Second round of Springboard prize competition awards $186,545 to 8 organizations

Supporting entrepreneurial ecosystem across WNY

√ New rapid prize competition will award a total $600,000 in 2024

Press Release

Eight organizations were announced as winners in round two of funding through Springboard, a regional, innovative rapid prize competition launched this year that aims to support those contributing to and expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Buffalo, Rochester and Southern Tier communities. A total of $186,545 was awarded in the second of three rounds and included a diverse group of organizations, individuals and projects.

The round two winners and their associated funding were announced at an event held at the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo on Thursday after a competitive process attracted 120 applicants for this round. Winners were awarded prize money ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. Funding through Springboard in three rounds will total up to $600,000.

While diverse in approach, all winning organizations are working toward the shared goal of strengthening entrepreneurs through various support and promotion to bolster the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the region. Financial awards were based on the amount requested by applicants, and the project’s merit as determined by judges for specific projects. Ten round one winners were announced in June and $222,500 was awarded. Videos of round one winners were created to share their stories and may be viewed here.

Second round winners are: 

•Stitch Buffalo, $15,000/arts entrepreneurship training for refugee women to expand training in the textile arts. Stitch Buffalo empowers refugee and immigrant women through the sale of their handcrafted goods, inspiring creativity and inclusion through community education.

•Go Getta Enterprises/Adriana Viverette, $22,000/The Go Getta Academy, an immersive eight-week media training program designed to prepare entrepreneurs and young adults to become confident speakers and effective communicators through mass media platforms. 

•Cooperation Buffalo Inc., $25,000/Cooperative Changemakers Fellowship for Cooperative Entrepreneurs, an intensive 10-week training program that is designed to help individuals or teams determine their place in the cooperative economy (businesses owned and controlled by member-owners).

•Western New York Venture Association Inc., $25,000/angel investor education workshops, two half-day in-person "Fundamentals of Angel Investing" workshops, one in Buffalo and one in Rochester. 

•Hate Your Deck, $25,000/(Don’t) Hate Your Deck – a course on building a strong pitch deck by teaching entrepreneurs how investors think, how storytelling works, and a simple way to tell a company's story. The course is specifically for entrepreneurs working with LaunchNY, BootSector, UB Cultivator, The Good Neighbor Fund, and Beverly Gray that could best benefit from the program. 

•Alive + Well, $25,000/“WebBiz Launchpad,” a comprehensive, 10-week training program designed for young adults aged 17-24 from low socioeconomic backgrounds to equip them with the dual skills of website creation using Squarespace and fundamental business development strategies. 

•Ellis K Consulting, $25,000/business etiquette course for women entrepreneurs specifically designed for new female entrepreneurs, merges critical business knowledge with advanced professional interaction skills, facilitating the avoidance of common entrepreneurial challenges, and promoting the development of successful, enduring businesses.

•Incubator Works, $24,545/business accelerator classes for entrepreneurs in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties for two cohorts that will include six to eight entrepreneurs.

“The response to Springboard has been phenomenal and has uncovered a deep and varied ecosystem of organizations and individuals who are supporting entrepreneurs in traditional and creative ways,” said Derrick Parson, executive director of The Exchange at Beverly Gray and a second-round judge. “We are delighted to be able to bolster their efforts that contribute to further growth and expansion of the entrepreneurial landscape throughout WNY.”

Judging process

Judges from around the region evaluated applications via a rigorous review process. They include the following for round two: 

√ Derrick Parson, The Exchange at Beverly Gray

√ Meaghan Phelps, 43North

√ Theresa Mazzullo, Excell

√ Javier Zapata, The Enterprise Center at PathStone

The judging committee considered a variety of factors to determine awardees, including product or service design; ability to address current gaps in the marketplace or ecosystem; clearly defined target market; funding needs to test an idea that otherwise wouldn't be able to launch. Judging criteria also included whether the idea, program, product or service ultimately benefits entrepreneurs or strengthens the chances for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses successfully.

Program eligibility

The program was open to for-profit or nonprofit applicants with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) that operate in the nine counties of Western New York, including Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans or Wyoming. 

Funding through Springboard is designed to help fund activities that benefit entrepreneurs or promote business growth, such as pilot programs or new initiatives that are focused on entrepreneurship support, education, or ecosystem building; networking, mentoring, and match-making activities; entrepreneurship competitions such as hackathons or startup weekends; activities designed to support a target demographic; and innovation that helps facilitate the growth of many other companies.

Eligible applicants included a variety of entrepreneur support organizations; high schools, colleges and universities that support up-and-coming entrepreneurs; and capital providers such as seed-stage funders, angel groups, venture capital funds and community development financial institutions. Additionally, organizations that support diverse ownership or entrepreneurs from underserved communities, innovative businesses with less than $2,000,000 in gross revenue, and entrepreneurs with existing companies that support entrepreneurship, including sole proprietorships, are eligible to apply.

Program collaborators

The Center for Regional Strategies, Main Light Strategies, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Victor & Company and several community partners collaborated to lead the development of the pilot program that seeks to provide incentives for events, initiatives and programs that connect entrepreneurs with resources, information and other organizations. The Center for Regional Strategies is leading the implementation of Springboard, along with Main Light Strategies and an extensive team of local partners across the region.

Application & funding next steps

The final round of applications closes Aug. 23 and will be announced at an event in Olean in October. As in the previous two rounds, prizes range between $5,000 and $25,000 per winner with the expectation that up to $600,000 will be awarded throughout the program. Interested organizations should apply at springboardny.org.

About the Center for Regional Strategies

The Center for Regional Strategies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focusing on planning, developing and implementing economic growth strategies to build sustainable community wealth, especially in underserved areas. Income-building strategies focus on the core foundational principles of placemaking, workforce and small business development and nonprofit capacity building.

About Main Light Strategies

Main Light Strategies is a Buffalo-based strategic consulting firm that specializes in helping communities and companies achieve meaningful objectives in the areas of economic development, large-scale public-private partnerships, and professional sports and entertainment.