Page Where Are They Now? Episode 9 Episode 9: Grubhub June 10, 2021 Matt Maloney admits he had a bit of an ego when he entered the New Venture Challenge. He had already launched Grubhub, had a...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 4 Episode 4: Simple Mills May 6, 2021 Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Simple Mills, wowed her first buyer with a muffin recipe using almond flour. Now the Chicago-based natural...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 5 Episode 5: Foxtrot May 13, 2021 Foxtrot cofounder and CEO Mike LaVitola, MBA ’14, has become expert at hearing “no.” He was not initially accepted into the New Venture Challenge,...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 1 Episode 1: The Story of NVC April 15, 2021 When it launched 25 years ago, the University of Chicago’s New Venture Challenge (NVC) was a pioneer in helping business school...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 3 Episode 3: BenchPrep April 29, 2021 Ashish Rangnekar, MBA ’11, grew up in a sleepy town in India where success looked like a white-collar job, not entrepreneurship. But early on...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 6 Episode 6: Power2Switch May 20, 2021 As a Black founder, Seyi Fabode, MBA ’10, has experienced the challenge of investors taking him seriously. Fabode, an immigrant from Nigeria, recalls an...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 10 Episode 10: Andes STR June 17, 2021 Growing up in Chile in a family of entrepreneurs, Sebastian Rivas since childhood has been on the lookout for problems that need solving....
News Impact in Action: Polsky Center Year in Review (FY25) 2024-2025 Polsky Center Impact Report This past year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) at the Polsky Center was defined by momentum — from advancing innovation and entrepreneurship...
Page Where Are They Now? Episode 2 Episode 2: ExplORer Surgical April 22, 2021 Jennifer Fried, MBA ’15, started her MBA at Chicago Booth with dreams of a career in venture capital. By the time she graduated,...
News University Spinoff Puts Research Results into Practice One year ago, as the University of Chicago’s first not-for-profit spinoff, UChicago Impact was conducting just one pilot project in Michigan City, Indiana. Today it has sold its educational tools and services...
Page Faculty, Postdocs & Researchers Faculty, Postdocs & Researchers The Polsky Center has a dedicated team with deep experience in bringing research-based discoveries to market through technology licensing and startup creation. From securing intellectual property...
News DeepTechU Day 3: Navigating Lab to Launch, Deep Tech Investment, and a Culture Shift Toward Commercialization “The best companies we see have deep venture experience,” said Beckett Jackson, investing director, Boeing HorizonX. But they also have a grand vision about how the technology will become a...
