UB names MPH grad as Fast Track Entrepreneur in Fast 46 competition

Fast 46 event 2023.

The Fast 46 competition is named in honor of UB’s founding in 1846. Its mission is to recognize successful businesses led or owned by UB alumni or former students. Photo: Heather Bellini.

Published September 26, 2023

UB Fast Track Entrepreneur Award winners.

Team Real Talk was created by Sonya Tareke, MBA ’20 (right), and SPHHP alumnus Malkijah Griffiths, MBA ’22, MPH ’22 (left), pictured with Hadar Borden, director of UB's Startup and Innovation Collaboratory.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo named Team Real Talk, co-led by an MPH alumnus, as a Fast Track Entrepreneur during the Fast 46 celebration held Thurs., Sept. 14.

The Fast 46 competition honors UB’s founding in 1846. It recognizes successful businesses led or owned by UB alumni or former students. New in 2023, the Fast Track Entrepreneur award recognizes start-up companies that have been in business for less than three years. Companies recognized have shown financial stability, impact and growth potential.

Team Real Talk was created by Sonya Tareke, MBA ’20, BS ’17 and Malkijah Griffiths, MBA ’22, MPH ’22, BS ’19. It is e-learning software designed to meet each individual within an institution where they are and guide them to be proficient in diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging (DEIJB) topics. Each of the company's modules follows a six-step process that educates the participant on the topic, surveys them on comfortability and prior knowledge, provides a forum to understand what others think about the topic, gives them an opportunity to role play through a real-world experience and gain more context on the topic and statistics. It also includes a survey to assess how much they’ve grown through the process. 

Team Real Talk is located in Buffalo.  

Fast Track Entrepreneur awards are presented in partnership with UB’s Blackstone LaunchPad, Business & Entrepreneur Partnerships and Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The Fast 46 verification firm, The Bonadio Group, analyzed three years of financial data provided by each company and determined the ranking.

Thomas McArthur, EdM ’08, associate vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving, said the competition “demonstrates the amazing entrepreneurial skills of UB alumni who are building businesses. Their innovation and business know-how inspire our students and our broader alumni community all over the world.”

More information about the Fast 46 competition, including the list of finalists, can be found on the alumni association’s website.