City Sharper: Lauren Lewis

City Shaper: Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is a partner at StaffBuffalo.

Author: Kelly Dudzik

Published: 7:57 PM EDT September 9, 2019

BUFFALO, N.Y. — This year, we're celebrating the women who are making Western New York a great place to live in our City Shapers reports. This week's City Shaper is helping companies find the perfect people to join their teams.

Lauren Lewis is a partner at StaffBuffalo. She grew up in Buffalo.

StaffBuffalo is a certified women-owned business founded by Lauren Lewis and her cousin Maggie Shea.

"We started the company back in 2015, and we've kind of just grown over the past four-and-a-half years," says Lewis. "My team has grown, the clients we work with have grown, and it's kind of been really fun to be a part of the renaissance in Buffalo as there are more companies coming here and companies are growing in Buffalo."

StaffBuffalo is a full-service recruiting company focusing on the permanent placements of professional level jobs - think jobs in accounting, finance, legal, human resources, and more.

Both Lewis and Shea left Buffalo for college and came back.

"Do you find a lot of young people wanting to move back to Western New York or move here because they heard about what's happening here?" asked 2 On Your Side’s Kelly Dudzik.

"Yeah, young people, people who are more tenured in their careers, a lot of people want to come back to Buffalo," Lewis said. "Whether they've gone away for college and have stayed away or moved to other parts of the country for jobs, now they're really excited about what's happening in their hometown, and they want to come back and be a part of it."

"What keeps you passionate about what you do?" asked Dudzik.

"I love working with people," she said. "I love building relationships. I love learning about the new companies in Buffalo. I love seeing the start-up community, and a lot of people taking that risk, and starting their own businesses in Buffalo."

Lewis also co-hosts her own radio show "WNY at Work" on ESPN 1520am, and her team does a lot of volunteer work. They really encourage their team to give back whether it's by serving on different boards or donating their time.

"We're all pretty much Buffalo born and bred people on our team, and we love to just be a part of the community and really give back," says Lewis.

If you know a Western New York woman who would be a great City Shaper, send Kelly Dudzik a nomination.

City Shapers can be women who are making a difference in any industry in WNY.