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Get to Know These Incredible Upstate NY Female Founders 

Get to Know These Incredible Upstate NY Female Founders 

For International Women’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate some of the powerhouse female founders from Upstate New York who are driving innovation and impact in their communities. 

At Upstate Venture Connect (UVC), we’re proud to support women entrepreneurs and help create a thriving startup ecosystem. Right now, UVC is tracking nearly 200 female founders across the Upstate regions – a number we’re excited to see grow year over year. 

Today, let’s get to know a few of these inspiring women from various corners of the state.

Meet the Founders 

Melissa Sciba 

Founder of Foreverly’s 
📍 Albany, NY 
https://for-everlys.com/ 

Melissa is the creative mind behind Foreverly’s, a brand dedicated to frozen, organic treats for kids. She spent 15 years in the healthcare technology sector, realizing that many health issues are directly related to the foods we eat – so decided to create more delicious, healthy snacks that have kids asking for “more, please!” 

Andrea Ippolito 

Founder of SimplieFed 
📍 Ithaca, NY 
https://www.simplifed.com/ 

Andrea leads SimplieFed, a virtual platform providing breastfeeding and baby feeding support for families everywhere. Through telehealth, SimplieFed is on a mission to make feeding support accessible and stress-free for new parents. 

Yami Payano 

Co-founder of Sign-Speak 
📍 Rochester, NY 
https://www.sign-speak.com/ 

Yami co-founded Sign-Speak, a groundbreaking company creating AI-powered translation tools that help bridge communication between American Sign Language (ASL) users and non-signers. Talk about making the world more inclusive! 

Christianne Radziewicz 

Founder of InteliEQ 
📍 Syracuse, NY 
https://intelieq.life/ 

Christianne is leading the way at InteliEQ, which offers emotional intelligence training for workplaces. Her mission? To empower organizations with the tools to build healthier, more emotionally resilient teams. 

Alicia Officer & Alisa Officer 

Founders of Unapologetic Coffee 
📍 Buffalo, NY 
https://unapologeticcoffee.us/  

Twin sisters and co-founders Alicia and Alisa aim to provide small batch, roasted quality coffee direct to consumers as well as small businesses. They focus on fresh roasted coffee on a micro level that focuses on the social responsibility of ethnic diversity and representation. 

Female Founders Across NY State 

  • From Buffalo to Albany and everywhere in between, women are leading the charge in industries like healthcare, tech, CPG, sustainability, and beyond. 
  • Female founders are not only creating jobs but also bringing fresh solutions to real-world problems. 

How UVC Supports Founders 

At UVC, we believe that connections are the secret sauce to startup success. That’s why we offer resources like the Founder Network, designed to help founders build meaningful relationships with mentors, investors, and peers throughout the region. 

If you’re a female founder looking for support, opportunities, or just a community that gets it – reach out to us. 

Want to Connect? 

Here are a few ways you can get involved: 

  • Sign up to join our Founder Network, designed to help you build meaningful relationships with mentors, investors, and peers throughout the region. 
  • Check out UVC’s events and programs designed to support startups. 
  • Share this post to help us highlight these amazing women and grow awareness for female-led businesses in Upstate NY.