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 2013 Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs (MWEE) program.

Women and minority business owners are encouraged to attend the open house from 5-6 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2013, at the UB Downtown Gateway, 77 Goodell St., Room 208, in Buffalo.

Thomas Ulbrich, executive director, and Alex Cleary, program coordinator, will provide an overview of the program and answer any questions.

To register, contact the CEL at mgt-cel@buffalo.edu or 716-885-5715.

The MWEE program is a joint venture by the UB School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) and the UB Center for Urban Studies. The mission of the program is to construct a pathway that enables these entrepreneurs to move their companies to the next stage of development.

“The program is 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 business strategies to achieve them.”

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

Initiated in 2004, the program is modeled after the CEL’s Core program, which is designed to enhance 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 protégé/mentor collaboration between MWEE participants and CEL Core graduates. This relationship gives MWEE participants the unique 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, by providing opportunities to bolster the development of their companies, the program helps to create viable and sustainable businesses in Western New York, strengthening the economy of the region.

The Allstate Corporation supports the program through The Allstate Foundation, which provides philanthropic grants to nonprofit organizations whose programs fit within specified criteria for community development; tolerance, inclusion and diversity; and economic empowerment.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu.