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WNY48 presents Startup in a Weekend

Build something real in WNY in 48 hours.

April 17–19, 2026

701 Ellicott Street (UB CBLS), Buffalo

Register

Event Starts In

01
Days
07
Hours
00
Minutes
25
Seconds

Zero to Startup
in One Weekend

No experience required. WNY48 gives you the structure, the people, and 48 hours to make something real.

WNY48 Partner

Buffalo Startup Week — April 15–23, 2026
Friday

Pitch

Friday evening: 60 seconds, any idea, anyone. The crowd votes on the top concepts.

Saturday

Build

Validate, design, and prototype with help from expert mentors.

Sunday

Demo

Present your MVP to judges for feedback and prizes.

Schedule

Times are approximate and subject to change.

April 17
Friday
  • 6:00 PM Registration Arrive at the venue and get checked in
  • 6:30 PM Dinner & Networking Eat food, share ideas, practice pitches, get to know fellow participants
  • 7:00 PM Welcome & Speakers Review the weekend agenda and introduce speakers, mentors, and community leaders
  • 7:15 PM Pitches Start Optionally line up to give your 60-second pitch
  • 9:00 PM Voting Attendees vote for the top pitches
  • 9:15 PM Form Teams Teams start forming and discussing ideas
  • 9:30 PM Begin Work Formalize teams and take an inventory of skills. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow
April 18
Saturday
  • 9:00 AM Breakfast Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • 9:30 AM Begin Work Teams set up workspace for the weekend
  • 12:00 PM Lunch
  • 1:00 PM Check-In After-lunch check-in, status reports, call for help
  • 2:00 PM Mentor Meetings Mentors help teams one-on-one. They are here to help!
  • 6:30 PM Dinner
  • 7:30 PM Check-In After-dinner check-in, status reports, call for help
  • 10:00 PM Wrap-Up Finished for the day. You may stay and work as late as the venue will allow
April 19
Sunday
  • 9:00 AM Breakfast Arrive, simple breakfast & coffee
  • 10:00 AM Check-In Mentors arrive for a final opportunity to ask questions
  • 12:00 PM Lunch
  • 12:30 PM Mentor Meetings Mentors arrive… ASK QUESTIONS
  • 3:00 PM Presentation Prep & Tech Check Final work hours. Focus on perfecting your presentation. Tech check takes place now.
  • 4:00 PM Final Presentations
  • 5:00 PM Judging & Awards
  • 5:30 PM Wrap-Up
  • 6:00 PM Go Home!

Judges

A panel of investors, founders, and community leaders who evaluate final presentations and award prizes.

Hadar Borden

Hadar Borden

Director

UB Startup & Innovation Collaboratory

Leads innovation and economic development at UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory, powered by Blackstone LaunchPad. Champion of entrepreneurial talent across WNY.

Nicole Camarre

Nicole Camarre

VP Investments & Platform

43North

Leads investment strategy at 43North, making sure founders have the capital, resources, and networks to scale. Background spans VC, M&A, and strategic finance.

Dan Magnuszewski

Dan Magnuszewski

CEO

Radial Ventures

Buffalo entrepreneur and venture builder. Co-founder and former CTO of ACV Auctions (startup to IPO). Now runs Radial Ventures, a WNY venture studio.

Jack McGowan

Jack McGowan

Executive Director

WNY Venture Association/Buffalo Angels

Runs the Buffalo Angels investor network and the WNY Venture Association, the original forum for Western New York startups. Longtime coach for update founders.

Edreys Wajed

Edreys Wajed

Artist: Co-Founder of Eat Off Art

Eat Off Art

Multi-disciplinary artist and co-founder of creative consultancy Eat Off Art. Works across visual art, jewelry, music, curation, and community-rooted education.

Prizes

The top three teams take home real money plus a little extra.

  1. First Place

    $5,000

    + 5 months Claude Code Max

    provided by Good Neighbor Fund

  2. Second Place

    $2,500

  3. Third Place

    $1,000

Find Your Role
at WNY48

Compete

Pitch an idea, find your team, and build a startup in 48 hours. Open to everyone, no prior startup experience needed.

  • Validate your idea with real customers
  • Get feedback from experienced mentors
  • Win prizes and regional recognition
  • Meet your future co-founders
Register on Eventbrite

Mentor

A few hours on Saturday makes a huge difference. Share your hard-won expertise with teams that are hungry for it.

  • Shape the next generation of WNY founders
  • Discover emerging talent and ideas
  • Flexible, show up when you can
  • Give back to the local startup ecosystem

Sponsor

Put your brand in front of the best entrepreneurial talent in Western New York. Custom packages available.

  • Prominent placement throughout the weekend
  • Direct access to 100+ motivated founders
  • Recruiting pipeline for your team
  • Demo table or workshop slot available
View Prospectus

Volunteer

Help us run a world-class event. Volunteers get full weekend access, meals, and a WNY48 shirt.

  • Be part of the organizing team
  • Full weekend access to all sessions
  • Network with participants and mentors
  • Great resume addition
Sign Up to Volunteer

Powering Buffalo’s
Startup Scene

WNY48 is made possible by organizations that believe in Western New York’s entrepreneurial future.

Springboard BootSector Radial Ventures Growth Focus Innovations Ahead WIN
View Sponsorship Prospectus

Questions? Answered.

Nope! Many participants come without an idea and join a team around someone else’s pitch.

None in particular! We need people with all kinds of skills: coding, design, marketing, sales, finance, domain expertise, and hustle. All skill levels welcome.

Tickets are $48, with early bird pricing at $25.00! All tickets include 5 meals throughout the weekend, a commemorative t-shirt, unlimited internet and coffee, one-on-one mentorship, and partner benefits and discounts. Scholarships are available, so email us if cost is a barrier.

You can come with friends, but we encourage everyone to participate in the open team formation process Friday night. Some pre-formed teams go on to win. It’s up to you.

You own 100% of what you create. WNY48 makes no claim on your intellectual property.

Prizes will be announced closer to the event. Past prizes have included cash, AWS credits, coworking memberships, and mentorship packages. We're still finalizing prizes for 2026.

WNY48 is inspired by the global Startup Weekend format but is independently organized by community members in Western New York.

Absolutely. Students make up a big part of every WNY48 cohort. Several past participants have gone on to found real companies that started as weekend projects.