In this episode, I sit down with Elisa Miller-Out, Managing Partner at Chloe Capital, to unpack her journey from a Gilded Age lineage and a childhood on food stamps to serial founder and investor with 65+ portfolio companies and multiple M&A, including a $100M exit. We dig into how her theater-to-tech operating background shapes founder empathy, sales/storytelling, and practical company-building.

Elisa shares candid wins and stumbles, from a risky bridge round that became a marquee exit to hard-earned lessons on the perils of venture debt, and why “founders to funders” is the flywheel the ecosystem needs. We close on Chloe Capital’s mission of inclusive innovation, their accelerator work across NY (and beyond), and how Upstate’s growing network is opening real pathways to customers, capital, and community.

In this episode of the UVC Founders and Leaders Podcast, host Patrick Bosek sits down with Michael Ryzowick, technical co-founder of Rosie, the Ithaca-based grocery e-commerce platform acquired by Instacart in 2022. Michael shares the multi-generational roots of his entrepreneurial drive, the journey from scrappy upstate startup to successful exit, and the pivotal moments that shaped Rosie’s evolution. From dumpster-dived printers to negotiating an acquisition in the days before his wedding, this conversation dives deep into the grit, pivots, and lessons behind building a business in upstate New York.

Jeffrey Allen, Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and AI at Nazareth University, joins host Patrick Bosek to share his journey from the Marines to international tech, startup ventures like Lottery.com and Echo Ridge, and ultimately academia. He discusses the ethics of AI, the societal impacts of emerging tech, and how Nazareth is building a unique interdisciplinary AI program. Jeffrey also explains how the university supports ambitious startups through STTR grants, aiming to turn upstate New York into a hub for responsible AI innovation.

In this episode, Patrick Bosek talks with Nasir Ali, co-founder of Upstate Venture Connect, about building a thriving startup ecosystem in Upstate New York. Nasir shares the origin story of UVC, the importance of high-growth entrepreneurship, and how community connectivity drives regional transformation. They also discuss practical ways founders, mentors, and investors can get involved in growing the Upstate innovation economy.

In episode 2 of UVC Founders and Leaders Patrick talks with Rick Pereira about his journey as a professional focused on the people at organizations. Rick tells the story of his time as Chief People Officer at Slice and co-founder of Welcome.

In the first episode of UVC Founders and Leaders we talk to the leader of UVC, Olivia Goldstien. Olivia and Patrick discuss Olivia's journey to this position, why Upstate NY, and where UVC is going.

 We're launching a new podcast called Upstate Venture Connect, Founders and Leaders. It's a monthly conversation with the members of the upstate New York region who are starting and leading amazing enterprises.