Building on the monumental success of 43North and the winners of its annual business competition, the 43North Foundation will infuse our region with opportunities by investing in organizations, ideas, and innovation—and in making Buffalo the best it can be.

The 43North Foundation has launched a 10-year, $100 million initiative to boldly seize a generational moment for Western New York’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Lightning Strike initiative is a series of strategic investments to accelerate hard-fought momentum around technology-fueled entrepreneurship. The goal is to ensure the entrepreneurial ecosystem is equitable, ambitious and built to last.

Lightning Strike’s focus areas will be:
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Talent Pipeline: Support for programs that foster “K through Gray” introductions to tech and entrepreneurship careers, including a push to attract and retain college talent.
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Venture Studio: An entity where promising business ideas are put into the hands of a dream team of proven builders.
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Corporate Connectivity: Hands-on learning and practical programming that engages employers on how their business benefits from a thriving, cooperative ecosystem.
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Storytelling: A sustained effort to get loud about the region’s growing entrepreneurial economy and technology sector, creating a wide understanding of the community’s growing opportunities.

The impact of the 43North Foundation’s investment in Lightning Strike will increase through the support of philanthropic, corporate and community partners.

“We’ve gotten a glimpse of what’s possible, and we are energized,” said William J. Maggio, chairman of the 43North Foundation.