Investor Insights & Entrepreneurial Generosity in Rome, NY
Venture capital pioneer and author Brad Feld will be visiting Upstate NY to meet with founders, investors, and community builders. This event will center around the themes of mentorship, ecosystem growth, and Brad's new book Give First: The Power of Mentorship - as well as feature the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with Brad and other investors.
Join us at the Griffiss Institute for an energizing afternoon with Brad Feld - renowned investor, startup ecosystem builder, Techstars co-founder, and author of Give First. This is a rare opportunity to learn from one of tech’s most generous thought leaders in an intimate setting, right here in Upstate NY.
Whether you’re an early-stage founder looking for clarity, or a seasoned entrepreneur thinking about growth and paying it forward, this session is designed to spark meaningful conversations and connections.
Founders have the option to apply for 1:1 office hour slots with Brad Feld and other experienced investors to get tailored feedback and strategic insight on your company. Priority will be given in booking office hour slots to those founders already registered as members of Upstate Venture Connect.
Agenda:
3:30pm - 4:30pm: 1-1 Office Hour slots with investors.
Confirmed investors include:
Brad Feld, Partner at Foundry
Martin Babinec, Managing Partner at UpVentures
Nasir Ali, Managing Partner at StartFast Ventures
Jack Greco, Founder at Cupule Ventures
Marnie LaVigne and Zach Mizener, Launch NY
Nicole Camarre, VP of Investments at 43North
Jack McGowan, Executive Director of Buffalo Angels
David Drahms, Venture Partner at Osage Venture Partners
Seth Mulligan, COO at the Griffiss Institute
Rob Poltrino, COO of Skull, Diamond, and Heart
You must sign up for the office hours ticket to be eligible. UVC will assign your schedule after you sign up.
4:30 - 5:30pm: Fireside Chat on Give First: The Power of Mentorship with Brad Feld, moderated by Martin Babinec
5:30 - 6:00pm: Brad Feld book signing for Give First
Speaker Bios
Brad Feld
Brad Feld is a Partner & Co-Founder of Foundry. He has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur for over 35 years, since founding his first company, Feld Technologies, in college. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars and, with his wife Amy Batchelor, runs the Anchor Point Foundation. Brad has written 12 books on entrepreneurship and venture capital and started blogging in 2004 before VC Twitter existed. Brad holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brad is also an art collector and long-distance runner who enjoys wandering around alone in the mountains for hours at a time.
Martin Babinec
Martin Babinec founded HR solutions platform TriNet (NYSE: TNET) in 1988, serving as CEO for the company’s first 20 years through retiring from the Board of Directors in 2022. Martin also founded UpVentures – a holdings company investing in emerging tech startups, hospitality businesses and real estate. He is active in social impact through his family’s UpMobility Foundation as well as founding and helping to lead non-profits Upstate Venture Connect, Entrepreneurs Across Borders and democracy reform advocates Unite NY. He serves on the Board of Directors for Endeavor Northeast, is a past recipient of the SVBJ Silicon Valley Entrepreneur of the Year award and is author of Amazon best seller More Good Jobs: An Entrepreneur's Action Plan to Create Change In Your Community.
Nasir Ali
Nasir Ali is a Managing Partner at StartFast Ventures. He has spent the last two decades building Upstate NY’s high growth entrepreneurial ecosystem through the non-profit Upstate Venture Connect and investments in 60 companies. He launched Upstate NY’s first angel fund in 2007 and co-founded StartFast Venture Accelerator in 2011 with Chuck Stormon. By 2021, the accelerator’s successes led to the formation of StartFast Fund II for investments in diverse B2B SaaS founders outside major VC hubs. Nasir holds a Bachelors degree in Physics from Princeton University and a Masters in Management from Yale University. He is a board member and advisor to the NYS Innovation Venture Capital Fund, Next Gen Venture Partners, Fitzgate Ventures and multiple StartFast portfolio companies.
Jack Greco
Jack Greco is a father, founder and investor. He co-founded or supported the early creation and growth of dozens of companies across Upstate New York, including ACV Auctions. In his spare time, he actively supports architectural revival and reuse through Stronghold Fund, supports urban farming through Fillmore Farms, writes for the Buffalo Bridge. Greco serves as a board member to several startups and hospitals. All of this comes second in life to his role as a father to his very adventurous son, Little Jack. Greco holds an M.B.A. from the Simon School of Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester.
Marnie Lavigne
Dr. Marnie LaVigne has spent more than 25 years in both the private and public sectors creating new products and start-up businesses, driving innovation and economic growth in high-tech industries, such as life sciences, informatics, and advanced manufacturing. Her passion for working with start-ups took root from her experience launching health informatics businesses with colleagues in the 1990’s as she finished her doctoral work at the University of Rochester, which resulted in growing two different firms with more than 100 employees and two initial public offerings (IPOs). In July, 2014, she became the President and CEO of Launch NY, a 27-county venture development organization that she co-founded with other Buffalo boosters and whose mission is to identify, support and invest in high-growth, high-impact companies and catalyze the entrepreneurial culture of Upstate New York. Since 2016, Launch NY’s seed fund has invested $1.6 million in 35 companies. 14 of those companies are located in Western New York. As President of Launch NY she is not only responsible for helping entrepreneurs secure monetary investment, but also to provide pro-bono mentorship to help startup companies succeed in all phases of business. At any given time, Launch NY mentors 250+ companies and has found their niche preparing these companies to approach the investment community. Marnie has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a doctorate in clinical psychology, both from the University of Rochester. She is an editorial board member for Disease Management, and a member of the Board of Directors for Buffalo Angels, Insyte Consulting, New York State Economic Development Council, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, and Western New York Venture Association.
Nicole Camarre
Nicole Camarre is an experienced Investor and Operator in Venture Capital and Private Equity, currently serving as the VP of Investments and Platform at 43North, and previously a Strategic Finance Associate at 424 Capital. With a background in finance and operations, she has held key roles at notable companies like Plixer and Armory Square Ventures, demonstrating expertise in financial analysis, due diligence, and portfolio management. Nicole is passionate about supporting sustainable growth and investing in diverse sectors, particularly in Upstate NY.
Jack McGowan
Jack McGowan is Director of the Western New York Venture Association/Buffalo Angels, manages the WNY Business Development Fund, is a Project Manager at INSYTE Consulting, and is the NYSTAR-designated Regional Specialist for SBIR/STTR funding. Jack is a certified Innovation Engineering Growth Coach, and has previously worked at Goldome, HSBC, and Fleet Banks. He holds an MBA from the University at Buffalo and a BS from Cornell University.
David Drahms
David Drahms is a Venture Partner at Osage Ventures, where he focuses on deal origination, investment selection, and portfolio management. David led OVP’s successful investments in and served as a board director of Automated Insights (acquired by Vista Equity Partners) and Ceptaris (acquired by Actelion for $250M). He also led the annual Osage CTO Summit, as well as the Osage acceleration platform, which shares best practices with portfolio companies to accelerate their growth. David also has startup operating experience, having served in a full-time role as Executive Chairman of VividCortex, the leading performance monitoring platform for open source databases. Prior to Osage, David was a mechanical engineer and project manager at Teradyne, where he was part of a team designing and building the company’s next-generation semiconductor test equipment. David is currently Co-Chairman of the University of Rochester’s Newman Community Advisory Board, where he has served since 2011. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester and earned an MBA from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. David lives in upstate New York with his wife, Laura, their daughter, and their fluffy dog.
Seth Mulligan
Seth comes to the GI as a serial entrepreneur with experience leading both startups and tech incubators. Most recently, Seth was Vice President of Customer and Revenue Operations for StorySlab, a sales enablement software platform headquartered in Syracuse, NY. He specialized and saw success in partnering with innovators in incubator leadership and operating as a key leader inside private, scalable companies.
Rob Poltrino
Rob is the Chief Operating Officer of Skull Diamond and Heart Capital, LLC, driven by the opportunity to make a difference he devotes time and energy to innovative organizations. Working with early stage companies, he is armed with an extensive background in IT, operations, and project management, focusing on setting foundations and strategies. As a constant thinker, this was exemplified while working at a startup turned unicorn, he was promoted five times in his first 3 years and upon exit was a member of the leadership team. Rob actively sits on several boards and task forces in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Philanthropically he is dedicated to bridging the digital divide.
This event is sponsored by JPMorganChase.
This event is supported by UVC and Griffiss Institute. Learn more at uvc.org and griffissinstitute.org