Tom Quinn Jr. hired as Launch NY director of operations

New role is designed to drive continued excellence across Launch NY’s mentorship and investment activity

 

Quinn’s diverse leadership experience includes wealth management and business software

 

Oct. 01, 2024, Buffalo, N.Y. – Launch NY is excited to announce the appointment of Tom Quinn Jr. as director of operations, a newly created role in the organization.

 

Founded as a nonprofit venture development organization in 2012, Launch NY is dedicated to the creation of a diverse and robust innovation economy in Upstate New York. Quinn will drive continued operational excellence across Launch NY’s extensive mentorship and investment activities.

 

Launch NY’s mentorship-first strategy is designed to support ambitious entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, with experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence preparing them for high-growth business strategies and initial stages of funding. Launch NY is also a key source of early-stage investments into Upstate New York startups during their formative years. Launch NY is currently actively making investments out of its second for-profit seed fund, a nonprofit seed fund and its Investor Network angel syndicate.

 

Launch NY also plays a leadership role in entrepreneurial ecosystems that span western and central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier.

 

“This is a unique opportunity at the center of Upstate New York’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and I can’t wait to play a role in driving its continued upward momentum,” Quinn Jr. said. “Launch NY has become an important stepping stone for ambitious founders who want to build scalable businesses without moving to coastal tech hubs. My plan is to ensure Launch NY’s extensive portfolio of mentorship programs and funding vehicles are running at full capacity and expanding to meet the evolving needs of the start-up community.”

 

Quinn Jr. is a native of Orchard Park who graduated from St. Francis High School, then earned a degree in finance from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He previously served as vice president of investments for wealth management firm Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and most recently was a mid-market account executive in Odoo’s Buffalo office.

 

Quinn Jr. was excited to take the job partly because of Launch NY’s community-based mission, which is to create an inclusive economy where innovators from all backgrounds can thrive. He comes from a family of prominent entrepreneurs and civic leaders. Quinn Jr.’s father, Tom Quinn, is a successful biotechnology entrepreneur and executive who now leads the Western New York Impact Investment Fund. His uncle, Jack Quinn, was a longtime U.S. congressman representing Western New York and is also the former president of Erie Community College. Another uncle, Michael Quinn, is the chief financial officer at Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

 

Launch NY mentored 419 companies in 2023 alone and invested $1.975 million into 36 deals last year. Its specialty mentorship programs include Founders Go Big and Emerging Cleantech Opportunity (ECO) Incubator. Launch NY is a partner on the Shift 2.0 manufacturing program and the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine.

 

“Launch NY’s commitment to an inclusive innovation economy in Upstate NY has never wavered, yet the scope of our organization has grown significantly over the years,” said Marnie LaVigne, Ph.D., president and CEO of Launch NY. “We look forward to Tom joining us in a leadership role to support our growth in driving the Upstate New York innovation ecosystem to greater heights.”

 

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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 1,700 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 40% of Launch NY’s mentored companies and have received more than 55% of Launch NY’s investment capital.

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.