create one of the most environmentally sustainable areas in the City of Buffalo, while creating numerous opportunities for businesses and organizations in the medical and technology fields.

BNMC President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Enstice said “Ted brings a wealth of experience in leadership to the BNMC Board which will be invaluable as we continue to move the organization forward building on our legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship to advance our region’s economic, social, and environmental agenda. Our mission to create an innovation community in Buffalo that provides essential support for everyone, particularly those in historically underserved communities seeking to start or grow their business will flourish under Ted’s stewardship. Ensuring access to entrepreneurship for everyone is the essential next step for our community as we continue to drive our region’s resurgence. Ted is uniquely positioned to lead that effort.”

As it has grown and managed Western New York’s premier medical campus and Innovation district, BNMC has been a long-standing supporter of startup companies, particularly those engaged in the fields of environmental sustainability, providing the essential support that has enabled their businesses to thrive. As part of its work in developing a sustainable innovation district in Buffalo, BNMC has helped to develop and nurture enterprises such as GObike Buffalo and Shared Mobility, Inc. To broaden this effort, in 2021, BNMC partnered with the national organizations EforAll and Eforever, to bring their proven programs to Buffalo. In April of 2o22, a cohort of 14 Buffalo entrepreneurs graduated from the EforAll program which provided hands-on training, mentorship, and support to each new business.  The group will now join the Eforever program which will continue to provide resources and support as these nascent companies grow and develop. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in a range of disciplines, leading the region’s next wave of economic development.

Speaking about his appointment, Ted Walsh noted “It has never been more important that our city engage in a significant effort to ensure more equitable access to the opportunity to start or grow a company. We need to support and develop entrepreneurs in every kind of business, not just those in the fields of science and technology, to ensure that our community’s continued economic development is built on a solid, diverse foundation across a range of disciplines. I look forward to leading BNMC in this vital endeavor.”

Ted Walsh has held several leadership positions at numerous organizations throughout Western New York including Chair of the Board at Kaleida Health, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, Goodwill Industries of WNY, Nichols School, and the Center for Hospice & Palliative Care. In addition, he also serves as Treasurer of the John R. Oishei Foundation and as Chairperson of the Josephine Goodyear Foundation.

Ted has been recognized for his many outstanding accomplishments, both in his professional achievements as well as his dedication to serving the WNY community. In 2018, the Walsh family was recognized by NFJC with its annual family award. In 2013, Ted received recognition as a Red Jacket Award winner from the Buffalo History Museum. In 2011, he was honored to be Canisius College’s Business Executive of the Year Award recipient, a Goodwill Industries of WNY award recipient, and a Florence M. Conti Award recipient. In 2008 Kaleida Health dedicated the Edward F. Walsh, Jr. Emergency Department at the Buffalo General Medical Center in his name. In addition, Ted and his wife Ginna Remington Walsh were named the United Way Philanthropists of the Year by the Alexis de Tocqueville Society.

Ted graduated from Nichols School in 1972 and Williams College in 1976 and began his insurance career that same year with the Continental Insurance Company. He joined Walsh Duffield in 1977. As Chief Executive Officer, Ted is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the firm.

Ted lives in Buffalo, New York, with his wife, Ginna.  They have raised their two daughters, Liza and Ellie, in Buffalo. They are proud grandparents of Avery, Haley, Grant, Addison, and Colette.

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force of Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. In 2021 BNMC spearheaded the initiative to bring the national programs EforAll and Eforever to Buffalo. These proven programs support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. www.bnmc.org.