The Polsky Center offers several hands-on learning opportunities aimed at helping students, researchers, faculty, and community members pursue their own entrepreneurial endeavors or careers in private equity, venture, capital, entrepreneurship through acquisition, or social entrepreneurship. Don't miss out on a wide variety of experiential learning-based programs, events, workshops, speakers, panels, conferences, challenges, and more.
Additionally, to help facilitate team formation, the Polsky Center maintains a team-building gallery, and encourages those looking to participate in our programs to check it regularly for updates.
Connect with us by filling out our Get Started with Polsky online form >>
Programs & Events
New Venture Challenge
The Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a top-ranked accelerator program in the nation and is run by the Polsky Center.
Svider Private Equity Program
On the investing side, the Polsky Center supports the aspirations of students and alumni interested in a career in private equity and venture capital.
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Program
A suite of programs and resources designed to provide graduating students and alumni access to the education, capital, and mentorship necessary to acquire and grow small businesses.
George Shultz Innovation Fund
The George Shultz Innovation Fund invests in proof-of-concept and early business development work for viable new startups created by faculty and students.
Alumni Entrepreneurs Growth Forum
Great things can happen when founders get together to learn and share their stories with each other.
Alumni New Venture Challenge (ANVC)
Polsky’s Alumni New Venture Challenge (ANVC) is open to all University of Chicago alumni across the globe looking to launch and grow their early-stage venture.
Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference
The Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Conference, cohosted by Chicago Booth and Kellogg, is the first-of-its-kind conference aimed at educating and inspiring students, alumni, and the communi...
Build and Launch Summer Accelerators
The BUILD and LAUNCH Summer Accelerators give student teams the opportunity to work intensively and solely on their businesses and social enterprises in a collaborative and dynamic environment over th...
Collaboratorium
The Collaboratorium unites UChicago students with researchers, technologists, and faculty who want to explore the commercialization opportunities and business applications of their work.
College New Venture Challenge (CNVC)
The College New Venture Challenge (CNVC) supports UChicago College students in launching scalable ventures.
Customer Discovery Bootcamp
The Customer Discovery Bootcamp is intended for early-stage, student ventures to explore their problem-solution fit by engaging directly with potential customers and industry stakeholders.
Deep Tech Ventures Summit
Learn more about the Chicago deep tech ecosystem through a keynote address, investor panels and discussions, and startup pitches. Graduating startup teams of, Duality quantum, Transform data science &...
Deep Tech Ventures: Corporate Collision
Deep Tech Ventures Corporate Collision provides a unique opportunity for companies to discover, connect and collaborate with some of the nation’s top quantum, data science & AI, and cleantech startups...
Duality
Duality is the first accelerator program in the US exclusively focused on supporting innovative quantum startups. The 12-month program is based in Chicago, the world’s leading hub for quantum innovati...
E-Commerce Learning Lab
In collaboration with 37 Oaks, E-Commerce Learning Lab is for businesses seeking to add or increase e-commerce capabilities as a strategy for growth.
Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC)
The Polsky Center's Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a nationally-ranked accelerator program in the U.S.
Elfman-Wareham Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab (PE/VC Lab)
The Elfman-Wareham Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab provides students with a combination of an intensive internship at a PE or VC firm and an academic course, students become active participants...
Entrepreneurial Internship Program
The Entrepreneurial Internship Program (EIP) gives full-time first year Chicago Booth students, as well as second year students continuing their coursework in the following fall, the opportunity to in...
Entrepreneurship Essentials (E2)
Entrepreneurship Essentials (E2) is designed to help you launch your startup successfully, with workshops ranging in everything from marketing strategy, sales, competitive analysis, financial modeling...
ETA Discovery Cohort
The Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) Discovery Cohort provides curated opportunities for Full Time, Evening/Weekend, and Executive MBA Program students at Chicago Booth to explore ETA.
ETA Fellows Program
The Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) Fellows Program is designed to provide tailored opportunities and resources to Chicago Booth students who plan to enter the ETA space immediately or with...
Front End of Innovation
The Front End of Innovation provides researchers with tools and resources to strengthen their ideas, patent their inventions, and translate their work into products.
Global New Venture Challenge (GNVC)
The Global New Venture Challenge (GNVC) gives second-year students in the Chicago Booth Executive MBA program the rare opportunity to work closely with alumni and members of the business community and...
Innovate2Market
Supported by joint funding from the University of Chicago and UIUC through the Inclusive Innovation initiative, the Innovate2Market program is designed to empower community inventors and innovators to...
Innovation Fund Associates Program
Students and post-docs receive robust training and perform diligence on innovation projects.
John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC)
In partnership with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at Chicago Booth, the Polsky Center runs the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC), which is committed to contin...
Market Navigator
The Market Navigator is a customer discovery and market insight program designed to help Business-to-Consumer (B2C) businesses that have achieved product-market fit and initial traction to better unde...
On Deck Pitch
Designed to develop and refine pitching skills to effectively present to potential investors or lenders.
Polsky Center I-Corps
Supported with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and run by the Polsky Center, the I-Corps program is specifically designed for participants working on projects related to the STEM (s...
Polsky Exchange Capital Series
This Polsky Exchange Capital Series features presentations by capital providers and information about how to access different forms of capital. The series will commence with presentations from traditi...
Polsky Founders’ Circles
A virtual place where alumni founders can connect with fellow founders and receive coaching from an expert.
Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship (PF3)
The Polsky Founders’ Fund Fellowship (PF3) is a resource available to graduating University of Chicago and Chicago Booth students and decelerating Chicago Booth students who are committed to growing a...
Polsky Global
The Polsky Center’s Global Expansion makes resources available across the world to foster connections that help more ideas have a meaningful impact on society
Polsky Science and Technology Associates
Polsky Science and Technology Associates is an opportunity for current University of Chicago graduate students to work with the Technology Development, Market Intelligence and Innovation Growth, and B...
Private Equity Alumni/Student Coaching Program
The Private Equity Alumni/Student Coaching Program matches Chicago Booth MBA students pursuing careers in private equity with members of the Polsky Center Private Equity Council and Chicago Booth alum...
Private Equity Conference
The Chicago Booth Private Equity Conference brings together investors, students, and entrepreneurs to network and share insights into the dynamics of investing in a constantly changing economy.
Prototype for Success
The Prototype for Success program explores career paths at the intersection of business and emerging technologies.
Rattan L. Khosa SeedCon
Bringing together successful entrepreneurs and seasoned venture capitalists to share ideas and advice, foster creativity, and ignite the entrepreneurial-spirit within.
Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program
The Rattan L. Khosa Student Entrepreneurs Program is a multi-pronged program for students launching businesses, managed by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Resurgence
The Resurgence cleantech accelerator is a 9-month hybrid program designed to support ventures in the cleantech industry.
Science Commercialization Advisors
Science Commercialization Advisors provide the opportunity for industry experts and leaders to engage with UChicago researchers and ventures to help them determine their next step to commercialization...
Small Business Financial Fundamentals
The Polsky Small Business Financial Fundamentals focuses on supporting small businesses owners and help gain better financial management knowledge and skills.
Small Business Growth Program
The Polsky Small Business Growth Program focuses on supporting small businesses owners and helping them grow and scale their businesses to the next level of success.
South Side Business Development Internship Program
The South Side Business Development Internship Program creates an opportunity for College students at the University of Chicago to complete paid internships with Polsky Exchange community business mem...
Sterling Partners Investment Thesis Challenge (SPITC)
The Sterling Partners Investment Thesis Challenge (SPITC) launched in 2011 with the generous support of Sterling Partners. SPITC is exclusive for Chicago Booth students interested in forming teams and...
The Idea Lab
The Idea Lab is an eight-week program designed to help community members who have a business idea and want to proceed to move from idea to launch.
Transform
Transform is a unique 16-week program that focuses on solving complex probelms, in partnership with the University of Chicago Data Science Institute.
UChicago Private Markets Program
The UChicago Private Markets Program is a one-week immersive academic and career-oriented program to educate students in the Private Markets through theory, cases, and modeling workshops, and position...
UChicago Startup Investment Program
A new initiative where University of Chicago co-invests alongside established venture funds in startups led by UChicago faculty, students, staff and alumni.
Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)
The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) is the world's largest venture capital competition with over 70 universities competing.
Visiting ETA Advisors
The Visiting Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) Advisors provides additional mentorship and coaching support to Chicago Booth students who are interested in learning more about ETA as a career...
Water Street Private Equity Case Challenge (PECC)
A case competition that enables teams to assess the potential for a leveraged buyout of a publicly-listed company.
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