“My time in Upstate New York has convinced me of the potential this region has for regaining its central place in the national and global economy. A critical factor for our future success is having a mechanism that connects Upstate’s innovation assets and entrepreneurial drive to individuals and institutions that are willing to accelerate their success,” said Ali, who moved to this region from the Washington, DC area five years ago. “The opportunity to work with Martin on unlocking Upstate’s potential is one I could not pass up,” he added. Upstate Venture Connect will be based at the Syracuse Technology Garden incubator. Ali will continue to lead the Seed Capital Fund of Central New York, a private investment fund he launched in 2007 (www.scfcny.com).
Martin Babinec moved his family back to his hometown of Little Falls, NY ten years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area. Babinec founded TriNet in 1988, and until recently commuted regularly from Little Falls to Silicon Valley. He stepped down from his position as CEO in May 2008 and recently relinquished his responsibilities as chairman of TriNet to focus his efforts on creating Upstate Venture Connect. “Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to get to know world class entrepreneurs across Upstate and many of the talented individuals who are working hard to help them succeed. There are thousands of successful people outside the region with the capacity and the desire to help Upstate entrepreneurs. Making those connections happen is the central focus of Upstate Venture Connect.”
