Media Advisory: Synacor Co-Founder Will Talk to Young Entrepreneurs About What it Takes to Start a Business

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Future entrepreneurs will get the chance to learn from Western New York's best on Nov. 28, when Synacor co-founder George Chamoun speaks to students in the University at Buffalo's new Entrepreneurship Academy.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in 101 Davis Hall, the new engineering building on UB's North Campus.

The title of Chamoun's talk is "Entrepreneurship From Pitch to Plan: Learn the Secret." During his presentation, he will discuss the pressures of starting a business, and how to conquer those challenges. He will also cover how to pitch a business plan to investors, partners, employees and customers.

Chamoun's story is of particular interest to UB students because he attended the university.

Today, he serves as Synacor's executive vice president of sales and marketing. He has played an integral role in Synacor since the company's formation in 2000 through the merger of MyPersonal and Chek.com, a messaging infrastructure provider that Chamoun led and co-founded. And earlier this year, influenced by Chamoun's leadership, Synacor, now a company of more than 320 employees, went public, trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol SYNC.

Synacor is a leading provider of next-generation start pages, TV Everywhere solutions and cloud-based Identity Management (IDM) services across multiple devices for cable, satellite, telecom and consumer electronics companies. Synacor's roster of clients includes top brands like CenturyLink, Charter, DISH Network, Toshiba and Verizon, among others.

Chamoun's lecture is one example of how Western New York's business community is supporting UB's Entrepreneurship Academy, a living and learning community that enables students with a shared interest in entrepreneurship to live together and develop entrepreneurial skills.

The academy, led by School of Management Associate Professor Yong Li, debuted this fall with 40 freshmen. Members will study different styles of entrepreneurship; develop plans for their own entrepreneurial endeavors; and meet and work with some of the region's most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Leaders in the Western New York business community will participate in the academy by giving their time to deliver lectures, serving as guests at networking events, and sitting on judging panels for pitch competitions, the first of which is scheduled for Spring 2013.

Chamoun is an early partner, having agreed to serve on the academy's advisory board, which helps shape the mission and vision of the academy.

The Entrepreneurship Academy is one of five Undergraduate Academies at UB. The others are Civic Engagement, Global Perspectives, Research Exploration and Sustainability, which launches in fall 2013. For more information on the academies, visit http://academy.buffalo.edu.