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Upstate Venture Connect to Lead Founder Roadshows to Detroit, Boston, and NYC Tech Week


ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Upstate Venture Connect (UVC) is taking Upstate founders on the road this spring, launching a series of immersive roadshows designed to connect Upstate New York entrepreneurs with investors, customers, and corporate partners in some of the country’s most active innovation hubs.


The nonprofit will lead curated delegations to Detroit (May 18–20), Boston (May 27–28), and New York City (June 2–4), aligning each trip with major tech and startup weeks in those cities. Applications for the programs are open and will close between March 17 and March 31, depending on the city.


Founded in 2010, UVC supports entrepreneurs across Upstate New York by providing thought leadership, curated networking opportunities, and strategic introductions. The organization serves nearly 700 high-growth businesses and has become a connective tissue between the region’s founders and national capital markets.



The Founder Fusion Roadshows are structured as 2- to 3-day, high-intensity immersions. Each cohort, capped at 15 companies, will participate in pre-scheduled meetings with investors, corporate leaders, and prospective customers. Programming also includes targeted workshops tailored to each city’s industry strengths, curated roundtables, fireside conversations, and facilitated networking with regional experts and Upstate expatriates embedded in those ecosystems.


In Detroit, founders will plug into a city known for mobility, manufacturing, and industrial innovation. Boston’s roadshow will center on deep tech, biotech, and venture capital density. The New York City program, aligned with NYC Tech Week, will focus specifically on artificial intelligence.


Olivia Goldstein, CEO of Upstate Venture Connect, said “the goal is to reduce the friction founders face when trying to break into competitive markets.”
“Our roadshows are about more than exposure, they are about access,” Goldstein said. “We curate the right rooms, the right conversations, and the right follow-ups so founders from Upstate New York can accelerate relationships that would otherwise take months to build.”

Participation is competitive. UVC has secured limited sponsorship support to offset travel and accommodation costs for selected companies. Founders also have the option to self-fund at a flat fee of $3,000, which covers travel, lodging, and all programming. Each cohort will include no more than 15 companies to maintain a high-touch, high-value experience.



UVC Upstate Founders in Washington D.C.
UVC Upstate Founders in Washington D.C.

The model builds on prior roadshows, including a dual-use focused delegation to Washington, D.C., last October that connected founders with federal stakeholders and defense-adjacent partners. The organization plans to host two additional roadshows in the fall targeting climate and dual-use companies.


For Rochester and the broader Upstate ecosystem, the roadshows signal a deliberate strategy: connect local innovation to national opportunity. Rather than waiting for capital and customers to discover Upstate companies, UVC is bringing founders directly into the rooms where deals are made.


Applications are currently open for Upstate New York Founders:


For founders building venture-scale companies in Upstate New York, the message is clear: the next customer, investor, or strategic partner may not be local, but UVC is working to make the introduction.

Connected Know covers Rochester and Western New York business, tech, startups, and emerging industries.

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