Colleen Heidinger '02 Appointed President of 43North

1/24/2020

The 43North board of directors announced on Thursday that Nichols School alumna Colleen Heidinger '02 was appointed as the organization's new President. Heidinger is 43North's fourth president and the first female president of the organization.

Heidinger has worked with 43North since 2015, most recently as Vice President of Programming Strategy and Community Engagement. Heidinger moves into the role of President at an exciting time for 43North as the organization prepares to move its headquarters into the newly-renovated Seneca One Tower in February.

"It is truly an honor to be selected as the next leader of 43North and build on the momentum that we've achieved over the past six years," Heidinger said. "Buffalo is a place that I hold so dear, and I look forward to sharing 43North's story on a larger scale to attract startups to our region."

A 2019 Buffalo Business First 40 Under 40 honoree, Heidinger has previously served on the Nichols School Alumni Board for three years.

Heidinger is also involved throughout the Buffalo community, having opened her own yoga studio, Space on Seneca, in the developing Larkinville district, and teaching at Daemen College as an adjunct professor of entrepreurship.

Her love of creating and building from a business perspective began as a Nichols School senior. Heidinger's senior project involved interviewing small-business owners on Elmwood Avenue and learning from their experiences.

"I envisioned myself owning and operating something someday in our city," Heidinger told the Buffalo News.

That passion for the city of Buffalo has led her to a leadership position with an organization firmly established as a part of Buffalo's business renaissance.

"Attracting these companies and ensuring that they do well here from a business perspective as well as falling in love with Buffalo is still at the top of our list," she said. "But what we do here is so special, I think we can do a better job telling our story beyond the Shea's stage and beyond Buffalo."