Building the Future: Upstate Founders Fête
UVC and Upstate Capital invite you to join us for a night to celebrate Building the Future: Upstate Founders Fête in Buffalo on February 5, 2025. This evening will bring together 150-200 high-growth business founders, investors, and community leaders to celebrate collective achievements, showcase impactful work, and highlight inspiring stories from our programs.
The evening will feature a silent auction, with proceeds supporting two transformative initiatives:
UVC’s Community Advocates: Regional connectors who strengthen the startup ecosystem.
Upstate Capital’s NY Business Plan Competition: Empowering the next generation of innovators.
Dress Code: Business / Cocktail Attire
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Cocktail hour and silent auction
6:00 PM: Welcome Remarks: Olivia Goldstein, CEO of UVC and Noa Simons, CEO & Founder of Good Bread
6:05 PM: Stories from UVC Founder Network & Upstate Capital's NYBPC
6:15 PM: Remarks from our Sponsors
6:30 PM: Dinner
7:15 PM: Fireside Chat with Alice F. Jacobs, Moderated by Jack Greco on Scaling Good: How Innovation Amplifies Philanthropy
8:00 PM: Closing Remarks and Close Silent Auction
Alice F. Jacobs, Innovation Philanthropist and Strategist
The current Board President of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Alice Jacobs recently led the seven-year historic transformation and campus expansion, encompassing a $230 million capital campaign. Ms. Jacobs is a Board Member of Say Yes Buffalo, and co-founded and co-chairs the WNY Women Making History Committee, establishing an inclusive organizing model that the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum is replicating across the nation. Recognizing her expertise in innovation and inclusion, the Smithsonian National Board recently elected Alice as a member. This prestigious appointment allows her to provide invaluable counsel to the Smithsonian and its many museums and research centers, further expanding her influence in the cultural sector.
Ms. Jacobs coined the term Innovation Philanthropy while forming the Innovation Philanthropy Initiative , to encourage individuals to frame philanthropy around creativity and innovation. A founding board member and Chair Emerita of the WNY Women’s Foundation, Ms. Jacobs has served on a number of Boards including the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the Tops Massacre 5/14 Memorial Commission.
Ms. Jacobs has received the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence Award and appears on the Buffalo Business First Power 250 lists. She has been honored for her Leadership in the Arts by the NYS League of Women Voters and the Maria Love Convalescent Fund. She received a BA from Colgate University, JD from the University of Pennsylvania, and MS degree from SUNY Buffalo State in the field of Creativity and Change Leadership.
Jack Greco
Jack Greco is a father, founder and forest dweller. He co-founded ACV Auctions, One Link Venture Studio, Lumber Exchange and dedicates his time to early stage startups as a radical board member.
Jack supports architectural revival and reuse through Stronghold Fund, meshes technology and agriculture at Fillmore Farm, writes for the Buffalo Bridge and develops new technologies through Cupule Ventures.
All of this comes second in life to his role as a husband and father to a very adventurous 9 year old. He likes to climb up rocks, ski down mountains, nap in the woods and solve world problems. Greco holds an M.B.A. from the Simon School of Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester.
This event is brought to you by: