Business and Economic Development

The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) recognizes and supports the power of entrepreneurship to unlock human potential, create jobs, inspire wealth and invigorate the greater Western New York economy and community.

Created for business owners and leaders of established organizations, Core empowers you to overcome business challenges, develop meaningful connections in the business community and gain back your personal time. Core meets weekly over the course of 10 months and focuses on strategic growth, financial acumen and building a stronger, more sustainable business.

Students in the University at Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences can engage in the Engineering Partnership Program, where they work with prominent companies in the Buffalo and WNY area. This program facilitates learning for students, contribution by UB into the engineering sciences workforce in the area, and allows for collaboration between UB and its surrounding communities.

Each spring, IRS-certified accounting students from the University at Buffalo School of Management provide free tax preparation services to qualifying individuals and families. This service can be especially valuable to low-income tax filers by helping them apply for earned income tax credits that can provide a needed boost in annual income. 

The UB Regional Institute (UBRI), a research center of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, has worked in the region for over 30 years on public scholarship, public policy, urban planning, urban design, architecture, and real estate development.

UB Shared Facilities provides cost-effective access to precision laboratories, tools and equipment for electronic device development, the study and analysis of materials and 3D additive and digital manufacturing - all available for shared use by UB students and faculty, as well as researchers at other academic institutions, and those in government and industry.

Through UB's Social Impact Fellows program, 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.

The CoLab is a campus-based entrepreneurship and innovation center that empowers students to realize solutions for the global and local challenges of our time. Part startup incubator and part idea-sharing center, it connects students to mentors, events, funding and experiences that cultivate the skills and mindset to build successful companies or innovate competitively in careers within any organization.

The center provides resources and connections to a range of businesses, from entrepreneurs to established companies. TCIE connects local business to engineering and applied science resources, offering development training, technical analysis, industrial engineering and more.

The Henry A Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition provides UB students from various disciplines with an opportunity to further innovative ideas into viable businesses in WNY. The competition, made possible by a $1,000,000 endowment from the late Henry A. Panasci Jr., involves teams of students pitching concepts and project ideas related to the life sciences, technologies and engineering industries. The winning team receives a prize of $25,000 in start-up money and $27,000 worth of in-kind services. The competition allows for young entrepreneurs to introduce new and innovative business in the WNY area.

Generously supported by the Prentice Family Foundation, the Western New York (WNY) Prosperity Fellowship is a program dedicated to supporting promising University at Buffalo students who are committed to contributing to the economic viability of the Western New York Region. The program delivers on this promise by providing Prosperity Fellows with professional development opportunities, as well as resources and access to WNY business leaders and the community.