University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2019 Buffalo Business 13 BETTERWITHBUSINESS The Attorney Entrepreneur JASON LEE, JD/MBA '07 The Change Maker Jason Lee originally enrolled in graduate school to fi ll a specifi c gap—his English skills. Through the law and MBA programs, however, the Korean immigrant gained much more than that, developing both the legal mind and business acumen to succeed in corporate law. After graduating in 2007 and joining a Wall Street fi rm, Lee enjoyed a signifi cant early advantage over his peers because of his familiarity with concepts like private equity and EBITDA (a measure of com- pany performance)—so much so that he survived multiple layoffs when the economy tumbled during his fi rst two years as an associate. "My MBA, especially accounting classes, helped me stand out in that highly competitive fi eld," Lee says. "I love being ambidextrous in having the skills and decision-making capabilities of two professions." Early in his career, Lee noticed how antiquat- ed the process of drafting legal documents could be and began generating ideas for a better solution. At the same time, he also saw the fulfi llment his parents found in their own businesses and wanted that expe- rience for himself. All of this led Lee to launch his own startup in 2015: Celant Innovations, which provides dynamic tools to stream- line and automate the document gener- ation process and any related workfl ow. As CEO, he uses his dual skill sets writ- ing patent applications, preparing fi nan- cial statements, negotiating contracts and, most importantly, making informed deci- sions based on multiple perspectives. "Entrepreneurship is like surviving in the wild—with limited resources, you need to bring order to chaos and will only go as far as your weakest link," Lee says. "Without a doubt, the hardest challenge was going from zero to one—earning that fi rst dollar with a new product and be- coming profi table. But it was also deep- ly satisfying, and I attribute much of that success to the great education I received at UB." Danielle Vazquez is on a mission to lead posi- tive change—in her organization and communities around the globe. As a child, she envisioned herself becoming a doctor or nurse to fulfi ll her deep-seated desire to help others. But as an undergrad at UB, she was exposed to the concept of population health—improving out- comes for large groups of people—and changed her trajectory. "I've always worked toward the greater good, but realized that to actually implement change or lead a team, I would need the managerial skills you gain in the MBA program," says Vazquez, who graduated in May with her MBA and Master of Public Health de- grees. "Because of my dual focus, I understand com- munity intervention and research methodologies, as well as how to present and communicate well so busi- ness or political leaders will understand how a drug helps patients and invest in it." Even as a student, Vazquez was able to use both skill sets for good during the School of Management's annual experiential learning program in Ghana. Last Jan- uary, she successfully piloted the Flow Project, a curriculum she created to educate young girls about menstrual health, at a primary school in Accra, the country's capital. Going forward, Vazquez hopes to expand the curriculum into a nonprofi t, with the help of future School of Management cohorts who will teach and collect data at other schools in Ghana. "Ghana taught me that leadership can be found everywhere," Vazquez says. "The entire trip—from the cultural experiences to implementing the Flow Project and seeing the results of it—was just amazing and completely different from any- where I had ever been." Only a few months after commencement, the Long Island native is now an administrative fellow at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, a one-year position where she'll rotate through several executive departments to broaden her skills and fi nd her niche. Ultimately, she envisions herself becoming a hospital CEO—leading change and helping the community around her.

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