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 helps 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 business

Participants (protégés) work with a mentor, attend monthly business development seminars and additional networking events, and complete a revised or newly developed business plan. The Protégé of the Year receives the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award and a $1,500 prize.

To participate, an applicant must be either a woman or a member of a recognized minority and own a business in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early as it is not unusual for the class to be filled before the deadline.

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