Talking Cities with Matt Enstice

With Buffalo Homecoming just around the corner, today we're featuring Jack Connors, event co-director and former president and publisher of Buffalo Business First. We cover everything from Jack's long career in the news businesses and the story behind launching Buffalo Business First to his latest gig spurring investment in the city he loves. 

In this episode, Craig talks about The World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara and the extensive network of the World Trade Centers Association; his varied career in media, PR, economic development and government relations and how these experiences shaped him for the job he has today; and how blockchain technology is the future of trade and moving product. 

In this episode, Matt chats with Wayne Roberts, history buff and food policy expert from Toronto, ON. Wayne shares his thoughts on what makes a great food city and how immigration is the secret sauce; the importance of youth's voices on councils and in decision making; and the various food movements he's seen throughout the world.  

In this episode, Matt talks with Bridget Niland, Director of Project Play, about the impact of youth sports and how they help prepare kids for the 21st century economy; ways to encourage youth in the city to think about their play spaces differently, particularly through "free play"; and her thoughts on the role of technology and the future of sports. 

Matt talks with Sean Tuohey, self-described operator & dreamer, about bringing people together through sports and food. Sean grew up playing basketball in Washington, DC, and around the world, which led him to co-found PeacePlayers International, uniting people through sports. Sean currently owns a popular restaurant/gathering place in Buffalo, NY and is still working to help reimagine therapy through sport.    

This week’s #TalkingCities guest is Marnie LaVigne, CEO of @LaunchNY, one of the most active seed funds in the country. @menstice and @MarnieLaVigne2 talk about the importance of “small but mighty dollars” to help companies and attract other investors, the need to help everyone build their networks, and teaching entrepreneurship at a younger age.

Michael Murphy is the president of Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the only Tiffany-designed theater left in the U.S. He talks with Matt about knowing from the age of five that he wanted to be in the theater business. They also talk about how shows like “Hamilton” are helping to build a more inclusive theater community; how technology is changing the industry; and what it means to be launching shows here in Buffalo – including Mean Girls with Tina Fey this fall.

Paul Taylor is the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, a non-profit organization that works with communities and schools to deliver healthy food and food education. Paul believes that "food is not the answer to food insecurity," in fact, there is "more than enough food in Canada to feed all of its inhabitants." Hear his thoughts on food equity and how Canada is shifting the conversation away from poverty and towards health and educational outcomes. 

Product Specialist may be the title on Pablo Pinto's business card, but his impact extends far beyond his role at tech startup and 43North winner, TARA.ai. Car-less since 2012, Pablo credits Buffalo as a great place for cyclists, and believes cities should stop thinking about streets in terms of vehicles, but rather people. A holistic thinker with a passion for giving back, he talks about his travels across the globe, spending time in New York City, Boston, Ecuador, South Korea, Silicon Valley, Albany, NY, and Buffalo, NY, and the major ways he's seen technology transform cities and the future of work.  

Hear from Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. They talk about the worldwide competition for talent, and the importance of the need for skilled immigration reform and policies around border issues; using Buffalo Niagara’s location as an asset to be globally competitive; tying the talent attraction approach to regional tourism; and the need for more women in leadership roles.      

In this episode of #TalkingCities, Matt sits down with Holly Gagnon, President and CEO of Seneca Gaming Corporation. They speak on characteristics of a successful team, the gaming industry’s development and what it means to be a female leader in a traditionally male dominated industry. As a founding member of Global Gaming Women, Holly expresses her passion for encouraging and empowering the growth of women leaders within gaming world-wide.

Will you answer his call at 3am? If so, you might be the kind of person Raj Suchak is looking for. A self-described “technical geek who likes to tinker,” after working at Salesforce for several years Raj started Cloud62, later acquired by Huron Consulting, to help companies get the most out of their investment in Salesforce. As he built his team, he got more and more interested in finding top talent. Instead of hiring on resumes or work experiences, he hired based on character, customer service skills, hunger and grit – and taught them how to do the tasks he had needed. He is now working on a new start-up called Grit Seed, a software platform to enable companies to find and evaluate talent by cultivating opportunities and having generational impact, as well as bringing RoboThink (a STEM program for kids) to Buffalo. Raj tells Matt about being raised in Tanzania, Africa and how he was influenced by his entrepreneurial father who constantly asked Raj “the big why” questions.  

Hear from Luis Taveras, CIO of the City of Buffalo on today's #TalkingCities podcast. Luis talks about his transition into government after spending his entire career working in the private sector; how he's transforming city hall from a reactive organization to one that's "operationally excellent"; and his thoughts on Open Data Buffalo and how a new Data 101 course will teach the public how to use the data provided to make a meaningful impact on their lives.

This week on #TalkingCities we are joined by Patrick Kaler, chief Buffalo booster. Patrick moved to Buffalo several years ago to head up Visit Buffalo Niagara after spending time in Chicago, Lake Tahoe, and Loudon County (or “DC’s wine country"). He talks about becoming the youngest executive director of a destination marketing organization in the state of Illinois, and how he reacted when a headhunter pitched him a job in Buffalo, NY. He highlights his pride in how his team worked to get Buffalo named on the @nytimes 52 Places to Travel in 2018 and the challenges behind the Buffalo Convention Center, the oldest convention center without a significant expansion or renovation in the country.    

This week, Matt talks with Lorenz Gan, Chief Information Officer at New Era Cap. Lorenz is responsible for the strategy and execution behind the digital revolution at the iconic 98 year old global brand.  They talk about his move from Australia in search of the "Big Smoke" - first London and then New York City. He played a leading role at luxury fashion house Burberry when its goal was to become the #1 digital luxury brand in the world, and he led the company through a number of fashion “firsts,” including being the first to live stream fashion shows and utilize augmented reality. He talks about how he was recruited to Buffalo from NYC (in January!), and why it was the right move for his career and his family. They also discuss the importance of integrating technology to grow a global brand and the role of sports to a city's psyche. 

Hear from Warren Colville, President of The Buffalo News, and self-described family man, army brat and wine connoisseur. Warren talks about the changing media landscape in the world of #fakenews; how to navigate the tides of technology by innovating and diversifying revenue streams; and his thoughts on the future of the newspaper business.

In this episode, Matt talks with JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director, about falling in love with music as a little girl and what it felt like to play her first guitar; her travels around the country and world as a Conductor, and the role music plays in cities; and music's powerful affect on the brain and our lives.

In this episode, Matt sits down with Bethany Deshpande, CEO and Co-Founder of SomaDetect, 2017 43North $1M winner. They discuss cows, the new wave of tech in farming, and life for Bethany growing up in Ontario. Bethany discusses the importance of data, consumer-focused design, and how her father discovered SomaDetect's technology almost by accident.

Jeremy M. Jacobs, Chairman of Delaware North and Owner/Governor of the Boston Bruins, joined Matt for a wide-ranging Talking Cities this week. He spoke about taking over the family-owned company, started by his father, at age 28, and how his children and grandchildren are now leading the company into the future. He purchased the Boston Bruins and Boston Gardens in 1975, joking, "ignorance helped" in taking such a major leap. They talk about the role of sports in community development, as Delaware North is undertaking one of the largest projects in Boston right now to reimagine the area around TD Garden. Jacobs and his wife recently gave a significant gift to advance the University at Buffalo's medical school, which has been renamed for his family, and they discuss his role as a passionate philanthropist for higher education, health care, and the future of medicine. He touches on the importance of instincts ("If you don't have the instincts, you shouldn't do it"), seeking out opinions, and the role of a company within a community. 

Dr. Gale Burstein, Commissioner of Public Health for Erie County @ecdoh, talks about Buffalo’s approach to combatting the national opioid epidemic by developing a task force of unlikely bedfellows; the unique opportunities of having such a large refugee population in Buffalo and Erie County; and her public health training in South Africa.   

"Libraries aren't quiet places anymore" says Mary Jean Jakubowski, Director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. In this episode, Mary Jean talks about how libraries are reinventing themselves as dynamic public spaces that engage the community through a variety of programming and activities; her thoughts on the library of the future and why there will always be books; and the constant need to upgrade and improve technology so they can be a 24/7 resource for all.

Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples Stokes is all things Buffalo. Crystal is a proud graduate of the Buffalo Public Schools and Buffalo State College and a former educator at B.U.I.L.D Academy. In this episode, Matt and Crystal talk about her passions for health care and education, the successes she's had in government fighting for diversity and MWBE contracts, and the ways in which Buffalo's Community Schools are acting as a model for other cities sin New York and around the country. 

Matt Enstice, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus & host of "Talking Cities," stops by Bell Ringer to talk cities-- Buffalo to be exact. Hear an update from Matt on how the BNMC continues to drive innovation and job creation in our region. Bell Ringer is a podcast by Invest Buffalo Niagara, our region's economic development agency charged with supporting business attraction, expansion and entrepreneurship.

Matt talks with Bill Maggio, a health care, medical diagnostics, and business development executive from Buffalo, New York. They talk about the Jacobs Institute’s recently released landmark report on The Future of Medicine, and the role of health care systems in transforming how care is delivered. Bill highlights his role as an investor as well as a leader in the local start-up community as past chair of 43North business competition to spur economic development in Buffalo. They touch on his lifelong love of music as a classically-trained pianist as well as the impact rowing has had on his life.

In this episode, Matt talks with Eric Reich, co-founder of Campus Labs, an integrated software and cloud-based assessment tool that helps its nearly 1,400 higher education Member Campuses make informed decisions though strategic data and insights. Eric shares his thoughts on the future of higher education and how real change occurs when leadership isn't afraid to take risks and pivot when provided with valuable data. 

Hear from Megan McNally, executive director of the Foundry, a not-for-profit small business incubator and makerspace in Buffalo, NY. Megan talks about how being a woman in a male-dominated field of woodworking inspired her to help others pursue their dreams and celebrate their differences. Her work at the Foundry has helped grow countless businesses, build community, and provide opportunity and access in a low-income neighborhood.

In this episode, Matt talks with Nic Perez, Chief Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, about his journey with crowdsourcing and how he's seen technology develop over the years with companies like Netscape Communications, Charles Schwab and America Online; his passion for using technology for the greater good and the lives he's impacted working as the web technical architect for American Red Cross; and his views on the the power of the gig economy and its ability to allow people to work on whatever they want, wherever they want.

In this week’s #TalkingCities, hear from Holberton School cofounders Julien Barbier, Sylvain Kalache, and Julien Cyr, pioneers changing the way education is delivered. Just named one of Business Insiders 19 Hottest San Francisco Startups to Watch in 2018, Holberton is a project-based college alternative for the next generation of software engineers seeking to diversify the tech industry.

Matt talks with Asi Burak, CEO of Power Play NYC, about the growing popularity of e-sports over traditional sports among millennials and women; Asi's role as the producer for the largest industry-facing gaming festival in NYC, the Games for Change Festival and how games impact education, healthcare, research, civics, and social issues;  and new research on neurogaming and the ways in which it can improve health, fitness and cognitive skills.

Matt talks with New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul about how humble beginnings with her very socially-conscious family pulled her toward public service at a very young age; her start in politics working with legendary Buffalonian Tim Russert and longtime Senator of New York Daniel Patrick Moynahan; her enthusiasm around Buffalo’s burgeoning tech scene as seen on the BNMC; and her pride in her role to support Governor Cuomo's laser focus on bringing back upstate New York by turning upside the typical economic development model.   Lt. Gov. Hochul has been an elected official at the town, county, state, and federal levels, providing her with an extraordinarily unique perspective of how government can truly work for the people. She view her ability to find common issues to “cross the aisle” as a hallmark of her success in Washington. She notes the importance of collaboration among women of different parties to enact great positive change.   She is chairing the NYS Women’s Suffrage Commission and speaks passionately about encouraging everyone, especially women, to step up and take risks to do great things.

Matt talks with Sam Marrazzo, the BNMC’s new Chief Innovation Officer. Sam talks about why he sees himself as a connector of technology, people, and places. He also touches on how being stationed on the U.S.S. Independence kicked off his career in technology; the importance of strong university alignment to drive innovation within cities; his longtime partnership with Topcoder; and why we should all “run to math”. 

In this episode, we say a special goodbye to Michelle Levitt, founder of Too Much Neon, the podcasting business that took ground at BNMC's Innovation Center. Michelle is moving back home to St. Louis, MI to continue her career at Heil Sound, the family-owned business she's spent the past 13 years. Michelle talks about her experience moving to Buffalo and what it was like as an entrepreneur who started her own business; how technology is changing the media industry and her thoughts on why youth and millennials have gravitated towards podcasting. Oh, and we get hear how the name of her business, Too Much Neon, came to be. 

Matt talks with Dean Seavers, Executive Director of National Grid US, an international electricity and gas company. Dean talks about his role leading the company's 15,000 employees across the northeastern US, the importance of advocating for their customers, and what it will take to get to a clean energy future.  Matt and Dean also highlight the longtime partnership between National Grid and the BNMC in Buffalo, and how this can serve as an innovative model for how energy companies support economic development in their local communities.

In this episode, Matt talks with University at Buffalo President, Satish Tripathi, about how a UB education prepares students to respond to community needs and global issues; the research that UB is conducting that is making an impact locally and around the world; and the University's efforts to attract millennial learners to campus and keep them here in Western New York.

Today we're highlighting Candace Johnson, CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, who was recently named #1 of the Power 100 ranking by Buffalo Business First. In this episode, Candace talks with Matt about their innovative partnership with Cuba, the surprising ease of recruiting stellar researchers & physicians to Buffalo, Roswell's role as an economic driver for the region, and why patients should be the center of the universe. If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 19 "Finding the Right People" with Norma Nowak, founder of Empire Genomics and fellow Power 100 nominee. 

Matt talks with Dr. Adnan Siddiqui about how rebellion and family experiences led him to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon; growing up & training in Pakistan; and the incredible partnerships and medical innovation happening right here in Buffalo.

In this episode, Matt talks with Landscape Architect, Joy Kuebler, about the nonprofit she started called Popup Park Buffalo that encourages kids through play; Joy's definition of 'placemaking' and how to create communities of value for everyone from ages 8 to 80; and what her ideal place would look and feel like. 

Matt talks with Leslie Zemsky, Director of Fun for Larkin Square, a dynamic public space in Buffalo, NY. Dubbed “Larkinville,” the neighborhood became a true destination when Leslie and her family began developing the area that, in the late 1800s, was home to the Larkin Soap Company, a mail-order conglomerate that was the Amazon of its day. Leslie talks about the common sense component of placemaking, turning a huge vacant lot into the heart of a neighborhood, and how her early career planning the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade prepared her for it all.

We're throwing it back this week to an episode we released earlier this year featuring Buffalo's #1 Ambassador, Mayor Tony Masiello.  Matt talks with Tony about the opportunities and challenges that elected officials face in transforming cities. They discuss what led Tony to develop creative solutions to the difficult economic situation facing Buffalo during the 80s and 90s, much like many other Rust Belt cities at that time. Tony spent 35 years working in government on behalf of Western New York. He is a college Hall of Fame basketball player, drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1969. Today Tony is the president of Masiello Martucci Calabrese & Associates.

Linda Hunt, CEO of Dignity Health Arizona, visited the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus last week on a benchmarking trip with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce where we invited her as a guest on Talking Cities. On the show, Linda discusses opportunities in Phoenix to leverage Dignity Health, as well as challenges facing the area and other southwestern cities. A nurse with aspirations to lead from early on her career, Linda climbed the corporate ladder of health care, seeing and experiencing the profession from all angles and defining what it means to be a transformational leader along the way.

Matt talks with Mike Morris, CEO @TopCoder, about going from a developer to an entrepreneur; starting the number one community of software developers on the planet more than 15 years ago; TopCoder’s model of assigning co-pilots to help find solutions to complex problems; and the explosion of the gig economy to support the TopCoder community.

In this special 1-hour episode, Matt has a conversation with Bishop Tommy Reid and Pastor William Gillison about the role of the church in reviving cities; how technology and the media have changed ministry through the years; and what the two pastors with over 100 years of ministry have to say for our listeners about fulfilling your dreams and sustaining hope.     

Mehrdad Yazdani, founder of Yazdani Studio at CannonDesign, talks about growing up in Iran and seeing the movement of people from towns and villages to the country's capital, Tehran; the inspiration behind the Gates Vascular Institute and the impact of creating purposeful collisions; and his thoughts on technologies that will disrupt cities the most.

Michael Weiner, President & CEO of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, talks with Matt about the role of the United Way as both a world-wide network as well as a leader within local communities; his view of the working poor and racial inequity as systemic problems faced across the country; driving data by zip code; and why his organization has found success in digital fundraising.

Matt talks with Gregg Mojica, Chief Technology Officer of Gradology, about life as a software engineer and serial entrepreneur at age 18. They talk about "gamifying" education to improve student grades, how Gregg's motivation to have his name in the app store while in high school pushed him to create a number of apps, and his role as a blogger for AppCoda, one of the leading iOS programming communities. Oh, and what it's like to turn down Facebook.

Dr. Nick Hopkins talks about the moment he learned the meaning of entrepreneurship and how developing new technologies has enriched his neurosurgical career; the outcome of cross-specialty experts coming together from around the world to share their successes and failures and how these collisions inspired the Gates Vascular Institute "club sandwich" design; and his outlook on the future of medicine.  

Matt talks with Congressman Brian Higgins about the role of the federal government in finding new ways to finance infrastructure; social media igniting people around the world in the face of repressive regimes; the importance of the Great Lakes and waterways; and the celebration of location he sees in many cities.

Episode 28 // May 2, 2017// Matt talks with Vincent Stanley, director of philosophy for Patagonia, about what prompted the creation of such a socially-conscious company, the importance of sharing what they learned, how technology has impacted the industry, and why telling people "don't buy this jacket" was such a big deal.

Eva Hassett, Executive Director of the International Institute of Buffalo, talks about her love for Rust Belt cities and how she went from a career in government to leading a refugee resettlement agency; the economic impact that refugees and immigrants have on a city and how they're reversing population decline; and her vision for leaders at all levels to work collaboratively and strategically on behalf of this issue. 

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo talks about the role infrastructure has in behavior change and how it helps facilitates an active living mindset in communities; the future of transportation and the opportunities and challenges of a society reliant on autonomous vehicles; how technology influences our ability to get around by improving accessibility & convenience of different modes; and the importance of government providing resources & funding for maintenance of existing facilities and how the private sector can support this work. 

George Chouman, CEO of ACV Auctions, talks to Matt about learning the essentials of business from his parents at a young age; why he left Synacor, Inc., a multi-million dollar company to lead ACV Auctions and pursue his passion for startups; and how he's able to give back the mentorship he once received as a young entrepreneur through his involvement with Launch NY.