Mike Campbell brings helicopter tours to the sky over WNY. Courtesy of Mike Campbell
Living room by HGB Design Group Courtesy of HGB Design Group
Rebel One's co-founders Samantha Haney and Joe Hund Courtesy of Rebel One
Craig Turner offers campaign coaching Courtesy of The Campaign Coach
Fly Buffalo NY: Helicopter tours up and operational
After starting successful helicopter tour companies in New York and Miami, West Side native Mike Campbell recently started a helicopter tour business in downtown Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Fly Buffalo NY is a helicopter tour service that flies from the Buffalo-Lancaster Airport or the Niagara Falls International Airport. The 26-year-old Campbell says he started providing tours of his hometown on April 1st of this year after deciding he wanted to grow his business with a startup back home.
“It has always been my dream to bring helicopters to Buffalo and now is finally the time,” he says.
Prices for an area heli-tour with Fly Buffalo NY range from $120 to $300 per person per tour. The company has a full-time pilot and flies seven days a week.
HGB Design Group: Full-service interior design firm
Applying the approach that collaborating with clients brings the best results, HGB Design Group has quietly become known for offering highly specialized interior design services with a focus on a personalized experience and customer satisfaction. Established in February of 2016, the firm is owned by three women, Danielle Benson, Nicole Gavigan and Mary Hogle, who decided to partner together. It has an office in Williamsville and provides commercial and residential design expertise.
"All of our interiors combine thoughtful design and attention to detail with a focus on quality, functionality and the client's individual style," Nicole Gavigan, Managing Partner, said.
HGB Design Group has been featured in Design NY magazine twice and continues to grow its client base in Florida and New York.
Rebel One Studios: Buffalo's own animated production company
Now coming up on its second year anniversary, Rebel One Studios is an animation production company usually found in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Started by co-founders Samantha Haney and Joe Hund, the two said they saw an opportunity here to provide a service not offered here before. "We saw a hole here as far as the services that we provide," Hund, Rebel One's Business Development Director, says. "We want to help our clients by providing tools to communicate their products and services eloquently and effectively," he adds.
Rebel One has a studio in Buffalo at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus where it creates 2D and 3D animations, visualizations and motion graphics to businesses and organizations in sectors including advertising, architecture, engineering, education, forensics, healthcare, and manufacturing. Last November, Rebel One announced their acceptance into the START-UP NY program through a partnership with the University at Buffalo. Participating in START-UP NY will allow them to expand their team and services. Haney, Rebel One's Creative Director, and Hund are the companies two full-time employees, but they expect to bring on more full-time help.
Rebel One has done work for companies including the Buffalo Medical Group, Sinatra and Company and Wendel.
The Campaign Coach: Making local politics accessible
Area public relations executive and small business leader Craig Turner provides an additional unique service here in Western New York. His startup The Campaign Coach helps people in the area who want to run for local office get counseling on how to run a campaign. Turner says these candidates get guidance as they start political careers running for positions like seats on the town board, city council, and school boards. Usually, they don’t have the funds to hire political consultants, and Turner’s startup provides just that.
“My program is designed to create a better, more knowledgeable...local candidate across the country,” Turner says. “A niche is that I have a podcast, where I interview successful local candidates from around the country and add their insights to my own 20 years’ experience, for the best personal, inside information for people running campaigns,” he adds.