University at Buffalo School of Management

................................................................ Ananth Iyer Dean, University at Buffalo School of Management Jacqueline Molik Ghosen, APR Editor-in-Chief Kevin Manne, APR Editor Alexandra Tramposch Richter Editor Green Soup Design Art Direction/Design ................................................................ School of Management Dean's Advisory Council CHAIR Kathleen Hamm, BS '85 Former Board Member, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Arlington, Va. COUNCIL Kenneth M. Barna, BS '69 Counsel, KP Law PC, Boston, Mass. Thomas M. Barney Jr., MBA '00 Senior Vice President and Treasurer Delaware North, Buffalo, N.Y. Sachin Barot, MBA '02 CFO, PeopleConnect Inc. San Diego, Calif. Carly Battin, MBA '09 Chief of Staff Clean Capital Holdings LLC, Buffalo, N.Y. Sudha Bommidi, MBA '07 Vice President AdventHealth Cancer Institute, Orlando, Fla. Donald Boyd, MBA '97 President and CEO Kaleida Health, Buffalo, N.Y. George G. Chamoun CEO, ACV, Buffalo, N.Y. Donna L. DeCarolis, BS '81, MBA '83 Senior Energy Advisor, National Fuel Gas Co. President Emerita, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp. Williamsville, N.Y. Richard M. Ferranti, EMBA '97 CEO, Rich Products Corp., Buffalo, N.Y. Glenn A. Fosdick, BS '74 Principal Glenn A. Fosdick Consulting LLC, Ann Arbor, Mich. Dottie Gallagher, EMBA '07 President and CEO Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Buffalo, N.Y. Richard S. Gold Retired President and COO M&T Bank Corp., Buffalo, N.Y. Ron C. Hamilton, BS/MBA '94 Senior Vice President, Head of Risk and Compliance, USA, BMS Re, New York, N.Y. Howard D. Koenig, MBA '76 CEO, Perspecta San Francisco, Calif. Abigail Maines, BS/MBA '99 Co-founder, Fierce; Consultant, YP Ventures Austin, Texas Gerry Murak, CEL '91, EMBA '96 Principal Murak & Associates LLC, Getzville, N.Y. Michael J. Murray, BS '75, MBA '85 Retired Managing Partner Ernst & Young, Hamburg, N.Y. Denise Neamon, CEL '13 Regional Managing Partner, The Bonadio Group Buffalo, N.Y. Sharon D. Randaccio, BS '76, MBA '81 President and CEO Performance Management Partners Inc. Buffalo, N.Y. John R. Scannell Non-Executive Chair Moog Inc., Buffalo, N.Y. Laura Shen, MBA '04 Retired Vice President Volkswagen (China) Investment Co. Ltd. Managing Director, Volkswagen (China) Group Import Co. Ltd., Beijing, China Sujata Yalamanchili, BS '88, MBA '89 Partner, Hodgson Russ LLP, Buffalo, N.Y. Buffalo Business Number 54 Autumn 2025 DEPARTMENTS Startups ..................................2 NewsBites ............................. 14 Insights ................................. 20 Class Notes ...........................26 Address changes and other correspondence can be sent by email to mgt-editor@buffalo.edu. Telephone inquiries can be made at 716-645-2833. Editorial offices are located at the University at Buffalo School of Management, 108 Jacobs Management Center, Buffalo, NY 14260. On the cover: UB President Satish K. Tripathi; Sr. Assistant Dean Cynthia Shore, BS '81, MBA '82; Tunney Murchie, BS '75, MBA '76; and School of Management Dean Ananth Iyer. Photo: Tom Wolf Stepping Up Lights, data, action Murchie Shore Data Theater coming soon. Feature Story Meeting consumers where they are The evolution of marketing, from baby boomers to Generation Alpha. Alumni Close-Up Wizard of Wordle Samadhan Dilip Sonwane, MS '18, leads behind the scenes at New York Times Games. A seat at the table Students honor the legacy of Jordan A. Daniels through nonprofit board service. Trending Topics Tariffs decoded Who really pays for trade wars? Alumni Close-Up Tech transformation Sarah Tanbakuchi-Ripa, JD/MBA '14, is setting the course for the 43North Foundation. Alumni Impact Championing wellness How alumni are turning passions into powerful impact. 6 8 15 16 18 23 24 18 16 8

• Cover