Program

Final presentations: 4:30-7:30 p.m. on April 24, 2025
$75,000 in startup funding and business services

Overview

The Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition was created by the UB School of Management and the UB Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships. Funded with a $1 million endowment from the late Henry A. Panasci Jr., the program brings UB students from science, technology, business and other disciplines together to maximize their potential to create viable businesses in Western New York.

The competition is hosted by UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad.

Agenda Judges Panel Finalists Special Thanks Sponsors

Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of judges on how well they accomplish the following:

  • Describe a feasible and marketable startup venture in Western New York
  • Present concise, focused and well-organized written material
  • Prove the need for a product or service and identify its target market
  • Explain how jobs will be created and demonstrate the financial viability of the operation
  • Present potential sources of capital
     

Lalit Goel, MUP ’90, MBA ’97
CEO, Aerostar Manufacturing

John Hannon, MBA ’87, PhD
Founding Director, Brook T. Smith Launchpad, Clemson University

Rachel E. Jackson, BS ’95, Esq.
Founder and General Counsel, Realize Music, Managing Partner, Jackson & Jackson LLP

Penelope Shihab Saidan, PhD
Executive Director for Innovation and Collaborative Ventures, University at Buffalo

Trevor Titley, BA ’12
Founder, The Ticketing Co., Co-Founder/CEO, Good Looks Foundation