powered by the Western New York Incubator Network (WIN)
Buffalo Startup Week is a celebration of founders, funders, operators and community builders shaping the future of Buffalo’s startup ecosystem. Through panels, workshops, networking events and community moments, the week connects startups with the capital, talent and resources needed to grow.
Talent Track
April 15-19, 2026
43North Career Fair
WEDNEsday, April 15
4-7pm, Seneca One, 1 Seneca Street
The only career fair in Buffalo dedicated to connecting talent with the city’s fastest-growing startups and tech companies. Meet recruiters, hiring managers, and startup founders who are actively hiring across a wide range of roles—from engineering and product to marketing, operations, and sales.
Whether you're looking to break into tech, join a startup, or find your next big opportunity, this is the perfect way to kick off Buffalo Startup Week.
Panasci Finals
Thursday, April 16
UB Center for the Arts, Mainstage
The Panasci Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (Panasci TEC) Finals, where UB student startup teams take the stage to pitch their business ideas live. Hosted by UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory, the event showcases innovative ventures from students across all academic disciplines and highlights the next generation of entrepreneurs in WNY. Come watch five finalist teams compete for $75,000 in startup funding and business services, including a top prize of $25,000.
WNY48 Startup in a Weekend
Fri-Sun, April 17-19
UB CBLS, 701 Ellicott Street, Buffalo
Startup in a Weekend presented by WNY48 is an exciting 48-hour innovation event where creative thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs come together to pitch ideas, form teams and build real products or prototypes with expert mentorship and support, culminating in a final demo and feedback session — all designed to help participants gain skills, connect with collaborators and contribute to Western New York’s growing innovation community.
Tuesday, April 21
Launch NY Founders & Investors Breakfast | 7:30-9am | Seneca One
Buffalo Open Coffee Club Free Networking | 7:30-9am | Seneca One Lobby
Ecosystem and Capital
9:00am-1:00pm – Seneca One, 1 Seneca St, Buffalo
Ecosystem and investor-focused content to launch the week.
Kickoff: What to Expect
What's New, What's Next: Delivering Ecosystem Clarity
Contrarian Capital: A Playbook for Asymmetric Venture Outcomes
From "X" to What's Next: Operator and Investor Stories
Deep Tech Panel
Right to Invest Live Reverse Pitch Podcast
Meet WIN Networking Lunch
| 9:00am-9:15am | Kickoff: What to Expect | Seneca One | Sophia Marshall, UB BEP Per Stromhaug, UB BEP |
| 9:15am-10:15am | What's New, What's Next: Delivering Ecosystem Clarity | Seneca One | Dan Miner, Series B Dan Magnuszweski, Radial Ventures Pat Shrekengast, GrowthX Marnie LaVigne, LaunchNY Per Stromhaug, UB BEP |
| 10:15am-11am | Contrarian Capital: A Playbook for Asymmetric Venture Outcomes | Seneca One | Arden Sorge, Boomerang Ventures David Brown, Impellent Ventures |
| 11:00am-11:45am | From "X" to What's Next: Operator Investor Stories | Seneca One | Nita Bhatia, UB BEP Lindsay Kara Stencel, BOLD Ventures CJ Karrer, CoverRight |
| 11:00am-11:45am | Deep Tech Panel | Seneca One | Olga Petrova, UB BEP Weimin Valenti, Empire Discovery Institute Matt Colpoys, Egret Healthcare Ventures, LLC Jay Katz, NY Ventures Ashish Bhandari, Natrion |
| 11:45am-12:30pm | Right to Invest Live Reverse Pitch Podcast | Seneca One | Matt Hooper, Right to Invest Chery Campos, LaFamilia Foundation Kevin Siskar, Finta Anthony Santaro, Armory Squre Ventures |
| 12:30pm-1:30pm | Meet WIN Networking Lunch | Seneca One |
Wednesday, April 22
Founder Day
9:00am-4:00pm – UB CBLS, 701 Ellicott Street, Buffalo
"Take out your notebook" content for active founders
Founder Grit: Powering Up from Buffalo
Legal Fund Mechanics for Founders
Inside Vibe Coding: Leveraging and Leveling Up
From Founder to Exit and Back Again
Hate Your Deck
Founder Day at the CBLS Lunch
From 0 to Term Sheet: How Early-Stage Investors Decide
Go-to-Market, Brand and Demand: Hands-On Marketing
No Time? No Problem. A Founder Wellness Discussion
Wellness at Work
The Exhange at Beverly Gray BIPOC Founders Igniting Buffalo | 5-8:30pm | Deco Lounge
| 9:30am-10:15am | Founder Grit: Powering Up from Buffalo | CBLS Event Space | Lauren Washington, UB BEP Claire White, Viridi Parente | ||
| 10:15am-11:00am | (Legal) Fund Mechanics for Founders | CBLS Event Space | Richard Catalano, Legal Scale Andrea Vossler, Varia Ventures | ||
| 10:15am-11:00am | Inside Vibe Coding: Leveraging and Leveling Up | CBLS Event Space | Jeremy Jones, 43North Jason Bartz, Refraction Noah Harris, Radial Agency | ||
| 11:00am-11:45am | From Founder to Exit and Back Again | CBLS Event Space | Jon Ebel, Verivend Cindy Sideris | ||
| 11:00am-11:45am | Hate Your Deck | CBLS Event Space | Michael Lightman, Hate Your Deck | ||
| 11:45am-1245pm | Founder Day at the CBLS Lunch | CBLS Event Space | |||
| 1:00pm-1:45pm | From 0 to Term Sheet: How Early-Stage Investors Decide | CBLS Event Space | Jack McGowan, Insyte Consulting Rebecca Gielowski, HUM Capital Jamel Perkins, Sodexo Mike Steffan, Microsoft | ||
| 1:45pm-2:30pm | GTM, Brand & Demand: Hands-On Marketing | CBLS Event Space | Zack Schneider, Fifteen | ||
| 2:30pm-3:15pm | No Time? No Problem. A Founder Wellness Discussion | CBLS Event Space | Chris Muldoon, Strideful Danielle Blount, BOLD Ventures | ||
| 3:30pm-4:40pm | Wellness at Work! | Across the bridge at HWI |
Thursday, April 23
Serendipity Labs Cereal Social | 8:30-10am | Seneca One
Keynote and Celebration
12:00-4:00pm – Seneca One, 1 Seneca St, Buffalo
Half day wrap-up including keynote from Buffalo's investing athletes
Final Day Lunch
Placemaking: How Innovation Districts Transform Cities
Designing the Next Decade of Buffalo's Anchor-Plus Hubs
Shelf-Made Success: Founders Going National
Rockstar Keynote: From the Field to the Cap Table with Eric Wood
Startup Draft hosted by Series B[uffalo] and after party at Other Half Brewing
Agenda subject to change.
Thank you to our sponsors
Interested in hosting an event during Buffalo Startup Week?
We’re encouraging community partners to host complementary events that align with Startup Week’s mission during select windows. Event formats can include happy hours, founder dinners, panels, workshops, open houses, or other experiences that serve founders, operators, investors and the broader startup ecosystem.