Information session for emerging minority and women entrepreneurs July 26

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) will host an information session for individuals interested in learning more about the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs (MWEE) program from 8-10 a.m. on July 26 at the UB Educational Opportunity Center Conference Room, 555 Ellicott St. in Buffalo.

Thomas Ulbrich, CEL executive director, and Alex Cleary Pelc, senior program coordinator, will provide an overview of the program and answer any questions. To register, send an email to mgt-cel@buffalo.edu or call 716-885-5715.

The MWEE program is a joint venture by the CEL and the UB Center for Urban Studies that enables women and minority business owners to move their companies to the next stage of development.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for minority and women entrepreneurs to forge relationships, be mentored, network and get technical advice about running their businesses,” says Ulbrich. “It also helps them develop clear objectives and the business strategies to achieve them.”

Participants in the nine-month, fee-based program are women and members of recognized minority groups whose Buffalo-Niagara region businesses are still in the fledgling stages of growth.

Initiated in 2004, the MWEE program is modeled after the CEL’s Core program, which enhances the management abilities of business leaders, the profitability of their firms and the development of business relationships through an expanded network of contacts.

A key feature of the program is the collaboration between MWEE participants and CEL Core graduates. This relationship gives MWEE participants the opportunity to develop a plan to advance their business and learn related skills, in partnership with successful business leaders in the region. It also introduces them to a support network from which they will benefit for years to come.

In addition to the benefit to individual entrepreneurs, the program helps to create viable and sustainable businesses in Western New York, strengthening the economy of the region.

The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corp. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, The Allstate Foundation supports innovative and lasting solutions that inspire change and bring out the good in people’s lives and local communities. For more information, visit allstatefoundation.org.

Established in 1987, the CEL provides participants with individualized and interactive education in entrepreneurship. More than 1,300 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses contribute more than $2 billion to the local economy annually. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel.