Talking Cities with Matt Enstice

Buffalo Homecoming

Uncertainty is the Trend

Green New Deal

Priced Out, Pushed Out or Stuck In

Matt talks with Sean Tuohey, self-described operator & dreamer, about bringing people together through sports and food. Sean grew up playing basketball in Washington, DC, and around the world, which led him to co-found PeacePlayers International, uniting people through sports. Sean currently owns a popular restaurant/gathering place in Buffalo, NY and is still working to help reimagine therapy through sport.

This week’s #TalkingCities guest is Marnie LaVigne, CEO of @LaunchNY, one of the most active seed funds in the country. @menstice and @MarnieLaVigne2 talk about the importance of “small but mighty dollars” to help companies and attract other investors, the need to help everyone build their networks, and teaching entrepreneurship at a younger age.

Michael Murphy is the president of Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the only Tiffany-designed theater left in the U.S. He talks with Matt about knowing from the age of five that he wanted to be in the theater business. They also talk about how shows like “Hamilton” are helping to build a more inclusive theater community; how technology is changing the industry; and what it means to be launching shows here in Buffalo – including Mean Girls with Tina Fey this fall.

The Right to Food

The Future of Work

Hear from Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. They talk about the worldwide competition for talent, and the importance of the need for skilled immigration reform and policies around border issues; using Buffalo Niagara’s location as an asset to be globally competitive; tying the talent attraction approach to regional tourism; and the need for more women in leadership roles.

Taking Care Is Business

Will you answer his call at 3am? If so, you might be the kind of person Raj Suchak is looking for! A self-described “technical geek who likes to tinker,” after working at Salesforce for several years Raj started Cloud62, later acquired by Huron Consulting. As he built his team, he got more and more interested in finding top talent. Instead of hiring on resumes or work experiences, he hired based on character, customer service skills, hunger and grit – and taught them how to do the tasks he had needed.

From Reactive to Operationally Excellent

This week on #TalkingCities hear from Patrick Kaler, chief Buffalo booster. Patrick leads Visit Buffalo Niagara after spending time in Chicago, Lake Tahoe, and Loudon County (or “DC’s wine country"). He talks about how he reacted when a headhunter pitched him a job in Buffalo, NY. He highlights his pride in how his team worked to get Buffalo named on the @nytimes 52 Places to Travel in 2018.

#TalkingCities with Lorenz Gan, Chief Information Officer at New Era Cap. Lorenz is responsible for the strategy and execution behind the digital revolution at the iconic 98 year old global brand.  He led luxury fashion house @Burberry to become the #1 digital luxury brand in the world. They also discuss the importance of integrating technology to grow a global brand and the role of sports to a city's psyche