Center For Entrepreneurial Leadership to Mark 10th Anniversary

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the University at Buffalo School of Management will commemorate its 10th anniversary with a gala dinner celebrating its role in the growth of hundreds of businesses throughout Western New York.

Sponsored by M&T Bank, the black-tie affair will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

The dinner will recognize CEL graduates who have used techniques and strategies gained through the program to launch and enhance various business ventures throughout the region.

"The dinner is a celebration of both personal and community successes," said CEL Director Marianne Sullivan. "In recognizing the achievements of these entrepreneurs, we also pay tribute to the positive impact they¹ve had on the Western New York economy."

The CEL was established by the UB School of Management as a way to develop companies that would be headquartered in Western New York and whose owners would be loyal to the local economy. The CEL¹s 10-month program is designed to enhance the talents and operating abilities of practicing entrepreneurs through the analysis of business problems and opportunities. Access to the expertise of local business executives and School of Management faculty also is provided.

Eight entrepreneurs graduated from the CEL¹s first class in 1987; 26 are enrolled in the program this fall.

According to Sullivan, of the more than 200 businesses that have participated in the program during the past decade, 94 percent are still in operation. She estimates that completion of the program has resulted in a 10-15 percent increase in jobs at businesses owned or operated by CEL graduates.

Included in the list of CEL alumni are entrepreneurs from prominent Western New York businesses like Botanicus, Inc.; Buffalo Office Interiors; Casilio Real Estate and Development; FSI, Inc.; Manitoba Corp.; Tapecon, Inc., and Woodstream Nurseries.

The CEL is open to business owners and operators who have progressed beyond the start-up phase of operation and who seek to develop strategies for meeting future or existing business challenges. Entrepreneurs interested in enrollment in the program can contact Sullivan at 716-645-3200.