Following $10M transformation of the former Buffalo News building, Golisano Institute is now focused on providing opportunity to talented WNYers.
Work is underway at the Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship’s new downtown Buffalo location as the organization prepares to open its second campus this fall.
The Institute is completing a $10 million renovation of approximately 83,700 square feet inside the former Buffalo News building at 125 Washington St. The property will feature a classroom and collaboration spaces designed to foster experience and interactions.
Leaders at the Golisano Institute are now turning their attention toward student recruitment, building relationships with local employers, and preparing for a larger role in Buffalo’s talent development efforts. A first-look event at the site is scheduled for this week.
“This is about creating a different kind of opportunity for people in Buffalo, giving people a new outlet for their talent and ambition,” said Jim Dentinger, Golisano Institute executive VP and Buffalo regional director. “We'll deliver practical skills that translate directly into careers while forging close partnerships with local businesses that will inform the instruction.”
Applications are still being accepted for the fall 2026 class. Learn more here.
The Institute was founded in Rochester by billionaire Tom Golisano in Rochester in 2023 to equip students of all ages with practical business skills and real-world experience, at a tuition cost of $8,900 per year. It offers programs in business and entrepreneurship designed around experiential education and real business skills.
The Buffalo campus will follow a similar model as Rochester, with programs designed around applied learning and real-world business experience. The first floor will include a forum space for weekly “Speaking from Experience” sessions, where entrepreneurs and business leaders share their professional journeys directly with students.
Along with classrooms and collaboration zones, the building will also feature spaces for startups and partners such as GrowthX, which recently appointed Pat Shreckengast as its Western New York Managing Director. GrowthX is a national B2B sales coaching program that works closely with Golisano in Buffalo and Rochester.
The Institute’s leadership expects the Buffalo location to strengthen connections between education and industry by providing a more direct pathway into the workforce.
The first class is expected to begin this fall.
