University at Buffalo School of Management

efore Gábor Somogyi, MD, MBA '03, visited UB last fall, it had been nearly 20 years since he had set foot on campus. These days, Somogyi serves as CEO of Eveliqure Biotechnologies, an innova- tive startup that's developing vaccines for diarrheal diseases. Diarrheal diseases — especially those caused by Shigella and enterotoxigenic E. coli — are a lead- ing cause of death among children in the developing world. Each year, the condition also affects millions of travelers and service members stationed in endemic regions. So far, the company has received a $20.6 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund its vaccine development — with promising results. The startup successfully completed phase 1 trials with adults in Europe and, this year, will conduct phase 2 trials in the U.S., as well as addi- tional clinical trials with children in Bangladesh. Somogyi hopes to bring the vaccine to market in five to seven years. "Our mission is two-fold: to save millions of children worldwide and to develop a vaccine for adults, mostly for travelers and the military," Somogyi explains. "Therefore, we have a high social impact potential, while also having a strong business case with blockbuster potential." That blockbuster potential is what brought Somogyi back to UB for the Fast 46 celebration last year. Fast 46 recognizes the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by a UB alumnus or former student — and Eveliqure Biotechnologies topped the list for 2022. "It was an honor to receive such a pres- tigious distinction," Somogyi says. "It was a great feeling to return to my alma mater aer 20 years, and to reevaluate the impact that the time I spent in Buffalo and in the MBA program had on my life." More than 350 companies were nominated for UB's Fast 46 competition in 2022. And, of the 46 that made the final list, more than half are led by alumni from the School of Management or Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL). These companies — and the alumni who lead them — contribute much to the economic vitality of the communities they serve. Here are two more of their stories. Building an alliance Jennifer Murphy, CEL '12, is the fih gener- ation to lead her family's business, whose wind- ing history dates to 1885 when William Nolan established a machine shop in Lockport, New York. From there, the company went through several name changes and acquisitions before Murphy's father, Daniel Judge, MBA '69, formed their current business in 2002. Murphy came on board a few years later and, today, serves as president of NetPlus Alliance, a buying group that Alumni Impact UB's Fast 46 celebrates fast- growing companies and the alumni who lead them Blockbuster growth By Matthew Biddle 24 Buffalo Business Spring 2023 Somogyi Murphy

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