School of Management, School of Law
Matthew Taboni (he/him/his) is a born and raised Town of Tonawanda native, finishing the second year of his JD/MBA program at the University at Buffalo. A student and community activist, Matt is focused on reducing inequities in the Buffalo and Western New York community.

While an undergraduate student, Matt founded UB’s food pantry, Blue Table, and began bringing more attention to food justice at UB. Matthew served as the president of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) where he advocated for students’ mental health, gender equality, and other student needs. In 2021, Matt was also awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and the Student Leadership Award for Sustainable Action.

Currently, Matt serves as the Sustainability Graduate Assistant for Zero Waste, where he has operationalized Hired, a professional clothes boutique for students. Matt is the founder and president of the UB Chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN), a student-led initiative working to reduce food waste and feed those in need. FRN’s work in the community and its impact, recovering and redistributing over 25,000lbs of food, was recognized with the SLICE Award in 2023. In his free time, Matt is also building out his own venture with his partner, Treats by Taboni, and plays intramural volleyball in the spring and summer.

Matt’s career goal is to move into the social entrepreneurship and social innovation sector and support nonprofit organizations and small businesses to reduce inequalities and inefficiencies throughout the Buffalo region.