Good Neighbor Fund

What a memorable time we had celebrating entrepreneurship in Buffalo and nine months of GNF growth! In this time we've: 🤝 Brought on 22 Limited Partners 💸Awarded 7 micro-grants, with funding to almost triple that by end of year. 🥳 Hosted 3 incredible community events 📍 Grown to 2 chapters in Buffalo and Denver 💜 And made countless new friendships and connections We had a blast sharing delicious food and drinks at the beautiful Twin Petrels Seltzer Co. with a community of founders and supporters. We heard from an incredible panel hosted by Chapter Director Ali Bukowski, featuring two of our recent grant winners Candace Lattimore of Rosia B Mobile Phlebotomy Services, and Stacie Lampkin of KidocateRx. Thank you all for coming out and sharing a wonderful time with us, we can't wait to do it again! 💜 For the founders-to-be, you still have time to submit your pitch for a $1,000 micro-grant to kickstart your business idea! The Buffalo deadline is 10/1 and Denver is 10/15! 📸 by Kareem Ameen Photography

💰Grant Alert 💰 In partnership with Fifteen Percent Pledge, the Sephora Beauty Grant awards $100,000 to a Black-owned beauty business, aiming to close funding gaps and promote equity within the beauty industry. Applications close TODAY!!!!!-November 15 https://lnkd.in/d3VH59Ps #founders #funding #capital #grants #startups

✨ Western New York, are you passionate about fueling local growth? 🏗️ Do you want to see more startups and small businesses succeed? If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, share your expertise, and join a network of like-minded leaders making a difference, becoming a GNF Limited Partner may be for you. As a Limited Partner, you’ll connect with a select group committed to pooling resources, knowledge, and networks to empower new founders. Together, we’re shaping the future of WNY, one micro-grant at a time. Join us and be a part of something bigger! 💜 📢 Ready to make a difference? Drop us a message or follow the link in the comments to learn more about becoming a part of GNF.

This week, a group of our Western New York LPs enjoyed delicious pizza and cocktails together as we selected our latest micro-grant recipients 🍕💸 We can't wait to share the incredible founders who will each be awarded a $1,000 micro-grant to kick-start their entrepreneurial dreams! Stay tuned 👀 In the meantime, applications are now open for our Winter grant cycle! So, if you have the next big idea scribbled on a napkin, now is your time to turn it into a reality 💜

WNY Neighbors, check out this event hosted by recent GNF micro-grant awardee Read It & Eat Bookshop & Boxes 📚🍳 💜

Last night was a great kick-off to 43North Finals week thanks to our friends at Armory Square Ventures, TalentRise, An Aleron Company, and Upstate Capital Association of New York 🎉 It's incredible to see the growth of the Buffalo entrepreneurial community and the excitement that permeates throughout WNY every October. Looking forward to catching up with everyone and seeing who takes home $1M prizes on Thursday 🙌 Also - Love having incredible supporters in the community like Bobbie of Uptake Alliance (and Good Neighbor Fund LP 😉)

Micro-Grant Award winners like Alexis Kerr and Gabriel Nieves of Fat Daddy’s are exactly what GNF stands for 👏 Today, Chapter Director Ali Bukowski and Co-Founder Jason Bartz met them for coffee at Healing Grounds Coffee to hear about their journey and future plans. Fat Daddy’s, a proud Puerto Rican-owned small business on Buffalo’s West Side, specializes in scratch-made novelty baked goods 🍩🥰 Their mission is to provide customers with not just delicious treats, but also a welcoming “third space” where they can relax and connect outside of home and work. Right now, Alexis and Gabriel are collaborating with local businesses across Buffalo, hosting pop-ups every month to showcase their mouth-watering baked selections. Their ultimate goal? To combine Alexis’ baking expertise with Gabriel’s passion for breakfast and open a retro-style Fat Daddy’s Diner! Their Good Neighbor Fund Micro-Grant assisted with licensing fees, procuring baking equipment, and display cases for their pop up events. Don’t miss their next pop-up at Buffalo Riverworks on October 12th! Follow @fatdaddys716 on Instagram for updates (warning, their posts will leave you hungry!) Congrats again Alexis and Gabriel! 💜

This past weekend, we had the privilege of catching up with two of our recent Good Neighbor Fund awardees: Kimberly Behzadi, MBA, the owner Read It & Eat Bookshop & Boxes, and Trina McClinton, the owner of Trina’s Speedy Cleaning Services! 🏆 Kim’s culinary bookstore, Read it and Eat, is celebrating the opening of their brand-new location at Main St and Hertel Ave, where culinary adventures meet literary journeys. Kim is also actively involved with local organizations and will be hosting a panel, Rebel Women in Food: Buffalo, this October, celebrating women in Buffalo’s culinary scene 🦬👩🍳 Trina’s business, Trina’s Speedy Cleaning Services, is all about helping people in need of a clean, fresh home—especially for those with busy schedules or health conditions. Her therapeutic approach brings peace of mind to clients who just need one less thing to worry about 🧼💕 We’re thrilled to see the impact both Kim and Trina are making in our neighborhood and can’t wait to see what’s next! 🎉💜

Huge kudos to our WNY Chapter Director, Ali Bukowski, for taking the stage during this year’s Pitch10 event 🎤🎉 Congratulations to all of the incredible organizations that pitched! You’re doing amazing work 🥰 Thank you to the Next Generation United board for organizing an incredible night, highlighting the charitable spirit of the City of Good Neighbors 🤝 Until next year, Pitch10! 💜

Huge kudos to our WNY Chapter Director, Ali Bukowski, for taking the stage during this year’s Pitch10 event 🎤🎉 Congratulations to all of the incredible organizations that pitched! You’re doing amazing work 🥰 Thank you to the Next Generation United board for organizing an incredible night, highlighting the charitable spirit of the City of Good Neighbors 🤝 Until next year, Pitch10! 💜