The Ambassador Network is designed to create a coordinated, dynamic interplay between established businesses and Buffalo’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Business leaders in Buffalo have heard the pitch on why innovation is a crucial part of everyone’s future.
Now they have a way to participate in that movement.
The 43North Foundation formally launched its corporate engagement pillar, the Ambassador Network, at a Burchfield Penney Art Center auditorium packed with senior business leaders this morning. More than 70 business owners and executives have already signed up.
The Ambassador Network is based on business-led movements in other U.S. cities, which have adopted strategies that changed the growth trajectory of the entire community. It is designed to create a coordinated, dynamic interplay between established businesses and Buffalo’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Find more information on the network here
The 43North Ambassador Network is made up of senior business leaders rooted in Buffalo who have committed to engage in a curated menu of options. Those options include investing in startups, testing innovative products and services, talent development and more.
The goal of the Ambassador Network is to deliver mutually beneficial engagements right on the doorstep of businesses, rather than asking them to navigate the confusing mix of companies, resources and investment opportunities.
This work will drive engagement with the 43North Foundation’s other strategic pillars, including creating new startups (Radial Ventures), developing, attracting and retaining high-caliber talent (TechBuffalo) and storytelling (Series B).
It will also serve as a connector to opportunities throughout the region.
“The key to the Ambassador Network is that its participants are hand-delivered opportunities that help them become more competitive,” said John Gavigan, 43North Foundation’s vice president of corporate connectivity. “When we foster that ‘lean in’ philosophy, Buffalo will be in a position to truly become a thriving innovation economy.”
Based on the proceeds of the successful 43North companies, the 43North Foundation is making a $100 million commitment to Buffalo, based on the belief that tech and entrepreneurship are the keys to a dynamic economy.
The Foundation’s pillars are based on extensive research from other regions that successfully adopted strategies to improve from within, even when facing geographic and demographic challenges.
Over the past 10 months, Gavigan has had conversations with more than 200 executives and business owners in Buffalo, explaining the 43North Foundation’s thesis and exploring engagement pathways with them.
Their feedback led to the creation of a program designed to build practical bridges into Buffalo’s startup economy.
“We heard, loud and clear, that business leaders believe in Buffalo’s entrepreneur and innovation movement, but have never had a program designed specifically to drive that participation,” Gavigan said. “The Ambassador Network is an answer to that challenge. Our long-term goal is to build a dynamic marketplace of opportunities and ideas that are led by the business community.”
