Launch NY announces two strategic management hires heading into 2025

Taylor Griffith will serve as marketing and events manager; Cassidy Malough onboarded as program manager 

Appointees to support Launch NY’s growing portfolio of investment vehicles and support programs

 Jan. 07, 2025, Buffalo, NY – Launch NY is thrilled to announce the addition of two new team members at management positions overseeing important initiatives.

• Taylor Griffith has been named marketing and events manager and will be responsible for continuing to establish Launch NY’s brand presence as the only venture development organization in Upstate New York.
• Cassidy Malough will serve as a Launch NY program manager with oversight over the Launch NY Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) and other client services programs, along with grant and data management.

Launch NY’s team has evolved over the years to support its mandate of creating a robust and diverse innovation economy in Upstate New York. The organization now manages multiple client services programs, including its EIR mentorship, the Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator, and Founders Go Big, while also supporting initiatives such as Buffalo Manufacturing Works’ Shift 2.0, CapitalConnectNY.org, Upstate NY Energy Storage Engine, and more. Launch NY pairs its client service programs with its InvestLocal Financing Programs, including nonprofit and for-profit seed funds and the Investor Network syndicate.

Launch NY has invested in more than 100 Upstate New York startup companies since 2016 and plans to embark on another active year of dealmaking in 2024.

“We’re so excited to bring Taylor and Cassidy onto the team and direct their talent toward this exciting sector of the Upstate New York economy,” Launch NY president and CEO Marnie LaVigne, Ph.D., said. “Launch NY continues to attract team members from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs in our hometown.”

With more than six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Cassidy Malough is passionate about driving positive change in her community.  Malough previously built and launched comprehensive workforce development programs at Goodwill Industries of Western New York Inc. Most recently, she served as a project manager at M&T Bank.

Malough earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University at Buffalo, and later returned to UB to complete a dual MBA/MSW degree program. She currently services as vice chair of the Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals Group.

Taylor Griffith is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with more than 15 years of experience managing projects from concept to completion. That experience includes multi-channel marketing efforts, planning and executing high-profile events and developing messaging that captures the heart of an organization’s mission.

Griffith most recently served as marketing and communications coordinator at Northland Workforce Training Center. She served locally as a B Team Buffalo and Social Media Club board member. The SUNY Fredonia graduate also participated in the Leadership Buffalo Rising Leaders program and earned a Buffalo Business First ‘30 Under 30’ honor in 2015.

 

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About Launch NY: Launch NY is the only nonprofit venture development organization and U.S. Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that serves and directly funds startups in Upstate New York. The core mission of Launch NY is to identify, support and invest in high‐growth, high‐impact companies and to catalyze the entrepreneurial culture of Upstate New York on behalf of job and wealth creation. Since its inception in 2012, Launch NY has served more than 1,740 companies which have gone on to raise more than $1.5 billion, generate more than $265 million in annual revenue and support more than 5,300 jobs.

Launch NY delivers its mission via mentorship and capital access programs, starting with pro bono mentoring through its Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, Founders Go Big program for underrepresented and underserved founders, and Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator. These programs prepare entrepreneurs for investment capital from multiple sources, including Launch NY’s InvestLocal Financing Programs comprised of nonprofit and for-profit investment funds, and the Investor Network deals marketplace that features hundreds of accredited investors. Through these vehicles, Launch NY is the most active seed investor in New York state and has been ranked among the top 5 nonprofit seed funds in the country. Women- and/or BIPOC-led companies have consistently comprised over 45% of Launch NY’s mentored companies and have received more than 56% of Launch NY’s investment capital.