MINORITY AND WOMEN EMERGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS

Specialized Help for Women And Minorities

The Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs (MWEE) Program is a joint venture by the UB School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the UB Center for Urban Studies. The program's mission is to construct a pathway that enables minority and women entrepreneurs to move their companies to the next stage of development. The MWEE program is partially funded with a generous grant from the Allstate Foundation.

The program is designed to help participants:

  • Forge relationships with successful business owners
  • Learn more about the varied aspects of running a small business
  • Formulate clear objectives and outcomes to guide the development of their business plan
  • Devise realistic business goals and timetables and develop strategies for achieving them
  • Learn about and connect with existing organizations and resources, public and private, that can assist with the development of their businesses

Graduate Testimonials

 

"The Allstate MWEE program has taken my business to the next level. We now employ 14 staff and serve more than 70 children in our daycare center. The training I received was very beneficial and has given me skills that allow us to continue to grow."

Felicia Doctor
Owner
My Precious Angels Daycare


During the nine-month program, each participant (protégé) is assigned a business mentor with whom they meet regularly to discuss their business objectives and formulate a summarized business plan. Business development and skill-building sessions are held twice monthly. Topics include accessing capital, marketing, social media, human resources, business plan writing, time management, presentation skills and basic finance and accounting.

Protégés complete a revised or newly developed business model canvas with the assistance of their mentors. The top protégé receives the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award and a $1,500 prize. To participate in the program, an applicant must be either a woman or a member of a recognized minority and own a business in the Buffalo-Niagara region. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/entrepreneurship or contact the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at 716-885-5715 or .

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