The NYS Women, Inc. Buffalo Niagara Chapter (BNC) is proud to showcase successful local women who have given back to the Western New York community. “Women In Leadership” honorees are established women business owners or professional/working women who have exhibited leadership, enterprise, and excellence in their business or profession and give back to the Western New York or greater community. The goal of the program is to recognize women who have succeeded both in the business and charitable arenas and help inspire others to follow in their path.

Throughout the year a woman business owner or working woman will be featured. Each June, BNC will recognize all our honorees at an annual event.

Criteria

Established woman business owner or working/professional woman who:

• Exhibits leadership, enterprise, and excellence in their business;
• Gives back to Western New York or greater community with volunteer service 

Women In Leadership Application

October 2024 Honoree

Kristin Heltman-Weiss, Executive Director, Providence Farm Collective

Kristin has shared her time and skills as a volunteer throughout her life. She served on the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women’s Education Committee. From 2012 to 2018, she and her husband Paul, led the East Aurora Rotary Club’s Youth Exchange Program. During that time they hosted students from across Europe. From 2016-2020, she provided academic support and advocacy for children at the Somali Bantu Community Organization of WNY’s After School Program.

In 2017, in partnership with Somali Bantu leadership, she was a founding member of the Somali Bantu Community Farm and in 2019, the group formed Providence Farm Collective as a nonprofit 501c3 with a mission of cultivating farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems for under-resourced peoples. Located near Orchard Park, it is the only non-profit in WNY that directly supports communities with access to rural farmland, farming and business education, markets, and the opportunity to farm for income. In 2020 Kristin was appointed executive director at Providence Farm Collective.

Most recently, Kristin served as a member of the One Region for Climate Action Climate Justice Working Group, a project of One Region Forward, and as a board member for the Somali Bantu Community Organization of WNY. She currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of Providence Farm Collective. She also serves on the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets Diversity & Racial Equity Network, and is a member of the Food Future WNY Access, Equity & Sovereignty Working Group and Food Future’s Regional Leadership Team. Kristin is a founding member of the WNY Farmland Access Support Network, whose mission to improve land access in WNY by making better use of existing resources and programs, identify and fill holes in the network, identify and break down barriers, and actually get people onto farmland.

Kristin received her B.A. and Ed. M. from SUNY Buffalo. She taught English, research skills, and writing at SUNY Buffalo, Canisius College, and Williamsville North High School, prior to founding Buffalo Educational Therapy, which provided intensive individualized academic intervention for children, adolescents and adults with learning differences.