Thank you to all who joined us on October 23, 24, and 25 for our largest and most impactful symposium to date. Over 250 attendees from 6 countries joined our conference, powering three high-energy days. Here are some of our key takeaways from our expert speakers and panelists:
“It was inspiring to see such strong alignment across sectors from policy to payers, all recognizing that food is more than fuel; it’s fundamental to health outcomes and cost reduction.”
Soil Health = Human Health.
Speakers linked soil biodiversity and nutrient density to chronic disease prevention.
Case studies showed how healthy soils improve crop quality, which translates to better clinical outcomes.
Action step: partner with farms tracking soil organic matter and regenerative metrics in procurement.
Local and Regenerative Agriculture Took Center Stage
Procurement models spotlighted shorter supply chains, fair pricing, and community wealth-building.
Programs demonstrated how hospitals, community organizations, medically tailored meal providers, and employers can source regeneratively grown produce at scale.
Blue Zones Lifestyle for Longevity
Sessions distilled longevity habits: plant-forward meals, daily movement, social connection, stress relief, and purpose.
Attendees left with “default to lifestyle first” workflows for primary care and employee wellness.
Women’s Health Across the Lifespan
We took deep dives into nutrition and micronutrient needs across life stages – fertility, pregnancy, and menopause.
Practical protocols covered protein + fiber targets, sleep & stress prescriptions, and clinician–RD referral pathways.
Equity lens: culturally rooted culinary medicine and dignity-first program design.
Nutrition for Sports Performance featured diverse perspectives from the NFL, the Army, and Women Athletes
Clinical Adoption and Continuing Medical Education
Clinicians received accredited education to integrate nutrition, lifestyle prescriptions, and RD referrals into standard care.
“Exciting to learn about what others are doing to improve health outcomes!”
“Events like these are a great way to share bridges between healthcare, nutrition, and technology to make Food as Medicine accessible, measurable, and meaningful.”
The sunshine arrived just in time, and it was all smiles at Happy Campus, July edition. Thanks to all who shopped in the market, enjoyed the delicious food from Half Luna Empanadas and Chef Paolo Bettini, and drinks from Jack Rabbit—special thanks to Scoop Shop Consignment, Bee Sweet Cup Cakery, Awesome Paws Animal Rescue, and our amazing musical guests Wind and Wire. We had a great night! Here’s a photo gallery for your enjoyment. We can’t wait to do it again in August!
BNMC is proud to be a partner in Clean Mobility Buffalo. This morning, the initiative was launched at a press event. Read on for the full news release and more information on this transformative program.
‘Clean Commute’ Program Launches in Buffalo Viridi is the first East Side employer to offer incentives and support for employees who travel by public transit, walk, carpool, or bicycle to work
Buffalo, NY — June 25, 2025 — Clean Mobility Buffalo, an alliance of organizations and neighborhood leaders advancing transportation solutions through projects that connect people and places, today launched its Clean Commute program, for East Side employers to incentivize and support employees who travel by public transit, walk, carpool, or bicycle to work, with a ribbon-cutting at Viridi on E. Delavan Avenue.
“We’re excited to provide extensive Clean Commute resources and amenities that make it easier for employees and residents to get to work, school, and other destinations,” said Kim LaVare, project manager for Clean Mobility Buffalo. “We’re breaking down transportation barriers that impact job retention and new employment opportunities, reducing pollution, and supporting the health and wellbeing of the neighborhoods surrounding local businesses.”
The Clean Commute program provides transportation benefits and builds awareness about transportation options for employees commuting to companies, universities, hospitals, and other organizations on Buffalo’s East Side.
Energy technology company Viridi is the first to launch Clean Commute for its employees, with program introductions also planned for Canisius University; Erie County Medical Center; Harmac Medical Products, Inc.; Kaleida Health; and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“At Viridi, we believe clean energy should be accessible not just in the grid, but in everyday life. Being the first to launch the Clean Commute program reflects our deep commitment to our employees and to our East Side community. This initiative supports our vision for a more resilient, cost effective, equitable, and connected Buffalo,” said Jon M. Williams, Chairman & CEO, Viridi.
“Our mission is to connect people to meaningful careers—and that includes removing barriers that stand in their way. Transportation is one of the biggest challenges our workforce faces. Clean Commute helps ensure our people can get to work reliably, safely, and sustainably, opening doors to long-term employment and community stability,” said Jeff Conrad, Executive Director, GreenForce.
Clean Mobility Buffalo’s Clean Commute program includes:
Commuter Information Centers
On-site transit and biking amenities (transit schedule screens, bike racks, etc.)
Free or reduced-rate transit passes
Carpool matching platform and incentives
Free ride home in the event of a personal emergency
Access to bikes through Reddy Bikeshare memberships, e-bike raffles, e-bike library, and microloans for employees to purchase a bike or scooter and pay back from their paycheck over time
Free bike and pedestrian safety gear including helmets and locks for employees and community members
Rewards for biking or walking to work
Mobile repair events for bike maintenance
Commuter education including Bike to Work 101 and Bike Safety lunch and learns
Pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure improvements including on-site crosswalks and lighting
Complete Streets focus group for employee input on infrastructure investments
Advocacy for improved transit services
Flexibility in shift schedules to coordinate with transit
GO Buffalo Niagara (transportation management association) membership to continue momentum of building active and sustainable commuter culture
Clean Mobility Buffalo partners the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) and GO Buffalo Niagara are actively working with local institutions to implement Clean Commute by developing commuter policies and programs.
“We’re grateful to NYSERDA and our participating anchor companies for their efforts to connect people to clean and affordable transportation options. Transportation has a big impact on access to jobs and on overall quality of life, and the more we all work together to create reliable options, the stronger and healthier our neighborhoods will be,” said Jamie Hamann-Burney, Chief Strategy Officer, BNMC.
“GO Buffalo Niagara is thrilled to celebrate these partnerships with East Side anchor institutions who are leading the way in innovative employee transportation benefit programs. Together, we are advancing efforts that not only improve mobility and reduce environmental impact but also create healthier, more connected neighborhoods. We aim to inspire other employers to invest in sustainable, accessible transportation options and look forward to replicating these initiatives across Western New York as we continue working toward a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable future,” said Christine Krolewicz, Program Manager, GO Buffalo Niagara.
Clean Mobility of Buffalo is supported by a $10 million award from NYSERDA’s New York Clean Transportation Prizes program to implement efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation solutions across Buffalo’s East Side.
ABOUT CLEAN MOBILITY BUFFALO
Funded by New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) under the New York Clean Transportation Prizes program, Clean Mobility Buffalo is an alliance organized by LISC NY, Clementine Gold Group and Heart of the City Neighborhoods—and activated in East Side neighborhoods by project partners including Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Coalition for Economic Justice, East Side Bike Club, GObike, and Reddy Bikeshare. Together as partners—working with and for the community—these dynamic organizations are championing a shared vision for a cleaner, healthier, and more connected East Side, identifying current transportation challenges and introducing innovative, environmentally friendly, and health-conscious alternatives for all. Learn more.
ABOUT BNMC
BNMC creates positive social and economic impact within our community and the premier innovation district and economic engine of WNY, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC breaks down barriers to a higher quality of life for the region, spearheads new models around sustainable energy, environments, and transportation options, and manages a 120+ acre urban innovation district that is home to over 200 public and private companies with over 16,000 employees and 1.5 million patients and visitors annually. Learn more.
ABOUT GO BUFFALO NIAGARA
GO Buffalo Niagara is the transportation management association for Western New York, promoting active and sustainable options for commuters. We help organizations and individuals reach their health, financial, and environmental goals with tools and resources to reduce our community’s reliance on personal vehicles. Learn more.
ABOUT VIRIDI Viridi is transforming energy storage with its proprietary fail-safe lithium-ion battery technology. Viridi’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) feature breakthrough anti-propagation technology, preventing propagation and significantly reducing the risk of lithium-ion battery fires. Viridi’s commercial-scale BESS is among the first and only to be installed in an existing, occupied space, setting a new benchmark for safety and reliability. Engineered for seamless integration into virtually any environment, the BESS combines advanced AI and connectivity to deliver unparalleled remote monitoring and energy optimization. Viridi enables clean, scalable energy solutions across industries, paving the way for a safer, more sustainable future. Learn more.
Thanks to everyone who came out for Buffalo Bike to Work Day @ BNMC and joined us for Breakfast in the Pocket Park. It was great to see you all! What a fun and energizing start to the day! Special thanks go to GOBike, Reddy Bikeshare, Independent Health, NFTA, Unapolegitic Coffee, and Evolve Fitness, who joined to celebrate with us.
For lunch, we enjoyed a lunchtime ride to @GOBike over on Broadway. Here are a few photos of the events. We can’t wait to do it again next year!
March is National Nutrition Month, and this is the third year of this unique restaurant week in Buffalo which will run from March 24-30, offering a variety of ways to discover how eating out can, in fact, be a healthy experience.
Menu items have been analyzed by a registered dietitian to meet Healthy Options standards for calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.
The week kicks off on Monday, March 24 with the Taste of Health from 6-8 p.m. at the Northland Workforce Training Center (683 Northland Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14211). The free community event features samples of Healthy Options menu items from participating restaurants along with live cooking demonstrations, a book signing, health screenings, and education.
“As research continues to show evidence of the impact of food and diet on health outcomes, we are proud to work with community-based partners, like the Independent Health Foundation, to create educational resources about, and access to, nutritious meal options,” said Beth Machnica, Director of Health & Well-Being for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. “We hope Healthy Options Restaurant Week serves as a catalyst for Western New Yorkers to learn that it is possible to nourish yourself with tasty, healthy food and enjoy local restaurants.”
Participating restaurants include (menu items subject to change):
Thanks to everyone who joined us for BNMC’s recent Happy Hour By Train event! It was so nice to welcome all of you, especially those trying transit for the first time. We met at Allen Street Metro Station and took a quick train ride to happy hour at Fattey Beer Co. downtown. Our train group was matched with a driver who left at the same time in a car. Guess who got to Happy Hour first? Of course, it was the crew who took transit.
Here are some photos from the event. We can’t wait to do it again! To learn more about transit, and the incentives available to everyone who works on the BNMC, visit BNMC Transportation.
Thanks to everyone who braved the elements and joined us for BNMC Bike to Work Day yesterday! We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast by Unapologetic Coffee, followed by an energizing workout with Evolve Fitness. By lunchtime, the sun was out and we joined our friends at GoBike for a ride to their HQ over at 313 Broadway.
Kudos to the University at Buffalo who had the most riders bike to work yesterday. Go UB!
As always, our photographer Pat Cray (@yungpainkiller), was on hand to capture some wonderful images of the day.
Special thanks to our partners at GO Buffalo Niagara.
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.
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.
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.
BNMC’s Director of Inclusion & Community Initiatives, Kyria Stephens, shares his thoughts on diversity, inclusion and collaboration in this short video.
“Innovation hwp-contentens when diverse trains of thought and diverse people come together and share their ideas.”
‘Tis the season to buy local! Stop by our annual holiday market to pick out unique gifts for your friends and family. Interested in tabling at this event? Vendors must register by December 16th at ICgiftmarket.eventbrite.com.
WHERE
dig at the Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott St., 1st floor
WHEN
December 19th from 11:30am-1:30pm
DETAILS
All participating vendors are locally owned-small businesses. We will have lunch available for purchase from our Collision Cafe vendors, including Lime House, R&R BBQ and Green Eats Kitchen.
BNMC’s Healthy Communities Team Attends USDA Agriculture and Marketing Summit
In early October, the BNMC Healthy Communities team attended the USDA Agriculture and Marketing Summit in Rosemont, IL, as one of 44 organizations in the United States that received the Local Foods Promotion Program (LFPP) Grant. This conference was a platform to connect with other grantees, learn best practices in promoting local food, and attend a tour of Local Foods grocery store.
We had the opportunity to meet with farmers working as agents of change to solve problems in their regional food systems. Some were creating technology solutions and another established a cost-sharing model equated to “Uber for farmers” to streamline distribution efforts. Flannel seemed to be a prominent clothing choice!
BNMC was one of only a few institutions in attendance, and the only organization focused on bringing local food to health care.
Farm-to-School in Boulder Valley
One of the institutions BNMC met with was Boulder Valley School District in Boulder, CO, who sources over 25% of its food from a 50-mile radius to feed its more than 31,000 students with scratch cooked meals. Our team learned about the various promotional events BVSD hosts to support the success of their local foods program and how they educate parents and the greater community about these efforts. These events included almost 40 field trips for students, staff, and parents to local farms; school food festivals with recipes from the cafeteria; hosting “Community Conversations” for farmers to connect with consumers; and 200+ education events the school hosts for parents and community each year to share the project widely. Other than promoting local foods, another major aspect of their program is focusing on only hormone and antibiotic free meats, as well as only using vendors offering RPC’s (re-useable plastic containers). Although this model was from a school-setting, many of the practices at the school level can be translated into hospital and healthcare.
A Truly Local Grocery Store
Also included in the conference was a tour of Local Foods, a Chicago-based grocery store focused on sourcing products that are locally sourced, locally processed, and from ethical producers and suppliers for non-local items. The tour included a lunch featuring the best quality seasonal foods from mid-west farmers and a behind-the-scenes look at their impressive operations, storage, and tracking mechanisms. Local Foods has a whole animal butchery, which purchases and uses the whole animal to sell in their retail location since these items cannot go through the distribution channel. This is beneficial for ranchers as by purchasing the entire animal ranchers aren’t stuck with trying to sell the remaining parts of the animal. For the consumer, it means higher quality, better tasting meat, and a known source to where one’s meal came from. No more mystery meat!
Fresh Ideas for FreshTakes
On the last day of the conference, we attended a panel discussion on promoting and marketing local foods by three companies in the greater “Chicagoland” region, featuring Local Foods, Mighty Vine Tomatoes, and Farmer’s Fridge. This was a special moment for the BNMC team as the Farmers Fridge model was the inspiration for bringing the FreshTakes Smart Fridge to the Medical Campus. We fan-crushed a little bit, and bought their salads and snacks from the fridge in the Chicago O’Hare airport. It did not diswp-contentoint! From the panel, the team learned better ways to promote the FreshTakes smart fridges on Campus as well as how to break the traditional stereotype for vending machines being unhealthy. Additionally, based off of the Mighty Vine Tomatoes and Local Foods model, we will share successful industry practices with our community partners all in the WNY regional food system.
These NEW workshops are facilitated by minority & women owned small businesses, and designed to inspire creativity, leadership and entrepreneurial thinking in an inclusive, welcoming environment.
FREE childcare will be provided by ABC Learn & Play from 6:15-8:15pm for every session!
Thursdays from 6:30-8pm | October 17th-November 21st Register
Details:
Refreshments provided for attendees.
Plenty of on-street parking is available outside the Innovation Center, as well as in the parking lot across the street. We are also a short walk from the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station and along several bus routes.
This summer at BNMC’s Innovation Center was jam packed with events, programming, and new companies from all over the country and world who joined our growing community! The BNMC team made sure that there was no shortage of networking and collaboration opportunities hosted throughout the building and around Campus. These complimentary programs are just a small part of what we offer to our tenants, partners, and surrounding communities at the Innovation Center. Here are a some of highlights from the summer of 2019 on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus:
New Companies Join the IC Community!
In the last few months, we welcomed several new companies to the Innovation Center with a number of exciting announcements coming soon! We’re honored to be the new home for remote workers for tech giants, not-for-profits, entrepreneurs, creatives, and international companies landing in Buffalo from the UK, Brazil, and Canada. New companies to our IC community include: SparkOrange + Salesforce, DigitalOcean, The Avenue Code, and Hustle Athletics.
Startup Grind with Glenn Jackson of M&T Bank
On July 24th, the BNMC welcomed Glenn Jackson, Chief Diversity Officer at M&T Bank to the IC as our featured guest at Startup Grind Buffalo. Startup Grind, the world’s largest network of entrepreneurs, is hosted monthly at the IC and features networking opportunities and a fireside chat with a special guest. Glenn and I sat down to talk about technology, inclusivity, the future of tech in Buffalo, and what it really means to be a CDO. The conversation was riveting, the networking was unmatched, and the attendance was phenomenal. All of this adds up to make for one fantastic summer event at the Innovation Center!
Startup Grind with Brett Mikoll and Dave Horesh
Our second Startup Grind of the summer featured Oxford Pennant co-founders, Brett Mikoll and Dave Horesh. Oxford Pennant is one of Buffalo’s most exciting and fastest growing brands. This time, I sat down with both Brett and Dave to talk about building a brand through social media, effectively working with giant brands as a startup, managing an overwhelming amount of orders, and the true meaning of collaboration. The community left the Innovation Center that night charged up and ready to take on the world just like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who actually has an Oxford Pennant in every one of his gyms around the world!
Small Business Summer School
For upwards of 75 small businesses in Buffalo, Small Business Summer School was in session! Ignite Buffalo, UB CEL, and the BNMC teamed up to offer a complimentary 8-week small business curriculum targeted at covering the most important topics needed to start or run a company. This program attracted small businesses and entrepreneurs from all over WNY. The 8 weeks were cwp-contented off with a top notch graduation ceremony, complete with graduation caps, diplomas, and awards for perfect attendance!
Breakfast Blend
The BNMC team hosted three Breakfast Blend events at the IC this summer. Breakfast Blend, in my opinion, is the place to see and be seen! This event offers an amazing breakfast spread, unlimited coffee, updates from companies from within the IC, lots of great news from the community, and a chance to get to know other entrepreneurs and innovators. This is a perfect event to keep a temperature on who is in the building and what they are working on. We are looking forward to the Buffalo Bills themed Breakfast Blend in October!
This summer at BNMC’s Innovation Center was jam packed with events, programming, and new companies from all over the country and world who joined our growing community! The BNMC team made sure that there was no shortage of networking and collaboration opportunities hosted throughout the building and around Campus. These complimentary programs are just a small part of what we offer to our tenants, partners, and surrounding communities at the Innovation Center. Here are a some of highlights from the summer of 2019 on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus:
New Companies Join the IC Community!
In the last few months, we welcomed several new companies to the Innovation Center with a number of exciting announcements coming soon! We’re honored to be the new home for remote workers for tech giants, not-for-profits, entrepreneurs, creatives, and international companies landing in Buffalo from the UK, Brazil, and Canada. New companies to our IC community include: SparkOrange + Salesforce, DigitalOcean, The Avenue Code, and Hustle Athletics.
Startup Grind with Glenn Jackson of M&T Bank
On July 24th, the BNMC welcomed Glenn Jackson, Chief Diversity Officer at M&T Bank to the IC as our featured guest at Startup Grind Buffalo. Startup Grind, the world’s largest network of entrepreneurs, is hosted monthly at the IC and features networking opportunities and a fireside chat with a special guest. Glenn and I sat down to talk about technology, inclusivity, the future of tech in Buffalo, and what it really means to be a CDO. The conversation was riveting, the networking was unmatched, and the attendance was phenomenal. All of this adds up to make for one fantastic summer event at the Innovation Center!
Startup Grind with Brett Mikoll and Dave Horesh
Our second Startup Grind of the summer featured Oxford Pennant co-founders, Brett Mikoll and Dave Horesh. Oxford Pennant is one of Buffalo’s most exciting and fastest growing brands. This time, I sat down with both Brett and Dave to talk about building a brand through social media, effectively working with giant brands as a startup, managing an overwhelming amount of orders, and the true meaning of collaboration. The community left the Innovation Center that night charged up and ready to take on the world just like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who actually has an Oxford Pennant in every one of his gyms around the world!
Small Business Summer School
For upwards of 75 small businesses in Buffalo, Small Business Summer School was in session! Ignite Buffalo, UB CEL, and the BNMC teamed up to offer a complimentary 8-week small business curriculum targeted at covering the most important topics needed to start or run a company. This program attracted small businesses and entrepreneurs from all over WNY. The 8 weeks were cwp-contented off with a top notch graduation ceremony, complete with graduation caps, diplomas, and awards for perfect attendance!
Breakfast Blend
The BNMC team hosted three Breakfast Blend events at the IC this summer. Breakfast Blend, in my opinion, is the place to see and be seen! This event offers an amazing breakfast spread, unlimited coffee, updates from companies from within the IC, lots of great news from the community, and a chance to get to know other entrepreneurs and innovators. This is a perfect event to keep a temperature on who is in the building and what they are working on. We are looking forward to the Buffalo Bills themed Breakfast Blend in October!
Celebrating Community at our 3rd Annual Summer Block Party
OK! Normally I have a more formal writing style, but we are fam so I’m going to just hit you with this info. I’m not trying to give you FOMO or anything, but… if you missed BNMC’s 3rd Annual Summer Block Party, you missed a lot! People are saying that it was the best one yet. It had everything that makes a great party. View our Facebook photo album to see all the smiling faces!
Great venue: The weather was a perfect 73 degrees with a slight breeze on August 22nd at Kaminski Park & Gardens at Roswell Park.
Great food: Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs served up nearly 1,000 hot dogs at the event! Aunt Connie’s Ed-U- Kitchen brought her iconic smoothie bike (you know, the one that you get on and it powers the blender to make the smoothie), plus delicious watermelon and salad. James the Ice Cream Dude with his ice cream bike. There is nothing like a Bomb Pop on a summer day!
Great music: DJ P was on the 1’s and 2’s spinning some upbeat tunes. His energy and presence on the mic keep the party going. We also had the A-Team Band who hopped on the instruments and played some hits from the 90s and early 2000s.
Dancing: With music like that you can’t help but dance! We did all the line dances, but Zumba was clearly the biggest hit. Thanks to Kelly Patton for helping us dance some of those calories off.
Games: We had Clown Around Entertainment provide our Carnival Games, face painting, and a dunk tank which the kids and families loved!
The best part of all was the GREAT people. There were almost 1,000 people who attended this year, including employees, patients, students, and neighbors who all came together to create an amazing family-friendly event.
Next year we plan to do it even bigger and better!
Celebrating Community at our 3rd Annual Summer Block Party
OK! Normally I have a more formal writing style, but we are fam so I’m going to just hit you with this info. I’m not trying to give you FOMO or anything, but… if you missed BNMC’s 3rd Annual Summer Block Party, you missed a lot! People are saying that it was the best one yet. It had everything that makes a great party. View our Facebook photo album to see all the smiling faces!
Great venue: The weather was a perfect 73 degrees with a slight breeze on August 22nd at Kaminski Park & Gardens at Roswell Park.
Great food: Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs served up nearly 1,000 hot dogs at the event! Aunt Connie’s Ed-U- Kitchen brought her iconic smoothie bike (you know, the one that you get on and it powers the blender to make the smoothie), plus delicious watermelon and salad. James the Ice Cream Dude with his ice cream bike. There is nothing like a Bomb Pop on a summer day!
Great music: DJ P was on the 1’s and 2’s spinning some upbeat tunes. His energy and presence on the mic keep the party going. We also had the A-Team Band who hopped on the instruments and played some hits from the 90s and early 2000s.
Dancing: With music like that you can’t help but dance! We did all the line dances, but Zumba was clearly the biggest hit. Thanks to Kelly Patton for helping us dance some of those calories off.
Games: We had Clown Around Entertainment provide our Carnival Games, face painting, and a dunk tank which the kids and families loved!
The best part of all was the GREAT people. There were almost 1,000 people who attended this year, including employees, patients, students, and neighbors who all came together to create an amazing family-friendly event.
Next year we plan to do it even bigger and better!
How is your organization going to attract the best and brightest talent?
The race for talent today means that corporations will have to use novel methods to attract new talent. From sponsoring technology schools to hiring experienced expat knowledge workers to return back home so they can retool their organizations. Firms will begin to retool their legacy office spaces and hire architecture firms to create a new vibe allowing for more creativity that will attract and retain talent. Firms will begin to rebrand their organizations to be a cool and unique organization that uses the latest and greatest in culture, healthy living and a focus on the employee wants and needs. New roles like Ambassador of Buzz and Chief Curator establish a vibe to attract talent from Bay Area tech firms. Corporations will begin to reduce their dependence on off-shore tech companies and consulting firms and move forward to build in-house innovation departments. Corporations will need to increase corporate spending on retraining of mature employee.
So what are some of the steps to help retain and provide your employees a place to separate time and space to innovate?
The first steps needed within an organization prior to beginning your innovation journey is to examine your own team’s innovation readiness. Some of the best ideas come from your own team members. Many of your own team members with years of domain experience can produce a constant pipeline of ideas that can help your organization disrupt your industry. Your organization also has team members that may not be ready to share their insights due to a legacy corporate culture that does not enable a safe and open and honest conversation to inspire an innovative culture. Building an innovation culture is the first step prior to acquiring an idea management software like Spigit or Ideator. You must consider your organization’s innovation culture. Organizations are prematurely acquiring these types of software to help collect ideas from their own organizations without examining their own team innovation maturity.
Before I explain what an innovation culture is, I should discuss the current state of the public or privately held corporation, colleges / universities and how students are opting out of traditional employment in corporations. Universities and colleges are producing prospective students for corporations. Many of these students are selecting other opportunities like the start-up market that is fast paced, risk filled and, in a fail fast culture. Other reasons are that banks, hospitals, and insurance companies are not attracting the talent needed to backfill retiring employees due to existing legacy technologies stacks and stodgy leadership teams with attitudes that cannot relate to the students’ needs. These needs include latest technologies, flexible work schedules, health and wellness, relaxed dress codes, diverse workforce and a support system that allows for a culture that helps the community.
The lack of progressive corporate leadership styles are souring many talented prospects from entering the corporate job market. The same legacy corporations that are souring prospective talent have a great deal of influence on the universities and colleges to shape the curriculum to become more creative and innovative. Due to the focus on maintaining the status quo within a firm and the tenure within the firm they take years to make a course correction. When a “Hippo” 1 (highest paid person’s opinion) makes the decisions within an organization the innovation and the culture offer suffers. The paradox in all of this is that students that graduated 20 years ago from the very universities that were innovative at the time have become so conservative that they have created a culture of status quo to keep the machine running, vs a culture of innovation.
In many corporations the execution of projects is the focus of many of the activities from upgrading business systems to building new production plants, projects are a primary activity within the company. Corporate projects fall into a few categories: revenue, operations, and compliance, and are run by a project management office or project manager. A focus on quality, time, and cost ensures when projects are completed. With all the focus on project execution, there is little time for innovation and employees are not taught to think creatively. We are taught to execute on projects and not to fail or rapid learning culture. Business schools teach management principles that were developed in the later industrial revolution to solve the large-company management problem–not the innovation problem 2. Corporations focused on project execution and maintaining the status quo can overlook talent that comes nontraditional degrees like art, English and history and focused on a traditional employee from accounting, finance, and engineering. This could be why organizations need to unlearn from the traditional organizational wp-contentroaches and learn how to inspire and mentor talent and begin to build a brand around innovation. Innovation as a culture is an wp-contentroach that needs to be developed from the middle up and top down with total support form executive leadership. The innovation culture enables teams to fail, create, learn and are giving employees an opportunity to talk freely in a safe environment. What a safety environment provides your employees is a safety net to ask why to anyone in your organization or to experiment on a new business model with support.
The innovation journey doesn’t start with deploying mega trends like AR/VR, deep learning or blockchain, it is about changing the organization’s culture that supports their careers by supporting a separation in time a space to allow innovation of ideas and concepts. Meaning separation of time and space allows employees to leave the organization to fulfill outside interests helping the journey to an innovative culture. Along with understanding your team’s current leadership state of mind, your teams need to be evaluated to determine their ability to innovate. If team members are not motivated or are prepared to help, you will need to provide the tools to unlearn their team style to effectively change the culture. If they cannot or are not willing to change they need to be managed out of the organization.
The organization that changes the scenery and believe that have made a cool space with high end coffee and cool seating arrangements will not move the needle. The organization must challenge employees with work that is inspiring by reducing emails and meetings and exposing employees to work that is stimulating and exciting.
BNMC Elects David Zebro Chair of its Board of Directors
Buffalo, NY – David Zebro, Principal of Strategic Investments & Holdings, Inc., was elected Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) Board of Directors at its June meeting last week.
“David is a natural choice to lead the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus as it continues to grow into a thriving Innovation District,” said Anthony B. Martino, immediate past BNMC Board Chair. “His longtime commitment to the institutions on the BNMC and the greater community as a whole give him a unique perspective on this collaborative community asset.”
Zebro served on the BNMC Board from 2004 – 2007 when he was wp-contentointed Chair of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation’s Board of Directors, and again as the first community at-large member on the BNMC Board from 2013 – 2016. His current term runs for two years with an option by the Board of Directors to renew for up to four more years.
“I am thrilled to continue to be a part of the BNMC,” said Zebro. “I look forward to supporting the organization’s growth and evolution as we seek to have an even greater positive impact in our community and beyond.”
David Zebro Biography (Photo)
David was born in Plattsburgh, New York, attended Plattsburgh High School, and later graduated from the State University College of New York at Plattsburgh with a degree in Political Science. He met his future wife, Susan Mortensen (originally from Kenmore, New York) while studying at SUNY Plattsburgh, and they married in 1973 and moved to Buffalo. David went on to receive an MBA from the University at Buffalo in 1975 with a major in Corporate Finance.
He started his career with Union Carbide and continued to grow his expertise in business/strategic planning, operations, and financial management with other companies in more senior positions.
Since 1984 David has been employed in the private equity sector as a Principal with Strategic Investments & Holdings, Inc., where he has been involved in over 80 companies.
In addition to his work with Strategic Investments & Holdings, Inc., David has been a board member with other private companies, often as Chair. He also served on the Boards of two public companies, First Niagara Bank and Casual Male.
David has a strong commitment to community, and has been involved as a volunteer, board member, or chair for many local organizations. He is a past Chair of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and the Roswell Park Governance Board of Directors. Additionally, David has been a past Chair of Goodwill Industries, Vice Chair of Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, and board member of the Great Lakes Hospital Board. David has also been a board member of the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, and the Foundation of the State University College of New York at Plattsburgh, where he proudly works with the advancement of the EOP program and the Zebro Community Service Scholarship.
David and Susan have received numerous community awards over the years, and always encouraged their children’s commitment to the local Buffalo community. His son Ryan is involved with Hospice, and daughter Erin is involved with Roswell Park. David’s other daughter, Lauren, lives in New York City and is involved with the Parkinson’s Foundation – a disease that is connected with his wife Susan’s death in 2018.
David lives in East Amherst and enjoys spending time with his children and three grandsons. He is excited for the birth of another grandchild this August.
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 driving innovation in partnership with our community. The BNMC plays a significant role in driving positive change that builds a vibrant, innovative environment. 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 emerging and mature companies through dynamic workspace, programming, and networking. www.bnmc-old.local
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For more information: Kari Bonaro at BNMC, 202-904-7034
BNMC Joins Steering Committee with Global Innovation District Leaders, Highlighted in Research Brief
For more than 15 years, we have been working together with our partners to create a collaborative and inclusive innovation district. In 2014, a paper by the Brookings Institution on the rise of innovation districts supported our efforts in this area and gave a name to the anchors and innovators plus model that we had been creating.
The BNMC is proud to be a part of the steering committee for the Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID), global leaders working together to network innovation districts, and to be featured in a new research brief released today by GIID, “The Evolution of Innovation Districts: The New Geography of Global Innovation,” written by Julie Wagner, Bruce Katz, and Thomas Osha.
More than 100 innovation districts exist around the world today with 200 more poised to come online soon, as stated in the report. The authors note: “Roughly twenty districts have reached a high level of sophistication, concentrating in close proximity a mix of research institutions, mature companies, start-ups and scale-ups, co-working spaces, and supportive intermediaries.” We are proud to be one of these 20 districts leading this new form of economic development as we seek to create a national model to rebuild communities using social design through our MutualCity methodology.
According to the authors, “Districts, by their nature, are living labs where creativity and experimentation intersect with the precision of science. Districts are places that fan the flames of organic, evolutionary growth but also drive intentional, deliberate change.”
This perfectly describes what we have been doing here in Buffalo through MutualCity. MutualCity is a practical manual for urban change—from crafting a vision to managing the inevitable conflicts and challenges. We develop this playbook through the principles of mutual understanding, connection, action, collaboration, investment, adaptiveness, and continually asking “what if?”
We operate through a collaborative model that brings diverse stakeholders together under a shared vision to leverage opportunities and challenges faced by our community to create a better future for all. We have successfully implemented this model throughout the past 15 years. And while this process takes time and is not a silver bullet, we believe working together is the only way to enact real change.
We look forward to being a part of the new Global Institute, to both learn from our peers around the world and to continue to play a leadership role in building this vital and inspiring economic driver for our region.
BNMC’s Community Program Manager, Kyria Stephens, recently attended the National Diversity and Leadership conference in Dallas, TX. Check out his thoughts on the meaning of diversity and inclusion, and how it creates an innovative, collaborative community.
Diversity and Inclusion Drives Innovation
When you hear the words diversity and inclusion, what do you think? How do you define it? My answer sounded like, “creating environments and pathways for women and minority groups to thrive in the workplace?” But after attending National Diversity and Leadership conference in Dallas, Texas, I realize that answer is only the tip of the iceberg.
Yes, diversity and inclusion are about creating an emotionally safe work environment in which a person doesn’t have to check their ethnicity at the door to fit in with the dominate culture. Yes, D&I is about making sure that the workplace reflects what the world really looks like at every level. Yes, it is about equal pay for people who do the same job. Yes! Its about doing the right thing for all people… But as I sat and reflected on amazing workshops and poured over the notes I took from keynote speakers, Colin Powell, America Ferrera and President Barak Obama, I realized that diversity and inclusion at its core is about filling blind spots and gap with people with unique vantagepoints.
One of the phrases that echoed throughout the conference is that diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. This world doesn’t have a problem with diversity! Just look around and you will see diversity because it hwp-contentens naturally when all people have access to a space. The problem we have is inclusion. The reason we have inclusion problems is most often because people naturally gravitate to people who look like, think and view the world the same as themselves. But, when that hwp-contentens our perspective becomes narrowed. A person’s ethnicity, culture, gender, education, past experiences and personality creates a unique lens that produces a different perspective. Diverse perspectives allow for a greater vision, a greater vision and creativity go hand in hand and where there is creativity there is innovation.
So, without D&I we are limiting growth, slowing advancement and hindering innovation!
The BNMC has released its 2018 Impact Report, which highlights our team’s efforts toward these three goals:
Drive innovation, economic development, and job growth.
Cultivate a safe, accessible, active, and inclusive district that fosters wellbeing and is supported by smart, sustainable infrastructure – a place where people want to work, live, visit, and invest.
Connect local youth, residents, businesses, and neighborhoods to economic opportunities.
We continue to work toward becoming the place where tech and social entrepreneurs, mature and growing companies, students, investors, and neighbors innovate, invent, collaborate, and launch the next big idea.
Those of you who we have partnered with over the years know that we operate through a collaborative model that brings diverse stakeholders together under a shared vision to leverage opportunities and solve challenges faced by our community to create a better future for all. We have successfully implemented this model throughout the past 15 years. And while this process takes time and is not a silver bullet, we believe working together is the only way to enact real change.
By dreaming big, our collaborative efforts will continue to lift our community and our collective renaissance.
Join us – we are just getting started. To keep up-to-date on our team, join our email list.
BNMC Elects David Zebro Chair of its Board of Directors
