June 19, 2017

Launch NY Newsletter – June 2017

Launch NY

Launch NY News & Updates	Upcoming Events
Subscribe to Upstart NY for Your Chance to Win a Bak USA Seal Tablet We are excited to announce that Bak USA is teaming up with Upstart NY to offer a chance to win a new Seal tablet, made right here in Bak USA’s headquarters. As a rapidly growing newcomer to the region, Bak USA has helped to continue to revitalize manufacturing in Buffalo and embodies the goals of Upstart NY, Western New York’s only digital magazine dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation. Launched through the support of tremendous partners last month, Upstart NY is already spreading word of the “new” Buffalo to hundreds of readers. If you haven’t already signed up to receive Upstart NY, what are you waiting for? Sign up here and you will be ENTERED TO WIN A BAK USA SEAL TABLET VALUED AT $699! Bak USA’s new Seal is a virtually indestructible tablet computer. Best of all, it’s built right here in Buffalo, New York. The fast-paced and exciting developments at Bak USA, who is employing 86 Buffalo residents, reflect one of the many stories you – and others who love this region – can read at Upstart NY by signing up today, while earning a chance to win the BAK USA SEAL. Join Us Live: We Will Take You Behind the Scenes at Bright Buffalo Niagara Join us live just hours before this year’s Bright Buffalo Niagara Entrepreneur Expo is set to kick-off. We will be broadcasting from our #LaunchHour TwitterChat starting at noon on June 28^th. We will take you behind the scenes for a conversation with entrepreneurs, judges, event sponsors, and finalists as they arrive at the expo and gear up for the highly anticipated pitch presentations. #LaunchHour panelists include: Jon Carmen (SimpleFund), Peter Schick (House at Work), Frank Gullo (Superior Group), and more! We would love to have you join us live on Twitter for all the pre-event action, and if you are also interested in attending this year’s Expo, it’s not too late. You can still register here.	June 28, 2017 #LaunchHour TwitterChat: Bright Buffalo Niagara Pre-Event Conversation 12:00 – 1:00 PM June 21, 2017 Networking@Rev: Food & Hospitality 6:00 – 8:00 PM Ithaca, NY June 21, 2017 Lunch N Learn: Free Money Smarts for Small Business 12:00 – 3:00 PM Rochester, NY June 27, 2017 UVANY: The Buffalo Capital Stack: Funding Sources for Companies Featuring Launch NY Chairman George Chamoun 5:00 – 8:00 PM Buffalo, NY June 28, 2017 Tech Tank 12:00 – 2:00 PM Syracuse, NY June 28, 2017 Bright Buffalo Niagara Entrepreneurial Expo 12:00 – 7:00 PM Buffalo, NY June 29, 2017 Startup Grind: Chris Ring of Fanbassadaor 6:00 – 8:30 PM Buffalo, NY

Startup Spotlight
RepHike is hitting the Road! RepHike, a Buffalo based Launch NY client is headed to Syracuse, NY for the summer! The company recently announced $25,000 in funding and acceptance into the StartFast Venture Accelerator. RepHike is changing the way brands manage their marketing to college students. Western New York native Olivia Goldstein and partner Shashank Roy launched RepHike last year, providing brand ambassador software to enable companies to grow their campus marketing programs. The StartFast financing will be used to build university partnerships and strengthen RepHike’s proprietary technology platform. Congratulations and best wishes on an awesome summer at StartFast! “We were first introduced to Launch NY through a mutual colleague in March 2017. Immediately, we were impressed by the structure and assistance from the core team. Launch NY’s COO and Fund Manager sat with our team and coached us on pitching and helped us to tailor our pitch, which ultimately aided us in landing our seed round and participation in StartFast Venture Accelerator! Through its compelling initiatives including community events, such as the Small Business Festival, our team is able to learn and engage with entrepreneurs, executives, and investors–plus, Launch NY boasts a strong network of seasoned entrepreneurs to serve as mentors to startups. Our team is able to call upon our Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dan Magnuszewski, for advice as it relates to business development, tech, and all things related to building and scaling a software business!”

#LaunchHour TwitterChat Tips	Launch NY Resources
#LaunchHour TwitterChats are monthly virtual chats featuring important topics for startups and entrepreneurs. Join us monthly to hear from industry experts on our panel. If you missed us you can view our past TwitterChats in our archive and checkout some great tips from last month below! May 17, 2017 #LaunchHour: Meet & Chat with Women in Entrepreneurship: Examples, Resources, & Reflection View the whole chat Here. Q3. What does it mean to your to be a women entrepreneur or funder? Rachel Jackson (@RachelsRemedy) – It means many things to me. I’m proud. I have to work very hard to break out of negative stereotypes. #LaunchHour Norma Nowak (@EmpireGenomics) – Being a women entrepreneur empowers you to take your idea and make it happen. You are in control of your own destiny. #LaunchHour Marnie LaVigne (@MarnieLaVigne2) – Being a nonprofit female funder positions us to look beyond returns on our investments to make impacts, both social and economic #LaunchHour Antoinette Forth (@walkaboutco) – For me, right now, it means I am a pioneer of sorts. I need to help create a path for future female entrepreneurs #LaunchHour Q7. How can we encourage more women to start their own business? Antoinette Forth (@walkaboutco) – Be a mentor to other women. Encourage women to get started. Take a seat at the table. That’s the 1st step #LaunchHour Theresa Mazzulo (@ExcellPartners) – Much like sports and STEM learning, the earlier we can expose girls to entrepreneurship the better #LaunchHour Heather Saffer (@DollopGourmet) – We need to stop telling women that it’s more challenging to start a business as women. Encourage them by sharing the advantages to being women entrepreneurs #LaunchHour Lindsay Stencel (@RustBelt_XFit) – Always take a meeting if someone is seeking mentoring, help them. If someone wants feedback, give it. Rising tides lift all ships. #LaunchHour Join us for our next TwitterChat Wednesday, June 28th at noon!	Upstate NY Resource Network Check it out here > StartupGPS.org Check it out here> Upstate NY Rainforest Canvas Study Check it out here > 5 Business Stages – Where are you? Each stage contains critical deliverables for moving forward. Starting with the Explore stage, see where you are on the path to success. Find out here > Entrepreneur Toolkit The toolkit is a set of templates and links designed to help start, launch and grow your business in upstate New York. Check it out here > Is Launch NY a fit for you? Launch NY provides entrepreneurs experienced mentoring using best practice processes and connections to specialized resources both in and beyond the Upstate NY ecosystem.Thus preparing you to compete for and win the funding and additional resources needed to move forward. Apply Now! >

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Introduction
Meet Al Culliton “It is fulfilling to amplify your history of achievement through mentoring other people to fulfill their dreams of business success,” said Al Culliton, on his work as a Launch NY EIR.Al has a 40+-year business career in leadership and management roles in both the private and public sectors providing financial services and economic development assistance to companies of all sizes and industry types.In response to the specific needs of the Upstate entrepreneurial community, and in addition to his overall management of Erie County Industrial Development Agency’s economic development operations and programs, he co-founded Launch NY and conceived and ran the ECIDA’s Niagara Region Ventures Fund which has invested to date over $9 Million in 34 start-up and early-stage companies and experienced a cash-on-cash return in excess of $20 Million. In recognition of his leadership in economic development, he was named 2011 Economic Developer of the Year by the New York State Economic Development Council.Read more about Al and our other EIRs on our website.