<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATION
    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO RULES 13A-14(A)/15D-14(a) UNDER THE
                  SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED


      I, Allen F. Grum, certify that:

      1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Rand Capital
      Corporation and Rand Capital SBIC, L.P.;

      2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any
      untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
      necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under
      which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
      covered by this quarterly report;

      3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
      flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
      quarterly report;

      4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
      and have:

                  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this quarterly report is being
                  prepared;

                  b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this quarterly report
                  our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                  controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
                  by this report based on such evaluation; and

                  c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                  internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                  the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                  affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                  reporting; and

      5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
      on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
      reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
      registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):

                  a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal controls over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

                  b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                  management or other employees who have a significant role in
                  the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


      Dated: November 12, 2003

                                           /s/ ALLEN F. GRUM
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                         Allen F. Grum, President
                                  (Chief Executive Officer of Rand Capital
                                      Corporation and equivalent of Chief
                                  Executive Officer of Rand Capital SBIC, L.P.)