It’s hard to shake a stigma. To break a definition. To develop new preconceived notions.
How much can you change in a year?
Individually, we can change a lot in a year. We can form new habits and routines. We can find new friendships and relationships. We can do that hard thing we’ve been deprioritizing for years and say “this is the year!”
When you’re talking about a city, a region, or a business, you have to extend that event horizon much further. Then you can see the changes that seem to unfold slowly, then all at once.
How much has Buffalo changed in the last decade?
We’ll never get rid of the harsh winters that last way too long.
The Sabres will someday win a Stanley Cup, or the Bills a Super Bowl. Preferably both, and soon.
But Buffalo, through all the highs and lows of its history, has always been a place of innovation.
This region was built by people who figured things out. People who solved real problems. People who created systems, products, and businesses that powered entire industries. Innovation was about craftsmanship, connection, and pride in doing things well.
We see that spirit of innovation in the past and present of Lighthouse’s new home in Larkinville.
Inside 726 Exchange St., there lives an incredible institutional history. It’s an homage to Buffalo’s legacy as a place for innovation. And The Larkin Company’s approach to doing business resembles several best practices businesses talk about and practice to this day.
Talk about a place where craftsmanship, connection, and pride were held up as the indicators of success:
The Larkin Company pioneered a new sales strategy for their consumer products, in mail-order manufacturing.
The Larkins invested in clean, comfortable office space to attract top talent.
Employees in the early 20th century enjoyed amenities that certainly weren’t common practice at that time: daily exercise, men’s and women’s clubs for gathering, free coffee, air conditioning in the building, and more.
The story of John Larkin and the start of the Larkin Soap Company.
The Larkin Company was ahead of the curve on work amenities - like free coffee!
The bar for innovation today feels like it’s set so high.
It can feel overwhelming to try and “keep up” by chasing whatever’s new — AI, tools, digital platforms, trends — without the space to ask a more important question:
“What problem are we actually trying to solve?”
That’s innovation in a nutshell. Delivering a new solution for a persistent problem.
The next wave of progress in Buffalo won’t come from becoming something we’re not. It will come from honoring timeless principles like clarity, focus, discipline, and people —then stepping forward with intention.
It looks like legacy businesses building systems for the future, rather than just doing what we’ve always done.
It looks like leaders creating time for visionary thinking, not just reacting.
It looks like innovation grounded in fundamentals, not just hype.
We don’t need to innovate our region’s story. It’s the same as it’s always been.
We’re just moving faster towards where we want to be.
And we can keep it going by celebrating the wins, and inviting others to join us on the journey.
Want to Keep Learning With Us?
The Beacon is going to be a weekly newsletter showing up in your inbox with our team’s perspectives and stories. In time, it’ll become more than that.
While we’ve done several podcasts and video series over the past years, we’re bringing those under the same branding, the same umbrella as this newsletter. The Beacon is the place for our storytelling as an organization.
Podcast conversations with our team, and our friends from the Buffalo business community and beyond, will resume soon.
And when you subscribe to this newsletter, you’ll get each episode straight to your inbox too - in addition to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you like to tune in.
While we get the podcast back up and running, this week’s story was inspired by a conversation between Randy Harris and Michael Ulbrich last year for Light Up The Buffalo Economy. It’s a timeless conversation about the basic principles that drive our business and so many others. The start of the year here is a great time to get (back) in that mindset.
Here’s How to Hire Better in 2026
There’s one fear that always tends to emerge in hiring: a fear that the role gets filled by the wrong person.
And more often than not, it’s either result of moving too fast through the hiring process, or not being clear on what was needed from that role regardless of who fills it.
While we have teams dedicated to both tech recruiting and managed IT services today, helping businesses find the right technology talent is the core of what we do.
New on our blog for January is a great post on how to design your hiring process and avoid some of the common pitfalls that lead to a mishire.
What We’re Recruiting For Today
Our Technology Talent Managers are always tuned in to the market, creating opportunities for technology professionals and innovative businesses to connect.
Here’s a few roles we’re recruiting for for this week:
Mainframe Developer: A 12-month, contract-to-hire, remote job opportunity for someone with deep expertise in legacy mainframe technologies, systems integration, and network protocol interactions.
Program/Project Manager: A client of ours in Charlotte is looking for someone proactive, outcome-oriented, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. The successful candidate will serve as a senior enterprise delivery leader, acting as a strategic partner to business and product leadership. Another 12-month contract-to-hire role. It’s remote, but Eastern Time working hours are required.
Systems Administrator/Engineer: This is an exciting one as we look to expand our own Managed IT Services team! We’re looking for an experienced IT support and infrastructure professional, preferably someone with past MSP experience, who meets our core values and takes pride in delivering an exceptional client experience.