WNY Student2Biz Challenge Finals Set for April 11

Check out what happened in the WNY Startup Community this week and what you can look forward to next week.

Weekly Recap

March 27 - April 1, 2023

Powered by BootSector

It's a quiet week in the WNY Startup Community. Many schools have off and it's the perfect time to enjoy the fact that spring is coming. Looking to meet up with others in the community? Why don't you come out to...

• Buffalo Startup Coffee - Tuesday, April 4 from 7:30-9am at HANSA

Subscribe for more events!

BootSector in the Community

BootSector is proud to power the WNY Student2Biz challenge, a regional competition with Western New York's 21 colleges and universities. To compete, students are expected to brainstorm and formulate business plans around their student-born innovations, designed to address currently unmet needs, and then pitch their ventures

to an external panel of judges for a cash prize of up to $1,500.

This competition provides entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with people of every conceivable background in order to expand and challenge their thinking beyond the limits of a classroom.

We're looking for a few additional judges for the finals on April 11 - click the link below to let us know if you're intersted! I'm Interested in Judging! (news@joinbootsector.com)

Help Grow Our Startup Community

BootSector's vision is to empower, educate, and support the next generation of local entrepreneurs and startup leaders.

Think that's pretty cool? Here's THREE ways you can help this week.

#1 - Come Attend Panasci!

Check out the finalists here (404 Link Removed) Good luck to all the teams! RSVP to Attend Panasci! (404 Link Removed)

#2 - Build up The Foundry's Board!

mailto:megan@thefoundrybuffalo.org Say "Hello!" to The Foundry!

#3 - Buy BootSector a Coffee!

https://account.venmo.com/u/givebootsector

Hey everyone - BootSector is now on Venmo. Feeling generous - buy us a coffee! Donate Here!

Celebrate Our Startup Community

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ic-success-winter-2023-final-pitch-tickets-576430989607

BootSector's friends at BNMC are hosting an exciting event featuring 15 talented buffalo entrepreneurs who will be showcasing their final pitches on April 17, April 18 and April 19. Each night, five entrepreneurs will present their ideas for 10 minutes each, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. Register Here!

Startup Funding

Sustainable Pet Food Innovation Sprint

https://ubuffalo.startuptree.co/event/s/NkE9eTyXKwPaNC5ofqJNMF/Innovation-Sprint-River-Road-Research-Sustainable-Pet-Food-Challenge

BootSector's friends at UB Blackstone Launchpad are running an innovation sprint on sustainable pet food. The winner of the competition will receive a $1,000 prize and the satisfaction of knowing they've made a positive impact on the environment. So get your aprons on and start cooking up some delicious, sustainable pet food recipes - your pet (and the planet) will thank you! Apply Here!

What Should Be On Your Pitchdeck?

Now for a little advice - ever wonder what you should be including on a pitch deck? Check out this chart of VCs and successful startups. See any trends? Got a tip for the community? Share it with BootSector!

Startup Jobs

Two items on the jobs list this week. Check 'em out and us let us know if you have any more to add! See many more on the WNY Community Slack → !

• From Charlie Riley (404 Link Removed)- Junior to mid-level RevOps roles
• From Joshua Batres - TTS has been working with the City of Rochester to train local tech talent for free alongside an optional stipend to close the gap between talent supply and demand. We currently have students in Rochester that we are training in digital marketing (topics including CRM, inbound/outbound campaigns, social media marketing, google analytics and SEO) and are looking to connect with individuals who have or are working in digital marketing (ideally in campaign management/launches, or in organic SEO and paid advertising) to speak with our students in Rochester, please feel free to reach out to Joshua!

Parting Thoughts

Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly

I've heard entrepreneurs talk about their days like people just throw tasks at them. "I have to film a video pitch for an advisor." "I have to go do customer discovery calls." "I have to fill out an incubator application."

The truth is, you don't have to do anything. So as an entrepreneur, if you decide to do something, do so because you want to. It will make the task much more pleasant for both yourself and others, and remind you that you have autonomy.

Be warned: acting willingly and without resentment requires you to say no to the things you don't want to do. This can be scary, especially for chronic people-pleasers, but the "no muscle" gets stronger the more you exercise it.

Jordan Walbesser Executive Director, BootSector Share this mailing list!