What to know about the week ahead

The Buffalo Niagara job market flew into reverse during August, shedding 5,300 jobs as students went back to their classes. We’ll find out Tuesday if that had an impact on the region’s unemployment rate, when the state Labor Department releases its latest data.

The University at Buffalo’s chapter of Blackstone LaunchPad student entrepreneurship program is relaunching as the “Startup and Innovation Collaboratory Powered by Blackstone LaunchPad,” or The CoLab, for short. UB is marking the rebrand and opening of a new 2,000-plus-square-foot CoLab space at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the UB Student Union Theatre, 201 Student Union on UB’s North Campus. Following opening presentations, there will be a ribbon-cutting and tours of the new space on the third floor of the student union.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be on hand Tuesday as Hugo Boss introduces its new Boss x NFL Collection from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Boss Store inside Walden Galleria.

Customers who spend $350 or more at the Walden Galleria Boss Store that day will receive a signed football by Hamlin, while supplies last. Hugo Boss will also be donating 15% of their store sales from the weekend to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation, which raised nearly $9 million in the weeks following Hamlin suffering cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a January game.

Four startups will be graduating from the University at Buffalo’s Cultivator program from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 20) at the Incubator inside the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, 701 Ellicott St., Buffalo. Offerwell, Sadie’s Foods, V-Markings and ArmHug will graduate.

Managed by UB’s Business & Entrepreneur Partnerships team, Cultivator builds new companies in the Western New York region by supporting medium- to high-growth startups in their earliest stages. Funding at this juncture is critical for companies to succeed, yet traditionally difficult to obtain, organizers say.

After joining Cultivator, startups work with dedicated mentors for the first few months of the program. If accepted to the next phase of the program, the startup receives a $100,000 investment from UB and an additional six months of mentorship until their “graduation” from the program. To date, 50 startups have participated in Cultivator and 17 have graduated.

THE LATEST

The United Auto Workers are on strike, but not in Buffalo Niagara.

Amherst’s zombie hotel has come back to life.

The hunt for an SUNY Erie Community College president is down to four finalists.

Opponents aren’t backing down after changes to a planned Lockport plastics factory.

Check out the changes in food and drink service at Highmark Stadium.

A Buffalo manufacturer plans to nearly double its workforce.

Town of Niagara officials balk at a low income apartment project.

A new retail and residential project is in the works for Niagara Street.

A Buffalo affordable housing project is getting a more contemporary look.

Moog Inc.’s new CEO isn’t a U.S. citizen – and that’s causing problems.

New Era Cap Co. reportedly is considering going public.

Disney ended its dispute with Spectrum.

Governor looking for consumer refunds over loss of ESPN, other Disney channels on Spectrum.

Ad campaign targets Gov. Hochul’s ‘failure’ in pot sale rollout.

Grand Island board seeks to tighten rules on warehouses amid Acquest proposal.

Plastics plant project proposal in Lockport drops PVC products use.

Stocking up on Bills stuff? Local retailers have you covered.

Steelbound Brewery & Distillery is asking for tax breaks to help create a new manufacturing campus in Ellicottville.

Allegany general contracting firm Kinley Corp. seeks tax breaks for new headquarters.

New leaders named at large Buffalo law firms Phillips Lytle, Harter Secrest.

Buffalo officials, Ellicott Development discuss new parking ramp in the city.

SUNY Chancellor John King visited UB to learn about the university’s groundbreaking AI research.

Architect plans $30M mixed-use project in Lockport with 66 apartments.

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. Students fueled a hiring surge during the early summer. Their return to classes caused a big downturn in the local job market.

2. A University at Buffalo program helps nonprofits find answers to nagging problems.

3. Why the Buffalo Bills largely leave tailgaters to themselves.

4. Choosing Buffalo: Odoo decides WNY is right place for substantial North American growth.

5. After longtime CEO’s retirement, what’s next for Horizon Corporations?

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

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