Media Advisory: Liberty Seneca building, the subject of UB student business pitches on revitalizing WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo students in the Western New York Prosperity Fellows Program will work to reimagine South Buffalo’s Liberty Seneca building during the conclusion of a weeklong seminar that transformed the region into a learning lab.

Students will develop and pitch business concepts to developers on utilizing the 8,200-square-feet of vacant space within the Liberty Seneca, a historic building in the heart of the Seneca Street corridor.

The pitches are the culmination of a weeklong seminar that aims to help students develop a deeper understanding of the challenges to and opportunities for economic growth in Western New York.

Activities during the seminar ranged from speaking with Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz to embarking on tours of the Ford Gum & Machine Company, ACV Auctions and Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.

What: Startup simulation and business pitches to revitalize Liberty Seneca.

When: Friday, Feb. 25, 12-5 p.m. Pitch presentations begin at 4 p.m.

Where:  Shea's Seneca, 2178 Seneca St., Buffalo.

Who: The pitches will be presented by UB Prosperity Fellows. The Western New York Prosperity Fellowship Program, funded by the Prentice Family Foundation, supports students who are committed to the region’s economic vitality by awarding each fellow up to $25,000 in scholarship and internship support for an academic year.

Fellows promise to work in Western New York for at least two years within 10 years of graduation, fueling economic growth for the region.

On-site contact is Hadar Borden, director of the WNY Prosperity Fellowship Program, hborden@buffalo.edu.