When Eli Kinel (Buffalo, 2028) arrived at the University at Buffalo to study pharmacy, he didn’t just join a fraternity…he helped build one.

Kinel was one of seven founding fathers who set out to reestablish Alpha Epsilon Pi on campus. What began as a small group with a shared vision has since grown into a thriving brotherhood of more than 30 brothers, driven by the culture those founding brothers created.

“I liked the idea of building something ourselves,” Kinel said. “I wanted to create a chapter in my own image and do it the right way.”

From the beginning, Kinel focused on creating a chapter that stood for more than parties. As Rush Chair and Scribe, he helped recruit new members while building the operational foundation of the chapter. By the end of his sophomore year, his brothers elected him chapter master.

Under his leadership, the chapter secured its first off-campus house and began expanding its programming and presence on campus. “We wanted to build real brotherhood,” he explained. “Not just a group that gets together at night, but something meaningful that connects people.”

That culture showed itself in ways both big and small. Brothers introduced creative social programming — like a gingerbread house-building event with a sorority — and made hospitality a priority, even organizing coat check for guests to ensure everyone felt welcome.

But Kinel’s biggest impact came through service.

The Upsilon Beta chapter partnered with Chabad on campus, helping run holiday programming and engaging with the local Jewish community. They also hosted a campus screening of the documentary “Screams Before Silence,” bringing students together for an important conversation.

Then came Mensch Madness.

When Kinel challenged the chapter to aim high in AEPi’s philanthropic competition, he saw it as a chance to put Buffalo AEPi on the map. “We looked at the numbers and said we could climb,” he said.

The brothers rallied around the goal. With a mix of outreach, brotherhood energy, and a memorable text-a-thon that fueled dozens of fundraising messages, the chapter made an enormous impact.

By the end of the competition, Buffalo AEPi had raised $8,000 in a single month, leading the competition in multiple categories and cementing its reputation across the fraternity.

For Kinel, the moment represented everything the founding brothers hoped to build. “We wanted our campus to know what we’re about,” he said. “We’re a group of Jewish guys who want to do good for the world.”

Today, Kinel is continuing his studies in Buffalo’s six-year pharmacy program while interning with CVS, where he expects to begin his career as a pharmacist after graduation.

Though he has passed the presidency on to the next generation of leaders, his influence on the chapter is clear. The culture of brotherhood, leadership, and service he helped create continues to guide Buffalo AEPi as it grows.

And if the younger brothers have their way, the next goal is simple:

Win Mensch Madness again.

#ProudtobeaPi

(AEPi’s Mensch Madness is underway! Buy some brackets and make a donation to your favorite chapters! Visit menschmadness.aepi.org for more information. Brackets will be unveiled on Sunday and the tournament will be closed on Thursday, March 19 at 11:59 AM EDT. But, AEPi’s tikkun olam doesn’t end there! This year, Mensch Madness tips off the first-ever AEPi Month of Giving, encouraging AEPi undergraduate chapters and alumni to recommit to putting the fraternity’s Jewish values into action to strengthen our Jewish communities and the world around us. Running through April 15, 2026, AEPi’s Month of Giving will demonstrate our commitment to tikkun olam as chapters throughout North America will be holding a variety of campus-programs to raise awareness and money for AEPi’s beneficiaries.)