Buffalo, NY (WBEN) This week marks the final 43North competition, but the legacy moves on as the focus shifts.
Chairman Emeritus Bill Maggio says the competition has been transformative. "Let's go back to what we were established to do, right? That was to kind of put Buffalo on the map as a place where you can successfully build a startup company to highlight the strengths of our ecosystem, and to really get our own community to believe that we could actually do it. So, economic development initiatives sponsored by the governor. I think it was very, very successful. We created jobs. We brought companies here, and we certainly have put Buffalo on the map as a place where you can successfully execute the challenging things that are required to build to build a successful business. So, feel really good about that. I'm also, you know, very very grateful to all the other organizations and people in the community that are supporting this important work. I do believe that it's very very important for Buffalo's future," says Maggio.
He says aside from the jobs and companies that came to Buffalo, the success was getting Buffalo to believe and to recognize how important an innovative, technologically focused startup ecosystem is to its future. "The people of Buffalo are absolutely wonderful," says Maggio. "It's a beautiful community, but I think sometimes we have somewhat of a scarcity mindset. If there's anything that we've done as an organization as it relates to, if you had to like fix the culture of Buffalo, is to teach people about the power of an abundance mindset, and we've led from that perspective from day one, and I think it's really resonated in the community. And I suspect as the foundation now starts to do its work to really amplify and accelerate the great work of 43 North, I think that that that mindset will continue."
He says as the shift focuses to foundation, 43North has recognized the things it needs to get better at to continue to sustain and build momentum in Buffalo. "I think what I can tell you is that we will, now as as the foundation takes on more of the responsibility of of advancing the legacy of 43 North, we're going to focus on talent talent building. We're going to focus on storytelling. We've established and built a venture studio, which sole responsibility is to build startups right here in Buffalo, and we're going to work really hard to bring the corporate community into the narrative. This is all work that is is a natural evolution of what 43 North was originally set out to do. You know, I tell people I tell people this all the time. You know, when you look at those four things that I just talked about-storytelling, talent, you know, community engagement, the venture studio-the competition itself was really the first pillar of all this. So while people want to look at it as the end, it really is the beginning. Like I said, we really are in the early innings of what 43 North was established to do and what we'll continue to do for the community," says Maggio.
The finals are this week.
Focus shifts to foundation
Focus shifts to foundation
