Moderator & Panelist Biographies

Dan Miner spent ten years as a business journalist in Buffalo, writing about entrepreneurs who were remaking the city into a vibrant place to live and work. In 2022, he accepted a job at the University at Buffalo and runs its Start-Up NY incentives program for startups and small businesses.

Buffalo-native, Janna Willoughby-Lohr is an artist, poet, musician and self-proclaimed “mompreneur”.  Her business, Papercraft Miracles, is an eco-friendly handcrafted paper art company–making magical things out of paper that bring meaning to people’s lives. Janna founded Papercraft Miracles while still in college in 2003 and after returning to Buffalo in 2004, has been building the brand here ever since. She was awarded a $25,000 Ignite Buffalo Small Business Grant in 2018 and was named 40 Under 40 for Stationery & Gifts from Stationery Trends Magazine in 2019.  Her company has worked with major brands such as Twitter, Pinterest and Capital One. Her company created half a million plantable seed bombs that were included in the Lowe’s Spring Garden Giveaway across the US in 2021 and was also featured on the discovery+ crafting TV show, Meet Your Makers Showdown. She was also in the 2021 Top Ten Women Business Owners of the Year for the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2023, she was awarded the Women in Manufacturing Award from Business First.

Meet Julia Jornsay-Silverberg, the founder of Bravery Beats, a dynamic boutique social media agency that takes a very human and customized approach to helping brands show up online. With a passion for helping businesses not just survive but thrive in the digital landscape, Julia brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic insight to the table. As a proud recipient of the 2018 Emerging Alumni Award from the University at Buffalo School of Management Alumni Association, Julia has deep roots in Buffalo, embodying the spirit of the city in every aspect of her work.