Hadar Borden

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Hadar Borden (image by Nancy J. Parisi, used with permission)

Published March 5, 2018 This content is archived.

Each month, we'll introduce you to an interesting member of the Professional Staff Senate. This month's featured member is Hadar Borden, program director for Blackstone LaunchPad and the WNY Prosperity Fellowship Program, with the Office of the Vice President for Student Life.

How long have you worked at UB?

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Wow, it's been 17 years and every day is a new adventure! 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The opportunity to contribute and shape young lives. 

What's the most difficult part about your job?

The difficult moments and conversations with students, when you help them face that maybe what they were planning to accomplish isn't possible at that moment and helping them to see the long road, that there are many ways to reach your goal.

Tell us something about your department that isn't well known.

Blackstone LaunchPad is a campus-based entrepreneurship center that supports students, alumni, faculty and staff developing their ideas into a venture. What people do not realize is that we are here to cultivate a culture of innovation and creativity in all. We focus many of our efforts to encourage intrapreneurship, building the drive of individuals in a traditional organization to come up with innovative and profitable ideas. I see myself as an intrapreneur.

If you were to share some advice for other professional staff, what would it be?

Look for opportunities to collaborate with colleagues outside of your department. It adds a new flavor to your role, your experience and your department's offerings to support the university's mission. 

Do you have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?

I enjoy sharing my time in the community by serving on the boards of the Buffalo Jewish Federation, University Heights Tool Library and Explore Buffalo. Oh, and Ubering my boys across Buffalo!

Do you have a favorite meal you like to prepare?

I am a vegetarian and recently started playing with plant-based recipes. In addition, I've fully embraced the Mason jar, as my colleagues might chime in to share, they're great vessels to carry, well, anything. My favorite meal is Dreena Burton's Thick 'n Hearty Tomato Sauce of red lentils, found in her Plant-Powered Families book of recipes.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Back to my homeland. I came to the U.S. from Jerusalem, Israel, when I was in elementary school.

Any other fun facts about you?

I'm a connector, through and through; I enjoy connecting people and ideas. UB and the WNY community are full of these possibilities.