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The Buffalo Niagara Partnership, TechBuffalo and Microsoft hosted the New York State Assembly Science & Technology Committee on July 17 at SenecaOne for a roundtable discussion focused on equity, workforce and skilling for the tech future.

BNP member TechBuffalo, a nonprofit organization that strives to create a sustainable, inclusive and accessible technology community for Western New York, was recently selected as the New York State grantee of the Microsoft TechSpark Fellows Program for the second straight year.

“Microsoft was pleased to highlight the exciting opportunities in Western New York to our State Assembly elected officials,” says Ariana Caplan Marra, Director of State Government Affairs at Microsoft. “As a local resident, I’ve seen firsthand that Western New York’s tech community is vibrant and thriving. We are excited to support our partners locally and look forward to seeing the impact of the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub.” 

Founded in 2017, Microsoft TechSpark is an initiative designed to foster economic opportunity and job creation in partnership with communities around the U.S. The TechSpark Community Engagement Fellowship is a program that builds off the lessons learned from TechSpark and activates these learnings in all 50 states. 

Communities were selected through a competitive open grant application focused on creating digital inclusion and inclusive economic opportunities, which aligns with TechBuffalo’s mission to improve Buffalo Niagara’s ability to attract, retain and foster technology talent. 

“We are thrilled to partner with TechBuffalo. Their selection for the second year of the fellowship demonstrates the impact of TechBuffalo's local efforts to ensure that Western New York will have the talent and capabilities to compete in the 21st-century economy,” says Marra. “It also reflects their demonstrated commitment and engagement in the community itself to embrace digital transformation, engage with critical programming, and build people and organizations that make communities great – goals of the TechSpark program.” 

TechBuffalo leveraged Microsoft resources and activated many partners within the local ecosystem to pilot Family Code Night, a family-based approach that introduces basic programming concepts through a shared guardian-and-child Minecraft Education experience, while also providing adults with ample resources to the broader Western New York tech ecosystem. Through this program, which focuses on reaching communities historically underrepresented in tech, TechBuffalo hopes to reduce a barrier to learning about and accessing training opportunities – childcare and its subsequent costs. 

“It was great to share more about the increasing momentum and opportunities in our region around technology with the New York State Assembly Science and Technology Committee,” says TechBuffalo President & CEO Sarah Tanbakuchi-Ripa. “With initiatives like Microsoft TechSpark, TechBuffalo's Family Code Night and the region's recent Tech Hub award, we can ensure our community is trained and ready to participate in our growing tech ecosystem.” 

BNP President & CEO Dottie Gallagher concluded the roundtable with a discussion about the impacts of the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub, which further positioned Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. 

The $40 million of federal funding will go towards training the next generation of workers to fill jobs in the chip industry, closing gaps in the supply chain by making it easier for local firms to gain access to growth opportunities and support startups across the region. 

"The state's tech committee recognizes the significant opportunity our region has to capitalize on emerging tech hubs,” Gallagher says. “They are acutely aware of the workforce challenges we face and are committed to supporting the NY SMART I-Corridor initiative moving forward."