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First Niagara provides scholarships for veterans to attend entrepreneurial seminar

by jmaloni

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Fri, Jun 20th 2014 11:35 pm

Bank will make funds available for up to 20 qualified veterans to receive educational training on building a successful business

The First Niagara Foundation and Veterans One-stop Center of WNY Inc. are partnering to provide a seminar on entrepreneurial success that will feature educational lectures, films and interactive discussions. The event takes place Wednesday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Western New York Veterans Center, 1280 Main St., Buffalo. First Niagara will provide the grant funding necessary to enable up to 20 qualified applicants to attend free of charge.

The seminar is designed to create opportunities for aspiring and current entrepreneurs who are part of the local veterans' community to learn how to build a successful new business or energize an existing one. Attendees will be provided connections to mentoring and resources to achieve their professional goals. John Hannon, Ph.D., who has more than 20 years experience teaching MBA programs and has consulted for numerous national companies, including Caterpillar and IBM, will provide educational materials.

"Our veterans have been trained and tested in the toughest arenas we can imagine," said Elizabeth Gurney, executive director of the First Niagara Foundation. "They have performed an important service for our country, and they deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential in the civilian workforce."

"The Veterans One-stop Center of WNY is fortunate and excited to be able to offer our veteran entrepreneurs such a grand opportunity to enhance their skill sets and increase their participation in the workforce as part of our comprehensive approach to effectively improving the lives of WNY's veterans," said Roger L. Woodworth, president and CEO of the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY. "Through our partnership with the First Niagara Foundation, we are helping our veterans contribute to WNY's economic development and realize their full entrepreneurial potential."

For more information on the seminar, or to register, call 716-998-6000 or visit http://vocwny.org.

First Niagara Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable foundation funded by First Niagara Bank, NA. Founded in 1998, First Niagara Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which members live and work with specific focus on youth and education, community development and neighborhood revitalization. In 2013, the foundation contributed more than $9 million in charitable grants to community partners. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com/community.

Veterans One-stop Center of Western New York brings people, organizations and resources together in time, space and effort to effectively improve the well-being of all Western New York veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and their immediate families.

The VOC of WNY operates on the principle that services are provided by existing, independent service providers working together in a coordinated way to provide a seamless program that assists veterans and their families in dealing with the various challenges they encounter. For more information, visit www.vocwny.org.

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