Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership again recognized for influence

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) has been named a Top 100 Champion in the 2013 Small Business Influencer Awards by Small Business Trends.

The Small Business Influencer Awards honor those who are influential to small businesses in North America, through the products, services, knowledge, information or support they provide to the small business market.

The CEL is being recognized for promoting business growth through leadership development and experiential learning, enhancing the management abilities of business leaders and building new business relationships through an expanded network of contacts.

In 2012, the CEL received an honorable mention as a Small Business Influencer.

“The CEL is here to promote and help small businesses succeed,” said Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean and CEL executive director. “It’s an honor for the entire CEL team to be recognized once again by Small Business Trends.”

Other notable 2013 Top 100 Champions include Samsung, Paychex and FedEx Office.

The Small Business Influencer Awards initiative is produced by Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication, serving more than 6 million small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually, and SmallBizTechnology.com, a media company that produces online content and live events educating small and mid-sized companies on how to strategically use technology as a tool to grow their businesses.

Established in 1987, the CEL provides participants with individualized and interactive education in entrepreneurship. More than 1,200 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News and World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system that is its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.