Activities slated for 2014 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, UB Career Services, the UB Undergraduate Academies and AT&T celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week through a series of Buffalo-area events.

“Entrepreneurs can be a great force for change,” says Thomas Ulbrich, CEL executive director and assistant dean in the UB School of Management. “Global Entrepreneurship Week gives us another opportunity to help spark great ideas and improve our community.”

The events are sponsored by AT&T and include:

• Kickoff (11 a.m., Nov. 15, D!g, 640 Ellicott St., Buffalo) – Work with experts from the Buffalo State International Center for Studies in Creativity for a workshop on innovation in entrepreneurship, hosted by the CEL and the Undergraduate Academies.
• Third Annual Speed Networking (4 p.m., Nov. 17, Student Union, UB North Campus) – Meet local entrepreneurs and build professional contacts, hosted by the CEL.
• Entrepreneurship Panel (5 p.m., Nov. 18, Student Union, UB North Campus) – Learn from a panel of local entrepreneurs and small business resource agencies at a session hosted by UB Career Services.
• Entrepreneurship Speaking Engagement (7 p.m., Nov. 19, Norton Hall, UB North Campus) – Hear from Oscar Pedroso, founder of GradFly, an online portfolio platform for STEM students. Hosted by the UB Undergraduate Academies.
• AT&T’s WNY Civic App Challenge Demo Day (10 a.m., Nov. 20, D!g, 640 Ellicott St.) – See demonstrations of the top smartphone apps developed during a two-month “virtual hackathon” to solve social and civic issues in Western New York.
• Pitch Preparation (4 p.m., Nov. 21, Jacobs Management Center, UB North Campus) – Learn how to craft the perfect pitch in this instructional workshop facilitated by Jeff Beacham and hosted by the CEL.

All events are free and open to the public. To register or for more information, contact Alex Cleary Pelc 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 six years, Global Entrepreneurship Week has expanded to 140 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, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB’s nearly 30,000 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.