Emerging Leaders Class of 2020

Michael Weidrich has been a fierce activist and advocate for 30 years, fighting for marginalized communities, especially LGBTQ+ people and people of color, and their intersection which Michael identifies as. Michael has spent his career helping people in the community through grassroots work with various not-for-profit agencies across Upstate New York, having been an Executive Director for numerous organizations, including the Pride Center of the Capital Region, the Lark Street Business Improvement District, Young Audiences of Western New York, and currently at the South Buffalo Community Association.

A native of Buffalo and a proud alumni of the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, Michael earned a BFA from Syracuse University, and an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the College of Saint Rose with two Advanced Graduate Certificates. After 20 years living in the State Capital, Michael returned home in 2018 to take care of his family.