New High-Tech Entrepreneurship Program Launched for Life Sciences

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences have launched a new workforce development program, the High-Tech Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

The program offers the leaders of early-stage life sciences companies the opportunity to learn from established life sciences entrepreneurs as well as from others who are important to long-term success, such as venture capitalists.

The 10-week program is already under way and will meet weekly through December. Classes include interactive lectures, guest speakers who will share their industry experience, panel discussions and case studies on a wide range of topics, including entrepreneurship challenges, intellectual property, licensing and regulatory issues, sales and marketing and financing.

The High-Tech CEL program is funded in part with a grant from the New York State Department of Labor through the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board, Inc.

Representatives from 12 life sciences companies are enrolled in the inaugural class. They are: John Aletta of CH3 BioSystems, Jeff Harvey of Rose Pharmaceuticals, Mary McCourt of MMC Lipid Bioservices, Thomas Sass of NanoAxis, Sarah Ambrus of BOSS Translational Medicine, Michael Green of TheraSyn DM, Brian Egan of Advantage Home Telehealth, Michael Pyszczek of Balan Biomedical, John Lordi of Buffalo BioBlower Technologies, Mark Wagner of Sensorcon, Michael Zwick of AndroBioSys and Jeffrey Dann of Sleep Insights Management Services.

“Our goal is to help these organizations build strong management teams and to provide them with the information they need to develop their pathways to commercialization,” said Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of the UB School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“This program is a natural collaboration for building the new economy in our region, where high-tech businesses in sectors like the life sciences really benefit from the expertise of both the Center of Excellence and the UB School of Management,” said Marnie LaVigne, director of business development for the Center of Excellence and the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology (UB CAT).

The Center of Excellence was created in Buffalo in 2002 as part of more than $200 million in investment from state, federal, industry and philanthropic sources to create a hub of life sciences expertise and innovation in Upstate New York. The UB CAT program is housed as one of the key resources at the center designed to translate cutting edge research into commercial products and services that enhance health and well-being, while improving the region’s economy. 

The UB School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership has been assisting area entrepreneurs for more than 21 years. Nearly 700 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy.

The Wall Street Journal has ranked the UB School of Management No. 9 in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. In addition, BusinessWeek has ranked the school as one of the country's top 5 business schools for the fastest return on MBA investment, and Forbes has cited it as one of the best business schools in the U.S. for the return on investment it provides MBA 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 and 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.