The third annual Upstate Unleashed Conference and 2017 Venture Ecosystem Awards, run by Upstate Venture Connect (UVC), was held on September 19th. The event celebrated the entrepreneurial leaders from the ecosystems in upstate New York, naming and awarding winners across five categories.
The two keynote speakers at the event were Guha and Karthik Bala, the co-founders of Velan Ventures and Velan Studios. Additional panelists and speakers included CEO and founder of AIS, Chuck Green, the executive director of 43North Business Competition, John Gavigan, the president of HTR, Jim Senall, and several others.
In this year’s event, the five award categories were:
- Magical Mentor, for an individual with a transformative impact on one or more startups.
- Campus Connector, for innovators who leverage resources and connections on and off campus to build opportunities for research startups or entrepreneurial students.
- Community Catalyst, for those bringing together or startup ecosystem players into a community or improving existing communities,
- Deal of the Year, awarded to a company whose exit made money for employees and investors.
- Ecosystem Champion, for applicants supporting startup activity in Upstate communities.
Through the annual Upstate Unleashed Conference and their other initiatives, UVC connects high-growth company founders with resources and people to construct a startup community throughout upstate New York. Some of these other initiatives include programs for college students, technologists, and researchers, as well as angel capital funds.
