BUFFALO, N.Y. — A number of up and coming business leaders are joining forces to lend their voices and expertise to the ongoing Bills stadium discussion.
The newly formed "Business Backs Buffalo Football" aims to offer "an experienced, business-centric voice" regarding ongoing stadium financing and construction talks.
The all volunteer group is made up of corporate, small business, startup and non-profit leaders.
"In speaking with many of our fellow colleagues, we felt the time was right to recreate a business backers group, albeit with a focus on rising leaders and the innovation economy that most all of us work in," said Matt Davison, co-chair of Business Backs Buffalo Football. "We’re certainly taking a play out of past efforts in the late-1990’s and early-2000’s, when similar committees were convened in support of our hometown team; however, this effort will be less about ticket sales and suite upgrades, and more specific to informing the stadium discussions, and looking at ways to positively enhance the Bills’ brand regionally and for the long-term."
Business Backs Buffalo Football will be made up 25-30 committee members with diverse perspective and backgrounds.
"A lot of thought has been put into the membership of this group of rising business leaders. We live, work, and play across this region and are committed to representing the interests of our community and their love for the Buffalo Bills," said Shatorah Donovan, co-chair of Business Backs Buffalo Football. "We are a group of diverse individuals with fresh perspectives, and we understand that what’s good for the community, and what’s good for business, can be one in the same. The Buffalo Bills have many strong corporate partners, and we believe our group can further complement the club’s connectivity within the Upstate business sector."
The organizing team so far includes the following:
• Matt Davison, The Martin Group, co-chair
• Shatorah Donovan, City of Buffalo, co-chair
• Bart Kresse, M&T Insurance
• Charlie Hunt, Hunt Real Estate
• Christian Johnson, Beautiful Brains
• Christian Lovelace, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP
• Dan Magnuszewski, ACV Auctions
• Eric Soucia, Dansa D’Arata Soucia LLP
• Julia Spitz, Savarino Companies
• Justin Reich, Lorraine Capital
• Kyle Ciminelli, Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation
• Lauren Lewis, StaffBuffalo
• Maggie Dorn, The Motley Fool / Motley Fool Ventures
• Mark Allen, Royal Oak Realty Trust
• Mike Garsin, Brand Networks
