Meet Launch NY’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence: Al Culliton

 

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.