Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship

Talk to Cyndi Weis and she’ll tell you that the biggest risk in business isn’t profit loss, it’s losing your well-being and clarity. The founder and owner of breathe yoga (Rochester, New York) believes that too many business students fall into what she calls “the entrepreneurial trap.”

“Burnout becomes a badge,” says Weis, who opened Breathe over 22 years ago.

The dietitian and yoga teacher’s remedy? Follow three sanity-saving strategies: stress management, meditation, and sleep. According to Weis, these are non-negotiables because “someday, life might throw you a curve ball.”

In fact, life did just that when a truck accidentally hit her while crossing the road.

Weis credits her training in yoga and meditation—“knowing how to breathe,” as she puts it—as vital to her ongoing recovery.

We explored the connection between well-being and business success with Weis for Speaking from Experience at our Rochester campus center on March 25, 2026.

Jeff Russo WKBW stopped by our Buffalo campus center and spoke with one of the first students to enroll in the new location, Travis Shufelt. He also caught up with Jim Dentinger, executive vice president and Buffalo regional director, to see how preparations are progressing ahead of opening this fall.

In the news: "Transformation continues at Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship" - Golisano Institute for Business WKBW recently spoke with Golisano Institute's vice president and Buffalo regional director, as well as the location's first enrollee.

Emma Darocha '25 (business & entrepreneurship) and Ben Bastian '25 (business & entrepreneurship) caught up recently at an iconic Rochester bakery to talk about life after graduation.

Hear more from our alumni as they trade stories on their experiences as career-starters and reflect on what it means to be part of Golisano Institute’s inaugural class:

How We Got Here: Ben Bastian '25 & Emma Darocha '25 Ben Bastian '25 (business & entrepreneurship) and Emma Darocha '25 (business & entrepreneurship) catch up to talk about life after graduation at an iconic Ro...

Our very own Sarah Billings, director of human resources and board secretary, was honored last night with the RBJ's iconic Women of Excellence award.

A strong leader who puts others first at every step, Sarah exemplifies so much of what we value as an institute.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Lindsay Connelly learned to embrace risk the day she nearly fell off a cliff face. An avid rock climber, Connolly’s career in business has been no less a hungry chase for new challenges.

Connelly is president of Linden Digital Marketing, which she founded in 2018. The agency aims to bring simplicity and meaning to the overwhelming flood of data that is online marketing today. For her, true outside-the-box thinking happens when data and creativity are in perfect balance.

Strong client relationships are behind Connelly’s success. She follows her mother’s sales philosophy: Help people, take care of them. Linden’s pricing is also novel; instead of an hourly rate or percentage, the agency offers a subscription-style model, with fixed prices for different services.

We explored new trends in digital marketing with Connelly during a panel discussion for Speaking from Experience at our Rochester campus center on March 18, 2026.