The magazine for alumni and friends of the UB School of Management
Issue link: http://ubschoolofmanagement.uberflip.com/i/1210017
Spring 2020 Buffalo Business 17 Most middle schoolers wouldn't want homework over summer vacation, but he saw the opportunity to advance his entrepreneurial skills at the free Ignite Buffalo Small Business Summer School and signed up. "I learned a lot," Gibbs says. "We worked on busi- ness plans and strengthening our pitch, and I really liked the interaction with the instructors." The business of music Chamus Hawk is passionate about music, film and Buffalo. Under his stage name Chae Hawk, he created progressive rap cinema—a fusion of hip-hop and Hollywood-style video production. He recorded with musicians who went from Buffalo to the big time, from bands like Snapcase and Every Time I Die. Today he's using that creativity to elevate the next generation of Buffalo artists. Through his entertain- ment agency Team Radio, Hawk is developing local talent and helping them navigate the difficult process of working with record labels. But as Hawk discovered, building a business is a difficult process, too. That's what brought him to Ignite Buffalo Small Business Summer School. "I've been revising my business plan for about the past six years," he says. "The Small Business Summer School was a wonderful experience—I was able to network with other professionals in a unique environment and now I'm finally prepared and confident to execute my business plan." From the links to the lecture circuit Aer competing on the LPGA tour from 1979 to 1981, Silver Creek native Cindy Miller moved back to Western New York with her husband to teach golf. They began at a public driving range and have been self-employed ever since. Today, Miller educates both on and off the golf course through her business, Cindy Miller Inc. In addition to golf lessons, she teaches individuals, entre- preneurs and corporations how to unlock their potential for improved performance. Ready to take her business to the next level, Miller enrolled in the Ignite Buffalo Small Business Summer School, where she gained the skills to do just that. "I learned the value of having a plan, being able to clearly communicate and understand your mission, vision and goals, and how to implement that plan moving forward," she says. Collaborative partnerships Ignite Buffalo Small Business Summer School was hosted in partnership with the School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL), 43North and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The program saw a wide array of entrepre- neurs beyond those featured here, from a chocolate manufacturer to a medical device startup to an indoor vertical hydroponic farm. The program is just one of the initiatives in the School of Management's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Students can join the Entrepreneurship Lab (eLab) course and the Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition, as well as UB's Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars, and collaborations across the Buffalo Niagara region. In addition, area entrepreneurs hone their skills through a variety of programs offered by the CEL. To learn more ab out entrepreneurship opportunities in the S chool of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu /entrepreneurship. Shelden Gibbs Photo: Douglas Levere Chamus Hawk Photo: Brett Ballachino Cindy Miller Photo: Mark Ashman Buffalo-area entrepreneurs learn during Small Business Summer School at the Innovation Center. Photo: Nate Benson