Entrepreneurship and Innovation Resources for Master's Students
As you pursue your master's degree you will be immersed in a world of creativity, resourcefulness and visionary thinking. When unleashing your entrepreneurial spirit, you will learn to conceive, develop and execute innovative business ideas, fostering your own ventures as entrepreneurs. Moreover, you will be equipped to drive positive change within established organizations, spearheading innovation from within as intrapreneurs. The University at Buffalo has a variety of resources for you to help enrich your experience and gain the skills, knowledge and mindset necessary to shape a promising future, leading the charge in shaping a vibrant and competitive business landscape.
- Innovate & Caffeinate is a weekly gathering on Thursdays, 4-5 p.m. in the CoLab (Student Union, Room 340) for innovators and makers at the University at Buffalo. Networking is the best way to have your coffee!
- Master Class is a semester of expert speakers on resources for entrepreneurs and innovators. These sessions focus on important skills like creative problem-solving, business revenue models, understanding market segmentation, learning how to to start startup and more. Come to one or the entire series. Master Class takes place every Tuesday at 7-8 p.m. on Zoom.
- Startup Boot Camp is a three-day experience held just before each semester starts. It gives you the tool and support to get your business idea off the ground.
- Competitions allow graduate students to build skills. Not sure where to start? Join one of the CoLab's competitions to build entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills. Competitions include the Graduate School's Three Minute Thesis competition, innovation sprints, Bulls Launch and Pitch for a Purpose.
- Design Challenges connect graduate students with specific business challenges and formulate ideas for solutions. This is also a way to network with industry experts and gain professional skills.
- Innovation Sprints challenge teams of students, including graduate students, to develop viable solutions to actual problems or questions an organization poses. Graduate students are exposed to opportunities to apply innovative thinking and disciplinary knowledge to real-world applications.
- Social Impact Fellows, MBA and MSW students from the School of Management and School of Social Work, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, create social innovation in Western New York. Together, our students collaborate, address pressing social issues and make an impact.
- Western New York Prosperity Fellowship Program is open to graduate students who are actively preparing for careers that further economic development and growth in Western New York. The fellowship provides funding and professional development opportunities, as well as access to business and community leaders.
- Inclusive Launch, offered in the spring, is a series of workshops and discussions to empower women and students from diverse backgrounds to move into the innovation and entrepreneurial space.
Featured Partner: The CoLab
The Startup and Innovation CoLab powered by Blackstone LaunchPad (CoLab) is an experiential campus program designed to introduce entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Innovators and entrepreneurs have access to resources and specialized tools that enable them to share knowledge, explore best practices, find team members and launch their startups and careers.
The Master's Map
Every other Wednesday during the semester, the Graduate School emails the Master's Map to all master's students, a selection of news and happenings within the Graduate School and its partnering offices. If you want to be added to the mailing list, please contact grad@buffalo.edu.