Category: Entrepreneurs

Innovation Center Launches Spring “Build a Better Business Series”

by BNMCin Business Development, Entrepreneurs, Innovation, Innovation Center, Networking

We are excited to announce our Spring Build a Better Business Series in LEARN at the Innovation Center! The program is made up of seminars and workshops designed to provide entrepreneurs and startup business teams with the education and guidance they need to successfully design, launch, and grow their new companies. All sessions are free and open to the community, but registration is required.
Upcoming sessions:

March 30: Lead Generation, presented by Tipping Point Communications

April 5: Hiring Your First Employee, presented by Holly Nowak

Visit our website for the full series, including topics on marketing and branding, sales, finance, hiring, strategic planning and more!

BNMC’s Innovation Center and the International Center for Studies in Creativity Launch Buffalo’s First Idea Lab

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Homepage, Innovation Center, News

BNMC’s Innovation Center and the International Center for Studies in Creativity Launch Buffalo’s First Idea Lab

New i4 Studio on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to teach the wp-contentlication of creativity to the business planning process

Buffalo, N.Y., January 23, 2017 – The Innovation Center, powered by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. has announced the launch of i4 Studio, the first Idea Lab located in Western New York, in collaboration with the International Center for Studies in Creativity located at SUNY Buffalo State.

Located at the Innovation Center, i4 Studio will wp-contently creative thinking tools and processes to generate breakthroughs in idea generation, creative problem solving, strategic planning, and business modeling. The methodologies employed are designed to significantly improve personal and professional performance, and will be particularly focused on assisting entrepreneurs and start-up companies in the wp-contentlication of creativity to the business planning process.

Intended as a hub for creative thinking, i4 Studio was created to stimulate imagination, inspiration, ideation and innovation.  The studio will offer workshops and programming designed to spur creative thinking and problem solving that can be employed to address business challenges or to develop new concepts and ideas.

Official launch of i4Studio is scheduled for February 28 with a launch party to be held in the new studio space on the second floor of the Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street from 5 pm – 7 pm. Registration for the free event can be found at the events page at www.i4studiobuffalo.com.

Offerings will include private consultation to define and address challenges, comprehensive programs to learn the creative problem solving process for improving personal or professional performance, intensive workshops employing “trained brains” – industry experts and those trained in the creative problem solving process to help facilitate the creative problem solving process, as well as programs designed for entire teams focused on strategic planning and team building.

The concept for i4 Studios was a result of collaboration between Vic Nole, Director of Business Development for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and Roger Firestien, a senior faculty member of the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC).  Part of SUNY Buffalo State and the first program to offer the science of creativity at the graduate level, ICSC is globally recognized for its programs that cultivate skills in creative thinking, innovative leadership practices and problem solving skills.

According to Nole, “As any entrepreneur can attest, the need for creative idea generation and problem solving can be critical to getting a start-up off the ground. Understanding that many of the principles of creative thinking can be taught, it seemed like a natural fit to work with ICSC and to bring more creative resources to the heart of Buffalo’s entrepreneurial community at the Innovation Center.  We are thrilled to be able to add another critical tool to our tool kit that can help young companies work through their business challenges and potentially find new and better ways to model their businesses.”

In addition to housing i4 Studio, the BNMC team will provide administrative oversight and business development resources. Both Nole and Firestien will serve as co-directors of i4 Studio.

The Innovation Center, powered by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., is the largest business incubator in Buffalo. It is home to dig, 43North, Z80 Labs, and some of the fastest growing, most successful companies and start-ups in the region. Through its Innovation Center, the BNMC provides workspace, education, business services, and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs and young companies in all industry sectors.

Contact: Susan Kirkpatrick
skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local
716-866-8002

BNMC’s Innovation Center to Host Startup Grind

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center3 Comments on BNMC’s Innovation Center to Host Startup Grind

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Susan Kirkpatrick

716-866-8002/skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local

 

BNMC’s Innovation Center to Host Startup Grind

BNMC Team Member Sean Heidinger Selected as New Co-Director of Google Entrepreneurial Forum

 

Buffalo, N.Y., September 26, 2016 – The Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will continue to host Startup Grind Buffalo, Powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, and Sean Heidinger, Manager of the dig co-working space at the Innovation Center will serve as co-director along with David Murphy, Programmer Analyst of Rich Products who continues in the co-director role. Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting 400,000 founders in over 200 cities. The monthly events, featuring speakers in the entrepreneurial community, nurture startup ecosystems in 85 countries.

Zach Schneider, founder of 15 Fingers, a digital branding and marketing firm, and founder/owner of Ru’s Pierogi will be the first of this season’s featured speakers this Thursday, September 29 at 7pm. 

Startup Grind Buffalo has been active in the Buffalo area since 2014, helping to connect entrepreneurs with each other for a monthly conversation about issues and ideas impacting those with new and emerging businesses. The Buffalo Chapter and its events will now have a permanent home within Western New York’s largest start-up incubator at the Innovation Center where BNMC, Inc., 43 North, Z80 Labs and more hthan 80 start up and growing companies are located. Startup Grind Buffalo had previously been led in the Buffalo area by Eben Piazza, before he re-located to San Diego.

Heidinger, who currently manages dig, the co-working and event space at the Innovation Center, will be responsible for event logistics, securing speakers, attracting sponsors and all promotional activity for the monthly meet-ups. Vic Nole, director of Business Development for BNMC, will lead a board of advisors that will oversee Startup Grind Buffalo activities as well as assist with speaker and sponsor attraction.

According to Nole, “As long time supporters of the entrepreneurial community, we are thrilled that Startup Grind Buffalo will be a regular offering at the Innovation Center. There is already tremendous energy, support and mentorship for new and emerging businesses here and we hope to bring new ideas and new people here through the Startup Grind Buffalo events for continued conversation, collaboration and support for young businesses.”

Schneider’s wp-contentearance will kick off Startup Grind Buffalo’s first monthly conversation of the new season in the Innovation Center. Additional local entrepreneurs will be featured and will pair a local craft brewery for each event to highlight a local start up.  Start Up Grind Buffalo events are open to the public and registration is required at  https://www.startupgrind.com/buffalo/

About the Innovation Center

The Innovation Center, powered by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., is the largest business incubator in Buffalo.  It is currently serving over 100 companies including some of the fastest growing, most successful small businesses and start-ups in the region. The Innovation Center provides workspace, education, business resources, and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs and young companies.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.)

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. to Acquire Former Osmose Holdings, Inc. Property at 980 Ellicott Street

by BNMCin Construction, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Parking2 Comments on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. to Acquire Former Osmose Holdings, Inc. Property at 980 Ellicott Street

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Kari Bonaro
202-904-7034/kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

Susan Kirkpatrick
716-866-8002/skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. to Acquire Former Osmose Holdings, Inc. Property at 980 Ellicott Street

Adding Property Addresses Need for Additional Office Space and Parking

 

Buffalo, N.Y., June 29, 2016 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) today announced plans to purchase property located at 980 Ellicott Street on the Medical Campus from Osmose Holdings, Inc. The 4.4-acre site is located on the northern end of the Medical Campus and includes the majority of the block bordered by Ellicott, Main, Best and Dodge Streets. It includes office, laboratory and warehouse space, as well as two parking lots with wp-contentroximately 200 spaces. The deal is expected to close late this summer.

Plans for the property have not been finalized although it will likely include renovations to the existing buildings in order to make it available to current companies on the Medical Campus that are in need of additional office and/or laboratory space, and to new companies seeking to locate to the Medical Campus. The current parking lot will provide additional Campus parking. The property is ideally located adjacent to the Summer-Best Metro rail station.

Matt Enstice, President and CEO of the BNMC stated, “The long term vision of the Medical Campus as an economic driver is now becoming a reality as young companies located here are growing and are in need of more space, and others are realizing the value of locating in close proximity to Medical Campus resources.  We are thrilled to add this property to our portfolio to address two of the biggest needs on the Medical Campus today: additional room for companies to grow and support for our overall transportation plan in the form of both additional parking spaces and proximity to transit.”

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.)

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

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Buffalo Student Sandbox Opens to Applicants

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, News2 Comments on Buffalo Student Sandbox Opens to Applicants

Innovative summer program to “hire” student entrepreneurs to pursue ventures full-time
BUFFALO, NY – WNY Incubator Network (WIN), a consortium of the region’s business incubators, today announced the 2016 iteration of Buffalo Student Sandbox, a summer accelerator for scalable, disruptive ventures led by college and graduate students.  The nine week accelerator, running from May 30 – July 29, 2016, will select promising teams of student entrepreneurs and provide them with stipends and mentors as they compete for cash prizes at the end of the program.  The wp-contentlication is online at www.wnyincubators.com/Sandbox, with the initial deadline on March 1.

Entering into its second year, Buffalo Student Sandbox is modeled after a similar program in Syracuse.  Eight teams were selected from a pool of more than 40 wp-contentlicants in 2015 and have raised capital and launched products since completing the program.  Two graduates advanced to the semifinals of 43North, while five were selected to pitch at Bright Buffalo Niagara.  Three graduates were selected in as finalists for the Buffalo leg of Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest tour, with one earning a $100,000 investment through that program.

Ventures looking to participate in the program must be led by a current undergrad, graduate student, or recent graduate, and will be evaluated based on their wp-contentlication, interviews, quality of the team, and overall commercial potential of their venture.  For 2016, a special focus will be on recruiting teams that have formed and committed to working on a venture over individuals working on their own.  Participants are required to treat Student Sandbox as their primary commitment during the program.

The program will be administered by WIN and the UB Office of Economic Development, hosted in the dig cowork and event space at the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center, and include participation in the UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Startup CEL course.  Student Founders will spend their days working independently on their ventures, but will also benefit from the structure of the Startup CEL course, receive help from mentors, and participate in weekly board meetings with experienced entrepreneurs.  At several milestones throughout the program, teams will compete for additional resources to be used for the development of their businesses.

Organizers will seek teams from the region’s colleges and universities, as well as programs including Startup Weekend and Student 2 Biz, a business plan competition facilitated by the WNY College Connection and sponsored by WIN.

“This is not an academic exercise, but rather an opportunity for students to experience the entrepreneurial process in real time,” said Tom Ulbrich, executive director of UB’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. “There are no tests, grades or homework for these founders, but we will expect great things from them.”

For Vic Nole, director of business development for Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., which operates the Innovation Center and dig, Buffalo Student Sandbox represents an opportunity for Western New York’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to shine.  “Selected teams will complete an intense summer program focused on product development and input from potential customers,” he said.  “Our program focuses on building market-driven companies that will thrive in the real world.”

Tom Murdock is UB’s incubator network manager and sees the program as a chance for students to take major steps forward.  “Last year, with no track record, we received more than 40 wp-contentlications to take part in this program, and this year, we plan to select only the most cohesive and promising companies,” he said.  “We’re looking for teams who have already demonstrated some progress and are determined to succeed.”

Susan Kirkpatrick

skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local

Mobile: 716-866-8002

 

 

Event to Showcase Resources for Entrepreneurs

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, News1 Comment on Event to Showcase Resources for Entrepreneurs

For Immediate ReleaseContact:
Susan Kirkpatrick
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local/716-866-8002

 

Event to Showcase Resources for Entrepreneurs

Free public event includes 20 organizations that assist those starting businesses in WNY

 

BNMC-0175 Entrepreneur Fair v51Buffalo, N.Y., February 19, 2015 – Ignite, the business development office of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) will host an event for the community on March 21 to showcase the many and varied resources available to those interested in, or already involved in starting a new business in Western New York. The event will include 20 organizations dedicating to supporting start-ups.

The first-of-its-kind event will be held in dig, the BNMC’s co-working and event space on the Medical Campus at 640 Ellicott Street. It will be held from noon until 5 pm and will include opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn more about organizations that can assist in developing business ideas, creating business plans and models, securing funding and tax incentives, building networks and providing additional services relevant to new businesses.

According to Vic Nole, director of Business Development at BNMC, Inc., “There has never been a better time to start a business in this community given the creation and emergence of so many organizations dedicated to helping start ups. It is important to show those with an idea or a start-up business how to access the resources that they need most effectively. This event will bring together the leaders of Western New York’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide an opportunity for the public to get to know what they have to offer.”

Participating organizations include Algonquin Studios- VCamp, Buffalo Angels, Buffalo State College Small Business Development Center, Buffalo Urban League, dig, FIKA, 43North, Innovation Hotspot, Jacobs Institute, Launch NY, StartUp Grind Buffalo, StartUp NY, The Foundry, UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, UB Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, UB Center for Excellence in Materials Informatics, Westminster Economic Development Initiative, Western New York Venture Association and Z80 Labs.

The event is free and open to the public, however registration is required. To reserve a spot, go to digbuffalo.org/ignitestatups.

About Ignite

Ignite is an initiative of the BNMC Inc. and includes a full complement of resources designed to identify, evaluate, and support new business opportunities for the purpose of creating and incubating all types of new companies and jobs in the Buffalo region. It includes workspace, business services, mentoring, access to capital, programming, networking opportunities and collaboration to help entrepreneurs and innovators move ideas into businesses that can create jobs.

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

BNMC Inc. & First Niagara Award Second Round of Seed Capital Accelerator Funds

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Investment Opportunities2 Comments on BNMC Inc. & First Niagara Award Second Round of Seed Capital Accelerator Funds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Kari Bonaro, BNMC Inc.
DECEMBER 19, 2014
(716)218-7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

 

BNMC Inc. & First Niagara Award Second Round of

Seed Capital Accelerator Funds

 

BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) and First Niagara N.A. announced the second round of awardees for their Seed Capital Accelerator funds.

The recipients, GradFly and Buffalo CarShare, will use the funds to help improve the physical and economic health of the communities on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

“Thanks to a continued partnership with First Niagara, we are able to help a new company GradFly, grow its business, and to continue to support our longtime partner, Buffalo CarShare as they add critical services for the community. This type of support complements the full array of resources we offer through Ignite, our business development office, that are designed to identify, evaluate, and support new business opportunities for the purpose of creating and incubating new companies and jobs in the Buffalo region,” said Vic Nole, director of new business development for the BNMC Inc.

“First Niagara is committed to enhancing and accelerating business development on and around the medical campus. We are proud to provide the resources and momentum needed to boost redevelopment in our City and help create jobs,” said Buford Sears, First Niagara Regional President, Western New York.

GradFly has been awarded a $10,000 loan to expand its strategy for creating collaborative online learning environments for academic and industry partners. GradFly is an online community where STEM students and professionals can create a portfolio to document and showcase their technical projects in a beautiful way.  These projects center around robotics, open source hardware and software, 3D printing, arduino, raspberry pi, drones, and similar technologies. Our members also use GradFly to find resources, talent, and example projects to help them with products or concepts they are trying to design.

“In our current state, we could easily enter several markets at once but we need to be strategic about how we enter each one,” said Oscar Pedroso, founder of Gradfly.  “Thanks to the BNMC/First Niagara Seed Accelerator funding, we will focus on refining our strategic plan to identify our most valuable target markets.”

Buffalo CarShare, a community-driven organization that advances affordable and environmentally friendly transportation, has been awarded an $8,000 loan to leverage a matching grant that will allow CarShare to purchase a wheel chair accessible van. The van allows Buffalo CarShare to expand its business model and provide additional services to elderly and disabled residents of our surrounding neighborhoods.

“Buffalo CarShare is excited to announce that we will be adding a wheelchair accessible van to our fleet, thanks to the BNMC/First Niagara accelerator funding. Through this addition, BCS now has the opportunity to launch a new program focused around transportation and mobility for the elderly and disabled community, aiming for a February 2015 launch,” said Michael Galligano, executive director of Buffalo CarShare. “Buffalo CarShare will soon expand the service to provide increased access for residents, patients, and other community members around the Medical Campus.”

The first two awardees of the funding were F Bites and Public Health Communications LLC. The BNMC Inc. is still accepting wp-contentlications on a rolling basis for the balance of the funding. For more information, visit bnmc-old.local/seedcapital.

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

 

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

 

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Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership launches new program to assist young startups

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, News4 Comments on Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership launches new program to assist young startups

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Early-stage entrepreneurs can learn how to transform their ideas into a successful business, thanks to a new program in the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL).

The Startup CEL program will provide specialized support and guidance to young, innovation-driven companies as they navigate the complex pathway to commercializing their product, service or technology.

Startup CEL will launch this February in partnership with Ignite, the business development program of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) Inc., and UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS).

“At the CEL, we proudly support entrepreneurs as they launch, grow and sustain successful businesses that create jobs and invigorate our regional economy,” says Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean and executive director of the CEL. “For individuals who are just beginning to take their ideas to market, the Startup CEL program will provide crucial knowledge and strategic insights, as well as a valuable support network of entrepreneurs, to increase their probability for success.”

Using the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework, the Startup CEL program will offer a comprehensive, integrated and proven step-by-step wp-contentroach to creating innovative, highly successful products. Participants will learn to understand their customer, focus on key market opportunities, overcome obstacles, scale a business and understand and communicate with potential investors.

The BNMC and Ignite will provide workspace at both the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center and at dig, a co-working space designed to help entrepreneurs form, refine and launch their business ideas. In addition, Ignite will provide mentoring, networking and collaboration opportunities, and help identify potential class participants through its relationship with entrepreneurs working at the Innovation Center, dig and other facilities on the medical campus and in the community.

“Startup CEL is a perfect fit with Ignite and is one more step in the BNMC’s goal of cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem and a culture of innovation and collaboration in our region, while providing the tools young companies need to develop their ideas into sustainable businesses,” says Vic Nole, director of new business development at BNMC Inc.

“The CBLS is excited to continue our successful collaboration with the CEL through the Startup CEL program, which will enhance our region by preparing innovative entrepreneurs for both the technical and business aspects of launching their companies,” says Amy Schmit, director of management and strategic implementation at CBLS.

Classes will begin on Feb. 11 and run every other week through May. To learn more, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

Established in 1987, the CEL provides participants with individualized and interactive education in entrepreneurship. More than 1,200 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel.

Ignite is the business development program of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Inc. and is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. Learn more at bnmc-old.local.

The mission of UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences is to foster economic development by connecting university resources with life sciences and high-tech industry through funding, research and development support, programming and education, with the goal of helping companies find business solutions, accelerate new ideas and grow. This technology-based economic development mission is complemented by the center’s efforts to support the advancement of new discoveries in science that seek better ways of preventing and managing disease and improving lives. Learn more at bioinformatics.buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

Media Contact Information

Matthew Biddle
Assistant Director of Communications
School of Management
Tel: 716-645-5455
mrbiddle@buffalo.edu

– See more at: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2014/12/025.html#sthash.HFGWQ1ZJ.dpuf

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC Inc.) Launches “Ignite” to Support Entrepreneurship and Create New Local Businesses

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, News2 Comments on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC Inc.) Launches “Ignite” to Support Entrepreneurship and Create New Local Businesses

For more information:Kari Bonaro, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local
716-218-7157, 202-904-7034 (mobile)

Susan Kirkpatrick skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local
716-866-8002 (mobile)

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC Inc.) Launches  “Ignite” to Support Entrepreneurship and Create  New Local Businesses

BUFFALO, N.Y. November 24, 2014 — The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) announced today that it has formally launched Ignite, a full complement of resources designed to identify, evaluate, and support new business opportunities for the purpose of creating and incubating all types of new companies and jobs in the Buffalo region.

Ignite is a program for new business development that actively facilitates collaboration among researchers, inventors, industry leaders, investors, students, and services providers. It includes workspace, business services, mentoring, access to capital, programming, networking opportunities and collaboration to help entrepreneurs and innovators move ideas into businesses that can create jobs.

Ignite offers a continuum of resources to entrepreneurs at every stage of business development, including those who just have an idea for a business to those who are much farther along in the development and commercialization of a product, technology platform, or service. Ignite includes existing resources offered through BNMC Inc, including dig, a co-working space designed for those in the early stage of developing a business or idea, as well as office and laboratory space, mentoring and networking for emerging companies currently offered at BNMC properties including the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street, BNMC’s life sciences incubator at 73 High Street, and the Innovation Center Annex at 847 Main Street.

Services offered through Ignite include initial evaluation of business ideas, guidance on developing a business plan, education and mentoring on a variety of business design and launch strategies, connections to experts who can help move ideas to the next stage, and a full complement of networking events.

According to Vic Nole, BNMC Inc. Director of New Business Development, Ignite unites BNMC’s business development services under one unified identity and is one more step in fostering entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration with the overall goal of creating more jobs in the region. “In addition to providing workspace, business services, and networking opportunities, we will be pro-active is identifying, evaluating, incubating and helping to grow start-up companies. We believe that cultivating this entrepreneurial eco-system will provide a culture of innovation and collaboration while providing the tools necessary to further develop ideas into viable businesses,” said Nole.

BNMC Inc. operates the Innovation Center, a LEED-certified research and development space housing early stage companies, as well as companies offering support services like access to capital, intellectual property attorneys, talent acquisition, accounting, sales, and marketing. The space is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office space, wet lab and/or research space. The Suites at the Innovation Center is an incubator that offers physical and virtual office space on a month-to-month basis and includes telephone and Internet access. The Innovation Center also houses dig, a collaborative co-work space created to help people turn their idea into a business.

Ignite will work together with other partners and local incubators to ensure that young companies are connected to the right resources and networking opportunities to support their business growth. Companies from all industry segments, including non-profit organizations are welcome to take advantage of Ignite resources.

BNMC Inc. also encourages larger established companies to get involved with Ignite through sponsorships or other partnerships that can provide opportunities for new companies in Buffalo’s emerging start-up community to connect to established industry sectors.

Individuals or companies interested in Ignite can contact Vic Nole at (716) 310-5288 or vnole@bnmc-old.local, or can stop by dig at 640 Ellicott Street on the Medical Campus to learn more.

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

 

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

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Local Executives at BNMC’s Innovation Center Complete Incubator Management Certificate Program

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Networking2 Comments on Local Executives at BNMC’s Innovation Center Complete Incubator Management Certificate Program

Buffalo, NY— Vic Nole, Director of New Business Development, and Jennifer Flood, Suites Administrator, from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.’s (BNMC Inc.) Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center recently completed the National Business Incubation Association’s (NBIA) Incubator Management Certificate Program.
The educational program provides a comprehensive and practical overview of the tasks and responsibilities of managing business incubators, which are programs that accelerate the successful development of start-up and emerging companies by providing entrepreneurs with resources and services. Launched in 2007, the certificate program is designed to enhance managers’ skills and to provide them with opportunities to gain ideas for building stronger relationships with key constituents, providing effective client services, ensuring incubator sustainability and more.

“I am proud to have earned the Incubator Management Certificate,” said Nole. “It certainly helps me to provide the best possible service to our client companies and to our local entrepreneurs who need assistance in launching their business ideas.  It also has allowed me to join a solid network of incubator managers across the country who share best practices and resources for the benefit of our local clients.”

NBIA officials say receiving a certificate is a mark of distinction verifying mastery of incubator governance, services and policies. “We thought it would be helpful for NBIA to establish a base of knowledge that every incubator manager should know, regardless of the type of incubator they run,” said Tom Strodtbeck, NBIA director of events and international programs. “The certificate program is a way for people to track their progress in gaining that knowledge.”

To receive a certificate, incubator managers must complete a total of 24 hours of training that covers a range of topics, including incubator finances, strategic planning, graduation policies and procedures, client selection, and facilities management.

Business incubation programs, such as the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, catalyze the process of starting and growing companies by providing entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools they need to make their ventures successful. NBIA estimates that in 2011 alone, North American incubators assisted about 49,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for nearly 200,000 workers and generated annual revenue of almost $15 billion.

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing early stage companies, as well as companies offering support services like access to capital, IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. The growing space is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office space, wet lab and/or research space.

The Suites at the Innovation Center offers physical and virtual office space on a month-to-month basis. Offices are furnished with telephone and internet access included. The “plug ‘n play” space is perfect for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Innovation Center also houses dig, a collaborative co-work space created to help people turn their idea into a business. Both the Innovation Center and dig are operated by the BNMC Inc.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local

About the National Business Incubation Association

The National Business Incubation Association is the world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. It provides thousands of professionals with information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies. Visit www.nbia.org to learn more.

BNMC, Inc., First Niagara Award First Two Grants For Seed Capital Accelerator Program

by BNMCin Community, Entrepreneurs, Homepage3 Comments on BNMC, Inc., First Niagara Award First Two Grants For Seed Capital Accelerator Program

October 23, 2014, BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and First Niagara Bank N.A. announced today two of the first awardees for its Seed Capital Accelerator Program.
The first grant recipients – Public Health Communications LLC and F Bites – will use the funds to help improve the physical and economic health of the communities on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

“We are pleased to announce our first round of grant recipients,” said Vic Nole, director of new business development for the BNMC, Inc. “These two companies are terrific examples of what we were hoping to see with this funding – entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that can positively impact our community, not only in creating jobs but also in supporting a healthier community.”

“First Niagara is committed to boosting business development and job creation in our City, and playing a pivotal role in the redevelopment taking place on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. We are proud to provide the resources business owners need to help create a vibrant downtown where people can live and work,” said Buford Sears, First Niagara Regional President, Western New York.

Public Health Communications, LLC, led by local businessman John Seman and working in collaboration with the Erie County Health Department for content development, received $9,900 for a pilot project to deliver vital public health, safety, and wellness information via a network of digital signage installed in physician waiting rooms, health care clinics, emergency rooms, and other health related areas.

“Digital signage is emerging as a powerful medium for delivering dynamic, engaging and impactful messages,” Seman said. “Patients spend an average of 20 minutes in physician waiting rooms, creating an ideal environment for presenting information that empowers them to take a more active role in the health care.”

The pilot will also serve as a market research initiative to gauge the impact, recall, and action taken based on information presented on the digital signage. Arbitron Research studies indicate that 76 percent of people watch digital signage, 63 percent recall the messages, and 28 percent take previously unplanned action based on the information presented. The goal is to install 100 digital signs across Erie County over the next 3-5 years, thereby improving the health of the entire region.

The second company to receive funding in this round is F Bites, a youth empowerment and training company led by Chef Bobby Anderson, which will receive $10,000. F Bites founder and executive director Chef Bobby, as he is known, wp-contenteared on the national television series “Hell’s Kitchen” several years ago, and returned to Buffalo with a goal of improving the lives of youth in the region. His company offers vocational training as well as nutrition and financial literacy education to youth and young adults through after school programs and at special events within Erie and Niagara Counties.

“I have always known that cooking was a universal language, and it’s a very effective tool to teach the soft skills necessary for career advancement and increase awareness about healthy eating,” said Anderson. “We have been successful with what we have been doing, but receiving this grant will allow us to expand our operations and increase collaborative efforts with other local youth organization, thereby having an even greater impact on kids and families in our region.”

The company has been in operation for five years in Niagara County and seeks a larger presence in Erie County. F Bites will use its funding for business consulting and operating expenses, including hiring attorney services to obtain 501(c)3 status. They also plan to open an eatery on or near the Medical Campus to provide healthy food options prepared and served by the youth in the training program.

More than 85 percent of students graduating from the F Bites program over the past five years are currently enrolled in school or employed part- or full-time. These students are trained for existing employment opportunities, and with the expansion of F Bites will have an opportunity to go to work directly for the organization.

The BNMC Inc. is still accepting wp-contentlications on a rolling basis for the balance of the funding. For more information, visit bnmc-old.local/seedcapital.

 

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local

 

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Commercialization is Heating Up in Western New York!

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Networking2 Comments on Commercialization is Heating Up in Western New York!

BNMC Logo RGB Stacked                                             FURNACE          

           DIG 1                                                     LAUNCH

Commercialization is Heating Up in Western New York!

Join us on September 17th for a free seminar about the process for commercializing new technologies from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Furnace New York Accelerator program – and how Launch NY can assist!

RSVP!

WHEN:  Wednesday, September 17, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

WHAT: 6:00     Registration

 6:30     Wiley Larsen, Venture Manager, Furnace Accelerator
Topic: Adopting Department of Defense technologies that are ready for commercialization

 7:00     Marnie LaVigne, President & CEO, Launch NY
Topic: Facilitating the launch and growth of high potential companies in upstate New York

 7:30     General Q&A

 8:00     Join fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and business developers for informal networking

 

WHERE: Dig in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo NY

Car and bike parking are available in the lot across the street. dig is two blocks southeast of the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station.

RSVP: This event is free but registration is required. Please RSVP by Friday, Sept. 12th at bnmc-old.local/events/furnace

First Niagara Bank, N.A. and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. Seed Capital Accelerator Program

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center2 Comments on First Niagara Bank, N.A. and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. Seed Capital Accelerator Program

BNMC LOGO       FN LOGO
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is now accepting wp-contentlications for its Seed Capital Accelerator Program, sponsored by First Niagara Bank. First Niagara has provided funding that will be used by BNMC, Inc. to support new and existing start-ups that are affiliated with BNMC, Inc.’s Innovation Center or entrepreneurship programs.

The new fund will provide up to $10,000 in seed funding to enable start-ups to overcome short term business obstacles, and to reach project milestones that are designed to get products and services to market quicker – thus yielding measurable longer term returns on investment. Grants and loans will be awarded to businesses that have sustainable growth potential, a legitimate funding need, and are making a contribution to the social and business communities on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

BNMC, Inc. will make available grants or loans to eligible business owners under the program for the following purposes:

  • To purchase equipment or other capital goods.
  • For operating expenses that are directly related to a specific revenue generating project.
  • To acquire inventory required to satisfy a signed purchase order.
  • To pay up to 50% of a new hire’s salary for up to 90 days.
  • To pay for education, mentoring, or training for entrepreneurs and business owners that is directly related to the creation of a new business or the growth of an existing business within the Community.

The Program will be directed to companies that are located on the Medical Campus, or to companies (or entrepreneurs) that are being assisted with their formation and growth plans by the business development office at the BNMC, Inc. Specifically, awards will be provided to either:

  1. Revenue generating companies that sell goods and services,
  2. Community building companies that provide goods or services to persons on or near the Medical Campus, or
  3. Companies that need capital to deliver on projects for BNMC member institutions.

To wp-contently or for more information, please contact:

Vic Nole, Director of New Business Development, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., vnole@bnmc-old.local.

Seed Capital Accelerator Program Application

 

Read more:

BNMC, Inc. Now Accepting Applications for Seed Capital Accelerator Program, Sponsored by First Niagara Bank Program Designed to Support New and Growing Start-ups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/bnmc-inc-now-accepting-wp-contentlications-seed-capital-accelerator-program-sponsored-first-niagara-bank-program-designed-support-new-growing-start-ups-buffalo-niagara-medical-campus/#sthash.DrkIuJDR.dpuf

BNMC, Inc. Now Accepting Applications for Seed Capital Accelerator Program, Sponsored by First Niagara Bank Program Designed to Support New and Growing Start-ups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Watch the video to see how all of the grant recipients will work to support small business growth near the BNMC.

First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/first-niagara-announces-500000-business-development-fund-highlight-companys-4-0-million-investment-buffalo-niagara-medical-campus/#sthash.l65pyfNn.CN6TqNH9.dpuf

BNMC Update 2014

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Energy, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Member Institution(s), News, TransportationLeave a Comment on BNMC Update 2014

The Connections that Make a Community

photo 2On Thursday, June 12th, Bill Joyce, chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. board of directors, and Matt Enstice, president & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., presented an update on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.  The update focused on where the  BNMC stands and its future with a strong emphasis on the current initiatives underway that impact the local community at large.

the Medical Campus is home to a thriving medical community, cutting-edge research, world-class health care facilities, and both established and emerging private sector companies. Leveraging those assets, the BNMC, Inc. has an ambitious vision to integrate energy, transportation, food systems, entrepreneurship, housing, education and jobs that will change Buffalo’s future.

 

photo 4The BNMC, Inc. focuses on: Entrepreneurship, Jobs and Workforce, Transportation, Energy, Neighborhoods, Housing and Healthy Communities. Learn more about the BNMC Initiatives.

View the BNMC Update 2014.

 

Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Board of Directors – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/about/board-of-directors/#william%20l.%20joyce

Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Board of Directors – See more at: https://bnmc-old.local/about/board-of-directors/#william%20l.%20joyce

First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Investment Opportunities, News2 Comments on First Niagara Announces $500,000 Business Development Fund to Highlight Company’s $4.0 Million Investment in Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

— Bank will make funds available to boost community development and encourage small business creation and growth, including $100,000 in funding that has yet to be distributed —

First Niagara President and CEO Gary Crosby today announced the bank is providing $500,000 in funding for start-up businesses and community redevelopment initiatives on or near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). First Niagara has committed $500,000, of which $400,000 has been designated to date.

The balance of First Niagara’s investment, $100,000, will be awarded to area not-for-profit or other potential partner organizations being sought to administer the funds to entrepreneurs and start-ups on the BNMC and in the surrounding Fruit Belt, Allentown and West Side neighborhoods. Local organizations already designated to administer funding from First Niagara include:

  • Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. – $100,000 to support entrepreneurs it assists through its business development office on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  • Buffalo Urban League – $100,000 loan fund for minority and women owned start-up businesses on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
  • University at Buffalo Office of Economic Development – $100,000 for start-up business on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that sell goods and services outside the region or for companies that directly support the Medical Campus community
  • Westminster Economic Development Initiative – $100,000 to support its microloan program targeting West Side businesses, including assistance to immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs through its West Side Bazaar business incubator

“First Niagara is committed to being at the forefront of the renaissance taking place in Western New York and on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus,” said Buford Sears, First Niagara Buffalo Market Executive. “We are proud to enhance and accelerate the development of the Campus and support the innovation and growth taking place there. We are committed to the revitalization of this section of our community that will soon become a world recognized leader in life sciences research, medical education and healthcare services.”

The First Niagara Foundation has provided vital support for not-for-profit entities on and around the Campus for many years.  First Niagara’s investment in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and surrounding area, since 2009, has totaled $4.0 million.

“First Niagara continues to demonstrate a real commitment to actively being a part of Buffalo’s growth,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “The Business Development Fund will provide local small businesses with the sought after resources to help new companies get off the ground and take existing ones to the next level.  This investment in the Medical Campus helps sustain momentum along the growing corridor and provides quality job opportunities for local residents.”

Organizations interested in wp-contentlying to administer the remaining $100,000 in grant funds to entrepreneurs looking to start-up businesses on or around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus should contact Tony Alessi, Director, First Niagara Specialized Banking Operations and Support Services, at 716-819-5549 or tony.alessi@fnfg.com.

For more details on how the selected organizations will allocate their funds, please log on to www.firstniagara.com/BusinessDevelopmentFund

 

About First Niagara

 First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with wp-contentroximately 410 branches, $38 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and wp-contentroximately 5,800 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.

Breakfast Series for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Sponsored by First Niagara and presented by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center7 Comments on Breakfast Series for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Sponsored by First Niagara and presented by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc

dig 1“Access to Capital – Options for Financing Your New Business”

Wednesday, May 28th from 8 – 10am

Please join us for this breakfast networking event designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to grow their company, generously sponsored by First Niagara.

Paul Hoffman, lender relations specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be on hand to talk about financing options for new businesses. The U.S. SBA primarily provides assistance to small businesses through access to capital; entrepreneurial development; government contracting; and advocacy. The Buffalo district office SBA has developed many small business loan and assistance programs, special outreach efforts, and initiatives to aid and inform small businesses.

Wednesday, May 28th

8:00 – 8:30am – Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30am – Presentation

9:30 – 10:00am – Q&A and networking

Seminar will be in dig, our shared workspace, located in the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo

Car and bike parking is available directly across the street. The Innovation Center is just two blocks from the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station.

This program is free but registration is requested. Space is limited, so RSVP online today!

Open House on May 1st at the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center Open House on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Allentown, Attractions, Biotechnology Companies, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Event, Fruit Belt, Homepage, Innovation Center, Life Sciences Companies, Networking3 Comments on Open House on May 1st at the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center Open House on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

An Evening Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Innovation;

More than 900 People To Attend

AN EVENING OF PURE INNOVATION (With drinks, music, hors d’oeuvres and prizes thrown in for good measure.)

WHAT: An open house for the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. More than 26 companies will be hosting events during the open house, featuring food, drinks, and entertainment, including live music, a golf simulator, and much more! A five minute “Power Pitch” session begins at 6:30 p.m. featuring several local entrepreneurs hosted by the Inventures Group.

Learn more about how these diverse companies are growing their businesses in this unique office environment. Industries include life sciences and biotech; creative; technology; talent acquisition; a pharmacy; not-for-profit; patent attorneys; and many more.

This free event is open to the community at large. A full list of Innovation Center tenants can be found here – https://bnmc-old.local/innovation-center-tenant-list/.

WHEN: Thursday, May 1st from 4:00 – 7:00 pm

WHERE: 640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo.  Complimentary car and bike parking in the lot directly across the street; the Innovation Center is two blocks from the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station.

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space with over 55 tenants and 350 people, including life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The Innovation Center is owned and operated by the BNMC, Inc., a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. The BNMC, Inc. serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.

OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 1st AT THOMAS R. BEECHER INNOVATION CENTER ON BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS

by BNMCin Allentown, Attractions, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Event, Fruit Belt, Innovation Center, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), Pat Whalen3 Comments on OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 1st AT THOMAS R. BEECHER INNOVATION CENTER ON BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Contact:

Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.

716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

MEDIA ADVISORY AND PHOTO OP

 

OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 1st AT THOMAS R. BEECHER INNOVATION CENTER

ON BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS

An Evening Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Innovation;

More than 900 People To Attend

 

AN EVENING OF PURE INNOVATION (With drinks, music, hors d’oeuvres and prizes thrown in for good measure.)

 

WHAT: An open house for the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. More than 26 companies will be hosting events during the open house, featuring food, drinks, and entertainment, including live music, a golf simulator, and much more! A five minute “Power Pitch” session begins at 6:30 p.m. featuring several local entrepreneurs hosted by the Inventures Group.

Learn more about how these diverse companies are growing their businesses in this unique office environment. Industries include life sciences and biotech; creative; technology; talent acquisition; a pharmacy; not-for-profit; patent attorneys; and many more.

This free event is open to the community at large. A full list of Innovation Center tenants can be found here – https://bnmc-old.local/innovation-center-tenant-list/.

WHEN:Thursday, May 1st from 4:00 – 7:00 pm

WHERE:640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo. Complimentary car and bike parking in the lot directly across the street; the Innovation Center is two blocks from the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station.

 

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space with over 55 tenants and 350 people, including life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

 

The Innovation Center is owned and operated by the BNMC, Inc., a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. The BNMC, Inc. serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.

 

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d!g Buffalo to Open on March 24th

by BNMCin Employees, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Networking4 Comments on d!g Buffalo to Open on March 24th

BidVYx7IMAINbwpThe wait is over! d!g buffalo is opening its doors (officially) on Monday, March 24th! The new co-working space, located in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street, is designed for those in the early stages of developing a business or an idea. d!g, which stands for design innovation garage, will represent a range of creative, mechanical, and operational industries, driving the creation of new possibilities, new collaborations, and new partnerships. Part of our mission at the BNMC, Inc. is to support entrepreneurs and help grow businesses to create jobs. For us, d!g is more than a space, it’s a community of changemakers.
Our new digs were designed by faculty of the Department of Architecture and undergraduate and graduate students from the Situated Technologies Research Group: Prof. Omar Khan, Prof. Laura Garofalo, Michael Kirschner, John Geisler, Kathryn Hobert, Philip Gusmano, Joseph Swerdlin and Nicole Halstead. Omar Khan, Associate Professor and Chair of the department of architecture at the University at Buffalo, was one of the original visionaries for d!g. For Omar, it was somewhat personal as he had seen too many of his talented students lured away to other cities by a creative vibe and culture –he wanted a way to keep those students in Buffalo.

photo 3 (2)So why d!g? d!g will have mentors on hand during the day to help our innovators working on various projects. Plus, d!g will also have a Curator on staff to help facilitate networking among innovators and develop programming for the space. We’ll have networking and programming events to encourage conversations among our innovators and experts. d!g is an affordable option for entrepreneurs currently working at home, start-up companies looking to be a part of a larger community, families of patients looking for a place to work while visiting loved ones at the hospitals on the Medical Campus, a site for satellite offices – anyone looking for an environment to help foster productivity and success. We’d also like to add that d!g, which is located on a former loading dock in the renovated Trico Products Corp., building, complete with a glass garage door overlooking the Medical Campus, is a really, really cool space. Really.

d!g is free the week of March 24th to people who are joining as of April 1st. Have you been interested in trying out the co-working scene? Eager to tour d!g first hand? Stop down the week of the 24th anytime between 9am-5pm and check out our new digs.

Learn more about d!g.

Business Development is Buzzing on the BNMC

by BNMCin Biotechnology Companies, Campus-wide, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, Investment Opportunities, Life Sciences Companies5 Comments on Business Development is Buzzing on the BNMC

Ideas are being tested, perfected, and implemented every day here on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Innovators and entrepreneurs from all over the world are choosing to be in the heart of Buffalo, advancing products and technologies here at the Medical Campus. The BNMC continues to grow, creating an environment where a variety of life sciences, biotech, energy, and related support companies can interact with world class researchers and product developers.
We can help with all stages of company development, from “ideation” in our brand new co-work space called “d!g”, a collaborative space with mentors to help take your idea to the next level, to “incubation” in the Innovation Center, a mixed use space with nearly 60 companies that includes wet labs, offices, conference rooms, and light manufacturing bays. We also have plans to bring a new business accelerator online in the next few months. Our director of business development, Vic Nole can help you determine what space would be most wp-contentropriate for your company, and help you to connect to valuable business services and resources.

One of our goals at the BNMC is to help promote “purposeful collisions.” This includes encouraging researchers, physicians, administrators, nurses, business people, and community members to connect and interact through the projects designed to enhance our buildings, streetscapes, workforce, and social environment. Please join us at one of our many networking events to learn how you can “come grow with us.”

Upcoming events:

More than 200 People Come to Hear About 43North Business Competition in dig

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Event, Homepage, Innovation Center4 Comments on More than 200 People Come to Hear About 43North Business Competition in dig

photo 3 (2)This past Tuesday, more than 200 people came out to learn about 43North, a business competition targeted at attracting the attention of entrepreneurs eager to win some of the $5 million up for grabs with the winner receiving $1 million. The presentation was led by Andrew Pulkrabek executive director of 43North. The initiative is part of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s historic pledge of $1 billion in state funding to ignite economic growth in the Buffalo, New York region. The event also included a sneak peak of dig, a co-working space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street.
Weren’t able to attend the event? The COE is hosting one on March 6th! Find other upcoming events.

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus To Open Coworking Space

by BNMCin Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Innovation Center, News

dig fb
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2013                

For more information:
Contact Kari Bonaro, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 716-218-7157, 202-904-7034 (mobile)

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus To Open Coworking Space

dig Designed as Part of  BNMC’s Progression of Resources to Support Local Entrepreneurs 

(BUFFALO – September 24, 2013) The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. announced today that it is opening a new coworking space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street. Dubbed dig, it is yet another step in fostering entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration. The space is designed for those in the early stages of developing a business or an idea.

dig stands for design innovation garage, a play on both the location – a former loading dock in the renovated Trico Products Corp., building, complete with a glass garage door overlooking the Medical Campus – and also on the move toward a more design-centric entrepreneurial culture.  This co-working community will represent a range of creative, technical, and operational industries, driving the creation of new possibilities, new collaborations, and new partnerships.

“dig complements the highly successful Innovation Center that provides office space and amenities for growing companies. Opening dig ties directly to the Governor’s vision of supporting entrepreneurial culture across the state,” said Matthew K. Enstice, president & chief executive officer of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “dig will offer critical pieces needed by those with a young idea or business – work space, support, mentoring, and collaboration to get their business off the ground, creating more jobs and spurring the economy in our region.”

“One of our goals at the BNMC is to build a community of changemakers. We believe that hwp-contentens through collaboration and innovation, and what better way to do that than creating a co-working space for people who work on the Medical Campus or those who want to be a part of what’s hwp-contentening here,” said Patrick J. Whalen, chief operating officer of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “dig will not only be a space to work from, but also a hub of information to help cultivate this community – hosting networking events, seminars, and community activities. “

Omar Khan, associate professor and chair of the University at Buffalo’s Department of Architecture, was integral in the conception and design of dig.

“I have been at a loss as to how to keep some of my best students around Buffalo after graduation,” said Khan. “Most are drawn to other cities that give them the creative vibe they cherish. To me, Buffalo is full of creative people but it lacks exciting workspaces where they can mingle and share ideas. dig provides such an alternative workspace that is visually exciting and socially dynamic. It is the type of design environment where young and old can collaborate on innovative solutions to globally pressing problems.”

The design team that created dig consists of faculty from the Department of Architecture and undergraduate and graduate students from the Situated Technologies Research Group: Prof. Omar Khan, Prof. Laura Garofalo, Michael Kirschner, John Geisler, Kathryn Hobert, Philip Gusmano, Joseph Swerdlin and Nicole Halstead.

dig will have “entrepreneurs-in-residence” on hand during the day to help members working on various projects, as well as a dig Curator on staff to help facilitate networking among members and develop programming for the space. dig members will be “announced” when they arrive on a large screen with details about what they are working on and/or their expertise to encourage networking. The space will be outfitted with large tables and chairs, lounge-type seating with couches and chairs, space for private calls and meetings, lockers and mailboxes, and a café.

There will be an wp-contentlication process to join the co-work space. Anyone is eligible to wp-contently, although membership preference will be given to those working toward social innovation. The introductory rates will range from a daily rate of $15 to all-access monthly rates of $100.

“We view this as an affordable option for entrepreneurs currently working at home, start-up companies looking to be a part of a larger community, families of patients looking for a place to work while visiting loved ones at the hospitals on the Medical Campus, a site for satellite offices – anyone looking for an environment to help foster productivity and success,” adds Whalen.

“We are excited to help in the development of dig, not only as the hip place to be for co-working, but also the place where collaboration and shared resources lead to greater creative problem-solving,” said Rob Wynne, executive creative director of Wynne Creative Group, and tenant in the Innovation Center. “Plus it resides in the city’s hot spot for innovation – the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The area is ripe for this kind of workspace model.”

“We’re sharing cars and bikes, so it was only a matter of time before we shared space, and the Medical Campus is a perfect place to do it,” according to Creighton Randall, executive director of Buffalo CarShare.

dig members will receive complimentary memberships for CarShare and BikeShare in partnership with GO BNMC, the medical campus’ initiative to make it easier for employees to choose alternatives to driving alone.

The primary membership benefit is unlimited access to really innovative people. Members receive varying amenities depending on their level, ranging from high speed wifi and color copiers, to access to the Innovation Center’s fitness center, to conference room space and free coffee.

The Innovation Center is already home to 43 companies, ranging in size from one to 50 employees.

Learn more at digbuffalo.org and like us on facebook.

 

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. There are currently 43 companies located in the building and all but three are still operated by their founder.

The Innovation Center has received funding through New York State’s Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund Grant, RestoreNY, National Grid, the John R. Oishei Foundation, NYSERDA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration through a grant secured by Congressman Brian Higgins.

The Innovation Center is owned and operated by the BNMC, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, their 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are more than 60 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space.  bnmc-old.local

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UB Recruiting Innovators in Life Sciences for High-Tech CEL

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, News5 Comments on UB Recruiting Innovators in Life Sciences for High-Tech CEL

Program Offers Entrepreneurial Guidance, Knowledge and Mentorship for those in Field

Leaders of early-stage life sciences and technology companies can take advantage of a High-Tech Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) program that will begin in March 2013.

Now in its third year, the High Tech CEL is a collaboration between the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the University at Buffalo School of Management and UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

With funding from a number of sources, including an Economic Development Administration grant and an award from UB’s “E Fund,” the program’s mission is to help participants build a strong management team and develop an individualized pathway toward commercialization.

Participants of the 10-week program meet for two hours a week, covering a range of topics, including commercialization strategies, finance issues, intellectual property, FDA regulations, investor relations, sales and marketing, and more.

“The High-Tech CEL is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to build their business skills, gain hands-on experience, and learn from other professionals who understand the challenges they’re facing,” said Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of UB’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“This program is greatly beneficial for those whose firms are in the initial phase of taking their work from the lab to the market,” said Marnie LaVigne, PhD, associate vice president of economic development at UB. “It incorporates key high-tech business topics into the strength of the time-tested CEL program that has helped hundreds of traditional businesses in the region grow since 1987.”

Case studies, roundtables, panel discussions and lectures make up the curriculum, and each participant is partnered with a seasoned, successful entrepreneur who is attuned to the issues that influence business decisions. These mentors guide, advise and support participants throughout the program to help them achieve specific objectives.

The High-Tech CEL program is engaging and interactive and focuses on the importance of initiating and nurturing relationships between early-stage companies and leaders in the Buffalo-Niagara life science and technology ecosystem by providing structured networking opportunities throughout the duration of the program.

Charles d’Estries, director of SciBiz International Inc., will moderate the program. He provides business development consulting for entrepreneurs in the life sciences and high-tech fields, particularly those in the early stages of business.

Program cost is $995 per participant, and consecutive participants from the same company can attend at a 50 percent discount ($497).

To learn more or wp-contently, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

The mission of UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (COE) is to study the mechanistic processes involved in human disease with the goal of developing diagnostics tools and therapeutic interventions, preventative treatment and other disease management devices and processes to improve the health and well-being of the population. This scientific mission is balanced by the COE’s responsibility to act as a facilitator of economic development in Upstate New York by building and supporting partnerships between academia, industry and government. More information is available at http://www.bioinformatics.buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu.

Jacqueline Ghosen, UB School of Management; ghosen@buffalo.edu; 716-645-2833

Innovation Center Kicks Off Series to Help Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies5 Comments on Innovation Center Kicks Off Series to Help Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

A key mission of the Innovation Center is to offer resources necessary for small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow. The Growing Your Knowledge & Network for Small Businesses series sponsored by First Niagara, will begin on Wednesday, December 12th at 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. This monthly series is an extension of the BNMC’s efforts to continue to promote growth for small- to medium-sized companies. This series provides important information for companies as industry experts – often successful entrepreneurs themselves – share knowledge relevant to running a successful business.
Topics include taxes, human resources, networking etiquette, branding and much, more. Learn about  the latest industry trends and developments as you hear from professionals in the field. This series is open to tenants withint the Innovation Center and also members of the comunity.

Attendees of the Growing Your Knowledge & Network for Small Businesses sessions will be entered into a raffle to win an iPad or other prizes. Interact and network with fellow entrepreneurs and professionals as you engage in dialogue about need-to-know information for small businesses.

Each presentation is free, but space is limited and registration is required. To register, visit growingyourknowledge.eventbrite.com.

Wednesday, December 12th

Do Taxes Matter? presented by Daniel Tirone, Daniel Tirone, CPA. Learn about the basics of tax management.

Wednesday, January 9th

Basic 101 HR Information presented by Holly Nowak, Alcott HR Group. Learn about human resources best practices.

Wednesday, February 13th

Business Development Incentives in New York: Maximizing Your Benefits  presented by Cory Van Deusen V, Lumsden & McCormick, LLP. Learn about tax credits and incentives.

Wednesday, March 13th

Social Media and Your Business presented by Robin Wilson, The Wilson Edge.

Wednesday, April 10th

Branding Consistency presented by Rob Wynne, Wynne Creative Group. Learn about adding character to your business, helping to make it stand out.

Wednesday, May 8th

First Niagara: Five Key Areas Where Businesses Suffer Losses presented by Karen Fenzl.