About Us / Our Team
Launch NY is driven by a board of directors, an in-house leadership and operations team, special program advisors, and a vast network of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
Who We Are
Meet the innovators and thought leaders who serve as our distinguished board members.
Vice Chairperson
George Chamoun became CEO of ACV Auctions, a live mobile auction platform for new and used car dealers, in September 2016. Prior to joining ACV Auctions, Mr. Chamoun co-founded Synacor in 1998, helping transform the company from a privately-held start-up to a publicly-traded technology, services and revenue partner of leading cable, satellite, telecom, and consumer electronics companies, in his role as Synacor’s President, Sales & Marketing. As a Syracuse, NY native and University at Buffalo alumnus, Mr. Chamoun became an Upstate entrepreneurial hero due to his early success as founder and CEO right out of college for what has become a top e-communication infrastructure provider in the world.
Mr. Chamoun has been recognized for his accomplishments throughout the cable and telecommunications industry, most notably in 2009 when Multichannel News named him one of the publication's "40-under-40" most influential innovators in the industry, as well as when he was recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit and leadership by Ernst & Young as "Entrepreneur of the Year.” Mr. Chamoun has presented on entrepreneurship, business and technology at conferences, expos and seminars across the country, and participates on advisory boards for tech incubator Z80 Labs and the 43North International Business Plan Competition.
Vice Chairperson
Mel Passarelli is a partner with Arete Advisory Services after most recently serving as President & CEO of USU Solutions, Inc. (formerly Aspera) for three years. For the previous twelve years he was EVP and GM leading the successful turnaround and growth of Attunity from an early-stage software asset management company to a NASDAQ listed corporation that is being acquired for $560 million by Qlik, a leader in data analytics. Mr. Passarelli’s illustrious career spans over thirty years of leading corporate strategy and growth in several private and public software companies. He spent over thirteen years helping to build Intergraph Corporation into a Fortune 500 company. As a Buffalo expat, Mr. Passarelli's entrepreneurial spirit has led him to give back to budding entrepreneurs through efforts such as judging the annual Henry A. Panasci Technology Entrepreneurship Competition at University at Buffalo, his alma mater. While a resident in the New England area, Mr. Passarelli is a frequent visitor to Western New York for family, professional, and volunteer activities. He serves as a board member for several for profit and non-profit organizations, including the American Heart Association, providing advice and counsel for successful growth. Mr. Passarelli holds a BA and MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University in Boston.
Director
Quincy Allen has over 35 years of leadership experience in the technology services industry, most recently serving as IBM’s Go-To-Market Leader of Cognitive Process Services and Chief Marketing Officer for IBM Cloud from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining IBM, Allen served as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Unisys Corporation, a global information technology company, and Chief Executive Officer at Vertis Communications, a direct marketing and advertising company. Prior to Vertis, Allen held several leadership positions with Xerox Corporation, including serving as President of the Global Business and Strategic Marketing Group and President of Production Systems Group, as well as Vice President of Xerox Corporation. Currently serves on the board of Office Depot and is and is an advisor for the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester. Previously served on the boards of Gateway Computers and NCR Corp.
Director
Melodie is the National Policy Director for Just Equations based in Berkeley CA, a Public Health Fellow for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a Public Research Fellow for the Partnership for Public Good and owns Q&A STATS LLC a research and evaluation company in Clarence NY. She is a nationally recognized education leader and advocate. As a community leader, charter school founder, and program director, she has devoted her career to advancing health and education policies for underserved communities.
Baker has chaired various national, state and local coalitions, including Raising New York, facilitated by The Education Trust-NY, The National Coalition for Community Schools, and the Erie/Niagara Birth to 8 Coalition. She directs the research and evaluation effort for the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s First 1000 Days on Medicaid Initiative, headed by the New York State Department of Health, and was recently tapped to serve on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Reimagining Education Advisory Council to devise strategies for re-opening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melodie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Buffalo State College, a Master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen College, an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistical Analysis from SUNY-Buffalo and is currently working on her PhD in Educational Psychology and Quantitative Methods at SUNY Buffalo.
Director
As Chief Network Officer, Maggie Dorn manages and grows The Motley Fool’s unique network of influencers, thought leaders, and businesses. Within their network, she uncovers collaborative opportunities that adds diversity of thought and drives commercial value. She plays an essential role in building brand awareness around The Motley Fool’s leadership, business expertise, and award-winning culture. She is also a Venture Partner in Motley Fool Ventures, an early stage, technology-focused venture capital fund, powered by The Motley Fool’s brand, investing approach, and communities. An advocate of workplace equality, she co-authored “The State of Motley,” The Motley Fool’s first internal diversity and inclusion report, which subsequently led to changes in hiring and cultural practices. Ms. Dorn serves as Committee Chair for The Vinetta Project, a leading global ecosystem that supports high-growth female entrepreneurs as they take their tech businesses to scale. Additionally, she sits on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo.
Prior to joining The Fool, Ms. Dorn worked at The Washington Post in their business innovations department. She graduated with honors from Ithaca College (B.S.) and John Hopkins University (M.A.). A native Buffalonian, you’ll find her these days fishing in streams, rivers, and lakes throughout the northeast with her husband Matt.
Director
Tom Lynch is a senior executive with leadership experience in diverse industries ranging from biotechnology to consumer products.
Director
Ekua Mends-Aidoo, CCDP, is the President of Clementine Gold Group, an equity-centered strategy, planning, and engagement firm. With over 15 years of experience across corporations, municipal governments, non-profits, and healthcare organizations, she has led the development and execution of equitable policies, practices, and programs that align with organizational strategy. She previously was a member of the leadership team at Evergreen Health and at one of Launch NY’s tech sector portfolio companies.
Ms. Mends-Aidoo has a bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo, master’s degrees from D’Youville University and Hilbert College, and she is a Cornell University Certified Diversity Professional. She currently serves on the WNY Regional Committee for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, is a member of the Board of Directors for TechBuffalo, an Advisory Board Member of Founders Go Big, and a Council Member for the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative, a fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Ekua is also a member of Pipeline Angels, an organization that is changing the face of angel investing and venture capital.
Director
David J. Nasca is a Director of NBT Bancorp, Inc. and NBT Bank, which became a $16 billion Super Regional Community Bank following its acquisition of Evans Bancorp, Inc. and Evans Bank, N.A. Previously, Mr. Nasca served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Evans Bank, N.A., a nationally chartered bank with $2.3 billion in assets, from 2006 to 2025. With a 42-year career as an executive in the banking and finance industry, primarily within publicly traded companies, Mr. Nasca has held significant roles in Treasury, Capital Markets, Strategic Planning, and Senior Management at organizations such as Goldome, Chemical Bank, and First Niagara Financial Group.
Mr. Nasca is actively involved in several boards and community organizations. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. Additionally, he is the Director and Chairman of Brothers of Mercy Holding Inc. and its affiliated companies, which comprise a Continuing Care Community offering senior housing, assisted living, and nursing and rehabilitation services.
He is also a director of Launch NY, a venture Opportunity Fund that provides seed capital to startups and is a member of the Patrick P. Lee Foundation Investment Committee. Mr. Nasca further serves on the Univera Healthcare Regional Advisory Board and the Board of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation. He is also a member of the Canisius.
Mr. Nasca earned his bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from Canisius College and holds a master’s degree in finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Director
Zachary Shulman is a Managing Partner at the Cayuga Venture Fund, a leading venture capital firm that has raised four funds dedicated to growing promising, innovation-based start-up businesses in the region. Mr. Shulman also teaches at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, where he leads the Entrepreneurship@Cornell program. He currently serves as a Director of Primet Precision Materials, Advion BioSciences, e2e Materials, Instinctiv, and CherryPharm. Prior to joining CVF, Mr. Shulman was General Counsel at a technology startup that raised considerable venture capital, and previously practiced corporate law at Ropes & Gray in Boston and Harris Beach in Ithaca. Mr. Shulman serves on a number of advisory boards affiliated with Cornell programs. He earned both his BS in Industrial and Labor Relations and his JD degrees at Cornell University.
Get to know our in-house team who delivers on the Launch NY mission every day.
President and CEO
Dr. Marnie LaVigne has spent more than 30 years in both the private and public sectors creating new products and start-up businesses, driving innovation and economic growth in high-tech industries, such as life sciences, informatics, and advanced manufacturing. Her passion for working with start-ups took root from her experience launching health informatics businesses with colleagues in the 1990’s as she finished her doctoral work at the University of Rochester, which resulted in growing two health informatics companies with more than 100 employees and two initial public offerings (IPOs).
In July 2014, she became the President and CEO of Launch NY, a 27-county venture development organization that she co-founded with other Buffalo boosters and whose mission is to identify, support and invest in high-growth, high-impact companies and catalyze the entrepreneurial culture of Upstate New York. Previously, she led economic development efforts involving work with hundreds of businesses at UB as Associate Vice President for Economic Development from 2012 to 2014 and Director of Business Development from 2005 until 2012 at the NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences and the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology yielding economic impact with more than a 60:1 return-on-investment. In addition to her for prfit start-up experience prior to UB, Dr. LaVigne also spearheaded product development initiatives for larger corporations in managed care (e.g., Aetna), pharmaceuticals (Bristol-Myers Squibb), medical devices (Welch Allyn), and medical informatics (Medscape/MedicaLogic, now GE and WebMD).
Dr. LaVigne has a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and a doctorate in clinical psychology, both from the University of Rochester. She is chair of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) and a member of the Board of Directors for Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), Upstate Venture Connect, Western New York Venture Association, and numerous advisory boards. As lifelong residents of Buffalo, Marnie and her husband, Rob Fohl, are avid downhill skiers and sailors who are blessed with two adult children, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Head of Finance
Scott Terhaar, as the Head of Finance for Launch NY, is responsible for finance and grants administration, product development, and related organizational planning. He received his MBA from the University at Buffalo and has an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Binghamton University. A Certified Public Accountant, he is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to joining Launch NY, Scott was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Orchard-Park-based ValueCentric, a pharmaceutical data management company that sold in 2019 to IQVIA, a global publicly traded corporation. He previously served as US Controller for Uni-Select USA and Chief Financial Officer for Perry’s Ice Cream and Superior Group (now Aleron), after starting his career in finance and accounting at Azerty Inc. and Price Waterhouse LLP.
Primary Legal Counsel
A partner at Thompson Hine LLP, Lindsay Karas Stencel previously served as Fund Manager of Launch NY, where she spearheaded building the LaunchNY Seed Fund LLC into the most active seed fund in the State and one of the most active in the country. She was also instrumental in forming and introducing Launch NY’s for profit Invest Local Financing Programs, including the LaunchNY Seed Fund I LP and Investor Network. Named 2018 Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year and 2019 Investor of the Year by the Upstate Capital Association and 2019 Community Catalyst Award Winner by Upstate Venture Connect, Lindsay continues to support Launch NY’s investment activities.
Prior to Launch NY, Lindsay served as one of the Managing Partners and Chief Legal Counsel for NCT Ventures, an early-stage, technology-focused venture firm in Columbus, OH, where she focused on fund formation, deal structuring, state and federal compliance, limited partner relations and portfolio management. Additionally, she built a burgeoning legal practice, representing venture firms, startups, and small businesses throughout the Midwest.
Lindsay earned her JD/MBA from The Ohio State University, where she also serves as an Adjunct Professor.
Senior Operations Manager
Nadia Abdallah provides finance, operations, and project support at Launch NY. Her experience includes finance and operations at D.V. Brown & Associates, a mechanical contracting company. She specializes in minority, women, disabled veteran and disadvantaged business accounting. Nadia earned her Bachelors’ degree in Accounting at Canisius College and completed courses in entrepreneurship at Buffalo State University for young leaders in the Buffalo Area.
Investment Manager
Zachary Mizener joins Launch NY as Investment Manager. He brings over six years of experience in financial services, including roles in investor relations, fundraising, and financial modeling. Most recently, he worked at Lambert supporting capital strategy for growth-stage companies, and previously served as a Senior Associate in Equity Research at Citi. At Launch NY, Zach will help drive investment strategy and guide early-stage startups through the fundraising process. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Financial Risk Management from the University at Buffalo.
Project Manager
Danielle Blount is a Project Manager with Launch NY and the Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator, Program Coordinator. She began with Launch NY during her MBA studies as an intern in the summer of 2015 through 2016, and joined full time after graduation. Danielle attended University at Buffalo for both her graduate and undergraduate studies, receiving her BA in Political Science and International Studies, in 2013, and her MBA in 2016. Prior to returning to University at Buffalo for her graduate studies, Danielle worked at BlueCross BlueShield of WNY as a Network Development Associate. During this time she received her Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Villanova University in 2014. Danielle currently serves as President of the Plymouth Crossroads board, an Executive Team member of the Mount St. Mary Academy Alumnae Board, in Kenmore, NY, and an Awesome Buffalo Trustee.
Program Cooridnator
Katrina Cropo joins Launch NY as Program Coordinator. A University at Buffalo graduate with a Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work, Katrina brings strong program administration and compliance experience from her work with the Homeless Alliance of Western New York. Katrina will play a key role in delivering mentorship and technical assistance services. She will support founders by helping them access the tools they need to become investment-ready.
Grants and CRM Administrator
Michael Derr is the Grants and CRM Administration Professional at LaunchNY, bringing over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He has dedicated his career to providing community services in underserved areas, with a focus on program development and grant management. Previously, Michael worked at the University District Community Development Association, where he helped foster programs aimed at empowering local communities. He holds an MBA from Georgia Southwestern State University and a B.A. in Human Services from the University at Buffalo. Passionate about creating positive social impact, Michael is committed to supporting Launch NY’s mission of cultivating innovation and growth in the community.
Investor Network & Special Projects Manager
Jeanne Ernst joins Launch NY as the new Investor Network & Special ProjectsManager, bringing over 20 years of experience in trading, analyzing, and recommending equity investments for multibillion-dollar mutual funds and investment banking firms. With a proven track record of guiding both large and small-cap investors, Jeanne has also held board seats on private and publicly funded organizations in Buffalo, NY. Her extensive knowledge of the financial markets, combined with her strategic leadership, makes her an invaluable resource for our members. Jeanne has lived in major financial hubs across the U.S. but has called New York home for nearly 20 years, where she lives with her husband, Scott, and their two children.
Program Manager
Cassidy Malough is a Program Manager at Launch NY. She has over 6 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about making a positive impact on the community and has made it her mission to help others and bring about needed changes in her hometown.
Her experience includes building and launching comprehensive workforce development programs at Goodwill Industries of Western New York, Inc. assisting under and unemployed individuals in the community find career builder jobs.
Cassidy received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Buffalo. She later returned to graduate school where she enrolled in a dual degree program, earning her MBA and MSW. Currently, she serves as Vice Chair for the Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals Group.
Marketing Assistant
Brittany, born and raised in Buffalo NY, loves helping Launch NY work with companies in the Western New York area.
Brittany graduated from Miami University in 2018 with a degree in marketing and interactive media studies. She works part-time for Launch NY helping handle all things marketing. After graduating from college she entered into the agency world specifically on the project management and client communications side. She has worked across a variety of verticals from health care to live sports and entertainment, and everything in between. She is now also getting her MBA from the University at Buffalo with a concentration in Marketing & Operations.
Outreach and Operations Coordinator
Zachary Pohle joins Launch NY as the Outreach and Operations Coordinator. He is a recent graduate of the University at Buffalo, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in both Marketing and Data Analytics.
Before joining Launch NY, Zack worked with TechBuffalo, where he contributed to marketing initiatives, content creation, and event promotion. He is passionate about creative and data-driven marketing efforts that build meaningful connections while driving impact.
Marketing & Engagement Manager
With over 5 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has worked across startups, community organizations, and regional initiatives - helping them connect with their audiences through thoughtful strategy and clear, accessible messaging. Her work spans digital marketing, brand development, and program design, including the organization of Western New York’s largest annual Women in Tech conference.
She brings a people-first approach to everything she does, always working to build connections, elevate underrepresented voices, and support meaningful impact.
Learn about the experienced business, industry, entrepreneurship, and investment professionals who are helping to put our portfolio companies on the map.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
skiJerry Adamski has extensive international expertise in service and manufacturing operations, business startups, business development, product commercialization, leadership, coaching and more. His entrepreneurial skills have been developed by working for and with multiple size public, private and not for profit companies including Kodak, Gleason, Gerber Scientific, CP Rochester and hundreds of startup companies. Mr. Adamski is an active coach to a variety of Applied Entrepreneurship and New Product Development collegiate teams.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Ed Bizari has built an in-depth career covering Fortune 500 companies, funded startups, and early-stage ventures in the computing, agtech, cleantech, telecom, mobile, and health sectors. He has held executive and founder roles in strategy, product management, sales, and marketing, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of business model development, financials, growth and go-to-market strategies, and product commercialization. Currently, Ed focuses on assisting early-stage startups and small companies in achieving critical growth milestones. Alongside his consulting work, he serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Launch NY, an Upstate New York venture fund that advises and invests in early-stage startups, and at Cornell University Center for Regional Economic Advancement in Ithaca, NY. Additionally, he mentors participants in the Grow-NY Food/Agriculture Competition, instructs NSF I-Corps Short Courses, and teaches business management and entrepreneurship at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. Ed holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
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 $13 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. Al worked as a senior loan officer/manager for M&T Bank and Chase Lincoln First Bank (now part of JP Morgan Chase) managing lending teams and providing financial, mentoring and other business services to a broad range of commercial accounts in and beyond Western New York. He was COO/CFO of a wholesale flexographic printing supply company and of a tire distribution company responsible for accounting, banking and finance, HR and insurance, operations, and branch management and customer service. Al holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics from Fordham University and an MBA from Canisius College. His board service has included director and Chair of Junior Achievement of WNY, director and Vice Chair of NYS Economic Development Council, Treasurer of Western Region Corporation and director of Empire State Certified Development Corporation and the Workforce Development Corporation.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Don De Laria’s career has spanned a number of industries with a variety of companies both big and small. After investment banking, syndicate, and institutional equity sales, he founded Deephaven Financial Group, where he led investor relations efforts for numerous companies. He later moved into the movie business with Regal Entertainment Group, to a stock loyalty startup, Loyal 3 and to Zep, Inc., a specialty chemical company. More recently, Mr. De Laria has led business development efforts for a specialty chemical distributor and two companies engaged in the field of artificial intelligence.
Mr. De Laria enjoys giving back by mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs through local incubators and accelerators. He mentored at the ATDC in Atlanta, the oldest incubator in the U.S., and has served as a mentor for Launch NY for 5 years in Buffalo. He's also a member of the Western New York Venture Association and Buffalo Angels. He's especially skilled at the LEAN startup method and facilitating and implementing LEAN processes to drive enhanced efficiency. His experience encompasses everything from founding startup’s to business development and enterprise sales for early stage companies to participating on the senior management team (with emphasis on investor relations and communications) for $1B+ public companies.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Rich Delmerico has over 30 years of experience as a top performing technology and business professional, with extensive and successful leadership expertise from startup to Fortune 100 companies in global product and systems development, commercialization, operations, and manufacturing across consumer, commercial, medical, printing, energy storage, and materials products. Mr. Delmerico most recently led an early stage high technology Cornell based materials startup (NOHMs Technologies Inc.) from seed to VC monies while robustly developing and maturing the technology. He also is an Adjunct at the Rochester Institute of Technology’ s Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Rochester’s Simon School startup coach and currently on-boarding as a NYSERDA Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Prior to NOHMs, Mr. Delmerico was a corporate executive at Kodak, including the R&D Director for the $1B revenue Traditional Consumer Businesses, driving innovation to market his entire career. Mr. Delmerico has a MS degree from Clarkson University in Manufacturing Systems and BS degrees from SUNY Buffalo in both Electrical and Industrial Engineering.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
David Eilers is an enterprise leader focused on the convergence of technology development, innovation processes, and user engagement. Over the course of his career Mr. Eilers has pioneered new products, opened new international market's and developed new business models in the healthcare industry through his work with the Marmon Group of companies and InterV Medical Group/ Roundtable Healthcare Partners, resulting in a $785MM acquisition. In 2008, he applied his interest in Open Innovation to the co-founding of Blue Highway, LLC, a technology accelerator focused on creating early diagnosis of adverse health conditions. In 2013, Mr. Eilers helped launch the Life Reimagined Institute for AARP, focused on improving the social determinants of health for people 50+ through millions of digital interactions and thousands of live in-person seminars. Most recently, he was asked by leaders at the American Hospital Association (AHA) to co-develop and teach a practical innovation curriculum for AHA’s member hospitals which can prototype novel concepts in a ninety-day period.
Outside of the office, Mr. Eilers is Adjunct Faculty in Syracuse University’s Online MBA program, serves on the Board of Directors for Lexington Wellness Holdings; and is a volunteer Board Member for the Lwala Community Alliance which creates health and wellness programs in rural Kenya. He often speaks to innovation communities and universities interested in the design thinking process and commercialization of emerging technologies.
Subject-Matter Expert
Founding Member at Fresh Batch Insights and owner of Avery & Harlow. Passionate about data-informed and inspired branding, marketing, and product development.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
With more than 35 years of experience, Holly Hillberg has extensive experience in global business leadership at companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Carestream Health, and Eastman Kodak. She has held a broad range of leadership positions which have included technology development, manufacturing, marketing, business management, operations, global strategy, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer. Her career has been centered around successfully delivering new innovative products to market across the medical devices, and commercial and consumer business spaces. Of special note is Ms. Hillberg’s experience in leading not one, but two successful multi-billion dollar divestitures, then building the infrastructure to support growth and success for the new stand-alone companies.
Ms. Hillberg is currently the president of Hillberg Consulting. She has successfully advised diverse, innovative businesses, large and small. Ms. Hillberg holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University as well as a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Northwestern University’s Executive Development Program and from University of Michigan Management and Manufacturing Executive Program.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Global Technology Executive
Jane Hoffer is a transformative global executive with extensive leadership experience as CEO, COO, and Chief Business Officer across supply chain, manufacturing, energy, and mobility sectors. With a proven track record of guiding organizations through founding, growth, M&A, and public exits in North America, Europe, and Asia, Jane has driven multimillion-dollar growth while raising over $80M in capital. As Founder and CEO of Prescient Systems (acquired by Park City Group), she built a supply chain SaaS leader with $10M+ in ARR. Recently as CEO of EVA Global, she led a comprehensive restructuring that reduced operating expenses by 39%, demonstrating her expertise in operational efficiency.
Jane combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, leveraging technology to deliver customer-first outcomes in complex business environments. As COO of littleBits Electronics, she drove 10X revenue growth in 18 months and assisted in securing $44.2M in Series C funding. A recognized industry speaker who has presented at the UK EV Summit and the Decarbonisation Summit at COP 26, Jane currently serves as Board Advisor for Sugarwork AI (NYC) and Fluxio Mobility (Latin America), and as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Launch NY. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering (Summa Cum Laude) from Texas A&M University.
Subject-Matter Expert
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Siva Kakuturi is CEO of CK Consulting Services and a successful entrepreneur having started, grown and exited multiple businesses in the U.S. and India. Siva’s overall business and technical management experience spans a number of countries and cultures with 25+ years experience in Healthcare, Technology, Finance, Manufacturing, and Government Service industries. He also has extensive government business expertise in program policy, compliance, process reengineering and implementation of large state-wide automated systems with in-depth experience in Education and Health & Human Service programs. Siva has a Master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, NY.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Stephen Leous has over 25 years’ experience in a variety of industries and functional expertise in strategic marketing, finance, and corporate development. Currently a strategic growth consultant, he previously worked at e-commerce pioneer VerticalNet, the world’s largest operator of online industry marketplaces. He launched and managed seven of them and also worked in corporate development.
Mr. Leous was a Senior Marketing Manager with Rich Products, a $2.5B dollar frozen food manufacturer, where he ran a $150MM product group - the largest in the company. He also has extensive experience in international initiatives and with new product, market, concept, franchise, and business development work. Mr. Leous is very seasoned working with cross-functional teams and on a project- basis across a variety of disciplines, including market research, creative and brand development, digital strategy, strategic marketing plans, business, and corporate development planning and organizational structure. He has worked with startups to multi-billion dollar, public companies and everything in between, and has a BA from Williams College and an MBA from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg School of Management.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Subject-Matter Expert
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Steve Nicosia is a senior executive with over 27 years of experience in sales management, marketing, strategy, strategic alliances, acquisitions, launching new products/markets, and P&L responsibility. He currently advises/consults with startup software companies and small businesses on starting, growing, and exiting their businesses. Mr. Nicosia spent 16 years in various senior executive roles at Emphasys software, a division of Constellation Software Inc., Canada's largest software company. While at Emphasys, Mr. Nicosia entered new markets, participated in two acquisitions, increased EBITA, managed remote development teams across several states and countries, signed several channel partnerships, launched new software products, and created client retention programs that reduced client attrition by over 50%.
Prior to joining Emphasys, Mr. Nicosia planned and executed an exit strategy for a privately held software company in which he was part owner. His work included obtaining a valuation, marketing the company to potential acquirers, evaluating and structuring the terms of the sale, tax planning, and conducting due diligence. Mr. Nicosia is a graduate of St. John Fisher College and he received his CPA from the state of Delaware.
Subject-Matter Expert
Subject-Matter Expert
Deborah O’Shea is a seasoned business attorney and trial lawyer as well as an experienced serial entrepreneur. She is well-versed in business development, including international business, having co-founded a transatlantic initiative that connected business, investart–upand technology opportunities between the NAFTA and European Union economic markets, particularly focused upon New York State and Ireland Ms. O’Shea provides legal and business development counsel, including to startup and early-stage companies and enjoys seeing them reach a level of sustained growth and profitability. Prior to her focus on entrepreneurial activities, she was a trial lawyer for 13+ years handling complex litigation matters including medical matters and product liability. She is an alumnus of the University of Buffalo and also studied at McGill University, Montreal. Ms. O’Shea has had numerous leadership positions and board positions primarily with non-profit/government organizations focused on business or economic development and is pleased to have been recently appointed to the Boards of SmartMPower, MPowerUSA and the Charleville Castle Heritage Trust in Ireland. She also serves on the Governance and STEAM committees of the Willie Hutch Jones Education and Sports Program (under Tre Inc.). She is a member of the Buffalo Canoe Club where she was a Director and Entertainment Chair for 6 years.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Steve Raines is a serial entrepreneur who brings experience in SaaS, professional services and SaaS to emerging entrepreneurs. A self-trained software architect and developer, Steve is the co-founder of several companies including Algonquin Studios, Field Nimble, and Pointman (acquired by Service Titan.)
Driven by the principle to “just start helping,” Steve advises and invests his time, energy, and dollars in companies with passionate founders who can benefit from his experience in entrepreneurship, customer discovery, requirements analysis, and software product development. He’s passionate about putting the right people in the right seats and giving teams the tools to make something beautiful, meaningful, and wildly successful.
A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Steve is a co-founder of Algonquin Sports for Kids, a not-for-profit providing consistent and safe places for young people to engage in sports and literacy programs. Steve has been active in the Western New York technology community since 1998, serving on the board of Infotech Niagara, as the host/organizer for community startup-events events at VCAMP, and through the University at Buffalo Student Shadow program.
Subject-Matter Expert
Lou Parmelee is the Co-founder of Agents of Play, a technology agency specializing in designing and developing innovative, intelligent business solutions. Born from an entrepreneurial spirit and a unique blend of video game development DNA, AOP has designed, developed, and launched hundreds of business applications across nearly every digital platform and device. Most recently, we've created AI-powered characters and agents, XR/AR/VR & spatial experiences, immersive and interactive 3D sales enablement tools, CMS platforms powering AI experiences and applications, impactful videos, 3D animations and motion graphics, and engaging games on mobile, web, and VR. Trusted by brands like KPMG, Gartner, Disney, L3Harris, Supercell, CBS, Kraft, Kaiser, CIRM, ESPN, SMBs, non-profits, and .gov entities since 2009.Lou is a senior technology professional, entrepreneur, and leader with over 20 years of experience driving innovation and growth through technology. His entrepreneurial work adapts to the ever-changing tech landscape, with a current focus on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and immersive experiences. He is dedicated to creating transformative products that seamlessly connect user experiences with business goals. He has a deep passion for innovation and excels at building and leading collaborative teams to deliver impactful solutions that solve real-world challenges. He believes that Human Intelligence + AI = Limitless Possibilities.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Subject-Matter Expert
Subject-Matter Expert
A 15 year digital advertising expert who contributed to growth of the enterprise platforms at Discovery Channel, Comcast, and A+E Networks via their product management and operations business units. I love the startup ecosystem, and used my digital advertising background to advise a tv media-tech startup on its digital advertising and content distribution strategy, and subsequently brokered a partnership between this startup and what was formerly Verizon Media). I believe that the more founders who gain access to the right education, mentors and investors, the greater the startup ecosystem will become. To that end, I'm so excited to serve as a member of FounderTribes, where I lead investor relations and business development. My experience as a venture angel investor with a proven ability to deal source, invest in and work with startups across several verticals (consumer, fintech, blockchain) for a multi-stage investment fund. I worked with early VC investors in Twitter, Facebook, Uber and Beyond Meat. Columbia MBA.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Ken Rother is a visiting lecturer at the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management where is teaches several entrepreneurship courses including Designing New Ventures, Entrepreneurship of Physical Products, Product Management, and is also Managing Director of Cornell’s eLab student accelerator program. At Cornell Ken also instructs and coaches in several technology commercialization programs and is an NSF I-Corps Team program instructor. Ken is also Director of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works as well as its Hardware Entrepreneurship programs; Napkin to Prototype, Prototype to Production, and Cleantech Hardware ScaleUp. He is a Venture Partner at Cayuga Venture Fund and on the investment committee of Launch NY. Previously Ken has held multiple senior technical and business positions for organizations such as Discovery Communications, Reuters, Matrox, and the Toronto Stock Exchange. He has direct startup experience having cofounded a software business in Toronto and joining an early stage online media business in New York, both of these startups concluded with successful exists. Most recently Ken was the Senior Vice President of Digital Media at Discovery.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Her passion for animal welfare has driven Heather Saffer to become active across several initiatives to save the animals – and the planet – including the creation of Yonderplate, a low-labor vegan and gluten-free menu solution for restaurants and foodservice operators.
A food industry veteran, Heather previously founded Dollop Gourmet, a better-for-you vegan frosting brand, where she was a winner on ABC’s Shark Tank, and from which she successfully exited after establishing a wide following and national retail distribution.
Heather has been featured in Forbes, People Magazine, Huffington Post, USA Today, Oprah, Hallmark Channel, Steve Harvey Show, QVC, Sirius XM and was a winner on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Heather has also authored two bestselling cookbooks: The Dollop Book of Frosting (Simon & Schuster/F+W Media) and Crazy Easy Vegan Desserts (Sterling Epicure).
Heather is a food industry and pitch consultant and serves as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Food Foundry in Chicago and a Business Advisor for the SBDC in California and Indiana.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Evin is the CEO and Founder of Belouga, a social learning platform making education impactful, accessible and equitable for the youth of the world through interactive digital content, aimed at providing a global perspective while aligning to everyday school subject areas and student interests. He has 17+ years of overseeing businesses focused on education, social impact and innovation within the Gen-Y and Gen-Z demographic. Evin has created and implemented educational programs and cross-cultural initiatives in all 50 states in the US at the K–12 and university levels, along with consultancy work on six continents. In 2019, he was recognized as one of the Meaningful Business 100, an award honoring global leaders who are introducing new ways of thinking and acting to address the world’s biggest challenges: climate change, pollution, hunger, poverty, education, and health.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
John Seman is a Pharmaceutical Executive with a consistent track record of building teams, solving problems, adapting to changing markets, and establishing long term growth strategies.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
James Tabbi is an accomplished executive and strategic advisor who serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Launch NY. He possesses deep subject-matter expertise in custom discrete electronics manufacturing, particularly for power-electronics systems. His experience spans the aerospace, defense, and medical markets, with a core focus on business and operational development, business process analysis, and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) consulting.
Mr. Tabbi has held significant executive roles, including serving as the chief executive at technology firms such as RAF Tabtronics and Exxelia USA. As the Managing Partner of Attractive Technologies Inc., a business consultancy firm, he continues to guide companies through critical growth phases and provide strategic consulting.
Committed to the Western New York ecosystem, James also serves on the Board of Managers of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. He is an alumnus of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), holding a B.S. in Computational Mathematics and an M.S. in Manufacturing Management & Leadership.
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Brad Treat is an instructor in Practical Entrepreneurship at Ithaca College and Cornell University. He has also served as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cornell University and Launch NY. Mr. Treat was most recently the Founding CEO of Mezmeriz, a high-tech company making interactive projectors and reality capture cameras to embed into mobile phones. Mezmeriz’s cutting edge technology was spun out of Materials Science and MEMS research at Cornell University. Mr. Treat was also the co-founder and CEO of SightSpeed, an innovative video and voice communications company. SightSpeed grew from a university research project at Cornell into the world’s premier video calling software. SightSpeed was profitably acquired by Logitech for $30MM. Earlier in his career, Mr. Treat worked for eight years in the automotive industry in both the US and Spain at Bowles Fluidics and GKN Automotive. Mr. Treat holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell.
Subject-Matter Expert
Subject-Matter Expert
Neil is currently using his storytelling skills to assist start-ups with their marketing and pitch preparation. Previously, Neil won the 2008 Yale Drama Award for his play GRENADINE, which was selected by Edward Albee and published by Yale University Press. Neil’s plays include THE BROWN BULL OF CUAILNGE, YSBADDADEN, and an adaptation of Ibsen’s EMPEROR AND GALILEAN, and have been produced and taught in the United States and Canada. He was Artistic Segal Center Research Scholar in 2014, Silversides Theatre Artist at the University of Waterloo in Canada in 2016, and Artist-in-Residence for the Creative Arts Initiative at the University at Buffalo in 2016-17. He was the Executive Director of Against the Grain Theater Festival in Buffalo, an educational playwriting company, from 2014 to 2017. He directed Samuel Beckett’s WORDS AND MUSIC for A Musical Feast in Buffalo in 2015, and has worked as a dramaturg on numerous plays, including Oscar Wilde’s AN IDEAL HUSBAND for the Irish Classical Theatre Company in Buffalo in 2016, and the upcoming THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at Shea’s 710 in Buffalo. Neil wrote and directed ORPHANS OF ELSINORE, a triptych film that was the subject of a course in Digital Arts Communication at the University of Waterloo in 2019. He is currently working on an adaptation of MOBY-DICK, commissioned by Road Less Traveled Productions in Buffalo. Neil has spoken about playwriting and literature at high schools and colleges across the United States. He graduated from Yale University with distinction in Philosophy and Psychology.
Meet the experts helping cleantech innovators scale their businesses in Upstate NY for impact near and far.
Aliesa Adelman is the Sustainable Design Coordinator at Wendel, supporting design and construction sustainability efforts for energy efficiency, natural resource conservation, and indoor environmental quality. She collaborates with the architectural, engineering, and planning teams to analyze opportunities for integrating sustainable design, principles, and technologies into projects. Ms. Adelman is a LEED BD+C Accredited Professional and a Certified Sustainable Development Professional, with additional training as a Building Analyst, Building Envelope Specialist, and Carbon Reduction Manager. Ms. Adelman currently serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Green Building Council New York Upstate Chapter, the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable, the Partners for a Livable Western NY, and Vision Long Island. She also serves on the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Energy Committee and the American Public Transportation Association Sustainability Committee. In addition to her work in the commercial sector, she has been involved with several regional energy and transportation efficiency planning efforts, with a focus on resiliency, climate mitigation, and adaptation. Ms. Adelman’s projects include facilitation and leadership for municipal Climate Smart Communities Greenhouse Gas Assessment programs and development of a municipal Energy Master Plan for a confidential client. She brings her experience and expertise to multidisciplinary projects to help align client goals with the principles of Smart Growth, Complete Streets, and Green Infrastructure. She is a certified instructor for the Urban Green Council’s Fundamental Green Building certification course and is an educational provider for sustainable development strategies to private and public stakeholders.
Bobbie Armstrong is a cleantech entrepreneur who has spent the last decade scaling and commercializing greenhouse gas reduction solutions.
She spent her early career focused on food waste diversion practices in Canada and the United States and has a successful track record of identifying waste streams and turning them into feedstocks for commercial and industrial processes. She is passionate about circular economy practices and finding ways to turn waste into a resource using science, technology, and sustainable business strategies.
Thoman has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University at Buffalo and a joint Master’s Degree in US Canadian Studies from Brock University and the University at Buffalo. While completing her master’s program she interned at the US Composting Council, and throughout her career she has volunteered as technical expert on several working groups including the Expert Advisory Group for Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Oil and Gas Guidance Document and Technical Expert for Canada’s Landfill Methane Recovery and Destruction Offset Protocol.
When she isn’t busy reimaging our waste systems, Thoman enjoys spending time in nature with her young family.
Danielle Blount is a Project Manager with Launch NY and the Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator, Program Coordinator. She began with Launch NY during her MBA studies as an intern in the summer of 2015 through 2016, and joined full time after graduation. Danielle attended University at Buffalo for both her graduate and undergraduate studies, receiving her BA in Political Science and International Studies, in 2013, and her MBA in 2016. Prior to returning to University at Buffalo for her graduate studies, Danielle worked at BlueCross BlueShield of WNY as a Network Development Associate. During this time she received her Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Villanova University in 2014. Danielle currently serves as President of the Plymouth Crossroads board, an Executive Team member of the Mount St. Mary Academy Alumnae Board, in Kenmore, NY, and an Awesome Buffalo Trustee.
Drew Dorn has extensive experience in the North American deregulated electricity and natural gas markets, particularly structuring energy transactions for some of the largest wholesale and retail consumers in the Northeast and mid- Atlantic regions, including regulated utilities, independent power producers, and energy intensive industrials. He founded and was CEO of Demand Response Partners, Inc. (DRP) an energy advisory firm and leading demand response supplier to the PJM Interconnection and New York Independent System Operator which he sold to CPower in 2015. Prior to founding DRP in 2007 he worked for several large energy companies in business development roles. Mr. Dorn graduated from Alfred University with a Bachelors of Science in Ceramic Engineering and earned a Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Michael Heffley is Vice President Strategic Initiatives for NOCO Energy Corp., where he leads Mergers and Acquisitions for this diversified energy services firm. Michael is a graduate of Canisius and Clarkson Universities, and has led business startups, mergers, accelerated growth, as well as team and product development. He achieves results in complex, often ambiguous environments, with a unique combination of technical depth and strong business acumen.
Originally from North Buffalo, Michael enjoys living in Grand Island with his wife and two sons.
Dr. Marnie LaVigne has spent more than 30 years in both the private and public sectors creating new products and start-up businesses, driving innovation and economic growth in high-tech industries, such as life sciences, informatics, and advanced manufacturing. Her passion for working with start-ups took root from her experience launching health informatics businesses with colleagues in the 1990’s as she finished her doctoral work at the University of Rochester, which resulted in growing two health informatics companies with more than 100 employees and two initial public offerings (IPOs).
In July 2014, she became the President and CEO of Launch NY, a 27-county venture development organization that she co-founded with other Buffalo boosters and whose mission is to identify, support and invest in high-growth, high-impact companies and catalyze the entrepreneurial culture of Upstate New York. Previously, she led economic development efforts involving work with hundreds of businesses at UB as Associate Vice President for Economic Development from 2012 to 2014 and Director of Business Development from 2005 until 2012 at the NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences and the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology yielding economic impact with more than a 60:1 return-on-investment. In addition to her for prfit start-up experience prior to UB, Dr. LaVigne also spearheaded product development initiatives for larger corporations in managed care (e.g., Aetna), pharmaceuticals (Bristol-Myers Squibb), medical devices (Welch Allyn), and medical informatics (Medscape/MedicaLogic, now GE and WebMD).
Dr. LaVigne has a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and a doctorate in clinical psychology, both from the University of Rochester. She is chair of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) and a member of the Board of Directors for Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), Upstate Venture Connect, Western New York Venture Association, and numerous advisory boards. As lifelong residents of Buffalo, Marnie and her husband, Rob Fohl, are avid downhill skiers and sailors who are blessed with two adult children, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Mr. Neubert is the Director of the UB Entrepreneurship Academy for the University at Buffalo School of Management. Mr. Neubert is a seasoned serial entrepreneur and educator who transitioned from the pharmaceutical industry. A former research chemist, he managed divisions for companies that include Eastman Kodak, Westinghouse, SmithKline Beecham and Merck & Company, before founding Dakota Services, a prescription sampling compliance systems and salesforce management software company. Since then, Mr. Neubert has founded 7 ventures. He received his Bachelors in Science in Chemistry and Management from Lebanon Valley College, and his MBA from St. Joseph’s University.
Ms. Tyler the Director, Communities and Local Government for NYSERDA. Since joining NYSERDA in 2002, Ms. Tyler has lead several economic development initiatives in Buffalo and across the state. Her current role includes collaborating and partnering with municipalities and community stakeholders to proactively address local energy and economic development needs with market-oriented clean energy strategies. Ms. Tyler graduated from the State University of New York College at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication and English, and received her MBA from Medaille College.
Mr. Tyno is a respected energy industry professional who has led multiple energy services companies to become integral resource partners with utility companies, Regional Transmission Organizations, Independent System Operators, program participants, federal and state regulatory agencies, trade associations, economic development organizations, and affiliate service providers.
In addition to his role with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) as Strategic Advisor for Energy Initiatives, Paul will be serving as the ECO Incubator Program Director. Prior to joining the BNMC in 2014, Paul served in lead roles with REGEN Energy in Toronto, Viridity Energy in Philadelphia, Direct Options in Cincinnati, Constellation Energy in New York, and Energy Curtailment Specialists in Buffalo.
His background includes building, designing and implementing complex demand response/load management programs and related demand side management solutions. Paul is a nationally recognized industry spokesperson and demand response subject area expert. He is the past Chairman of the Peak Load Management Alliance (PLMA), a professional industry organization.
Meet the champions supporting under-resourced founders as they grow their businesses.
Quincy Allen has over 35 years of leadership experience in the technology services industry, most recently serving as IBM’s Go-To-Market Leader of Cognitive Process Services and Chief Marketing Officer for IBM Cloud from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining IBM, Allen served as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Unisys Corporation, a global information technology company, and Chief Executive Officer at Vertis Communications, a direct marketing and advertising company. Prior to Vertis, Allen held several leadership positions with Xerox Corporation, including serving as President of the Global Business and Strategic Marketing Group and President of Production Systems Group, as well as Vice President of Xerox Corporation. Currently serves on the board of Office Depot and is and is an advisor for the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester. Previously served on the boards of Gateway Computers and NCR Corp.
As Executive Director of ImpactSTATS Inc., Melodie leads the firms’ efforts in advancing equity and social justice through comprehensive research services that empower organizations, policymakers, and communities to make informed decisions that promote fairness and inclusivity. Melodie previously served as the National Policy Director for Just Equations based in Berkeley CA, a Public Health Fellow for the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a Public Research Fellow for the Partnership for Public Good and owns Q&A STATS LLC a research and evaluation company in Clarence NY. She is a nationally recognized education leader and advocate. As a community leader, charter school founder, and program director, she has devoted her career to advancing health and education policies for underserved communities.
Baker has chaired various national, state and local coalitions, including Raising New York, facilitated by The Education Trust-NY, The National Coalition for Community Schools, and the Erie/Niagara Birth to 8 Coalition. She directs the research and evaluation effort for the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s First 1000 Days on Medicaid Initiative, headed by the New York State Department of Health, and was recently tapped to serve on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Reimagining Education Advisory Council to devise strategies for re-opening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melodie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Buffalo State College, a Master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen College, an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistical Analysis from SUNY-Buffalo and is currently working on her PhD in Educational Psychology and Quantitative Methods at SUNY Buffalo.
Kate Brodock is CEO of Switch a media and tech company focused on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in the tech industry. Serving over 300,000 around the world, Switch provides content, products, and services around parity, and has catalyzed over $90M in funding for female founded companies. She also serves as General Partner of W fund, a Venture Capital firm that invests in early stage, tech-enabled startups led by women and underrepresented founders.
Under Kate's leadership, Switch has engaged with companies, such as Medium, Adobe, and Airbnb, to educate internal teams about diversity and inclusion. Kate also led the team in several recent product launches, including its Lane recruitment platform and a "Men as Allies" committee, which aims to engage men in diversity and inclusion conversations.
Outside of Switch, Kate has played an active leadership role in the tech ecosystem for more than a decade. She led a global nonprofit focused on women in technology and entrepreneurship as its President. Most recently, she was CMO of untapt, an AI-driven tech talent marketplace based in NYC. She held the role of Adjunct Professor in PR and Marketing at Syracuse University.
Kate is a regular speaker, appearing on stages around the world at SXSW, 15 Seconds Festival, Collision Conference, Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored, and TechStars. She has been featured in the Washington Post, TechCrunch, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, and she's a contributor for Forbes.com. She has a BA from the University of Rochester, an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University, and an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Michelle Fisher is a Buffalo native who received her MBA at Canisius College with a focus in accounting and finance. After obtaining her CPA, she worked in financial services within various roles before being recruited by the University of Buffalo. There she took on the position of Chief Financial Officer of UB Associates, Inc., the management organization for UBMD Physicians Group and the largest physician group in WNY.
In 2017, Michelle joined Circuit Clinical, a small but successful startup focused on improving the way people find and participate in clinical research. She was promoted to SVP of Operations was responsible for building the operational team and processes as Circuit Clinical expands across the US. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer/ Integrator of ARC Building Partners, an innovative construction management firm founded on blue-sky thinking. Innovative and collaborative environments energize her; she especially enjoys the mentorship and coaching aspects of her current role. Michelle served on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Women’s League, where she is passionate about creating opportunities for women and supporting minorities in education and business.
Tyra joined LISC in November 2019 where she began as LISC WNY’s lead staff for Developer Education programs, creating trainings for commercial real estate and affordable housing developers. She later served as Deputy Director, where she lead efforts that cultivated, designed, and implemented inclusive economic development programs for the LISC WNY office. She currently serves as WNY Operations Director under the recently merged LISC NY offices. Her past experience includes construction management for the largest commercial construction firm in Western New York, where she established a track record for completing multimillion-dollar projects by developing strong cross-sectoral partnerships while maintaining costs. Immediately prior to joining LISC, Tyra owned an independent business, complete with a retail shop and a consulting firm, called Blue Sky Design Supply. Tyra worked on a variety of environmentally and socially sustainable development projects. While working for organizations that affect lives, she honed her passion for supporting individuals and communities that have systemically received less investment than others. Tyra looks forward to building relationships with neighborhoods to accurately identify inclusive economic recovery strategies that work with partner organizations, putting them front and center of the work. She also looks forward to developing programs that increase the pipeline for individuals and small businesses of color to increase wealth.
Anthony J.M. Jones is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Flextime Nurses and the CEO of TasselDreamers, Inc.. He is an accomplished attorney, serial-entrepreneur and community activist. Mr. Jones brings industry experience in entertainment, media, sports, e-sports, technology, healthcare, fashion, fintech and commodities. As an attorney, Mr. Jones focused his practice on the transactional aspects of entertainment and media law, film production law, sports law, fashion law and advising mid-stage companies and start-up ventures. Mr. Jones' clients have sold a combined 100 million units worldwide, have won Grammys, have been nominated for Academy Awards, won Olympic Gold Medals, NBA, NFL and MLB championships.
As an advisor, Mr. Jones has worked with entrepreneurs and start ups of all types, including: film production and distribution companies, e-sports developers, software developers, magazine and newspaper publishers, recording artists, professional athletes, oil and gas exploration companies and merchandising and retail industries. He has been instrumental in leading capital raising campaigns by drafting and negotiating Private Placement Memorandums for start-ups, drafting convertible debt note arrangements, restructured operation agreements, corporate buyouts, capital contribution agreements and catalog acquisitions.
As a former high school and college basketball star in WNY, Mr. Jones' interest in entertainment and sports peaked as a student-athlete helping his former teammates navigate through the international professional sports landscape as well as helping music acts through a management company he founded. While still a student in WNY, he was successful in launching an independent record label and procuring a international distribution deal with Sony.
Mr. Jones is graduate of Daemen College and University at Buffalo Law School. He has served as a Adjunct law professor at UB and, although he resides primarily in Georgia, continues to support Upstate entrepreneurs.
Ekua Mends-Aidoo, CCDP, is the President of Clementine Gold Group, an equity-centered strategy, planning, and engagement firm. With over 15 years of experience across corporations, municipal governments, non-profits, and healthcare organizations, she has led the development and execution of equitable policies, practices, and programs that align with organizational strategy. She previously was a member of the leadership team at Evergreen Health and at one of Launch NY’s tech sector portfolio companies.
Ms. Mends-Aidoo has a bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo, master’s degrees from D’Youville University and Hilbert College, and she is a Cornell University Certified Diversity Professional. She currently serves on the WNY Regional Committee for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, is a member of the Board of Directors for TechBuffalo, an Advisory Board Member of Founders Go Big, and a Council Member for the Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative, a fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Ekua is also a member of Pipeline Angels, an organization that is changing the face of angel investing and venture capital.
Cydney Sanders is a marketing and communications professional with a passion for community-building, inclusive storytelling, and mission-driven work. She serves as Community Program Manager at Launch NY, supporting startup founders through community engagement and ecosystem connection.
With over 5 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has worked across startups, community organizations, and regional initiatives - helping them connect with their audiences through thoughtful strategy and clear, accessible messaging. Her work spans digital marketing, brand development, and program design, including the organization of Western New York’s largest annual Women in Tech conference.
She brings a people-first approach to everything she does, always working to build connections, elevate underrepresented voices, and support meaningful impact.
Yahaira Zapata is a Brooklyn-born but Buffalo-grown, passionate, curious, and multicultural marketing creative with over 10 years of experience, the Deputy Director of Economic Development at PathStone Enterprise Center, and the founder of As1 Studio. As1 Studio works with underrepresented communities and uses tailored design to expose audiences to different perspectives, create conversations, and expand mindsets.
As1 Studio is a catalyst to generate social impact by helping conscious organizations spread their message, so more people are actively part of the change they want to see in the world, providing full-service branding and web development that is sophisticated, research-backed, and customer-focused to help businesses grow.