Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program
Thanks to a generous gift from Rattan L. Khosa, ’79, a multi-pronged program for students launching businesses with support of the Polsky Center has been established.
Aspiring entrepreneurial students at Chicago Booth will benefit from a $5 million gift from Booth alumnus Rattan Khosa, founder, president, and CEO of AMSYSCO Inc.
Khosa’s $5 million gift will establish the Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The new programs are:
- Rattan L. Khosa First-Place Prize at the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge is awarded to the winning team at the NVC.
- Rattan L. Khosa Entrepreneurial Fellowships are awarded to two graduating entrepreneurs who are dedicated to building their ventures full-time. As part of the Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship program, these fellowships provide a one-year stipend awarded quarterly, and also include one-on-one mentoring with Rattan Khosa.
- Rattan L. Khosa Entrepreneurial Interns receive financial support to work for either a startup company or on their own startup. Three interns are named within the Entrepreneurial Internship program.
- Rattan L. Khosa “Against All Odds” Student Award is awarded annually to a graduating student who has overcome significant hurdles to launch his or her business.
- Rattan L. Khosa SeedCon is Chicago Booth’s flagship entrepreneurship and venture capital conference. Through keynote fireside chats, panel discussions, and various networking sessions, SeedCon provides opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and passionate members of the startup ecosystem to explore emerging industry themes and connect over shared ideas. With an impressive lineup of speakers, the conference extends beyond the campus and attracts a broad audience from the greater startup and investor community.
About Rattan Khosa, MBA ’79
Founder and CEO of AMSYSCO Inc.
Rattan Khosa, MBA ’79, started AMSYSCO in 1981 out of the basement of his home that he shared with his wife and young son, with lifetime savings of $44,000 and no other financing. After nearly four decades, he has grown it into a highly profitable company that provides post-tensioning systems on commercial structures, and occupies a 55,000 square foot facility; the company captures some 65% market share.
“Starting a business from scratch is like jumping off a cliff in the middle of the night while blindfolded, hoping that there is a safety net down below,” Khosa said.
“When more than 80 percent of companies fail within the first year – even those with ample funding – it’s clear that there is much more to a startup’s success than just money,” Khosa said. “I don’t simply want to provide the money for this new program; I plan to serve as a thought leader, mentor and guide for these aspiring entrepreneurs, so that my years of experience, my struggles and my successes may serve as an additional resource to help them succeed.”
“I know from personal experience that everyone needs help at some point in their lives. No one has succeeded on their own.”
Khosa is actively involved with the Polsky Center as a member of its advisory board, the Polsky Council.