Dennis Kessler

Dennis Kessler

Clinical Professor
Area(s) of Expertise
Entrepreneurship
Bio

Professor Kessler is co-owner of Kessler Restaurants LLC, a Rochester, NY company specializing in franchised restaurants and real estate development. Formerly, his company was the largest franchisee in the Friendly's Restaurant chain owning 48 Friendly restaurants as well as 21 Burger King Restaurants employing a complement of 3000 employees. Kessler has 30 years’ experience in restaurant ownership, real estate and human resource development. His company today specializes in commercial real estate and cell-tower development. He has also led a number of successful start-up companies and is a member of the Board of Directors of Excell Partners, a University of Rochester Venture Capital Fund. Professor Kessler is closely involved in the startup community and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Rochester and is an advisor to WEX Energy, LLC. and Meltek Energy Inc. both Rochester startups in the energy space. He is a former member of the board of trustees of the University of Rochester Medical Center and past chair and commissioner of the City of Rochester Civil Service Commission. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Excellus Blue Cross/Shield of Western New York, former founding board member of the Young Women’s College Prep Charter School of Rochester and a founding board member of the Rochester Education Foundation. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Junior Achievement of Rochester and a former member of the Board of the Boy Scouts of America. In June, 2018 Dr. Kessler was nominated by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and confirmed by the New York State Senate for appointment to the New York State Insurance Fund - Board of Commissioners. He is also a Fulbright Scholar award winner.

Courses
International Consulting & Entrepreneurship
New Venture Development
Research Interests

My research interests are in the area of antitrust law as it impacts franchising and health care.

Teaching Interests

I mostly enjoy working with students in small groups across the campus in helping them to develop their new business concepts and guiding them through the process of taking the service or product to market. In the classroom my specialty is entrepreneurship with an emphasis on law and franchising and developing new business concepts.

Publications
The Merits of Mentoring
2021
Rochester Business Journal
Commencements in the Time of Corona
2020
Commencements in the Time of Corona
2020
Rochester Business Journal
3-217 Carol Simon Hall
585.464.2577