Activities slated for 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Week at UB

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to network, listen and learn as the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the University at Buffalo School of Management, Career Services and the UB Undergraduate Academies celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week.

“Global Entrepreneurship Week is our chance to be a part of the worldwide community of entrepreneurs,” said Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean and CEL executive director. “We hope to bring aspiring entrepreneurs and those with a general interest in entrepreneurship together to provide them with accurate insight and practical skills.”

Events will be held on UB’s North Campus and include:

• Entrepreneurship Lecture (7 p.m., Nov. 14, Norton Hall) – Join Michael Weisman, MBA ’01, founder of Campus Labs, for a speaking engagement hosted by the Undergraduate Academies
• Entrepreneurship Panel (5 p.m., Nov. 19, Student Union) – A panel discussion of local entrepreneurs and small business resource agencies, hosted by UB Career Services
• Second Annual Speed Networking (4 p.m., Nov. 20, Student Union) – Participants can meet local entrepreneurs and build professional contacts through this event, hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Business Plan Writing Seminar (5 p.m., Nov. 21, Alfiero Center) – A workshop instructing participants on how to write a business plan; facilitated by Jack McGowan, Director of the WNY Venture Association, and hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

In addition, the CEL and UB Student Affairs are co-sponsoring a visit by noted author Malcolm Gladwell on Nov. 13 as part of the UB Distinguished Speaker Series. Gladwell is a New York Times No. 1 best-seller and author of the 2013 UB Reads selection, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.”

Registration is required for all events. For more information, contact Alex Cleary at 716-885-5715, ext. 30, or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest 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 and competitions around the world inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors. In five years, Global Entrepreneurship Week has expanded to 139 countries—building and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. Powered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and sponsored by Dell, the initiative is supported by dozens of world leaders and a network of roughly 10,000 partner organizations.

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.