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What’s Next?

Entrepreneurs Rising and Communities Healing

Published November 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST
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Background from left to right: red, then a vertical, thick white stripe in the middle, then black. from left to right: WN logo in the top corner, "ENTREPRENEURS & RISING #309" in black text over the red and "COMMUNITIES HEALING" in white text over the black, then photos of Tamara Zantell, Zandra Cunningham, and Dorian Withrow Jr. at the bottom of the image.

Buffalo’s East Side is growing, creating, and healing in ways that deserve the spotlight. On this episode of What’s Next?, we explore two community-driven forces shaping that future. First, we dive into REACH East, a marketing accelerator designed to elevate local entrepreneurs. Program founder Tamara Zantell and entrepreneur Zandra Cunningham share how the initiative invests directly in East Side businesses through hands-on mentorship, strategic marketing training, and funding that builds long-term visibility and resilience. Then, author, counselor, and animator Dorian Withrow Jr. joins us for a powerful conversation about mental health, creativity, and emotional truth. He reflects on the realities of grief and suicide in the community, the importance of connection, and how writing and animation can become pathways to healing and understanding. A conversation about growth, care, and the future of Buffalo’s East Side.

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