Diana Cihak is the President of Upper Edge Consulting, a grant writing firm in Buffalo, New York. She has
built a successful business by combining the skills she has garnered from her entrepreneurial, political
and government experience to successfully consult organizations in finding a variety of funding
opportunities.

Diana takes a multi-disciplinary approach to finding sources of funding from state, federal and private
funding organizations for the firm’s for-profit, not for profit and municipal clients. Researching
appropriate funding sources, making connections with funders, authoring and packaging applications
along with proper follow up are all key to the success of Upper Edge’s clients. Since 2010 Diana and the
Upper Edge team have helped clients win awards that range from $5,000 to $4.5 Million raising a total
of $57 million+ to date for a number of great projects.

Diana has been featured in the New York Times and the Buffalo News. She has appeared on Fox
Business News, WGRZ, WBFO and the Canadian Network Television station CTS as well as in numerous
local publications.

Diana serves as a Trustee for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and she recently joined the Board
of the Center for Hope, WNY. She has also served on the Erie County Commission on the Status of
Women and Trailblazing Women of WNY and as former President of the Advisory Board of the Women’s
Business Center at Canisius College, the Founder of WEPac and the Women Elect program and
WomenEvents Buffalo. In September 2021 she was named one of the “WNY Power 100” by City and
State Magazine. She lives in Buffalo with her son, her daughter and two dogs, her oldest daughter is
living an adventurous life away from WNY and does not visit often enough.

Contact Diana at 716.955.9658 or email info@centerforhopewny.org