The tea on Series B

Taps mic.

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Looks out expectantly.

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“Is this thing on?”

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We’ve been talking for a few months now about Series B – a multimedia storytelling platform that illuminates Buffalo’s startup economy. Now it is finally here: you, me, us.

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Let’s do something big together.

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I’d like to start with a note about the background of Series B, which is powered by the 43North Foundation. The Foundation takes the success of 43North’s portfolio and invests it back into the community.

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The Foundation’s other pillars include the creation of new high-growth startups (Radial Ventures), seeding a world-class tech workforce (TechBuffalo)  and bringing established businesses closer to the future of this economy.

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These investments are built on the shoulders of best practices in the U.S. They were created to complement the robust infrastructure Buffalo already has around startups and to drive the region into a new realm of national competitiveness.‍

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When the Foundation’s board was doing this analysis, they saw that Buffalo needs a unified bullhorn for its emerging high-growth tech scene. Series B is the outcome of that insight.‍

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You are currently experiencing the editorial side of this operation. Through the Series B website, its social media channels (LinkedIn and Instagram, to start) and its newsletter (sign up here), we will tell authentic stories about progress through innovation.

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The drumbeat will be constant – breaking news, human profiles, explanatory features — and the act will be inherently collaborative. We’re excited to welcome a team of contributors from across the community who will be telling stories about entrepreneurship from their perspective. Check out our masthead here!

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The content will be focused on high-growth companies. That means the tradable sectors that make things here and sell them elsewhere. This is a crucial, urgent priority in Buffalo if it is to become a dynamic economy and thriving community.

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But the story won’t stop there. It will be infused with context about the community itself. You know, the kind of place with world-class art museums, music and food; wonderful, unpretentious neighborhoods; and relatively affordable homes. Where you can dock your boat on Lake Erie, buy an annual ski pass in Ellicottville and, yes, purchase season tickets to one of 32 National Football League franchises in the world.

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This mission-oriented storytelling will strive to reach specific audience profiles. Within Buffalo, we are seeking to instill a sense of self-belief. The innovation movement here has great companies, brilliant supporters and a durable infrastructure. But right now it’s just a signal. We need much more buy-in to create the change that matters for our children and grandkids.

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Series B is going to kick over the rocks and show these opportunities.Our stories are going to chase you around on the schoolyard.

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They’re going to slide into your DMs.

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Ahem…then there are external audience members, specifically college grads and early career ex-pats. Our market research shows that the story of Buffalo’s emergent startup economy – with its checklist of successful companies, big wins and ambitious newcomers - is not well-understood by people with an existing connection to this place.

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So many people across the world love Buffalo. We’re going to explain to them how this city becomes the best version of itself.

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Ultimately, we think Buffalo deserves a better reputation. It’s time to stop hoping and make it happen.

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The editorial work will receive complement from some big ideas we’ve got up our sleeves. There will be events, advertising and production. This is just phase one.

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Hey, tell everyone you know about Series B.

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We’re piqued. We’re jazzed. Occasionally we may even toe the line of immodesty.

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We do not accept the prescribed regional fate.