Any startup founder will tell you that finding great talent can be difficult, which is why it often becomes secondary to a founder until they reach that critical “oh geez I have to hire ten people ” moment.
That’s why 43North and Ignite Buffalo partnered with ACV Auctions and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to present JobCade. The cavalcade of jobs, so to speak, hosted over 30 startups and small businesses on March 7, 2019 for a job seeking and networking event at 500 Seneca St.
“I was a little skeptical at first because I’m running so hard day-to-day on my startup that I wasn’t sure if taking an afternoon for a job fair would be worth it,” said Nadia Hamilton, Founder and President of 43North portfolio company Magnusmode. “But being here, talking to them as they came up to my booth got me really excited, and I’ve actually found four candidates for jobs I’ve had posted for months,” she added.
Nearly 500 job seekers from all backgrounds attended the inaugural JobCade event, many of them eager to join startups trying to grow in Buffalo.
“We had a pretty consistent stream of people at our booth,” said Scott Wayman, CEO of Kangarootime. “They’ve done their research and they’re really excited to work with 43North companies and startups.”
Students and professionals looking to change things up with their current professional career flocked to startups like HiOperator, who are hiring entry and senior-level positions.
“It was surprising to see so many students excited about working with startups, but also seeing seasoned professionals looking to join the startup community,” said Liz Tsai, CEO of HiOperator. During a press conference earlier in the day, Liz stated that HiOperator has already hired 14 team members since moving to Buffalo – and hopes to hire 50 in total by the end of the year.
The Ignite Buffalo initiative was the driving force behind JobCade, as it is part of the overall Ignite Buffalo curriculum. Several Ignite Buffalo winners were in attendance looking to grow their companies, such as Jeca Bar, Top Seedz, Barrel + Brine, and La’Movement Fitness.
“I absolutely love JobCade,” exclaimed Lancia “Lala” Woods, founder of La’Movement Fitness. “We’ve met so many people not only interested in working for us, but working with us and incorporating us into their company and collaborating. It’s really been tremendous from a networking standpoint,” she added.
43North has said it plans to host another JobCade event sometime in the summer, so be sure to visit Ignite Buffalo’s website to learn more at ignitebuffalo.org.