The CEL Core class of 2025. Photo: Bellini Studios
Release Date: July 1, 2025
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A new cohort of seasoned entrepreneurs is set to advance their businesses and significantly contribute to the local economy after completing the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) Core program in the University at Buffalo School of Management.
Thirty-nine graduates were celebrated at a joint ceremony with another CEL class, the M&T Bank Emerging Entrepreneurs program, on June 12 at the UB Center for the Arts on the university’s North Campus.
The new Core graduates completed a peer-based, mentor-driven program to help grow, refocus or better manage their businesses. Throughout the ten-month course, they conducted comprehensive analyses of their businesses and honed skills in critical areas such as strategic planning, financial management, employee relations and marketing.
The 2025 CEL Core graduates and their companies are:
Applications are now open for the next CEL Core program, beginning this fall. Individuals interested in learning more about the curriculum and speaking candidly with Core alumni can register for an upcoming open house, to be held at 5 p.m. on July 29 at Tappo on Ellicott Street in Buffalo.
To register for an open house or apply to the program, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.
Established in 1987, the CEL provides participants with individualized and interactive education in entrepreneurship. More than 1,500 CEL alumni employ more than 23,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2.3 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit management.buffalo.edu/cel.
The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes and U.S. News & 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 management.buffalo.edu.
Contact
Kevin Manne
Associate Director of Communications
School of Management
716-645-5238
kjmanne@buffalo.edu