Program //

6:30pm – Welcome Reception

7:00pm – Driving Innovation Panel

8:00pm – Networking Reception

About the Polsky Center // The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation bridges the gap between knowledge and practice, idea and action, and research and impact through education, partnerships, and new venture creation. The Polsky Center brings the power of ideas in the laboratory, classroom and community to the world. Through education, resources, and programs, the Polsky Center commercializes discoveries, partners with companies, and attracts venture capital. The Polsky Center runs a top-ranked business accelerator, the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge and operates a 34,000 square-foot, multi-disciplinary co-working space called the Polsky Exchange; an innovation fund, the George Shultz Innovation Fund, that invests in early-stage ventures; and a state-of-the-art Fabrication Lab for prototyping new products. Finally, the Polsky Center manages the University of Chicago’s technology transfer function that manages all University-based intellectual property originating from faculty research and discoveries, which can be licensed to industry partners and investors.

About the Program// Starr Marcello, AM’04, MBA ’17, executive director of the Polsky Center and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth will be moderating a panel on the role of corporate accelerators and incubators in driving disruptive innovation. Panelists will discuss the ways in which their organizations foster entrepreneurship and connect corporate partners with young startups. The panel will share their insights into the role that corporate accelerators and incubators play in the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Panelists will explain how their organizations work with startups and provide them with the infrastructure and access to resources needed to connect with partners and customers. Additionally, the panel will provide advice on building your startups’ credibility, identifying potential collaborators, and developing new partnerships.

About the Speakers //

• Starr Marcello – Executive Director, Polsky Center; Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, Chicago Booth
• Warwick Hill – Former Managing Director Western Europe, Microsoft Accelerator
• Andrew Humphries – Cofounder, The Bakery
• Gary Stewart – Director, Wayra UK and Telefónica Open Future (UK)