BUFFALO, N.Y. — Evan Leaphart picked an interesting week to move to Buffalo.
"I am a diehard Steelers fan, so I know this is not the thing to say this week," Leaphart said, given that the Bills are set to host the Steelers in a wildcard game on Sunday. "I was hoping for a couple of different outcomes, so it didn't come to this."
The Pittsburgh native had one million reasons to set up shop in enemy territory for the year. His company, Kredit Academy, was the People's Choice winner at the 43 North Finals back in the fall.
"We were the last company called," he said. "So me and Mike, Mike's my co-founder, we were just like, are we going to get it, are we going to get it."
Kredit Academy is a credit card company focused on education.
"I was that kid who turned 18, got a credit card right away, and immediately maxed it out," Leaphart said. "Just really wanted to build something that was the vitamin and not the pain pill."
Kredit Academy and the four other winners of 43 North's ninth annual business competition all moved into the organization's headquarters on the 24th floor of Seneca One on Tuesday morning.
For the first time in their company's history, Leaphart and Co-founder Mike Gross will get to work face-to-face.
"Mike and I have lived in separate locations, so he's been in Philly, I've been in Miami, and I mean there's nothing that beats kind of heads down, in-person collaboration," Leaphart said.
The same goes for another one of this year's winners, Jane Chen of Stepwise.
"Our team has been remote up to this point, and so we're so excited that there's a reason to now come together," Chen said.
Working out of their new office space, her team of five plans to launch a product this year that can improve how electricity is distributed throughout a home.
"So that the homeowner can save money on those installations and also on their electric bill," Chen explained.
As far as first impressions of the City of Good Neighbors go, she shared a story of a recent grocery run.
"On my first day here, we're living in this house on Elmwood and I went to the grocery store." she said. "Forgot to bring a bag, and then realized that they didn't have plastic bags, and so I bought one, but it was so big and I ended up buying way too much stuff. So I was struggling with my groceries. As I was carrying it outside, this kind gentleman just walked up to me and was like hey can I help you carry that, and literally we each took one of the strings, and he walked me home."
A warm welcome from a cold weather city can go a long way, just not far enough to abandon lifelong football allegiances or anything.
"I'm a fan of everything," Leaphart, the Pittsburgh native and Steelers fan said. "Except Sunday. We'll see what happens. We're underdogs so we'll see what happens."
43 North will host a Newcomer Mixer with the new co-hort of founders on Thursday, January 11th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in the Seneca One lobby. The event is open to the public.