A $59,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation will help support initiatives for minority and women entrepreneurs at the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the School of Management.

The grant will subsidize the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs program (MWEE), a joint venture by the CEL and the UB’s Center for Urban Studies.

The MWEE program is designed to help participants move their companies to the next stage of development by forging relationships with successful business owners, setting objectives and outcomes for business plans, connecting with existing resources and more.

“The program builds valuable skills for our participants and strengthens the Western New York economy by helping to create viable and sustainable businesses,” says Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of the CEL. “The continued support of the Allstate Foundation has enabled more than 170 graduates to become more focused and strategic in their businesses.”

The Allstate Foundation, a charitable organization funded by subsidiaries of Allstate Insurance Corp., provides philanthropic grants to nonprofit organizations. It has helped fund the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs program since 2005.