Launch NY Announces New Hire to its Investment Team

Buffalo, N.Y. – Launch NY, the first and only nonprofit venture development organization that provides the 27 westernmost counties in New York early-stage fundraising and pro bono mentoring, has hired Jay Katz, CAIA, as an Investment Associate.

Katz has over six years of investment experience, encompassing both private and public markets at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm.

Most recently, he served as a Vice President at BlackRock working across two teams – BlackRock Alternative Investors (Infrastructure Debt) and Strategic Client Engagement (Alternative Investments, Fixed Income, and Equities). He has evaluated and advised on private deals covering high-yield and investment grade transactions in the infrastructure space across the renewable energy, power, transportation, and social infrastructure sub sectors. In his prior role he also partnered with institutional investors in building out their modeling and trading capabilities, resulting in the onboarding of over $74 billion in alternative, fixed income, and equity assets onto BlackRock’s Aladdin platform.

Katz received his undergraduate degree in Finance from the University at Buffalo, graduating summa cum laude in 2015. He has continued his connection with the Buffalo region through the “Diversity Equity Inclusion Finance Leadership Development Program” he founded, where he mentors college students from underserved populations who are interested in investment and banking careers.

“Jay’s deep knowledge about the energy industry, his experience in securing funding for high return entities, combined with his connection to our region makes him a valuable asset to the team” said Marnie LaVigne, President and CEO of Launch NY.

For more information about Launch NY, its programs, and other entrepreneurial opportunities, visit www.launchny.org, and follow Launch NY on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

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About Launch New York

The mission of Launch New York, Inc. (Launch NY), the only U.S. Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) directly providing venture funding to businesses in New York State, is to identify, support and invest in high-growth, high-impact companies that can transform the local economy and catalyze the entrepreneurial culture in the 27 counties comprising the western half of Upstate New York. Launch NY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit venture development organization that promotes economic development through best practices, including high-quality pro bono business mentoring, while operating the most active seed fund in New York State that provides access to seed capital as part of an array of #investlocal financing programs designed to facilitate funding for investment-ready companies which have the promise to drive significant economic impact and jobs for our region.

Launch NY is headquartered in Buffalo and has co-locations with partner organizations in Binghamton, Ithaca, Rochester and Syracuse. Since 2012, it has served over 1,252 companies, has more than two dozen experienced local entrepreneurs-in-residence and its National Mentor Network of 2,000 industry, business and investment experts. Launch NY mentored companies, including 26% women-led and 26% minority-led startups, that have created 4,325 jobs, attracted over $1.03 billion in co-investment and follow-on capital, and generated over $146 million in annual revenues. Those funded by Launch NY starting in 2016, including 73 portfolio companies comprised of 33% women-led and 27% minority-led, have created 318 jobs, attracted over $69 million, and generated over $16 million in annual revenues. Launch NY also leads the premier Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator, one of six designated clean energy incubators sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as well as the Founders Go Big program, an innovative diversity and inclusion initiative introduced in 2020.