Polsky Center at the University of Chicago

?? Calling Chicago residents! The Polsky Exchange is hosting?in-person focus groups?to support local business owners, and we want to hear from you! These focus groups will provide valuable feedback on topics like branding, websites, social media, and more to help our local businesses thrive. Interested??Fill out this short form to participate: https://lnkd.in/gzcD2n6E When: Participants matching specific target markets will be contacted by?December 6 Where:?Polsky Exchange North, 1452 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615 Compensation:?A $50 gift card for 60-90 minutes of your time Don’t miss this opportunity to support your community and share your insights!

Over the weekend, the Polsky Center was awarded the?Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation award?at the 2024 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC Conference! This recognition highlights our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting entrepreneurs. Our Managing Director Samir Mayekar said it best: “This award is a recognition of the hard work, passion, and dedication of the entire Polsky Center team,” said Mayekar. “Every day, our team goes above and beyond to support innovators at every stage of their journey, and these efforts have built a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that brings transformative, world-changing ideas to life.” Thank you to the GCEC and everyone who supports our mission! Read more: https://lnkd.in/guuX-tGx

Between classes at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Will Blanchard wasn’t just thinking about assignments — he was strategizing about the future of energy. With nearly a decade in the industry, he arrived at Booth ready to channel his experience into something transformative. Booth’s New Venture Challenge (NVC) became his launchpad. What started as a concept evolved into WattShift — an idea refined through mentorship, pitch practice, and real-time feedback. The challenge accelerated everything: from forming a team to building a product and securing early support. At the Polsky Center’s Launch Accelerator, Blanchard’s vision continued to grow, connecting him to resources and partnerships that helped WattShift take shape. With these programs, he’s turning years of expertise into innovation, backed by Booth’s network and the Polsky Center’s guidance. WattShift is more than an app; it’s a testament to the power of hands-on, real-world experience provided at Booth and Polsky. // Read more about Blanchard's journey: https://lnkd.in/giupy85V

Entrepreneurs, be prepared. Success isn’t just about the win; it’s about having the right systems in place to turn a win into long-term growth. In the latest Crain's Chicago Business Booth Insights column, CJ Przybyl,?associate adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, entrepreneur-in-residence, and cofounder and CEO of Reserv, lays out the game plan to ensure that when your first big moment comes, you’ll be well positioned to capitalize on it. CJ’s top takeaways: · Prioritize “boring” infrastructure. It’s what enables you to operate faster when success hits. · Choose vendors aligned with your scaling needs. ·?Plan for upside as much as downside. Be ready to seize the big moment. ?? Read the full article below.

?? Congratulations to the University of Chicago inventors (current and former) who were recently awarded patents! ? Jon Brickman ? Talon Chandler ? Peter Eng ? Kevin Gibson ? Henry (Hank) Hoffmann ? Naoum Issa ? Michael Junkin ? Patrick La Riviere ? Brooke Schuster, PhD ? Steven Sibener ? Mike Proskey ? Joanne Stubbs ? Savas Tay ? Lester Teichner ? Benjamin Vear ?????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ???? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????, ??????????????????, ????????????????, ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ???????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????. Have an idea? Connect with us at [email protected].

Did you catch us last week at the Chicago BioCapital Summit? 16 University of Chicago startups and researchers participated in the Hall of Inventions at the Chicago Biomedical Consortium event, including: ? BiomeSense ? CellCipher ? Clarix Imaging ? Claudyn Biotech ? ClostraBio, Inc. ? Ellis Bio ? Anthony Kossiakoff ? OrisDX ? ReAx Biotechnologies ? SynthBits ? and more! Representatives from the Polsky Center also were on site to discuss technologies available for licensing and opportunities at the new UChicago Science Incubator. Interested in learning more? Contact Mike Hinton, Ph.D. at [email protected].

A record crowd at the 11th Annual Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference is a reflection of the growing interest in ETA, which Booth Dean Starr Marcello has seen first-hand since Booth began offering ETA class over a decade ago. “Entrepreneurship is one of the leading concentrations at Booth, and ETA specifically is often called out as one of the leading reasons that students come to Booth,” said Marcello. “And it’s through great events like this – a collaboration between two leading universities – that continues to put Chicago as a city on the map for ETA.” A special thank you to this year's conference sponsors who make this event possible: // PLATINUM Pioneer Capital Advisory LLC // GOLD BakerHostetler BankProv Brisbane Consulting Group ETA Equity Feta Fund Goodwin Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Live Oak Bank Miles & Stockbridge P.C. Mowery & Schoenfeld NextGen Growth Partners Oberle Risk Strategies Parkside Financial Bank & Trust Shore Capital Partners // SILVER Blue Frame Capital Partners Boulay The Copia Group, LLC Holland & Knight LLP Liberty Search Ventures M2O Search Miller Cooper & Co., Ltd. Plexus Capital, LLC Ravix Group Sudeep Das Tee Up Advisors

Earlier this week, the Polsky Center, the ETA Group at Chicago Booth, and the Northwestern Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative hosted the annual Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Conference. The eleventh iteration of the event was the largest ever hosted, with an estimated 1,000 people in attendance from 13 countries and 47 different universities. // The University of Chicago Booth School of Business | Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

“Resurgence represents an important part of our commitment to driving innovation in clean energy technologies,” said Dean Nadya Mason, Interim Vice President for Science and Innovation Partnerships and Dean of the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Meet Cohort 2 of Resurgence: ? AGC Carbon ? Air Energy ? Inertial ? Materium Technologies ? Tanda Biotech "We are ready to support our new cohort with the full force of the Polsky Center’s entrepreneurial expertise, the thought leadership of our faculty and program partners, the passionate support of UChicago and Booth student talent," said Ozge Guney-Altay, Ph.D., director of Resurgence. // Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago | University of Chicago

Resurgence Cohort 1 participant Natural Science, LLC has inked a landmark deal to revolutionize environmental spill cleanup. "This manufacturing agreement is a major step forward in our mission to reduce the environmental impact of spills and contribute to a healthier planet," said Arden Warner, cofounder and chief scientist. Read more >> https://lnkd.in/gUTPRBVr Natural Science also recently received the?Multi-Cultural Innovator Award?from?Nicor Gas, in partnership with Evergreen Climate Innovations. // Innovation DuPage | Midwest Trading Horticultural Supplies, Inc. Joe Cassidy, MBA, EdD, Dan Facchini, MS, CFRE, Craig Keller, Joe Hobson, Arden Warner. Ozge Guney-Altay, Ph.D., Ryan Brownlow, john nelson, Bill Payne, Gary Cullen, Mike Varon