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Below is a sampling of articles and news from print media and the internet about entrepreneurship featuring Chicago Booth faculty, alumni, and students.
For more entrepreneurship news, check out our event coverage page, the New Venture Challenge blog, and the Polsky Center Newsletter.
BloomNation, A Platform For Local Florists, Raises $1.65M From Andreessen Horowitz & Others
TechCrunch, Oct 24, 2013
TechCrunch features an article on BloomNation's $1.65 million seed round, which includes participation from Andreesen Horowitz, Spark Capital, Chicago Ventures, and CrunchFund. BloomNation is an online community marketplace for florists and their customers – like an Etsy for flowers. Before the seed round, the company had been bootstrapped using founder money and poker winnings. With the investment, BloomNation plans to double its team and continue product development. BloomNation was co-founded by David Daneshgar, '12, and was the third place winner in the 2012 New Venture Challenge. Read More >
New innovation hub uses discovery to fuel Chicago startups
UChicago News, Oct 11, 2013
The University of Chicago announced that it has created a new center to help scholars and entrepreneurs translate their ideas and new technologies into startup businesses and products.The Chicago Innovation Exchange (CIE), which will open in late 2014 in the 53rd Street commercial district in Hyde Park, will provide space for proof-of-concept work, business incubation, collaboration opportunities, and programming for new ventures by UChicago faculty and students, as well as entrepreneurs from outside the University. It also will cultivate partnerships to connect emerging entrepreneurs with Chicago's broader innovation ecosystem and drive the creation of new businesses, jobs, and economic activity in the city and surrounding region. Read More >
Braintree Among Several Booth-Tied Businesses Snapped Up Over Past Year
UChicago News, Oct 2, 2013
This press release reports that many Chicago Booth-tied businesses have made exits or merged over the past year. Professor Ellen Rudnick credits a rigorous analytic and iterative process coupled with the strong network and resources of Chicago Booth as instrumental to the start-ups' success. Eight companies in total have either been acquired or merged over the past year, six of which have competed in the New Venture Challenge. Read More >
Chalking it Up to Her MBA
Crain's, August 21, 2013
Nancy Bank, '91, runs the Nancy Pochis Bank Art Studio, where she applies her business background and her Chicago Booth MBA to her passion for art. In the video, Nancy explains her company's value proposition, and how she has succeeded by taking a business approach to art. Watch the video here >
GrubHub, Seamless Merger Completed
The Chicago Tribune, August 9, 2013
Major food tech companies, GrubHub and Seamless have completed the merger they agreed to in May. The merger allows both companies to continue to develop their technologies, as well as share the applications that have already launched. GrubHub was the winner of the 2006 New Venture Challenge, and was founded by Matt Maloney, '10. Maloney will remain as CEO of the combined company. Read more >
Asif Khan, '03, Raises $2.1 Million for Health Care Start-up Caremerge
Bloomberg Businessweek , July 11, 2013
Caremerge is a Chicago-based, health-tech company that simplifies communication and care coordination at senior living facilities. Khan founded Caremerge in 2010; the Series 'A' funding is the most recent success for the company. Read more >
Adam Banks, '13, Offers Alternative to Overpriced Java at Ready Coffee
The Chicago Tribune, July 9, 2013
Banks recently opened Ready Coffee, an independent shop in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago that strives to become the go-to shop for high quality, low-price coffee. By offering blends from around the world, as well as locally sourced foods, Banks aims to combat competitors' ever-growing prices with Ready's quality options. Read more >
Maveron-Backed DarbySmart Launches DIY Crafting Marketplace For Fashion Accessories And More
TechCrunch, June 18, 2013
TechCrunch covers the launch of DarbySmart, founded by Nicole Shariat Farb, '09. DarbySmart is tapping into the Pinterest-fueled crafting industry by offering pre-packaged DIY kits so consumers can make the craft they prefer at home, without spending time running from craft store to craft store. Read more >
Breakfast onboard: New food truck in River North
Crain's, June 13, 2013
Crain's featured a story on the Eastman Egg Company, a breakfast sandwich food truck founded by current Chicago Booth students Hunter Swartz and Michael Schoenfeld. The founders explain the inspiration behind the truck, and what sets them apart from other breakfast options. The Eastman Egg Company traveled around Chicago's Loop on its maiden voyage this past week, and plans to eventually spread into surrounding neighborhoods soon. To get the inside scoop about Eastman Egg's whereabouts on any given day, follow them on Twitter. Read more >
Hyde Park Venture Partners raises $25M
Crain's, June 13, 2013
Crain's reports that Hyde Park Venture Partners has successfully raised $25M for the new fund. Led by Professor Ira Weiss, '01, and Guy Turner, '10, HPVP looks for early-stage tech companies who are seeking between $750,000 and $2.5M. The fund has already invested in eight deals, and is looking to make up to 25 investments in the coming years. Crain's explains the differences between this new venture fund and Hyde Park Angels. Read more >
Inflight Wi-Fi provider Gogo dusts off IPO plans
Chicago Tribune, June 10, 2013
Inflight Wi-Fi provider, Gogo, has announced their plans to go IPO, and the Chicago Tribune reports that they are looking to raise between $165 and $187 million. The company has experienced significant growth over the past few years, with their services now being offered on 81% of internet-enabled commercial airlines. They are led by CEO Michael Small, '81. Read more >
Over $250,000 Awarded at UChicago's New Venture Challenge and Social New Venture Challenge
Built in Chicago, June 6, 2013
Built in Chicago has composed a blog post on the results of the Social New Venture Challenge and New Venture Challenge. Lauren Webb, a founder of SNVC winner Purple Binder, explains how the program has helped her team develop and grow their business as SSA students. Read more >
Matchist Is Pairing Up Developers With The Companies That Need Them, and Following in GrubHub's path
Chicago Grid, June 6, 2013
Chicago Grid sat down with the winners of the 2013 New Venture Challenge, matchist, to discuss their business model. Current Booth student and co-founder of matchist, Stella Fayman, explains how their solution is different than others, and focuses on what their targeted next steps will be. Read more >
Rise Interactive among ICIC and FORTUNE's Inner City 100 winners
Digital Journal, May 28, 2013
2004 NVC finalist, Rise Interactive, has been named #14 in the Initiative for Competitive Inner City and Fortune "2013 Inner City 100" list, which ranks the fastest-growing inner city companies. Founder and CEO Jon Morris, '05, explains how this ranking represents the great entrepreneurial ecosystem that Chicago has built. Read more >
GrubHub, Seamless to combine online food ordering businesses
Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2013
The Chicago Tribune reports that major food tech companies, GrubHub and Seamless, have agreed to a merger. This merger will allow both companies to continue to develop their technology, as well as share the applications that have already launched. GrubHub was the winner of the 2006 New Venture Challenge, and was founded by Matt Maloney, '10. Maloney will remain as CEO. Read more >
USCIS to Expand Entrepreneurs in Residence Initiative
USCIS, May 8, 2013
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has composed a press release about their new Entrepreneurs in Residence Initiative. The USCIS launched this Initiative in February 2012, and brought on numerous startup experts – including 2012 UChicago graduate and Moneythink founder, Ted Gonder – to work with USCIS officials to understand how to address citizenship issues in regards to entrepreneurship. This release also mentions the USCIS and Chicago Booth event that was held at the Gleacher Center in early May. Read more >
The $1 million mouse hunt
Fortune Magazine, May 6, 2013
2012 New Venture Challenge winners, MouseHouse, placed third in the 2013 Rice University business plan competition, and received $95,000 for their success. In addition, they won $1,000 for placing first in the elevator pitch competition, $3,000 for best digital marketing plan, and $3,000 for advancing to the final round. Fortune Magazine also selected the MouseHouse team for this article, which chronicles the team's preparation for their final pitch, while also summarizing their background and the MouseHouse model. MouseHouse was represented at Rice by current Booth student, Imran Ahmad, and UChicago doctoral student, Umar Khokhar. Read more >
Crain's "20 In Their 20's": Stella Fayman
Crain's, May 1, 2013
Crain's has identified 20 young professionals and leaders from Chicago that are making waves in their industries. Current Booth student and Herman Fellow, Stella Fayman, is included in this list for being a "Tech Connector". Stella has launched Matchist, which is participating in the 2013 New Venture Challenge. Read more >
Silicon Valley's Start-Up Machine
New York Times, May 2, 2013
The New York Times explores the culture and successes of Mountain View, California's, Y Combinator. Current UChicago students, David Chen and Teng Bao, were accepted into last quarter's Y Combinator class for their start-up, Strikingly, and contributed their thoughts on the experience to this article. Strikingly has recently raised $1.5 million in seed funding. Read more >
Energy fund to help Root3 stay put
Chicago Tribune, April 15, 2013
Energy Foundry has made their first investment in Root3 Technologies Inc., which is a firm that "collects and analyzes data for large energy users to help them save on utility costs". The Chicago Tribune explains how the $150,000 investment is keeping the cleantech startup in Illinois, and the article mentions Root3's relationship with the University of Chicago. Energy Foundry was founded and is led by Booth professor Jason Blumberg, '05. Root3, which was founded by Booth student Alli Hannon and Archie Gupta, '11, was a participant in the 2010 New Venture Challenge, and the 2011 Clean Energy Challenge. Read more >
Thinking outside the classroom
Chicago Tribune, April 15, 2013
The Chicago Tribune explores the different ways that Chicago business schools are building out their course offerings to allow students more innovative ways to learn outside of a classroom. They focus on Kellogg, University of Illinois, and Chicago Booth's programs, and also report on the launch of the D4Lab. Professor Ellen Rudnick describes how experiential learning is becoming more of the norm at schools such as Chicago Booth. Read more >
Setting sights on Salesforce.com
Crain's, April 9, 2013
Crain's reports on the successes of Uzi Shmilovici's, '11, Base, and how the intuitive CRM company is hot on the heels of giant, Salesforce.com. Chicago Booth adjunct professor and partner at OCA Ventures, Jason Heltzer, '02, comments on the evolution of the industry and how Base fits into that change. Uzi took second place in the 2010 New Venture Challenge with Future Simple, which powers Base. Read more >
Chicago-based LuminAID wins Clean Energy Challenge
Chicago Tribune, April 4, 2013
Current Booth student, Andrea Sreshta's, LuminAID placed first in the third annual Clean Energy Challenge yesterday, and the team was rewarded with $100,000 in early stage capital. The Chicago Tribune reports on LuminAID's successes, and describes some of the other teams that competed in the Challenge. Andrea is a current Booth student, and placed first in the 2012 Social New Venture Challenge with LuminAID. Read more >
Should Entrepreneurs Get an MBA? An Inside Perspective From an MBA Entrepreneur
Forbes, April 4, 2013
Booth first year, Stella Fayman, has written her most recent Forbes blog post on the benefits of receiving an MBA for students interested in entrepreneurship. Many reporters, academics, and entrepreneurs have been discussing this hot topic issue (see article below) of whether or not an MBA will prove beneficial to an entrepreneur. Fayman explains why working towards her MBA has helped her so far, and notes the value of formal programming and resources, such as the Polsky Center. Read more >
Send Friends, Family Spring Bouquets From BloomNation.com
KCAL, March 25, 2013
Recent graduate and NVC alum, David Daneshgar, '12, is featured on CBS affiliate KCAL, and discusses the main benefits of ordering floral arrangements from his startup, BloomNation. Daneshgar explains that BloomNation provides a quality and personal experience to consumers, while also supporting local florists who prove their expertise through real-time photo uploads. BloomNation placed third in the 2012 New Venture Challenge. Read more >
How Do You Turn a $10,000 Investment Into $20 Million in Sales? Ask Jon Morris.
Technori, March 20, 2013
Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive, Jon Morris, '05, sat down with Technori to discuss the inception of Rise as well as his keys to success. Successful growth is not easy to create, and Morris notes that the quality of employees, sales skills, and strict financial discipline are all crucial pieces to forming a successful startup. Read more >
MBA start-up is seen in a different light
Financial Times, February 24, 2013
The Financial Times reports on the success of LuminAID Lab, which placed first in the 2012 Social New Venture Challenge. Current Booth student and LuminAID founder, Andrea Sreshta, explains how LuminAID has progressed over the past year, and notes how Chicago Booth's courses and support have helped their efforts to develop and launch a successful startup. Read more >
VIDEO: Startup Reality Today: An MBA Professor on Bubbles, Billionaires, and Thomas Edison
Blackline Review, February 22, 2013
Professor Waverly Deutsch talks to Blackline Review about the state of today's startup environment. Read more >
Enter Maroon Collegiate Sportswear
MODA Chicago, February 21, 2013
Polsky intern and UChicago fourth year, Chris Stavitsky, has launched a new clothing label called Maroon Collegiate Sportswear, which has created vintage UChicago clothing with a modern twist. MODA, the UChicago fashion group, has featured Maroon Collegiate Sportswear on their recent blog post. Chris discusses the struggles that the company has faced, and how the Polsky Center has helped them along the way. Read more >
Y Combinator-Backed Strikingly Launches To Help Publishers Build Compelling Mobile-First Web Experiences
Tech Crunch, February 13, 2013
Tech Crunch reports on Y Combinator backing UChicago startup, Strikingly. Founded by current undergraduate students, David Chen and Teng Bao, Strikingly helps companies build mobile-ready websites. They are currently part of the Winter 2013 Y Combinator class, and have received backing through that and from the Y Combinator VC fund. Read more >
Patrick Ip, 22 Year Old CEO, Merges with NYC's Post + Beam
Forbes, February 5, 2013
Top innovation and communication firm, Post + Beam, has announced their acquisition of Kip Solutions. Kip was founded by current UChicago 4th year, Patrick Ip, and participated in the Polsky Center's Summer Accelerator Program. Forbes covers this announcement, and tells the story of Kip's startup life, including a section about the company's time at UChicago and in the Accelerator Program. Read more >
Part II: Chicago Has More to Offer Than Deep Dish Pizza
The Wall Street Journal, February 4, 2013
The Wall Street Journal explores the startup appeal in Chicago. Professor and HPA member, Ira Weiss, '01, gives his opinion on the current startup scene, and cites many Booth companies (GrubHub, Braintree, Mu Sigma) as successes. HPA portfolio company, FoodGenius, weighs the positives and negatives of starting a company in Chicago. Read more >
Retired CDW chief gives $5M to Chicago Booth social enterprise program
The Chicago Tribune, January 29, 2013
The Chicago Tribune covers the announcement of John Edwardson's, '72, $5M founding gift to support social programming and the Social Enterprise Initiative. This gift will be used to fund faculty research and core activities of SEI. It will also help students launch social ventures, through the added support of the renamed John Edwardson, '72, Social New Venture Challenge. Read more >
Exploding the MBA
The Financial Times, January 28, 2013
The Financial Times explores how different business schools are changing their approach to the MBA program, in order to fit students who are looking for exposure to multiple disciplines. Chicago Booth is mentioned for our development of entrepreneurship and innovation programs. Dean Kumar explains further by stating, "we are broadening the definition of what goes into a business school". Read more >
Can Chicago be the Next Silicon Valley?
The Entrepreneurship Review, January 17, 2013
The Entrepreneurship Review discusses Chicago's recent rise to entrepreneurial fame. With the increase of available funding, and a growing ecosystem focused on fostering innovation, the city is becoming more and more attractive to startups. The article mentions the University of Chicago as a key player in developing the entrepreneurial community, and references a few New Venture Challenge teams as examples of successful startups, including 37signals and GrubHub. Read more >
MBA Rankings: Top Schools for Entrepreneurship
Businessweek, January 14, 2013
Businessweek has released the list of the top ten graduate schools for entrepreneurship. The rankings are decided from a survey of 2012 MBA graduates, where they rate schools on specific aspects of the entrepreneurship programs. Chicago Booth is ranked fifth. Read more >
VIDEO: Uniquely Chicago: 1871
WCIU, January 10, 2013
WCIU walks through the 1871 space at the Merchandise Mart, and talks with Booth student Coco Meers about what 1871 has to offer her startup. Read more >
LuminAID Featured on NBC's Today Show
The Today Show, January 1, 2013
LuminAID was featured on the Today Show in their "Top Technology Trends for 2013" segment. The show featured the solar powered disaster relief lamp, and labeled 'disaster tech' as a new trend. LuminAID was founded by current Booth student, Andrea Sreshta, and her partner, and was the winner of the 2012 Social NVC. Read more >
A Busy Mom Tackles A Sticky Situation And Ends Up With A Yoga Empire
Huffington Post, December 28, 2012
Libby Andrews, '94, the founder of Stick-E Socks, describes her startup experience to the Huffington Post. She describes the ups and downs of starting her own company, and manufacturing and launching a product. Read more >
30 Under 30: Energy
Forbes, December, 2012
Forbes has released its "30 Under 30", in which they list "rising stars" in 12 different industry sectors. Booth student Allison Hannon is included in the energy category for her work with Root3 Technologies. Root3 enables institutions, such as universities and hospitals, increase their energy efficiency. UChicago grad Daniel Schnitzer is also recognized in the energy category for his work in energy efficiency. Read more >
With ties to ND, IrishAngels ready to back local startups
Chicago Tribune, December 7, 2012
Gale Bowman, '12, has been appointed the managing director of IrishAngels, a Chicago-based investment group with ties to the University of Notre Dame. According to the Chicago Tribune, this group aims to take advantage of the growing startup scene in Chicago, especially in the mobile, medical technology, and social enterprise spaces. Read more >
Michael Polsky to donate $8M to U. of C. Polsky Center
Chicago Tribune, December 4, 2012
The Chicago Tribune reports on this morning's announcement of Michael Polsky's donation to the Polsky Center. The Tribune notes how this donation will help the Polsky Center serve the University community as a whole, and increase cross-campus programming. Michael Polsky has "often credited Booth for his success", and this gift will help inspire a wider variety of students to pursue careers in entrepreneurship. Read more >
Crain's 40 Under 40
Crain's, November, 2012
Crain's has released their annual list of influential Chicagoans under the age of 40. Many Booth alumni are included in this year's list, including Bahar Wadia, '07, CEO of Hyde Park Angels portfolio company UICO; Amee Kamdar, '07, managing partner at Greatest Good; and Deepika Pandey, '05, VP at Walgreens. Two NVC companies were also represented on this list through Pete Kadens, President of SoCore Energy (2008 NVC), and Bill Ready, CEO of Braintree (2007 NVC). Read more >
Entrepreneursh*t. The Blog Post on What It's Really Like.
Both Sides of the Table, November 18, 2012
Keynote speaker Mark Suster of GRP Partners published a post on his blog, Both Sides of the Table, about his presentation at SeedCon 2012. Read more >
Video: Best B-Schools Roadtrip: Booth School of Business
Businessweek, November, 2012
Businessweek stops at Booth to talk to students and faculty about what sets Booth apart from other business schools, and they have placed a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship. Current student Coco Meers mentions the successes of the Polsky Center, and Professor Austan Goolsbee also notes the popularity of the entrepreneurship concentration among students. Read more >
New business ventures harness students' ideas
UChicago News, November, 2012
The University of Chicago has written an article on entrepreneurship across campus, which was featured on the University's homepage. Many Polsky Center programs are mentioned, and they highlight the College New Venture Challenge, and the undergraduate students that have participated in some of the Polsky Center programs, including Ted Gonder (Moneythink) and Patrick Ip (Kip Solutions). Read more >
The Women Driving Chicago's Digital Renaissance: Ellen Rudnick
Built In Chicago, November 6, 2012
Professor Ellen Rudnick is featured on this month's Built in Chicago blog about female champions of digital entrepreneurs. Ellen describes how her background and current work at the Polsky Center have helped develop her entrepreneurial spirit, and she passes along advice for women in business. Read more >
CEC gala is no 'Animal House,' but J.B., Ferro and Tilton rip off their ties
Crain's, October 25, 2012
As mentioned last week, the CEC Momentum Dinner and Awards Ceremony was held on Wednesday. Braintree, 2007 NVC winner, was named the winner of the 2012 Merrick Momentum Award. This award is given to a venture and entrepreneurs who have traversed the hard path between burgeoning startup and established enterprise. Braintree's founder, Bryan Johnson, '07, accepted the award. Crain's covers the event in this article. Read more >
TechCrunch: Payments Platform Braintree Raises $35M From NEA, Accel To Take On PayPal And Square
TechCrunch, October 17, 2012
Braintree has announced that they have raised $35 million in funding. This funding series was led by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from Accel Partners, RRE Ventures, and Greycroft. With this new round of funding, Braintree plans to take on digital payment giants like PayPal. Braintree was founded by Bryan Johnson, '07, and was the winner of the 2007 NVC. This funding round brings the payments company's total funding to $70 million. Read more >
Your View: Celebrating Chicago's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Crain's, October 4, 2012
Professor Ellen Rudnick's Op-Ed in Crain's describes the need for a certain time of ecosystem in order to allow entrepreneurship to thrive. Professor Rudnick also notes the presence of companies, investors, and organizations that contribute to Chicago's growing entrepreneurial network. Read more >
ZipFit Opens Bricks-and-Mortar Location in the Shops at North Bridge
Crain's, October 1, 2012
Crain's covers the grand opening of ZipFit's first retail location just off of Michigan Avenue. The web startup, founded by Booth student Liz Kammel, has opened a store that will utilize the company's innovative "fit" technology to find male customers better fitting denim. ZipFit was a finalist of the 2012 NVC. Read more >
Tech firms plan to add 2,000 jobs in Chicago by 2015
Chicago Tribune, September 24, 2012
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced yesterday that Chicago-based tech companies have committed to creating more than 2,000 jobs over the next few years. Companies such as BenchPrep and GrubHub (where the announcement was made), are planning to add at least 250 jobs each. The Chicago Tribune reports on Emanuel's announcement, and lists the other companies that have also committed to this initiative. Read more >
Top Colleges for Entrepreneurship 2012
Entrepreneur, September 24, 2012
Entrepreneur came out with their list of top colleges for entrepreneurship studies. After surveying data from over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate institutions, Chicago Booth and the Polsky Center were listed as the seventh best school and center for entrepreneurship. Booth has been included in the top ten for the past three years. Read more >
Silicon Prairie Redux: Will Chicago's Tech Boom Last?
Chicago Magazine, October, 2012
Chicago Magazine ran a feature article on the digital tech/start-up scene in Chicago, in an effort to answer the question: Is Chicago finally building a tech sector to be reckoned with? With spaces such as 1871, and collaboration among the community stronger than ever, the answer seems likely. Several University of Chicago companies are mentioned, including Grubhub, Alltuition, and Braintree. Braintree founder Bryan Johnson, '07, was featured as a "start-up veteran." Prof. Steve Kaplan is also quoted. Read more >
The Story Behind Groupon's Credit-Card Processing Business
Crain's, September 20, 2012
Crain's Chicago Business reported that Groupon plans to offer credit-card processing, which it has been testing through FeeFighters, an NVC-alumni company Groupon acquired last year. Sean Harper, '09, the startup's former CEO, is now director of product management for payments at Groupon. Read more >
Entrepreneurship blooms in downturn: Robert H Gertner, Deputy Dean, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
The Economic Times, September 14, 2012
The Economic Times explores the state of entrepreneurship in an economic downturn with Booth professor and Deputy Dean Rob Gertner. Gertner also discusses the entrepreneurial trends and ecosystem in India, where he will be addressing a large gathering of entrepreneurs at TiE Delhi. Read more >
Business Plan Winners Hope to Shine a Light on Social Enterprise
The Financial Times, September 10, 2012
The Financial Times has written a feature story on Chicago Booth's Social New Venture Challenge, and the 2012 winner, LuminAID Lab. LuminAID co-founders, Andrea Sreshta and Anna Stork, are quoted throughout the article, and Sreshta notes that she applied to Booth for the purpose of learning the fundamentals behind building a venture. Professor Rob Gertner expresses his support for LuminAID throughout the feature. Read more >
9 Successful Entrepreneurs Moonlighting as Professors
Entrepreneur, September 5, 2012
Entrepreneur lists nine top business leaders that are helping spread the teachings of entrepreneurship to students around the country. Professor Waverly Deutsch is included on this list, and Entrepreneur summarizes her past successes in the startup world, as well as her innovative teaching methods. Read more >
'Branded' resumes, artisanal incense, an online art gallery and more
Crain's, September 4, 2012
Crain's highlights a few of the standout start-ups that are launching around Chicago. One of the companies that is included is Cureeo, founded by Booth student, Maida Swenson-Fortune. Cureeo was accepted into this summer's Excelerate Labs class, and was a participant in the 2012 NVC. Read more >
University Summer Startup Accelerators Come To A Close
Forbes, September 4, 2012
Forbes explores the rising trend of universities offering entrepreneurial programming over the summer months. The Polsky Accelerator is mentioned, and the writer explains the importance of the personalized attention that each team received from faculty, staff, and mentors. Read more >
Braintree's Payments Platform Launches Across Europe And Canada
TechCrunch, August 29, 2012
TechCrunch reports on Braintree's platform launch across international markets. Now, merchants in 27 countries will have access to Braintree's features. Moving forward, Braintree is planning to focus on customer service and support. With their recent acquisition of Venmo, more integrations are planned for the future. Read more >
For guys, ZipFit eases the pain of buying jeans
Crain's, August 28, 2012
ZipFit.me's Liz Kammel describes her startup model to Crain's. The writer explains the history of the business, from "light-bulb moment" to potential future plans, and tests the site from a consumer perspective. Read more >
Gogo Granted Spectrum Approval In Canada, Will Take Flight In 2013
TechCrunch, August 28, 2012
TechCrunch reports on Gogo's announcement that they will be launching their in-flight wireless network in Canadian airlines in 2013. Gogo was founded by Michael Small, '98. Read more >
Illinois Universities get Better at Capitalizing on Research
The Chicago Tribune, August 22, 2012
The Chicago Tribune reports on the rise of commercializing research done through universities. The number of technology licenses issued in Illinois has increased dramatically in the past few years, and the number of university-based startups (formed around the technologies) is growing as well. The University of Chicago is mentioned as one of the top startup-creating schools. Read more >
Braintree, a Payments Company, Buys Venmo for $26.2 Million
The New York Times, August 16, 2012
The New York Times reports that Braintree, founded by Bryan Johnson, '07, has announced their purchase of Venmo for $26.2 million. In preparation for the future increase in mobile commerce, Braintree's acquisition of Venmo will help the mobile payments company compete with major rivals such as PayPal and Google. Read more >
Braintree to Add 150 Jobs in West Loop
The Chicago Tribune, July 30, 2012
Braintree has announced their plans to hire at least 150 employees in the coming years. Founder Bryan Johnson, '07, announced this plan alongside Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a press conference on Monday. The Chicago Tribune explores the increased interest in high-tech start-ups around Chicago, and summarizes how Braintree will add to the growing tech ecosystem. Read more >
How a Non-Golfer Uses Math to Help Make Swings Sing
Crain's, July 27, 2012
Crain's profiles the founders of Swingbyte, and how their backgrounds and experiences have helped establish them as a successful venture. In both the video and the article itself, Chicago Booth and the New Venture Challenge are mentioned. Professors Scott Meadow and Waverly Deutsch are also shown in the video. Read more >
8 Ways Business School Can Be An Incubator For Your Startup
Forbes, July 23, 2012
As a regular blogger on Forbes, ZipFit.me's Liz Kammel has written a post on how to take advantage of business school while starting a new venture. She notes the importance of the business school network, and also stresses the significance of the competitions offered to students. ZiptFit.me was a finalist in the 2012 Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge. Read more >
How Colleges Are Becoming Entrepreneurial
Tech Crunch, July 8, 2012
This Tech Crunch article describes the shift towards entrepreneurial studies in Universities. The number of entrepreneurship courses offered has grown from 250 in 1985, to over 5,000 today. Chicago Booth and the Polsky Center are mentioned as participants in the growth of entrepreneurial education, particularly because of the experiential learning programs. Finally, BenchPrep's Ashish Rangnekar, '11, is also mentioned as a "success story". BenchPrep won the 2010 New Venture Challenge, and has received over $8 million in funding. Read more >
InContext Solutions Named One of Midwest's Fastest Growing Technology Companies
Virtual Strategy Magazine, July 1, 2012
Lead411 has named their top "Hottest Companies in the Midwest", and Bob Gillespie's, '08, InContext Solutions, was included on their list. This recognition can be attributed to their growth to more than 60 employees in just over three years' time. Read more >
Pair Cook Up Plans to Launch Indian Fast-Casual Chain
Crain's, June 29, 2012
Crain's reports on the preparation of the opening of Sataza, the South Asian "fast casual" restaurant that Ali Jetha, '11, and Nadim Vasanji, '11, are opening later this summer. The recent grads are hoping to capitalize on the success of similar chains like Chipotle, but with healthy Indian food. Their flagship location will be on South Clinton Street, near the Presidential Towers complex. Read more >
Microsoft to Buy Yammer for $1.2 Billion
The New York Times, June 25, 2012
The New York Times reported on Microsoft's announcement that it will buy Yammer, a social network service for companies, for $1.2 billion. Yammer – which has upwards of five million users and has raised $142 million in funding – was founded by University of Chicago Law School alum, David Sacks, '98. Read more >
Gogo Closes $135 Million Credit Facility
Market Watch, June 25, 2012
In-flight wireless provider, Gogo, founded by Michael Small, '81, has announced that they have closed a $135 million credit facility through Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan. This credit facility will help Gogo during their expansion into international flights. Read more >
Techweek 100
Techweek, June, 2012
The Techweek 100 is a list of tech leaders around Chicago. Chosen by Techweek attendees, these leaders range from investors to entrepreneurs to programmers in the tech space. 13 individuals closely associated with Booth were chosen to be a part of this impressive list. Read more >
Build Your Business Within An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Forbes, June 18, 2012
Former Herman Fellow Alana Muller, '98, has written a piece in Forbes on the importance of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. By surrounding yourself with partners, peers, mentors, and others, the startup process will likely be a smoother one for the entrepreneur. Read more >
Chicago Technology Venture Capital Scorecard for 2011
The Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2012
The Chicago Tribune profiles early-stage technology investment firms in Chicago, explains the background of each firm, and lists the types of companies that have stemmed from them. Many Booth alum-founded companies are listed, including: BodyShopBids, BenchPrep, SoCore Energy, Power2Switch, Cureeo, InContext Solutions, and GrubHub. Read more >
10 Winners At The Social Innovation Summit
Forbes, June 4, 2012
Forbes reports on the 10 social ventures that received a large cash award at the United Nations Social Innovation Summit. One venture that was recognized was one of this year's SNVC finalists, Moneythink, co-founded by UChicago student, Ted Gonder. Read more >
Job, Economy Fears Mix With Hope for Class of '12
Associated Press, May 26, 2012
The Associated Press featured several types of about-to-graduate MBA students, and their plans following graduation. Daniel Shani, second year student, was included in the profile as an example of an entrepreneurial student. Read more >
100 Fastest Growing Inner City Businesses
CNN, May, 2012
Rise Interactive, founded by Jon Morris, '05, was named the no. 15 fastest-growing inner city business by CNN. The overview of the company notes that the team got its start in the NVC, receiving $10,000 which they used to launch the business. Read more >
Allstate Insurance Company, Gogo, Ian Foster Among Winners at 13th Annual ITA CityLIGHTS Award
Illinois Technology Association, May 14, 2012
Numerous UChicago alums took home CityLIGHTS Awards this year. Braintree, 2007 NVC winner, and Ian Foster, director of the UChicago Computation Institute won the Rising Star and Technologist of the Year awards, respectively, at last night's Illinois Technology Association CityLIGHTS Awards Gala. Gogo, run by CEO Michael Small, '81, received the New Concept Award. Read more >
Cross-Platform CRM Startup Base Raises $6.8M From Index Ventures, Social+Capital
Tech Crunch, May 9, 2012
Tech Crunch reports on the most recent funding of Uzi Shmilovici's, '11, Base, a CRM platform for small businesses. Base has raised $6.8 million in Series B funding, which was led by Index Ventures, OCA Ventures, and the I2A fund. Prior to this Series B round, Base had raised $1.1 million in funding. Read more >
Tech Incubator Excelerate names class of 2012
Chicago Tribune, April 25, 2012
Chicago incubator, Excelerate Labs, has chosen the new class of startups for the 2012 program. The Chicago Tribune reports that one of the chosen startups is Cureeo, co-founded by current Booth student, Maida Swenson-Fortune. Cureeo is a participant in this year's New Venture Challenge. Feefighters and GrubHub are also mentioned in this article. Read more >
Chicago Entrepreneurs Find Bootstrapping a Good Fit
Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2012
Adrissha Wimberly, '10, and Charisse Conanan, '10 were both profiled in the Chicago Tribune. The co-founders of Smarteys discussed bootstrapping, and the "mental shift" required to seek outside investments. Read more >
Alltuition: Helping Make College Accessible For The Masses
Women 2.0, April 9, 2012
Sue Khim, founder and CEO of New Venture Challenge company, Alltuition, wrote a guest blog post on Women 2.0. In this post, Sue describes the broken process of searching for and ultimately understanding financial aid, and how Alltuition is poised to fix it. Read more >
B schools turn to E schools
Crain's Chicago Business, April 9, 2012
Crain's covers the buzz around entrepreneurship in Chicagoland business schools. Booth and the Polsky Center are highlighted as leaders in entrepreneurial studies, and some of the Chicago Booth startups are listed as local stars, including GrubHub, Power2Switch, Braintree, and FeeFighters. Read more >
YC, Rock Health-Backed Agile Diagnosis Launches To Help Doctors Better Treat Their Patients
Tech Crunch, April 3, 2012
Agile Diagnosis launched their beta site and mobile platform yesterday. Tech Crunch reports on the launch of Borna Safabakhsh's, '11, venture that will help medical professionals better diagnose patients. Agile Diagnosis won the New Venture Challenge in 2011. Read more >
Start-Ups Good At Y Combinator Demo Day, But Is Price Right?
Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2012
The Wall Street Journal summarizes the outcome of Y Combinator's Demo Day, where companies pitch their idea to investors. Flutter, co-founded by Mehul Nariyawala, '05, presented their pitch at Demo Day, and was considered a "fresh idea" by the WSJ. Flutter allows users to control certain programs (via webcam) by simply gesturing. Read more >
Gogo Installed on 1,500th Commercial Aircraft
Market Watch, March 27, 2012
Gogo, the company that now allows airline passengers to connect to wireless internet mid-flight, has announced that it has installed the wireless solution on its 1,500th aircraft. Gogo is led by CEO and President Michael Small, '81, and has partnerships with 87% of internet-enabled aircraft in North America. Read more >
GrubHub moving HQ to Loop
Chicago Tribune, March 23, 2012
GrubHub will be moving their headquarters to the Burnham Center at 111 W Washington Street in September. They will lease almost 60,000 square feet. This marks the company's fourth move since inception. Read more >
Groupon Acquires FeeFighters, The BillShrink For Business Services
Tech Crunch, March 23, 2012
Groupon has announced its acquisition of FeeFighters, founded by Sean Harper, '09. FeeFighters' goal to help small businesses run more efficiently corresponds with Groupon's promotion of local businesses, and the acquisition will not result in any major changes to FeeFighters' product line. FeeFighters was an NVC participant in 2009. Read more >
Daily Deals Aggregator Frugalo Acquired By TwitVid (But No, It's Not Getting Into Deals)
Tech Crunch, March 19, 2012
Frugalo, the daily deals aggregator formed by Mike Cieri, '10, has announced it will be acquired by TwitVid. TechCrunch covers this story, and mentions that after a successful few months, Cieri and his partner noticed a shift in the 'daily deals' space, which prompted the eventual acquisition of Frugalo and a slight change in industry. Read more >
U.S. News Best Business Schools 2013
U.S. News and World Report, March 2012
U.S. News has released their rankings of the best business schools in 2012/2013. Booth was tied for 14th in entrepreneurship in 2011/2012, and has risen to 12th this year. Read more >
Moneythink and the White House
The White House Champions of Change, March 15, 2012
Current Social New Venture Challenge participant, Moneythink, has been recognized by the White House as one of five Champions of Change. Moneythink's founder, uChicago student Ted Gonder, was featured on the Champions of Change White House Panel. The video of this panel discussion, as well as numerous links to other press on Moneythink can be found on Ted Gonder's blog. Read more >
Lightbank, Tullman fund sink $4M into SoCore
Crain's Chicago Business, February 27, 2012
SoCore Energy, which placed third in the 2008 New Venture Challenge, has raised $4 million in venture funding from numerous firms including Lightbank, which marks Lightbank's first investment in the clean tech space. This latest round of investments brings SoCore's total investment to $12 million since it was founded in 2008 by J.S. Roy, '07, and Eric Bielke, '08. Read more >
Naviance Acquires PrepMe
PE Hub, February 20, 2012
Naviance, the "leading provider of student success solutions for schools and districts", has acquired PrepMe, co-founded by Karan Goel, '06. Naviance currently works to personalize curriculums for students in grades K-12, and with PrepMe's advanced test prep expertise they will be able to offer a comprehensive solution to students interested in post-secondary education. Read more >
MBA diary: Start-up School for Grownups
The Economist, February 11, 2012
Second year student Ricardo Taveira wrote an article that ran in The Economist's "Which MBA" section on why the public should take the "idea of MBA-as-entrepreneur seriously." Taveira mentions that 14 companies from Booth have received funding in the last 18 months. Read more >
Evive Health Announces Record-Setting Growth in 2011; Total Number of Covered Lives Nationwide Tops 750,000
Business Wire, January 19, 2012
Evive Health announced yesterday it achieved record-setting performance in 2011, based on new customer growth, revenue increase and the addition of 200,000 covered lives. Evive Health is a leading innovator in the design of personalized data-driven healthcare tools for consumers and was founded by Prashant Sravastava, '05. Evive and Chicago Booth have partnered on recent studies related to this topic. Read more >
Software Startup InContext Snags Venture Funding From Hyde Park, AMD
Crain's Chicago Business, December 6, 2012
InContext Solutions, which placed second in the 2009 New Venture Challenge, received $1.5M in funding from Hyde Park Angels and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. The company expects to double its 42-member staff by next summer. Read more >
Crain's 40 Under 40
Crain's Chicago Business, December 5, 2011
Several Chicago Booth alumni were listed on Crain's annual list of 40 Chicagoans under 40, including: Matt Maloney, '10, CEO of GrubHub, Bryan Johnson, '07, chairman of Braintree, Dhiraj Rajaram, '03, CEO of Mu Sigma Inc., and Kevin Willer, '10, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. Read more >
Power2Switch Snags $1.3M Investment
Crain's Chicago Business, December 1, 2011
Power2Switch, a participant in the 2009 New Venture Challenge, received $1.3M in funding led by Hyde Park Angels, OCA Ventures, New World Ventures, and I2A, along with private investors including Excelerate Labs' Troy Henikoff. Cofounders Seyi Fabode, '10, and Phil Nevels, '10, also announced the appointment of Invenergy LLC founder Michael Polsky, '71, and David Zyer of OCA Ventures to its board of directors. Read more >
Power2Switch Co-founder Switches From Corporate Job to Startup Role
Crain's Chicago Business, November 28, 2011
Crain's profiled Phil Nevels, '09, cofounder of Power2Switch, explaining how he went from the corporate world, then came to Booth and became interested in entrepreneurship, and ultimately began working full-time on a start-up. Read more >
CaptainU Builds the Mint.com for Student Athletes
All Things D, November 20, 2011
The Wall Street Journal's All Things D blog profiled CaptainU, winner of the 2008 New Venture Challenge, noting the company "has positioned itself between student athletes and the college teams that might recruit them, in much the same way that financial Web app Mint.com placed itself in between people building their financial goals and the banks and credit card companies seeking new clients." CaptainU cofounder and COO Mike Farb, '09, is quoted throughout. Read the article. The post also includes a video interview with Farb.
MELD - A New Model For Finding Tech Talent in Chicago
Tech.li, November 18, 2011
This article focused on MELD, which brought together Chicago Booth and Kellogg School of Management MBA students, developers, and others with technical talents, to help fill technical needs at startups. The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and the Chicago Booth Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital student group helped pull this event together. Read more >
Chicago Forward: Innovation, The Livechat
ChicagoTribune, November 16, 2011
Professor Linda Darragh participated in the Chicago Forward panel on innovation in Chicago, hosted by the Chicago Tribune. The site published a transcript of the conversation, which featured Darragh; Amy Francetic, executive director of Clean Energy Trust; JB Pritzker, cofounder of The Pritzker Group, and Tom Kuczmarski, cofounder of Chicago Innovation Awards. Read more >
IVCA Q&A: Scott Meadow, Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, on Accepting the 2011 Richard J. Daley Award
Illinois Venture Capital Association, November 9, 2011
The Illinois Venture Capital Association interviewed Scott Meadow, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, who will be the recipient of the Richard J. Daley Award at the IVCA Awards Dinner on December 5. The Q&A focuses on his experience in PE/VC, as well as on teaching at Chicago Booth. Read more >
GrubHub Buys Food-Ordering App FanGo
Crain's Chicago Business, November 8, 2011
It was announced that GrubHub has purchased FanGo, a Chicago company that built an app to allow smartphone users to order food from vendors in stadiums and airports. They made the purchase to strengthen its mobile offerings, according to GrubHub CEO Matt Maloney, '10. Read more >
Energy Results Help Best Buy Dive Into Home Energy Efficiency
Greentech Media, November 4, 2011
Best Buy announced it has three pilot stores ready to test home energy concepts through an experimental learning center that includes an online self-assessment platform. The platform was built by Energy Results, which was cofounded by Jason Blumberg, '05. Read more >
Impact Engine Looking to Drive Growth for Socially Minded Startups
Chicago Tribune, November 3, 2011
Impact Engine, a new business accelerator aimed at growing companies with a social mission - with which Linda Darragh, clinical associate professor of entrepreneurship, is involved - will kick off next fall. The incubator will provide seed funding, business development assistance, and mentoring to eight to 12 socially driven but for-profit startups.
9 Wacky Student Business Plans That Could Succeed
Fiscal Times, October 24, 2011
Nine unusual business plans that have come out of university business competitions were featured in this Fiscal Times report. The article mentions Entom Foods, which was founded by students at the College, and Ramensquare, founded by current student Leonard Kang, who participated in the New Venture Challenge in 2010. Read more >
Essential Apps for Startups
Entrepreneur, October 19, 2011
ProOnGo, which participated in the 2007 New Venture Challenge, was featured in a list of four smartphone apps that are "essential" for startups and small business. Read more >
Web Startup Tackles Student Debt 'Crisis'
Reuters, October 14, 2011
Startup Alltuition, founded by Sue Khim, was featured in this article; she explains how she took the company (formerly known as EduLender) through the New Venture Challenge business plan competition. Read more >
Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center's Momentum Awards Honor the Chicago Startup Scene
Marketwire, October 7, 2011
The CEC announced winners of its 2011 entrepreneurship awards at its annual Momentum Dinner. GrubHub took home the Merrick Momentum Award, which recognizes start-up companies that have shown a solid business track record and will continue to experience tremendous growth. Additionally, Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky were given the Entrepreneurial Champion Award, for their prominent role in the business and entrepreneurial community and for investing in the success of their surrounding community. Read the press release >
Innovation in Vending Machines
CNN, September 27, 2011
CNN included Ramensquare in a slideshow on new trends in vending machines. The article mentions UChicago and the New Venture Challenge. Read more >
SoCore begins Solar Installations at 53 Walgreen Stores
Chicago Tribune, September 20, 2011
SoCore Energy announced it has been chosen as the solar developer to assist Walgreens in completing one of the nation's largest solar energy rollouts. SoCore, which placed third in the 2008 New Venture Challenge, is under contract to provide 90 solar installations for Walgreens in Southwest and Central Ohio. Read more >
The Complete Guide To Freemium Business Models
TechCrunch, September 20, 2011
Uzi Shmilovici, '11, CEO and founder of Future Simple, wrote a guest post on Tech Crunch covering a study he worked on with Chicago Booth economics professor Eric Budish on freemium business models. Read more >
Venture Capitalists Descend on Chicago
Crain's Chicago Business, September 1, 2011
This article reported investors from New York, Houston, and Menlo Park, California, joined locals "to hear from 10 start-ups sponsored by a Chicago incubator program called Excelerate Labs and to attend an event by local venture capital group Hyde Park Angels." Matt Moog noted that "10 years ago it was very hard to get a start-up going [in Chicago]" but that the game has changed significantly in recent years. The article also notes that Mark Achler, senior vice president of strategy, innovation and new business at Redbox Automated Retail LLC, and an entrepreneur turned angel investor, told Power2Switch, a company that presented at Excelerate's Demo Day that he's "willing to commit capital to it." Read more.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Striking Later in Life
Chicago Tribune, August 18, 2011
Prof. Ellen Rudnick is quoted in the Chicago Tribune on the growing number of people becoming entrepreneurs later in life. According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, nearly 23 percent of new entrepreneurs were between the ages of 55 and 64 in 2010, up from 14.5 percent in 1996. There are several reasons for this, according to Rudnick, "A lot of these are what I call reluctant or accidental entrepreneurs. There often is some triggering event — they may have gotten fired — and they realize they don't want to work in a large company anymore." Read more >
The Top 10 Angel Investor Groups
Entrepreneur, August 15, 2011
Hyde Park Angels is included on a list of top 20 angel investor groups in this month's Entrepreneur magazine. Read more >
Hands-On Program Helps Answer Kids' Questions Through Science
Chicago Sun-Times, August 6, 2011
This article profiled Kids Science Labs, a hands-on learning center designed to teach kids ages two to 12 about science. "We've developed a curriculum centered on answering kids' questions," said founder Shegan Campbell, '05. Read more >
After Advice From a Pal, InContext's Gillespie Creates a Virtual Store
Crain's Chicago Business, August 1, 2011
InContext Solutions, founded by Evening student Bob Gillespie, is featured in this article about the company's 3D technology and why Chicago is a good place to build a technology company. Read more >
Baked In: How BenchPrep Is Turning e-Textbooks Into Virtual Study Groups
Fast Company, July 29, 2011
Fast Company published an article about BenchPrep's new social features that act as a real-time virtual study groups to help users in real time. "We take the flat content and enhance it by adding interaction and social conversations," said cofounder Ashish Rangenkar, '11. Read more >
Blackboard Buyer Providence Equity Acquires Personalized Online Learning Platform From PrepMe
TechCrunch, July 18, 2011
Digital learning company Ascend Learning is acquiring PrepMe's adaptive learning platform and virtual classroom SaaS. Ascend is owned by Providence Equity Partners, which just acquired Blackboard for $1.64 billion. PrepMe won the 2005 New Venture Challenge. Read more >
Chicago Booth Entrepreneurs Are in the Money
Financial Times, July 13, 2011
The Financial Times reported the record amount of funding received this academic year by New Venture Challenge companies. Read more >
Booth Start-ups Net Record $85 Million
Crain's Chicago Business, July 12, 2011
A record number of start-ups from Chicago Booth have received venture capital funding. Read more >
Accel Puts $34 Million In Online Payments Platform Braintree
TechCrunch, June 29, 2011
Braintree, founded by Bryan Johnson, '07, received $34 million in funding from Chicago-based Accel Partners. The company won the 2007 New Venture Challenge. Read more >
Power2Switch to Participate in Clinton Initiative on U.S. Economy
Chicago Tribune, June 27, 2011
Power2Switch participated in the first-ever Clinton Global Initiative America, held in Chicago. Power2Switch met with four other start-ups in a working group, where they were asked to describe the challenges in building their companies and strategies for success. Read more >
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Charisse Conanan (Booth '10), Smarteys
MBASocial, June 21, 2011
MBASocial featured Charisse Conanan, '10, CEO of Smarteys, a business she cofounded as a Chicago Booth student. In it, she mentions she decided "to go to business school to fill in the gaps to be an entrepreneur." Read more >
Chicago-Based Website Helps Consumers Save on Energy Bills
Chicago Sun-Times, June 17, 2011
This article features 2009 NVC company Power2Switch, founded by Seyi Fabode, '10, and profiles real customers who have saved money on their electric bills through the service. Read more >
Slimtrader Lets Africans Shop via Text
Venture Beat, June 15, 2011
SlimTrader, a company founded by Femi Akinde, '08, that allows consumers in Africa to shop for goods and services via text messages, was profiled in this article. His service benefits those at the "bottom of the pyramid" with a low income who cannot afford to spend a day or more traveling to obtain certain goods and services. Read more >
Venture: A Business School Shark Tank for Aspiring CEOs
WBEZ, June 13, 2011
Chicago's NPR affiliate ran a segment on the New Venture Challenge. The reporter, Ashley Gross, followed the NVC class and several teams throughout the quarter and into the finals. She describes the NVC process, and how the program has helped launch about 65 companies to date. Quotes from Agile Diagnosis and Sibl.us team members, as well as from Professors Steve Kaplan and Waverly Deutsch are included. Read more or listen to the segment >
Crain's Chicago Business, June 13, 2011
Crain's ran an article on the entrepreneurship program at Chicago Booth as part of a special section on entrepreneurship. Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, and several Booth entrepreneurs are quoted throughout. Read more >
Karan Goel's PrepMe Not Your Usual Teen Dream
Crain's Chicago Business, June 6, 2011
Karan Goel, '06, founder and CEO of PrepMe, maker of test prep software was profiled by Crain's. According to the article, PrepMe "claims its do-it-yourself instruction and tutors have helped 70,000 students from every US state and 30 countries, making it the biggest online test-prep outfit." The company won the 2005 New Venture Challenge. Read more >
School, Ice-Cream Shop Unite To Find Jobs for Special Education Graduates
Lake Forester, May 31, 2011
Bobtail Ice Cream Company is opening up new employment opportunities for special education school graduates; cofounders Chris Hill, '04, and Jeff Wilcoxon, '04, are working out the final details to have special education students work at its Wilmette store. Read more >
Watermelon Express Rebrands As BenchPrep; Launches App Store For Test Prep Content
TechCrunch, May 31, 2011
2010 NVC winner Watermelon Express announced a rebranding, relaunching as BenchPrep. BenchPrep also issued a press release on the rebrand. Read more >
Students Juggle Start-Ups
The Financial Times, May 30, 2011
This article features MBA students pursuing new ventures, and the challenges that come with going to school while working on a start-up. Uzi Shmilovici, a second-year Chicago Booth student working on his company, Future Simple, is quoted throughout, and so is Professor Steve Kaplan. Read more >
Hyde Park Angels Help Foster Entrepreneurial Dreams
NBC Chicago, May 25, 2011
This segment features Hyde Park Angels and portfolio company Noblivity. Ira Weiss, clinical associate professor of accounting, and others from HPA are featured throughout the segment. Watch the clip >
M.B.A. Programs Invest in Social Good
US News and World Report, May 20, 2011
This article notes that business schools including Booth, developing and expanding social entrepreneurship programming to meet student demand. It also features Impact Investing Summit (iiSummit) and quotes Linda Darragh, clinical associate professor of entrepreneurship. Read more >
Less Traditional Wedding Registries Available Online
WGN Chicago, April 26, 2011
This segment featured alternative wedding registries, and included Foodie Registry, a company founded by Ben Reid, '10. Foodie Registry allows couples to sign up for restaurant gift certificates; the company recently expanded to its third market. Read more >
Bump App Becomes a Surprise Hit
USA Today, April 19, 2011
Bump, winner of the 2009 NVC was featured in this video report. It explains how cofounders and former Booth students David Lieb, Jake Mintz, and Andy Huibers came up with the idea, and that they got their start at the University of Chicago. Read more >
Three Common Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Entrepreneur, April 13, 2011
This article covered common marketing mistakes small businesses make, and provided tips and examples of best practices. Sean Harper, '09, and his company FeeFighters, were featured in the article. He discussed the challenges of making credit card processing more appealing to customers, explaining that was a key driver behind changing the company name from Transparent Financial Services to FeeFighters. Read more >
The 10 Best Entrepreneurship Courses of 2011
Inc., April 10, 2011
Professor Craig Wortmann's Entrepreneurial Selling course was ranked among the top 10 entrepreneurship courses at universities across the country. In addition to featuring Wortmann, the article includes a sidebar on Phil Leslie, '09, founder of ProOnGo. He used many of the tactics he learned in the selling class. Read more >
Google's Willer to Lead Entrepreneurial Center
Crain's Chicago Business, March 17, 2011
Kevin Willer, '10 (XP-79) was appointed President and CEO of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, an arm of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce set up to boost startups. Read more >
Exclusive: Food Delivery Search Engine GrubHub Raises $20 Million
TechCrunch, March 9, 2011
GrubHub raised $20 million in Series D funding led by DAG Ventures and Benchmark Capital. The new funding, says CEO Matt Maloney, '10, will be used towards acquisitions and to boost GrubHub's product development. GrubHub expects to list 80,000 restaurants in the next three months and be in over 26 cities by the end of this year. Read more >
EduLender Raises $1 Million For Student Loan Comparison Search Engine
TechCrunch, March 8, 2011
EduLender (now Alltuition) raised $1 million in funding, led by Hyde Park Angels, Kapor Capital, Sandbox Ventures, New World Ventures, Excelerate, and OKCupid cofounder Sam Yagan. EduLender was founded by University of Chicago undergrad student Sue Khim; she took the company through the New Venture Challenge in 2009 and then joined Excelerate Labs inaugural class. Read more >
Trepping Out With Matt Maloney From GrubHub
Trep Life, March 7, 2011
Matt Maloney, '10, is the first entrepreneur to be featured in Trep Life, a new entrepreneur-focused web show. Watch it here >
Green Scene: Clean-Energy Forum Puts Spotlight on Local Players
Crain's Chicago Business, March 4, 2011
This article recaps the 2011 Midwest Energy Forum and Clean Energy Challenge. Read more >
Volt Battery Developer Says Temperature a Problem for All Batteries
Chicago Tribune, March 3, 2011
The Tribune ran an interview with GM's Bill Wallace, who was one of the speakers on the transportation panel at the Midwest Energy Forum. Wallace aimed to clarify the criticism the Chevy Volt recently received for the life of its batteries, but also focused on the future of electric cars, how Argonne technology was commercialized in this car, among other topics. Read more >
Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel pledges to make Chicago a clean energy nucleus
Medill Reports, March 3, 2011
This article focused primarily on Mayor-elect Rahm Emmanuel's speech at the Midwest Energy Forum, in which he pledged to make clean energy innovation the focal point of Chicago's economic growth, and also on the information discussed during the "Innovations in Transportation" panel. Read more >
Future Simple Raises $1.1 Million To Further Simplify The Life Of SMBs
TechCrunch, February 25, 2011
Future Simple, second place winner of the 2010 New Venture Challenge, raised $1.1M in funding, led by OCA Ventures with participation by the I2A Fund, as well as angel investors. Future Simple's CEO is second year student Uzi Shmilovici. Read more >
Students Tapping Offbeat Ways To Raise College Money
CBS Chicago, February 17, 2011
EduLender (now Alltuition) was included in a roundup story on creative ways students are raising money to pay for their education. Read more.
Interview with Edulender Founder, Suyeon Khim
Technori, February 9, 2011
Technori profiled Sue Khim, founder of EduLender (now Alltuition). She spoke about how she came to create the company, growing the business at the Polsky Center, and her overall experience as a first-time entrepreneur. Read the article.
Think big! Young Chicagoans Cashing in on Tech Ventures
RedEye, February 8, 2011
This article covers the many opportunities for young entrepreneurs in Chicago, highlighting resources available through the University of Chicago and Northwestern; Prof. Ellen Rudnick is quoted, as well as Jonathan Pasky, '09, founder of MidVentures. Read the article.
America's Most Promising Startups
BloombergBusinessweek, Feb 7, 2011
This series profiling new companies from across the country that embody the creativity and resilience common among today's entrepreneurs, featured FeeFighters in their most recent list. Their overview mentions the company launched while founders Sean Harper, '09, and Josh Krall '09, were students at Chicago Booth. Read the article.
Eric Olson: Craig Wortmann on entrepreneurial selling
Crain's Chicago Business, February 4, 2011
Prof. Craig Wortmann was featured in an interview about entrepreneurial selling, and how it's different from traditional sales. Read the post.
Weekend Web: Sunday, Jan 30
NBC Chicago, January 30, 2011
Watermelon Express (now Benchprep) and founder Ashish Rangnekar (second year student at Booth) was featured this weekend on NBC. Watch the clip.
Greenberg: Why Microsoft Should Be Broken Up
CNBC, January 27, 2011
Clinical professor of entrepreneurship Jim Schrager provided insight into why Microsoft should be broken up into several companies. Read more.
How to Choose an Incubator
New York Times, January 26, 2011
George Aspland, '08; Scott Roberts, '08; and Adam Rodnitzky, '08, founders of ReTel Technologies, were featured in this article about choosing a new business incubator. The ARCH New Business Incubator at the Polsky Center is featured and Rodnitzky is quoted. Read more.
Clean Energy Trust Announces Finalists for the First Clean Energy Challenge; $130,000 in Prizes to Be Awarded March 3
Eon, January 25, 2011
The Clean Energy Trust announced finalists for its first-ever Clean Energy Challenge. Two Chicago Booth companies, Power2Switch and Root3 Technologies, are among the top 10. Finalists will present at the Midwest Energy Forum on March 3; winners will receive up to $130,000 in cash prizes sponsored by the Department of Energy. Read more.
The Verizon iPhone is a Win for the Entire Mobile Sector
Chicago Sun-Times, January 25, 2011
This article reported the impact Motorola will face once Verizon starts carrying the iPhone. It mentioned several Chicago Booth companies in the tech sector that may also be impacted, including Watermelon Express (second-year student and CEO Ashish Rangnekar is quoted), GrubHub, and Bump Technologies. The New Venture Challenge, Polsky Center, and Booth are all included and ends with a quote by professor Steve Kaplan: "Now students are coming to Chicago Booth expressly for entrepreneurship." Read more.
In the Race to 10 Billion Downloads, Apple Uncovers the Top All-Time Apps
Tech Crunch, January 19, 2011
Bump Technologies' Bump application was named among the top 10 most downloaded iPhone applications of all time. Read more.
FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million to be the BillShrink for Business Services
TechCruch, January 12, 2011
FeeFighters, founded by Sean Harper, '09, and Joshua Krall, '09, received an additional $1.6 million in funding, led by Sandbox Industries with OCA Ventures, Arizona Bay Technology Partners, 500 Startups, i2a Ventures, Hyde Park Angels, and other investors. Read more.
Bump Technologies Raises $16 Million for Mobile Interaction Domination
Mashable, January 11, 2011
Bump Technologies, founded by two former Booth students who won the 2009 New Venture Challenge, raised $16M in a second round of funding. New investor Andreessen Horowitz, along with previous investors Sequoia, Sherpalo Ventures and SV Angel, funded this round, which will be used to further develop the way people interact with their mobile devices. Read more.
Securing Financing in 2011: No Walk in the Park
Fox Small Business, January 4, 2011
Professor Ira Weiss provides tips for entrepreneurs seeking angel funding in 2011. Read more.
The Difference Between Having A Problem and Building a Business Around It – With Sean Harper
Beyond the Pedway, January 3, 2011
Blogger Tim Jahn did a video interview with Sean Harper of FeeFighters. He spoke about what the company does for small businesses and also spent some time talking about their recent rebranding. Watch the video.
Chicago's Top 30 in Tech 2010
Flyover Geeks, December 21, 2010
Flyover Geeks ran a list of the top 30 in tech in Chicago – the list includes tech companies, companies that rely on technology, and organizations involved with the entrepreneurial /venture capital community. Hyde Park Angels (no. 15), FeeFighters (no. 9), GrubHub (no. 3), and Groupon (no.2) were included. Read more.
Clean Energy Challenge Receives More than 70 Entries from Illinois Entrepreneurs
BusinessWire, December 21, 2010
The Clean Energy Trust announced yesterday they received more than 70 entries to the first-ever Clean Energy Challenge. The finals for the clean tech business plan competition will be held at the Midwest Energy Forum event, which the Polsky Center is hosting, on March 3, 2011. Read more.
How Bryan Johnson Has Taken Braintree to Explosive Growth in Three Years
Technori, December 20, 2010
Technori profiled Bryan Johnson, CEO of Braintree Payment Solutions, a Chicago Booth company that won the 2007 New Venture Challenge. The article covered Braintree's successes, which are due in part from the lessons Johnson learned running two previous businesses. Read more.
Are Virtual Energy Audits the Answer?
Greentech Media, December 15, 2010
Energy Results, a company by Adjunct Professor Jason Blumberg, '05, and James Carlin, '05, was featured in Green Tech Media. Carlin explains how the company helps consumers evaluate and make their homes more energy efficient. Read more.
Groupon ignites Chicago Start-up Boom
WBEZ-FM, December 15, 2010
Chicago's NPR affiliate ran a segment on the tech startup scene in Chicago. Professor Steve Kaplan is quoted student Ashish Rangnekar, founder of NVC winner Watermelon Express (now BenchPrep) is featured. Read more.
Independent Contractors Will Bring Top Talent Within Reach for More Small Firms
Crain's Chicago Business, December 13, 2010
Professor Linda Darragh commented on the positive aspects of small businesses hiring independent contractors to help with work. Read more.
Shining a light - Solar Cells Are Getting Cheaper as Subsidies Subside
The Economist, December 10, 2010
Professor Travis Bradford was quoted in this article about renewable energy, specifically solar. Read more.
Three 24-Year-Olds Do What GAO Says Is Impossible
Points and Figures, December 10, 2010
EduLender (now Alltuition), a student loan search engine, was featured in this blog post by Jeff Carter. The GAO stated that it would be too costly for the government to provide this kind of service, yet the company - which participated in the 2009 New Venture Challenge - is doing exactly that. Read more.
Interview with Suyeon Khim, Founder of EduLender
MidVentures, December 9, 2010
MidVentures ran an in-depth interview with EduLender (now Alltuition) founder Sue Khim, covering the company's recent funding announcement as well as history on EduLender's start. Read more.
Test Prep App Startup Watermelon Express Raises Funding From Groupon Co-Founders
Tech Crunch, December 7, 2010
Tech Crunch profiled 2010 NVC winner Watermelon Express (now BenchPrep), highlighting the company's recent funding from Lightbank. Read more.
Just Say "No" to (Bad) Climate Deal
Huffington Post, December 7, 2010
An op-ed by professor Travis Bradford was published in the Huffington Post; it covers the Cancún climate negotiations to replace the expiring UN's Kyoto Protocol, and how, in fact, it may be better to do nothing because "businesses today are already changing their behavior based on expectations of the future and that carbon emissions already have a de-facto price [for greenhouse gas emissions] in their minds." Read more.
Green Scene: Power2Switch Lets Users Comparison-shop for Electricity
Crain's Chicago Business, December 2, 2010
Chicago Booth company Power2Switch, which was founded by Seyi Fabode, '10. Read more.
Chicago Startup Makes Store Plans From 3-D World
Chicago Sun-Times, November 28, 2010
InContext Solutions, a Chicago Booth company and second-place NVC winner, was featured in this article; chief technology officer Rick Hanzelin mentions that he feels Chicago has a very strong talent pool, and that they plan to grow the team using people from the Midwest. Read more.
The 10 Chicago Startups You Need to Know About
The Next Web, November 23, 2010
Watermelon Express (now BenchPrep), winner of the 2010 New Venture Challenge, was included in The Next Web's list of top 10 startups to know in Chicago, alongside start-ups such as midVentures, mPayy, and Sprout Social. Read more.
Accretive's Tolan Wins Entrepreneur of Year Honor
Crain's Chicago Business, November 16, 2010
Mary Tolan, '92 (XP-61), founder of Accretive Health, was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 national winner in the services category. Now in its 24th year, this is considered one of the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs; Tolan was selected by an independent panel of judges from approximately 300 regional award recipients. Read more.
Interview with Karan Goel of PrepMe
The Udemy Blog, November 15, 2010
PrepMe's founder, Karan Goel, a Chicago Booth graduate, was interviewed about his company's approach to education, and how he intends to expand in the future. Read more.
Video: Kaplan Says It's `A Great Time' to Be Venture Capitalist
Bloomberg, November 15, 2010
Entrepreneurship and finance professor Steven Kaplan was one of several Chicago Booth interviews featured on Bloomberg Television's In Business show. Kaplan discussed the venture capital and private equity markets. View clip.
Mike Evans on GrubHub's $11M Round and What Comes Next
Flyover Geeks, November 12, 2010
GrubHub founders Matt Maloney, '10, and Mike Evans talk about how the company plans to use its recent $11 million in funding to expand their business into new markets. Read more.
Silicon City: Delivering 3-D Content Online
Crain's Chicago Business, November 10, 2010
Bob Gillespie, current student and founder of InContext Solutions, which placed second in the 2008 - 09 NVC, spoke about the genesis of the business and describes InContext's technology. Read more.
GrubHub Raises $11 Million to Continue to Innovate and Grow
Tech Cocktail, November 9, 2010
GrubHub, founded by Matt Maloney, '10, and Mike Evans, announced the company secured $11 million in a Series C round of funding led by Benchmark Capital, which has invested in companies like OpenTable, Yelp, Zillow, Twitter, and eBay. To date the company has raised $14.1 million. Read more.
Zipcar Chairman and CEO Scott Griffith Selected as a CEO of the Year
CSR Wire, November 4, 2010
Zipcar announced that CEO, Scott Griffith, '90, was selected by Corporate Responsibility Magazine as winner of the Social Entrepreneur category during the publication's Responsible CEO of the Year Awards. Read more.
Local Innovators Live Up to City's History of Ingenuity
Chicago Sun-Times, November 2, 2010
Two Chicago Booth companies and New Venture Challenge participants, SoCore Energy (2008 third place) and InContext Solutions (2009 second place), were recognized at the Chicago Innovation Awards, which celebrates the creative and innovative spirit of Chicago. Read more.
University of Chicago
Small Biz Chicago, October 28, 2010
This outlet, geared toward the entrepreneurship and small business community in Chicago, profiled the entrepreneurship program at Chicago Booth and highlighted many of the offerings of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship. Read more.
Websites Help In the Hunt for College Financial Aid
Chicago Sun-Times, October 23, 2010
EduLender (now Alltuition), which helps families compare student loan offers, was profiled in the Chicago Sun-Times. Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, was quoted. EduLender participated in the 2009 - 10 New Venture Challenge. Read more.
Veterans Reaching Out for Help Online
New York Times, October 21, 2010
The New York Times ran an article on post-traumatic stress disorder, featuring interactive web program Vets Prevail, run by Prevail Health Solutions. Founders Roger Sweis and Robert Gengler got their start at Chicago Booth. Read more.
Students Seek a Responsible Angle to Their Studies
UK Independent, October 7, 2010
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs and clinical associate professor of entrepreneurship, was interviewed in this report on MBA education and the increasing interest from students in social enterprise. Read more.
Seed Capital From Angel Investors: Ira Weiss, Hyde Park Angels
SramanaMitra.com, October 6, 2010
Professor Ira Weiss was interviewed for a series on financing for entrepreneurs and spoke about Polsky Center-affiliated Hyde Park Angels. Read more.
Mike Evans of GrubHub Lean Start-up Video
Flyover Geeks, October 2, 2010
This Midwest-focused entrepreneurship blog featured a video interview with Mike Evans, co-founder of 2006 NVC winner GrubHub. Read more.
Will Backing and Mentoring from Excelerate Labs Add Up to Seed Round for MathZee?
PE Hub, September 29, 2010
This blog covered the business model and fundraising plans for the rest of the year for MathZee, a 2010 NVC participant. Read more.
Top 25 Graduate, Undergrad Colleges for Entrepreneurs Named
USA Today, September 21, 2010
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is named in this article recapping the best graduate and undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the country. Read more.
Best in Class
Entrepreneur, September 21, 2010
The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine compared more than 2,000 institutions for its eighth annual ranking of the best entrepreneurship programs in the country. Chicago Booth was named second in the graduate category. Read more.
Start-ups Tap University Talent for Fresh, Inexpensive Ideas
SmallBizChi, September 14, 2010
ProOnGo founder Philip Leslie, '09, talks about leveraging university resources to launch new business ventures. Read more.
The Brandery Builds Brands, Brings Businesses to Cincinnati
Soapbox Cincinnati, September 14, 2010
TurboBotz, a finalist in the 2010 NVC, was featured in this article about Cincinnati-based incubator, The Brandery. Read more.
Local Business Helps Link Students to Loan Deals
ABC7 Chicago, September 13, 2010
Edulender (now Alltuition), founded by University of Chicago graduate Sue Khim, was featured in a segment about its online student loan research and comparison tool. Read more and watch the video.
10 Start-ups Launch in Chicago at Excelerate Labs
Tech Cocktail, August 31, 2010
Three Chicago Booth companies, EduLender (now Alltuition), FeeFighters, and MathZee, we among the 10 companies to present at Excelerate Labs' Demo Day. Read more.
2010 Inc. 500 I 5000
Inc., September 2010
Three Chicago Booth companies, Grub Hub, Mu Sigma, and Rise Interactive, were included in the 29th annual Inc. 500, which features the nation's fastest-growing private businesses. Read more.
Check out local entrants on Inc. 500's latest list
Crain's Chicago Business, August 25, 2010
Three Chicago Booth companies, Grub Hub, Mu Sigma, and Rise Interactive, were named to the 29th annual Inc. 500 list. Read more.
TransFS Talks Plans for New Funding Infusion
Crain's Chicago Business, August 11, 2010
Sean Harper, founding CEO of TransFS, which participated in the 2009 New Venture Challenge, talked about how his company will spend the $510,000 in funding it recently received. Read more.
Comparison Shopping Online Is for Small Businesses Too
Wall Street Journal, August 10, 2010
TransFS was featured in the WSJ's Venture Capital Dispatch section following the announcement the company raised $510,000 in new funding. Read more.
TransFS Raises $510K for Credit Card Processor Comparison Shopping Site
TechCrunch, August 9, 2010
Chicago-based startup TransFS, which participated in the 2009 NVC and grew in the Polsky Center's ARCH incubator, raised $510,000 in new funding from Hyde Park Angels and Silicon Valley angel investor Dave McClure's recently launched investment fund 500Startups. Read more.
How to Banish Business Cards
MotleyFool.com, August 6, 2010
Bump, by Bump Technologies is declared the "best option of all" when it comes to exchanging contact information using technology. Read more.
Apps Are the Hottest Trend in Mobile Technology, but Does Your Business Really Need One?
Crain's Chicago Business, July 19, 2010
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs, was quoted in this article on the value of apps in mobile technology. Read more.
GrubHub.com Brings Its Online Restaurant Directory to Seattle
TechFlash, Seattle's Technology News Source, June 15, 2010
GrubHub.com, led by Matt Maloney, '10, and Mike Evans, is moving into the Seattle online restaurant directory business. The company was a 2006 winner of the Polsky Center's New Venture Challenge business plan competition. Read more.
For Start-ups, Often the Only Option in a Recession Is to Keep on Hiring
Crain's Chicago Business, June 14, 2010
Bryan Johnson, '07, CEO of Braintree Payment Solutions, a Polsky Center New Venture Challenge winner, discusses the opportunities and challenges of hiring during a recession. Read more.
Matt Rogers: The Man with the Big Green Checkbook
Chicago Tribune, March 22, 2010
Matt Rogers, senior adviser to the U.S. secretary of energy spoke about energy investments through the Recovery Act at the third annual Midwest Alternative Energy Venture Forum (MAEVF) in November. Read article.
Collaboration, Expertise Encouraging to Startups
Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2010
CaptainU, ProOnGo, and In Context Solutions - three former New Venture Challenge finalists - were selected to participate in the federally-funded Cluster Acceleration Program to advance the most promising new venture. Read article or watch the ABC-7 segment about the program.
Angel investors add green to Chicago pastures
Chicago Tribune, February 17, 2010
Hyde Park Angels, the Polsky Center's affiliated angel network, provides a forum for members to invest in seed and early stage businesses in the region. Read article.
eBay, Amazon Offer Route to New Career for Jobless Americans
Crain's Chicago Business, February 8, 2010
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship, provides her insight into starting a business on online sites like eBay. Read article.
How to Hire an HR Director
Inc.com, February 1, 2010
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship lends her advice in this in-depth article about HR needs at a small firm. Read article.
Something for the Weekend
FT.com, January 29, 2010
Luigi Zingales, Robert C. McCormack Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, talks about the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, which he coauthors each quarter. Read article and read more about the Index.
TransFS Shines Light on Credit Card Processors
Chicago Sun-Times, January 11, 2010
Chicago-based startup TransFS, which participated in the 2009 NVC and grew in the Polsky Center's ARCH incubator, was featured for its new online credit card processing directory, which helps small businesses save money. Read article.
"GE Is Flat-footed, Not Knowledgeable and Missing What the Local Market Needs"
Forbes India, December 16, 2009
James Schrager, PhD '93, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and strategic management, gave a candid Q&A on GE's management strategy and growth in India. Read article.
Coffee with a Mission
Chicago Tribune, December 11, 2009
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship, provides her insight into the social benefits that businesses are tapping into. Read article.
Waiting for the Right Price at the Right Time Online
Chicago Sun-Times, November 30, 2009
TransFS, founded by Sean Harper, '09, and Joshua Krall, '09, which was a participant in the 2008 New Venture Challenge, is featured in this article. The Chicago-based start-up features a reverse-auction for small businesses to find the most economical credit card processing rates. Read article.
Owning It: Power and Change
Crain's Chicago Business, September 21, 2009
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs, was quoted in this feature on women entrepreneurs in the Chicago business community. Read article.
Generation Success
Entrepreneur Magazine, September 2009
Current part-time student Brian Taylor was a featured entrepreneur on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine with his company, Kernel Season's, which he started while an undergrad. Read article.
Power2Switch Lets Consumers Choose Their Electricity Suppliers
The New York Times, August 15, 2009
Power2Switch, which was launched through the 2009 New Venture Challenge (NVC), was a featured start-up by VentureBeat for its innovative approach to allow consumers and businesses to find cost-effective electricity. The article also references the company's partnership with TransFS, a 2008 NVC company. Read article.
Berkeley Ventures Creates Initial Portfolio to Meet Change in Venture Ecosystem
Forbes.com, August 4, 2009
2009 New Venture Challenge companies Power2Switch and Virtual Labs were selected as two of the first four portfolio companies for Berkeley Ventures, a new Bay Area incubator for early-stage tech startups. Quoted in the article is Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship. who comments on the importance of incubators. Read article.
Will Your Product Sell?
Forbes.com, June 5, 2009
2009 NVC finalist In Context Solutions, founded by part-time student Bob Gillespie, was named to Forbes list of "America's Most Promising Companies." Read article.
Her Light Shines
Chicago Sun-Times, May 30, 2009
Linda Darragh, clinical associate professor entrepreneurship and Polsky Center director of entrepreneurship programs, won the won Illinois Technology Association's CityLIGHTS award for her various efforts in support of entrepreneurial development. Read article.
iPhone "Bump" Has Chicago Connection
NBC-5, April 29, 2009
The Polsky Center, the ARCH Incubator, and student businesses Bump Technologies and ProOnGo were featured in this NBC-5 profile. Watch video.
Wicker Park's iCream is a 21st Century Parlor
ABC-7, April 21, 2009
Co-founded by Cora Shaw, '08 and Jason McKinney, '06, iCream recently opened a new, innovative cafe, offering instant, made-to-order ice cream. Read article and watch video.
Therapists Use Internet to Treat Reluctant Veterans
Chicago Public Radio - WBEZ, April 20, 2009
Prevail Health Solutions, co-founded by Richard Gengler, '09 and Roger Sweis, '08, is featured for its efforts to reach veterans who shy away from the therapist's couch. Read or listen to article.
The Elevator Pitch: T&E Cleanup
BusinessWeek, April 3, 2009
Second year student Phillip Leslie provides the elevator pitch for his company ProOnGo LLC, and receives feedback from a seasoned venture capitalist. ProOnGo was a finalist at the 2008 New Venture Challenge and is currently located in the ARCH Venture Partners New Business Incubator. Read article.
New iPhone app works by bump, not touch
Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2009
Current New Venture Challenge phase II team Bump Technologies, founded by first year Chicago Booth students David Lieb and Jake Mintz, is featured for its new, innovative approach to transfer data. Read article.
Board of Advisers Can Offer Ideas to Keep Grow Business, Create Opportunities
Chicago Tribune, March 2, 2009
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship, offers insight into the benefits of setting up a board. Read article.
Online Recruiting Industry Helps Fulfill Dreams
New York Times, February 28, 2009
CaptainU, the 2008 New Venture Challenge co-winner and its founder and president Avi Stopper, '06, are included for their successes in the online sports recruiting process. Read article.
Profiting in Choppy Markets
The Economic Times, February 13, 2009
Raj Mujumder, '07, founder and CEO of Bangalore-based iMetanoia talks about the growth of his young financial and risk management services firm. Read article.
Tracking Buying Patterns with Surveillance Cameras
New York Times, January 1, 2009
ReTel Technologies,a 2008 New Venture Challenge finalist, is featured as one of the year's bright ideas for its powerful shopper analytics. The company, founded by George Aspland, '08, Scott Roberts, '08, and Adam Rodnitzky, '08, is housed in the Polsky Center's ARCH New Business Incubator. Read article.
Leaving the Information Superhighway for Jet Streams of Images
New York Times, December 24, 2008
Cooliris, co-founded by serial entrepreneur Soujanya Bhumkar, '99, is featured for the growth of its innovative visual Web-browsing tool. Read article.
Stopper Finding New Ways to Recruit
ESPNRISE.com, December 4, 2008
Avi Stopper, '06, founder and president of CaptainU, the 2008 New Venture Challenge co-winner, talks about the myths of college sports recruiting. Read Article.
Starting Up as the Economy Goes Down
SME Web (UK), November 14, 2008
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs at the Polsky Center writes about how entrepreneurs can achieve start-up success in tough economic times. Read article.
No Time Like the Present
Crain's Chicago Business, November 10, 2008
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center Executive Director and clinical professor entrepreneurship offers her insights in this feature about starting a business during a recession. Read article.
At the Speed of Life
New York Times, November 1, 2008
Scott Griffith, '90, CEO of Zipcar, talks about life and passion in this op-ed article. Read article.
The Bailout: A Primer
Forbes.com, October 17, 2008
Steven N. Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, provides his commentary on the breakdown of the credit crisis. Read editorial.
PrepMe Aces the College Tests
BusinessWeek, October 16, 2008
Karan Goel, '06, CEO and co-founder of PrepMe (the 2006 New Venture Challenge winner) is featured for the growth of his start-up. PrepMe is a 2008 Chicago Innovation Awards winner. Read article.
All You Have to Do Is Ask
Crain's Chicago Business, October 13, 2008
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs at the Polsky Center, talks about important ways entrepreneurs can conduct market research. Read article.
Ricketts' Ticket
Crain's Chicago Business, September 15, 2008
Entrepreneur Thomas Ricketts, '93, is in the running to buy the Chicago Cubs. Read article.
One Private Equity Firm's Busy China Niche - Bad Loans
The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2008
The Deal Journal blog highlights the efforts of Shorline Capital Management in China, which was cofounded by Benjamin Fanger, '05 and Xiaolin Zhang, '04 in 2004. Read article.
Tiny Detergent Maker Scores Big as U.S. Sponsor
The Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2008
Mark Konjevod, '07 (XP-76), founder of WIN Products Inc. talks about the growth of his company and how it became the official detergent of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Read article.
Picking Winners
Economist.com, May 27, 2008
Research from Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, is featured in this article about whether investors should bet on the jockey (the management team) or the horse (the business). Read article.
Leaving Kraft Singles Behind, She's Doing it Her Whey
BusinessWeek Chicago, May 2008
Daphne Mazarakis, '99, who recently left Kraft Foods to start her own line of yogurt with whey protein, is featured in the Fresh Entrepreneurs section of the magazine. Her Evanston-based start-up Tula Foods plans to launch its Better Whey products this summer in Chicago. Read article.
Tolan's Way
Crain's Chicago Business, March 3, 2008
Mary Tolan, '92, CEO of Accretive Health, is featured in this cover story about her efforts to grow Accretive into a $250 million company from scratch over four years. Read article.
Have Two Firms? Make Sure They Relate
Chicago Tribune, February 11, 2008
Linda Darragh, director of entrepreneurship programs at the Polsky Center and adjunct associate professor of entrepreneurship, and Scott Meadow, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, offer their advice to anyone contemplating taking on two start-up ventures. Read article.
When Opportunity Calls
Crain's, February 11, 2008
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship, provides helpful input to those looking to sell their business. Read article.
LiquidTalk makes solid gains
Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2008
2006 New Venture Challenge participating company LiquidTalk, co-founded by Dan Anderson, '94, is featured for its growth and recent milestones. Read article.
Kauffman Foundation Announces 2008 Entrepreneurship Dissertation Fellows
Kauffman Foundation Press Release, January 2, 2008
GSB doctoral student Erez Yoeli was one of 16 recipients of the 2007-08 Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship and will receive $20,000 for his dissertation "Business Networking in Silicon Valley." Read press release.
Deciding How to Grow Through Acquisition
Fortune Small Business, December 21, 2007
Ellen Rudnick, '73, Polsky Center executive director and clinical professor of entrepreneurship, offers helpful suggestions to a real estate business owner who wants to grow by buying. Read article.
Midwest Firms Looking to Ride the Wave of VC Investment in Clean Tech
Medill Reports, December 4, 2007
The Polsky Center's highly successful Midwest Alternative Energy Venture Forum is featured in this article about the growth of the clean technology industry throughout the Midwest. Read article.
U. of C.'s Kaplan Helps Boost Entrepreneurs
Chicago Sun-Times, November 30, 2007
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, received the 2007 Richard J. Daley Medal from the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Putting the Wind in Windy City
Crain's Chicago Business, November 19, 2007
Michael P. Polsky's, '87company Invenergy LLC is featured for its investments in renewable energy resources. Read article.
Tough CEOs Often Most Successful, a Study Finds
Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2007
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, talks about his research along with Morten Sorensen, assistant professor of finance and Mark Klebanov, PhD candidate in finance, about the most successful traits for CEOs. Read article.
Is It too Good to Be True? Start-ups Find First Pitch of Improved Technology Hard Sell
Chicago Tribune, November 12, 2007
Linda Darragh, Polsky Center director of entrepreneurship programs and adjunct associate professor of entrepreneurship, comments on the challenges and opportunities faced by tech-based start-ups. Read article.
Look to Outsiders to Help You Steer
Chicago Tribune, November 5, 2007
James E. Schrager, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and strategic management, provides insight into the benefits of an advisory board to small businesses.
Illinois Venture Capital Association Q&A with Steve Kaplan
IVCA Newsletter, October 24, 2007
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance is interviewed about venture capital and private equity. Read newsletter article.
Cash Is King, Survey Confirms
Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2007
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, talks about his research along with KPMG regarding the use of cash to finance acquisitions versus stock transactions. Read article.
Steven Kaplan Testifies Before House Financial Services Committee
Wall Street Journal, March 8, 2007
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, testified on the "Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act." Read ChicagoBoothNews.
Chicago Booth Team Wins Regional VCIC
Venture Capital Investment Competition, February 10, 2007
Chicago Booth students Mark Buchanan, Sam Kruger, Richard McCormack, Jason Starr, and Vineeth Subramanyam won the prestigious VCIC central regional competition that puts business school students in the shoes of venture capitalists. The team will compete in the international finals April 12-14.
A Startup that Puts Teenagers to the Test
Financial Times, October 26, 2006
Alumnus Karan Goel, '06, on the founding of his college prep company, PrepMe.com. Read article.
Austin Ventures Expands Partner Team
Austin Ventures Press Release, Business Wire, October 24, 2006
Alumnus Phillip Siegel, '88, promoted to partner at Austin Ventures.
Listen to Criticism - That Is if You Find It
Chicago Tribune, October 16, 2006
Alumnus Russ Rosenzweig, '00, CEO of the Roundtable Group Inc., discusses at the end of the article the importance of joining peer-to-peer entrepreneurial groups.
Big School Experience
Crain's Chicago Business, October 16, 2006
Alumnus Sol Kanthack, '00, CEO of brightroom Inc., answers questions about the reputation of the University of Chicago and how it has positively affected his career. Read article.
Second Acts: From High Finance to Ravioli
US News & World Report, October 1, 2006
Alumnus Timothy Sheerer, '88, former Merrill Lynch executive, gave up his high-paying career in New York City to open a family restaurant in Pittsburgh.
Read article.
Form Follows Function:
What's the Best Way to Structure Your Small Business?
Crain's Chicago Business, August 29, 2006
Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, proposes several ideas for small business owners to consider when they set up their companies, including exit strategy, investors, and control.
Time to Get Plugged In?
Crain's Chicago Business, August 14, 2006
Alumnus Jon Morris, '05, founder of Internet Marketing Initiative, and a New Venture Challenge finalist, comments on the importance of small businesses to be web savvy.
Private Equity's Barbarians Are on Top - for Now
Fortune magazine, August 8, 2006
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of entrepreneurship and finance, comments on the cyclical state of the private equity industry. Read article.
Their Deal Is Meals on Wheels
Chicago Reader, August 4, 2006
Evening student Matthew Maloney and his partner Mike Evans from GrubHub.com talk about their New Venture Challenge win and how their new company is taking off. Read article.
Biz U: Game Plans
Entrepreneur magazine, August 2006
Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, comments on the game that she developed to simulate real-life business situations. Deutsch also is pictured in the magazine.
Steven C. Preston Is Sworn in as Administrator of SBA
U.S. Small Business Administration press release, July 11, 2006
Alumnus Steven C. Preston, '85, was sworn in July 10, 2006, and is the 22nd administrator of the SBA.
Where New Thinking Is the Only Option
Crain's Chicago, June 12, 2006
Linda Darragh, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, comments on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), a leader in the futures trading industry, in an article about the CME's entrepreneurial nature.
Turning a Good Idea into Business
Chicago Sun-Times, May 16, 2006
Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship, cites three mistakes entrepreneurs make when marketing their products: letting someone else do the selling; sticking with the same distribution channels throughout a product's lifecycle; and underestimating the role of luck.
For the Little Guy, Internet Is Leveling the Field
Chicago Sun-Times, May 16, 2006
James E. Schrager, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and strategic management, says "technology has broken down the barriers" for small businesses competing with larger ones.
We've Got the Horses; It's Jockeys We Need
Chicago Sun-Times, April 3, 2006
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, discusses with columnist Michael Krauss, AB '75, MBA '76, research Kaplan conducted and will present to the National Venture Capital Association luncheon.
Private Inequity
Forbes magazine, March 13, 2006
Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, cites research statistics about buyout funds from 1980 to 2001.