8 Students Receive Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowships to Work on Their Ventures Full Time

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced the eight recipients of the 2025 Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship (PF3), a program that provides funding to graduating UChicago students who are committed to working full time on their startups.

The ventures accepted into the program will receive up to $24,000 in the form of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), which is paid out to an incorporated entity in quarterly intervals of $6,000 over the course of a year. Fellows will also have quarterly coaching check-ins with the Polsky Center.

The PF3 is open to all graduating UChicago students completing undergraduate or graduate degree programs. They must have a full-time focus on their venture and an incorporated business that has gained credible traction.

The 2025 PF3 fellows, and their startups, are:

Mai Vu, AB ’25, and Laurel Alpaugh, AB ’24, MA ’25 // Coclo

Coclo is revolutionizing campus commerce by creating the first marketplace designed specifically for college students to buy and sell secondhand fashion. Its AI-powered platform eliminates traditional resale friction while building trusted communities that keep fashion circular and affordable.

Michael Gustafson, MBA ’25 // Three Pillars

Three Pillars gives finance professionals a full valuation model from as little as one document. What used to take the better part of an hour now takes less than two minutes of work. From revenue to costs, headcount to market sizing, it generates clear, consistent models that surface key assumptions and stand up to scrutiny. Whether you’re screening five deals or five hundred, it helps you move faster, compare more effectively, and build conviction earlier in the process.

Sudanshu Kaushik, MBA ’25 (expected) // Exalt Data

Exalt is an AI-powered, subscription-based data platform that delivers real-time, geo-specific polling, insights, and fundraising analysis to help public leaders, campaigns, and businesses authentically engage diasporic communities, starting with the Indian diaspora in the United States.

Randel Bennett, Executive MBA ’25 // Qixent

Qixent is an insurance exchange platform helping small- to medium-sized enterprises capture more revenue and deliver more value to their customers.

Ritu Sreenivasan, MBA ’25 // Mooj Foods

MOOJ Foods is a health foods company that is reimagining traditional South Asian staples to fit the needs of the modern American consumer. Its first product, MOOJ Paneer, is the most protein-dense and versatile meat alternative on the market. Per serving, MOOJ Paneer packs 30 grams of protein for only 135 calories and 0 grams of fat – making it the premier vegetarian protein source on the market.

Shikhar Pandey, MBA ’25 // Grid CoOperator

Grid CoOperator is dedicated to enabling a resilient power grid and maximizing clean energy through intelligent planning and strategic investments in technology and infrastructure. Its mission is to drive sustainable energy solutions that benefit both the environment and society, ensuring a sustainable and more resilient future for all.

Alice Zhang, MBA ’25 // Nutracare

Ace NutraCare Inc. delivers patented nutritional therapies for chronic condition management, starting with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Powered by world-class science, proprietary technology, and proven success in the Chinese market, it’s poised to improve the lives of millions of Americans.

For more information about the Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship, contact Paul Cavalieri at Paul.Cavalieri@chicagobooth.edu.