UB to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week

From a tour of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to workshops on securing venture capital and making the perfect pitch, UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad and partners have planned more than a dozen events to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week this November.

The lineup gives Western New York’s entrepreneurs the chance to network, learn from each other and advance their business ideas.

“Global Entrepreneurship Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the Western New York community’s innovators and job creators, while also providing a forum for our next generation of leaders — not only to learn what it means to be an entrepreneur, but to actually put it into practice,” says Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of the Blackstone LaunchPad at UB and of the School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Blackstone LaunchPad at UB, a campus-based experiential entrepreneurship program, is co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Week events in Buffalo with partners including 43North; Atomic Medical Innovations; BAK USA; the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership; the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC); Buffalo Spree; dig Buffalo; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance (LGBTA) at UB; The Martin Group; SelectOne; the School of Social Work; and the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center on the BNMC.

Those who would like to attend should contact Alex Cleary Pelc to register for activities. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted here:

How Venture Capital Works: 6 p.m., Nov. 7, 220 Student Union, North Campus. How do business ideas get venture capital funding and what other types of funding are available? This workshop will cover the basics of seed funding.

The Perfect Pitch: 3:30 p.m., Nov. 10, 220 Student Union. Learn best practices for pitching your business idea and watch a past finalist of UB’s Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition present his/her winning pitch deck.

Protecting What’s Yours (Intellectual Property): 5:30 p.m., Nov. 10, 220 Student Union. How do you know if you have something worth protecting with a patent, trademark or copyright? This workshop will discuss the basics of intellectual property and innovation protection.

Startup Film Series: 6 p.m., Nov. 10, Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott St. on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The final installment of this year’s films series, which caters to entrepreneurs and those with big ideas. Free snacks and guaranteed inspiration. RSVP required.

Creative Innovation: Social Innovation from the Outside In: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 12, 210 Student Union. Socially conscious, action-oriented students are invited to participate in a unique workshop where they can partner with startup and nonprofit executives to develop innovative solutions to social challenges. Breakfast provided. RSVP required, hosted by the School of Social Work, School of Management and Blackstone LaunchPad.

3 MT Pitch: 4 p.m., Nov. 14, 330 Student Union. Attend this panel presentation to learn how to convey your thesis or dissertation research to a nonspecialist audience in just 3 minutes — a program founded by the University of Queensland.

Shark Tank Tuesday: noon, Nov. 15, 220 Student Union. Watch an episode of “Shark Tank” and discuss. You bring your lunch, we’ll bring the Goldfish.

LGBTA Club Event: 5-7 p.m., Nov. 15, Salvador Lounge in Davis Hall. Meet your professional allies at this entrepreneurship-focused networking event with other LGBT students.

Build Your Own Bagel Breakfast, Pitch Contest, dig Open House and Medical Campus Tour: 8 a.m., Nov. 16, Innovation Center. Join the Innovation Center, DIG, 43North, The Martin Group, SelectOne, BAK USA and Buffalo Spree for a breakfast, networking and idea pitch event. Stick around for the dig open house and a tour of the BNMC at 1 p.m.

Innovate N’ Caffeinate on Speedy Wheels: 6 p.m., Nov. 16, Innovation Center. Meet local entrepreneurs and build professional contacts at this fifth annual speed-networking event hosted by Dig, UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad and Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Revenue Models, 3:30 p.m., Nov. 17, 220 Student Union. How will your business or business idea make money and become sustainable? Learn about and analyze different revenue models.

Crowdfunding a Startup: 5 p.m., Nov. 17, 220 Student Union. Join us for an informational session on the benefits of crowdfunding your startup. Oscar Pedroso, founder of Thimble, raised more than $250,000 and will share his experience and tips, and be available for Q&A.

Sell Me This Finals — Pitching a Secret Product: 4:30 p.m., Nov. 18, 220 Student Union. Watch as six finalists compete for the Sell Me This championship title, with the winning pitch winning a $50 prize.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

During one week each November, thousands of events inspire people around the world through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. This year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week takes place from Nov. 14-20, with UB kicking the excitement off early with events starting the week before.