Podcasts about polsky center

Linkedin / Instagram / Thread: @thevincechan Vince, an Amazon bestselling author in career management, is a globally recognized speaker on the 'future of work.' Her unique expertise comes from a blend of being a Chicago-trained behavioral economist and the former Asia-Pacific head of a billion-dollar U.S. investment firm. Raised in Hong Kong and Canada, Vince pursued economics, followed by MBA degrees from Yale University and Chicago Booth School of Business. Her professional acumen is further solidified by U.S. CPA and CFA® credentials. Vince's vibrant 15-plus-year corporate career has spanned global financial markets, with significant roles at S&P Global Ratings, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and TCW Asset Management. Among her standout achievements are raising $1 billion in collaboration with 'King of Bonds' Jeffrey Gundlach and Goldman Sachs, and facilitating over 100 multi-million-dollar funding transactions for Top 50 global banks. Separately, her contributions have been recognized with accolades such as Forbes China's Outstanding Overseas Returnee in 2015 and Yale School of Management's Outstanding Volunteer Leadership award in 2018. A decade ago, Vince boldly transitioned from finance to the 'future of work' sector. Since then, she has actively modernized the workforce, working in both traditional and digital education spheres. In Beijing, her collaboration with Renmin University of China (China's Top 10) yielded a popular career guide. She further supported career advancement for the Schwarzman Scholars. In Shanghai with New Oriental (NYSE: EDU), she designed and taught business school preparatory programs to thousands of students. In Hong Kong, she co-developed an entrepreneurship program inspired by Chicago Booth's Polsky Center. Vince's impact extends to global stages like SXSW, ASU-GSV, Web Summit, and RISE conference. There, she has shared insights alongside leaders from Degreed, Google, and Udemy, driving forward conversations on workforce development in the tech era. Her personal motto, "own your change, or be changed," reflects her resilience through 18 career transitions and six major economic crises. Vince's journey through three burnouts has become a testament to her strength, showcasing her ability to thrive through transformative challenges. Beyond her professional pursuits, Vince is a WSET certified wine connoisseur, appreciating richly structured wines. She also enjoys playing tennis, constructing intricate Lego models, and delving into deep stories across various media. Her favorites include classics like “The Godfather,” “The Sound of Music,” “Sherlock,” Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons,” as well as literary works like “On Tyranny,” “The Little Prince,” and the “Harry Potter” series. Vince Chan's Career Journey and Future Plans Vince Chan shared his professional background and future plans. He has been in the corporate and financial world for over 15 years and has worked for major institutions in Hong Kong, Asia, and the US. Post the credit crisis, he moved into entrepreneurship and became an author, writing two books for young professionals. He also worked as a leadership coach in China and Hong Kong. Vince Chan expressed his interest in setting up an investment fund for new ventures and his desire to make a greater contribution to society, especially in the areas of education technology and future skills. He also shared his personal struggles, including career changes, economic crises, and mental health issues, but emphasized his resilience and current thriving state. Resilience, Adaptability, and Future of Work Vince Chan highlighted the importance of resilience and adaptability in facing work challenges, including burnout. Michael D. Levitt shared his personal experiences with mental issues and discussed the future of work and skills in the context of AI and emerging technologies. Michael suggested an introduction between Vince Chan and a career individual seeking advice. The conversation concluded with Vince Chan discussing the significant changes brought about by the current global crisis, emphasizing the need to adapt to these unprecedented changes. Emphasizing Individual Control and Learning Amidst Covid-19 Vince Chan emphasized the importance of individuals taking control of their own change, rather than being forced to adapt to changes imposed by others. He highlighted the need for continuous learning, especially in the areas of digital and human-centric skills. However, he also pointed out that many education technology platforms merely recycle existing content without focusing on skills such as career development, navigation, and reinvention. Michael D. Levitt agreed with Vince Chan's points, noting the traumatic impacts of forced changes like lockdowns and border closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Embracing Change and Control in Career and Life Michael D. Levitt emphasized the importance of taking control of one's own life and career, highlighting the dangers of stressing over things beyond our control. He encouraged people to gain exposure to different experiences, including volunteering, to broaden their skills and consider career changes. He also cautioned against rushing into the use of new technologies like AI without understanding the underlying business needs first. Vince Chan agreed with Michael's points, extending the metaphor of running one's life like a business, regardless of one's profession. Portfolio Careers and Authenticity Intelligence Summary   Introductions and backgrounds @ 0:00 Vince shares his background transitioning between 16 careers in finance and experiencing burnout. Michael acknowledges the value of Vince's diverse experiences in navigating change. Navigating change and career reinvention @ 4:30 Vince asserts that owning change through authenticity intelligence allows thriving amid uncertainty. Learning new skills maintains career control. Michael affirms that diverse experiences foster adaptability. Owning your change and authenticity intelligence @ 14:45 Vince advocates becoming the CEO of one's career by embracing change. Authenticity intelligence outweighs technical skills. Michael agrees that controlling life's direction through continuous self-improvement ensures fulfillment. The future of work and skills @ 16:00 Vince stresses developing navigation and reinvention skills is critical futureproofing. Technical skills alone are insufficient. Michael concurs that testing new tools prevents wasted efforts that complicate tasks. Building your portfolio career and business model @ 22:51 Vince recommends monetizing diverse talents through an entrepreneurial mindset. Authenticity emerges from understanding one's purpose. Michael encourages volunteering to explore careers and gaining exposure for informed choices. Conclusion and next steps @ 27:45 Vince and Michael appreciate their discussion and look forward to future collaborations. Vince invites Michael on his podcast to share burnout solutions. They agree on the importance of ownership in career reinvention.  

Episode 77:Guest Name: Abigail IngramGuest Business: Polsky Exchange Summary StyleEPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of Black Businesses Matter, I had the opportunity to talk with Abigail Ingram. Abigail Ingram is the executive director of the Polsky Exchange. Polsky Exchange is the core of The Polsky's Center community engagement with the Southside of Chicago. This gathering space services local businesses owners and entrepreneurs with co-working spaces, program initiatives and access to resources to support and uplift their journey with entrepreneurship . Abigail's background includes obtaining her Master's and JD from Depaul University. Although Abigail is deeply educated, she continued to establish opportunities for underrepresented communities by launching the Women in Entrepreneurship Institute (WEI) at DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business, where she served as the inaugural director. Abigail has a passion for creating and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs. The Polsky Center is fueled by igniting the spirit of innovation and establishing meaningful connections. Abigail dives deep into the opportunities for access and resources and how it is necessary for business to succeed. She talks about how she is leveraging her position to create more opportunities for resources for business owners. If you want to learn more about navigating the food and beverage industry this is the episode for you. IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT…How did Abigail's upbringing influence who she is today? What is the Polsky Center and how does it service the Southside of Chicago?Why is access important for marginalized communities? How Abigail's advocacy has influenced evolution for small business owners. Why is higher education meaningful in leading and expanding different communities?To connect with The Polsky Exchange Visit their website: https://polsky.uchicago.edu/Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polskycenter/ Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter  To connect further with me:Visit my website: Thel3agency.comConnect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agencyFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agencyBe sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

Crain's residential real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin talks with host Amy Guth about news around the market, including how inventory of homes for sale has dropped the most in Chicago among big cities and how big brokerages may upend the century-old way we buy homes. Plus: United stock sinks as war and costs drive "bleak" profit outlook, former Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar picked to lead Polsky Center at University of Chicago, judge tells prosecutors to give Outcome Health co-founder Rishi Shah $8.6 million back and Gov. Pritzker takes his abortion-right fight national.

In this episode, we are speaking with Ashley Quinto Powell, a serial entrepreneur and national speaker.  She's the author of Executive Motherhood: The Art of Having It All Without Doing It All and the Founder of the Virtual Assistant Agency, myVA Rocks. She's spoken about motherhood for TEDx, Anita B.org, The University of Chicago's Polsky Center, and many others. She lives in Madison with her husband and two children. Key Points: Intro: 00:24 Background & experience: 01:06 Who would benefit most from reading her book?  01:35 Do you have advice for someone who is struggling with that power dynamic?  03:13 How can we delegate and juggle it all?  05:43 Four Go-To Questions 15:15: 1. Who and what inspires you? 2. What is something you wished you knew when you were younger? 3. What's the essential part of your daily routine?  4. Best advice you've ever received Last words 23:21 Connect with Ashley: Website: http://www.ashleyquintopowell.com  My VA Rocks: http://www.myva.rocks Ashley's Book: Here is the link to Ashley's Book!  Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6MITLlMudI  The Francy Life - Not Your Momma's Podcast Available Here:  Apple Spotify  Check Cristina Francy Out:  Blog: https://cristinafrancy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyourmommas.podcast  Amazon Store Front: https://www.amazon.com/shop/notyourmommas.podcast  Email for collaborations: cristinarfrancy@gmail.com    ABOUT THE FRANCY LIFE- NOT YOUR MOMMA'S PODCAST I'm here to help empower women and pull back the curtain on expert's advice for every area of our lives. Through a series of interviews, we will tackle everything from eating for wellness, the best advice for littles, fashion and style, and everything in between. Get ready to get real. This is NOT YOUR MOMMA'S PODCAST. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thefrancylife/support  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefrancylife/support

Social enterprises are driven by a big mission, but often struggle with their business model. The book, "Powering Social Enterprise with Profit and Purpose: The Tandem Hybrid" explores the strengths and limitations of typical structures and presents a compelling case for the "tandem hybrid," using the best of both for-profit and non-profit models to maximize social impact.*******Jeremy Gudauskas is a social impact consultant with over 22 years of experience spanning higher education, business, and nonprofit organizations. He supports large global companies and growing social enterprises—including ROW Global Health, where he serves as director of philanthropy.Prior to consulting, Gudauskas spent 17 years in higher education advancing the field of social entrepreneurship, both inside and outside the classroom. He launched the Center for Social Impact at North Central College and taught courses in social innovation, design thinking, and impact measurement. He's active in the community, serving as a startup mentor for University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility committee for the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.*******Scott Boyer is the founder and president of OWP Pharmaceuticals and the board chair of ROW Global Health, which together form a hybrid social enterprise that is transforming the lives of people with epilepsy and associated psychiatric disorders in over 30 under-resourced countries around the world.Scott spent more than 25 years in Big Pharma leading sales and marketing efforts for the likes of Abbott and Bristol-Myers Squibb before having the vision for a Pharmaceutical Social Enterprise®. In 2014, OWP and ROW were launched to address the global lack of access to life-changing treatment, and have already contributed over $21 million for medication, diagnosis, and training around the world, including grants for over 160,000 prescription-months of medication.*******www.tandemhybrid.cowww.rowglobal.orgwww.owppharma.com

Cindy Machles is the Co-founder and CEO of Glue Advertising and Public Relations, a full-service advertising agency that assembles talent to meet clients' immediate goals and growth objectives. A leader and pioneer, Cindy was among the first to apply marketing and branding strategies used in consumer markets to the healthcare industry. In 2022, she was recognized by the Top 100 Innovators and Entrepreneurs Magazine for her initiatives on women's issues. She is an avid mentor for startups through the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and the CMO for SecureCHEK AI.  In this episode… Communication is the backbone of marketing. The best marketing pitches are quick and to the point while wholly communicating whatever it is you're trying to sell. What other marketing tips can help you thrive? Entrepreneur and marketing expert Cindy Machles envisioned a strategic and innovative communications company that would disrupt the way marketing companies operated. Thus, Glue was created. Rather than recycle the standard marketing model, Cindy and her business partner provide a better client experience with hands-on leadership, quick response times, and a flawless delivery system that is on time and within budget. When running a marketing agency, your goal is to make your client's life easier and build their business faster.  In this episode of the Top Business Leaders Show, Chad Franzen welcomes Cindy Machles, Co-founder and CEO of Glue Advertising and Public Relations, to discuss the fundamental elements of marketing and the importance of being a strong communicator. Cindy shares how her company's business model sets them apart from competing agencies, the challenges she's overcome in her multiple roles, and the key to a good business pitch. 

When investing in Deep Tech, remember that technology is just a tool, not an end in itself. Understanding who will use it and why is key to becoming smart money. Learning notes from this episode: When investing in any business, you must consider these questions: What problem are you solving? Who are you solving it for? Are they willing and able to pay for it? Understand what stage of the innovation cycle the start-up is in. This will help you evaluate risk properly. For example, the first lab grown burgers were unaffordable for most people. The risk at that stage was not whether the product can be made, but whether it can be made at a cost that would allow wide scale sales. Get a technical expert to evaluate the start-up's invention and help you understand their risk. Take note if no other deep tech investor is involved. This is what happened with Theranos. Prominent biotech VCs passed on the round because they had the expertise to know that what Elizabeth Holmes was promising could not be built. One of the best ways to learn about Deep Tech investing is to attend accelerator demo days. Listen to start-up pitches and take note of what experienced deep tech investors are asking about. For example, you could start with the Duality accelerator ran by the University of Chicago's Polsky Center, which focusses on quantum computing start-ups. Resources mentioned in this episode: Episode 4. What Non-Technical Founders Need to Know About Tech (interview with David Segura) Episode 31. How To Transition Into Venture Capital Episode 114. What is Deep Tech?     ----- If you like learning about how tech products and profits get made, you'll like our newsletter. It's funny too. Sign up here. ----- There are 2 ways to apply this work to your goals: For individuals, APPLY FOR A CONSULTATION CALL for Tech For Non-Techies membership. For companies: If you want to increase productivity, innovation and diversity, then your non-technical teams need to learn how to collaborate with the techies.  BOOK A CALL to discuss bespoke training & consulting. We love hearing from our readers and listeners. So if you have questions about the content or working with us, just get in touch on info@techfornontechies.co   Say hi to Sophia on Twitter and follow her on LinkedIn. Following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will make you smarter. 

John Flavin is Founder & CEO @ Portal Innovations, a premier venture development engine that builds and invests in early stage life sciences ventures. Portal's differentiated mix of crafted capital drives companies from scientific ideation to business creation, helping entrepreneurs translate cutting-edge technology into sustainable, global businesses with breakthrough products to help patients.Prior to launching Portal, John founded and built several life sciences companies including Pyxis Oncology (NASDAQ: PYXS) and civic incubators MATTER and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated academic value creation engine which translates innovation through the launch of new businesses and partnerships at the University of Chicago, 2 national laboratories and Chicago's South Side by providing entrepreneurship education, incubation space, IP licensing and capital. John has completed numerous public and private capital financings totaling over $365 million including 3 NASDAQ IPOs and has raised over $135 million in philanthropic and corporate funding to support university technology commercialization and venture start-up activities.He possesses a deep understanding of academic-to-commercial innovation ecosystem development with a particular focus on the life sciences sector and has established key relationships with a diverse set of prospective partners representing all elements of the life sciences community including corporate, venture capital and academic stakeholders.John is a frequent key-note speaker, panelist and lecturer on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization and is quoted often in the financial press including Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business and thought leadership media appearances on Bloomberg, WGN, and WTTW Chicago Tonight. Thank you for listening!BIOS (@BIOS_Community) unites a community of Life Science innovators dedicated to driving patient impact. Alix Ventures (@AlixVentures) is a San Francisco based venture capital firm supporting early stage Life Science startups engineering biology to create radical advances in human health.Music: Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (link & license)

Through UChicago's Polsky Center, Jennifer Fried started Explorer Surgical: a developer of software for surgical teams to use in the operating room; by improving communication, their tools/platform reduce disruptions and wasted disposables. In mid-October, in fact days after the recording of this interview, Explorer Surgical was aquired by Global Health Exchange. In this episode, under the guidance of John's structured curiosity, Jennifer walks us through the life of a startup company–from start to (at this time, undisclosed) acquisition. Even beyond that, we get to learn about her influences, her motivations and her personal journey: we get to see the person behind the company.

Jay Schrankler is the associate vice-president and head of the Polsky Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of Chicago, having spent the first part of his career in industry. He's here to tell us about the transformative experience that convinced him to join the world of university tech transfer, what makes the Polsky Center […]

Sebastian Rivas is the Founder & CEO at Andes STR, a PropTech startup dedicated to providing investors turnkey access to Short Term Rentals as an asset class.Sebastian led the Andes team through Polsky Center's New Venture Challenge, achieving 1st place in the largest competition to date and obtaining commitments for over USD $1.8M during fundraising

Hello and welcome to another episode of Tech Transfer IP. Today I am pleased to speak with Bill Payne, the Executive Director of Science and Technology at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. Bill leads the technology commercialization, Polsky Science Ventures, and industry relations team working to bring groundbreaking faculty research to the market. Bill is also a startup veteran, having founded and built a company that developed a mobile advertising and sponsorship service that was integrated into AT&T and Verizon's networks and approved for use. Listen as Bill talks about his journey to the Polsky Center and what it's all about. He also explains the Polsky Exchange, the funding opportunities available to students, faculty, staff, and alumni-led startups. Bill shares how his office is structured and how many invention disclosures, patent filings, revenue-generating agreements, royalty income, and other metrics his office had last year. Bill discusses the relationship they have with their corporate partners and the philanthropic organizations they are involved with. Bill speaks about his office's biggest success stories, biggest challenges, and the programs they have to help encourage and assist women and other traditionally underrepresented inventors and entrepreneurs. If Bill had three wishes, he would like the University of Chicago to continue to scale up their operations in tech transfer, he would want to create a new set of unicorn companies to show everyone the opportunities they have, and he wants to make his organization a fun place to work.   In This Episode: [02:41] Welcome to the show, Bill! [02:57] Bill shares his background and journey to the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago. [08:34] Can you tell us a little more about the Polsky Center? [10:18] Bill discusses how the Polsky Center helps to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago. [12:11] Bill talks about the Polsky Exchange and what it is. [13:28] Can you tell us about the funding opportunities available to students, faculty, staff, and alumni-led startup companies at the University of Chicago? [16:12] Bill about how his office is structured. [19:20] Bill discusses how many invention disclosures, patent filings, revenue-generating agreements, royalty income, and other metrics his office had last year. [23:18] He believes that invention disclosures are most important in managing innovations to have the greatest opportunity for success. [25:14] Can you give us examples of the relationships your office has with corporate partners? [27:47] Having corporate partners has led to them having more deals. [28:54] Bill says they have philanthropic organizations like the George Schultz Innovation Fund. [30:08] Bill shares some of the Polsky Center's biggest success stories regarding successful technologies and startups. [31:25] He talks about a couple of this office's biggest challenges. [34:50] Does the Polsky Center have any programs to help encourage and assist women and other traditionally underrepresented inventors and entrepreneurs? [37:20] Bill's office participates in AUTM and shares the value he believes they bring. [39:21] What is your view on credentialing? Do you think it makes a difference? [41:08] He would like the University of Chicago to continue to scale up their operations in tech transfer, create a new set of unicorn companies to show everyone the opportunities out there, and he wants to make his organization a fun place to work.  [43:40] Thank you for being on the show!   Find Bill: Email  

Coco Meers' career has centered on helping women look and feel their best. When she caught the entrepreneurship bug and looked for a pain point to solve in that space, she kept remembering a long flight delay she had when traveling between Paris and New York and how she wished she could spend the time getting an eyebrow wax in town – if only she knew what salons were good, nearby, and available.Her idea for PrettyQuick was to offer a marketplace for booking beauty services much like OpenTable does for restaurant reservations. She chose to attend Chicago Booth so she could take the idea through the New Venture Challenge, where in 2011 she tied for third place and received $10,000.She recalls presenting to the panel of judges, which at the time was overwhelmingly male, and feeling that they couldn't quite identify with the problem.“With the emergency of eyebrow and bikini wax booking, I didn't get a lot of confirmatory nods at the time,” Meers, MBA '14, laughed.Meers, who sold PrettyQuick to Groupon in 2015, has since committed to helping improve gender diversity among startup founders and investors. She launched Rebelle Collective, an angel fund that invests in women-owned companies, and through that platform cofounded Equilibria, a premium CBD company targeting women.In conversation with Starr Marcello, deputy dean for MBA programs at Chicago Booth and former executive director of the Polsky Center, Meers discusses the times PrettyQuick nearly failed, why marketplaces are so difficult, and why she made the tough choice to sell to Groupon.

Mark Peysakhovich, leadership development, training and cannabis lobbyist joins Tony Pavalakis for an informative discussion about the cannabis industry in this week's episode entitled, “Shedding Light on the Cannabis Industry.” Some of the topics in this episode will include: what license holders should expect when applying for a cannabis license, social equity in the cannabis industry, problems in passing cannabis legislation and much, much more. If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone thinking about applying for a cultivation license, you won't want to miss this informative and entertaining episode.About Mark Peysakhovich Mark Peysakhovich is the Managing Partner of MBM Advantage LLC, a firm that provides legislative and public affairs consulting as well as community outreach, alliance building and business development services to a diverse set of clients in sectors ranging from cannabis to construction to healthcare and human services. Mark has over 25 years of public affairs, community engagement and management experience, having previously served in leadership positions in the public health and human services sector.Over the last seven+ years, Mark's lobbying has helped shape Illinois' cannabis laws and regulations and allowed him to develop an intimate understanding of the business and the politics of cannabis. He has serves as a lobbyist and consultant to existing industry players as well as companies looking to enter the cannabis space. He currently serves as Senior Advisor for the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois and is active in cannabis industry professional and patient groups. Mark hosts the Cannabis Community Insider podcast, a program of The Cannabis Community media platform. He is a regular presenter on cannabis industry topics for Oakton Community College and serves as a mentor at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mark on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-peysakhovich-2788426/

Growing up in a small, religious town in Utah, Bryan Johnson felt he existed in a video game where the rules were all mapped out. His favorite part of the day as a kid were the early mornings he spent wandering the fields with his dog, shooting at targets with his BB gun, which gave him a feeling of “endless possibility.”Now he's playing in a video game of his own making, as he puts it, that allows him to explore the “infinite expanse” of the brain and how it might be measured and shaped to help humanity thrive.But before he could found Kernel, a neurotech company building scalable brain-recording devices, Johnson had to sell Braintree – a pioneering mobile payment platform that he took through the New Venture Challenge.In this podcast episode, Johnson, MBA '07, speaks with Starr Marcello, deputy dean of MBA programs at Chicago Booth and formerly executive director of the Polsky Center.In a fascinating, at times mind-bending interview, Johnson discusses how the NVC taught him to communicate his vision for Braintree; why big ecommerce companies trusted his tiny startup with their payment platforms; and how he leads sophisticated engineering companies without being an engineer himself.Johnson, who sold Braintree to PayPal for $800 million and used the money to start Kernel, also reveals that he rarely spends time in the present anymore as he contemplates what intelligence will look like in the future.“For some reason, I don't know why, I feel responsible for the year 2500,” he said.Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

As a Black founder, Seyi Fabode, MBA '10, has experienced the challenge of investors taking him seriously.Fabode, an immigrant from Nigeria, recalls an investor calling him and his African-American partner in his first venture, Power2Switch, “boys.” It happened again 10 years later, after Fabode had founded the clean water company Varuna Tech.“I have two kids, I'm a grown man,” Fabode said. “And you can tell there's this, I'll say, discount and disregard and disrespect that is just embedded in some of these conversations that I can't imagine some of my White counterparts experience.”In this podcast episode, Fabode speaks about his entrepreneurship journey with Ellen Rudnick, a senior advisor on entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth and the first executive director of the Polsky Center.He took Power2Switch, an online marketplace to help people choose electricity suppliers, through the New Venture Challenge in 2009. And while it was not selected to advance to the finals, the experience was pivotal in helping to make the business a success, he said.The entrepreneurial peers Fabode met through the program continue to serve as mentors and investors. The early mistakes he made in his haste to assemble a team taught him the value of hiring slowly. And Michael Polsky himself, the namesake of the Polsky Center and CEO of Invenergy, served as chairman of his board.Power2Switch was acquired by Choose Energy in 2013, and five years later Fabode launched Varuna Tech, which uses sensors to measure water health in municipal water systems and alerts the proper authorities if something is wrong. The company is drawing interest as the world comes to grips with the dangers of water contamination.“I feel we've timed this right,” Fabode said.In his interview, Fabode discussed what makes a good hire, the need for more mental health support for entrepreneurs, and the challenges that continue to face minority and women founders.

Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Simple Mills, wowed her first buyer with a muffin recipe using almond flour. Now the Chicago-based natural baking brand is the category leader in baking mixes and crackers. Its products are in more than 27,000 stores, from Whole Foods to Walmart.Smith, who had her products in just four stores when she started at Chicago Booth, was a co-winner of the 2014 Edward L. New Venture Challenge. The NVC helped her understand the importance of spending on marketing for her brand and how to make a case to investors, she said.Still, the first funding round was tough. Her parents mortgaged their house to give her $200,000 to get her company to a point where it could raise money.“It's hard to sleep at night when you know your parents' retirement hinges on your business doing well,” Smith said.In this episode, Smith tells the story of her startup journey to Chris McGowan, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Booth, Investor in Residence at the Polsky Center and general partner of the private equity firm CJM Ventures. McGowan is also a former board member of Simple Mills.They cover why everyone should have a leadership coach, the mistakes Smith made when hiring, and how she is broadening the ambition of Simple Mills to shape how food is grown, through initiatives to help farmers employ regenerative agriculture techniques.

When it launched 25 years ago, the University of Chicago's New Venture Challenge (NVC) was a pioneer in helping business school students get their startups off the ground.Now the program is consistently ranked as the nation's top university accelerator, with its alumni companies having raised nearly $2 billion in capital and achieved more than $8.5 billion in mergers and exits. Podcast host and Chicago Booth alum Colin Keeley, MBA '19, interviews three key leaders responsible for the success of the NVC: Steve Kaplan, Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at Booth and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director at the Polsky Center; Ellen Rudnick, the first executive director of the Polsky Center and currently a professor of entrepreneurship at Booth; and Mark Tebbe, who served as an NVC judge and mentor for years before joining the Booth faculty and Polsky Center as an entrepreneur-in-residence.They dish about what distinguishes the NVC, a yearlong class capped off with a business plan competition, and how it evolved.“What is I think really differentiating about us, and I'm sort of puzzled more people don't do it, is presenting early to really smart people and to a bunch of them,” Kaplan said. “And we have now somewhere between 10 and 20 people in the room who are entrepreneurs or investors, and you really get just — bludgeoned is probably the wrong word. You get intense criticism. And it is so healthy to get that intense criticism early, because you find out where your weaknesses are.”

On this episode of the State of Innovation, we sit down with Bill Payne, Executive Director of Science and Technology at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago. We discuss his career path in engineering and telecommunications; Polsky's technology commercialization work; how the university is supporting businesses on the South Side of Chicago; and much more.

• Former restauranteur knows the real recipe for business success • “A lesson that's not just for business, but is actually a lesson for life” Total Recorded Time is 23:55 Dan Sachs knows a thing or three about business success. Now the executive director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, Mr. Sachs was president of Meerkat Advisory, a hospitality and leadership development advisory group, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at DePaul University, founder and owner of BIN 36 Restaurant Group and holder of a grand diplôme from École de Cuisine La Varenne. He's also an author of a book targeting business owners who are looking for greater success. Mr. Sachs interviewed the top management at nine companies like Zappos and Brooklyn Brewery to show how employers create employee-friendly workplaces to maximize their success. That recipe of research and personal experience resulted in the book, “The Million Dollar Greeting.”

On this episode of the podcast, I speak with Gayatri Mathur. Gayatri is an experienced Healthcare professional who has clinical, teaching, and research experience in leading international universities and hospitals. She is currently the founder and CEO of a Chicago based non-profit called the Soondra Foundation! During this interview we dive into her passion for healthcare as a physical therapist in India and how she discovered the important intersection between money and healthcare.We speak about the healthcare system in India and how people must pay FIRST before getting any type of treatment. You might wonder how this affects the poor working class of india. Through being incubated at the prestigious Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, the Soondra Foundation was born. It's mission is to provide healthcare access through micro-grants to the working poor in India during medical emergencies.Connect with Gayatri!LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayatri-mathur-284720/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gayatri.mathur/Learn more about the Soondra Foundationwww.Soondra.orgTwitter: @SoondracaresInstagram: @Soondracares___________________________________________________________________Connect with me!Email: hello@globalhealthpursuit.comInstagram: @globalhealthpursuitWebsite: www.globalhealthpursuit.comAvid listener? Become a Patron!Sign up here: Patreon.com/globalhealthpursuit___________________________________________________________________Music Credit~Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As small-business owners continue to weather the coronavirus pandemic, many innovators are creating unique strategies to survive in this current economic environment. Nima Merchant is the Sr. Associate Director of Strategic Planning and Partnerships at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, and this episode’s guest. Nima and OYB host Alejandra Y. Castillo discusses how the Polsky Center is engaging the greater Chicago community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, how businesses can remain sustainable, and forge strategic partnerships to weather this health. Click here to follow along with the happenings at the Polsky Center as they continue to be hub and beacon for the Chicago entrepreneurial community!

Finding the perfect work-life balance can be hard and throwing in a side hustle in the mix can make it even more challenging. Melissa Byrn is on AAI today teaching us about innovation through entrepreneurship. Melissa is the founder of FORESEEaBILL and the Director of Innovation Programs at the Polsky Center. Not an entrepreneur by... The post Innovation Through Entrepreneurship | EP. 025 appeared first on Ask an Innovator Podcast.

In this episode of The Executive Innovation Show Podcast, Carrie Chitsey speaks with Eugene Khazin, the Founder of Prime TSR, & Nathan Pelzer, Founder and CEO of Clinify.Founded by Eugene, Prime TSR is a digital transformation consultancy. Prime TSR is Eugene’s fourth company. Eugene’s background is in technology, particularly in Big Data, which provides lots of opportunities for driving innovation across all his ventures. Eugene is also a mentor at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship, where he met Nate.Nathan has over 15 years of experience working in various corporate strategy roles and prior to founding Clinify was the Head of Strategy for a national primary care provider organization located in Chicago. Nathan has an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business.Listen in as they talk on topics such as: Predictive analytics in healthcare using big data is becoming a more common practice with hospitals, as it should. Nathan Pelzer talks about some of the new and innovative things happening with remote monitoring and care plans based on data. We walk through the role of data in healthcare and how it can help to be proactive for patient care, identifying high-risk patients, and more. Eugene Khan explains where Prime TSR pulls the data from to create actionable models for patients. With data coming from multiple sources such as EHR’s, remote monitoring devices, and more - keeping the uniformity of the data is critical. Eugene walks us through how they handle various sources of healthcare data and make it usable. Hear Carrie and Eugene discuss the adoption rate of cloud hosting among healthcare organizations and hospitals. What percent of hospitals are using the cloud in some way? Although the cloud offers better security and other proactive features, we discuss why the adoption rate has been slow. What is the current consensus of the cloud among healthcare professionals? Taking a look at population health, for underserved communities and those who need chronic care, there is a strong need for proactive healthcare. As baby boomers continue to age at home, where are the biggest opportunities in healthcare? Nathan explains how are hospitals and managed care organizations are using data to close the loop and become more proactive. Medicare and Medicaid patients are often using the emergency department as primary care. Carrie and Nathan speak about the innovative initiatives some healthcare organizations are making to become more proactive based on data. How are they closing the last mile in health? Hear what Blue Cross does to offer patients nutrition in areas that do not have healthy eating options. As we have long term facilities, skilled nursing, the rise in home health and all these data sources, what are some tips for organizations for what they should be thinking about when trying to gather data from all these different sources, where should they start? Listen as both Nathan and Eugene speak to the things they see in the future of data in healthcare. How will we see the cloud, AI and Telehealth become more robust in the next three to five years? Hear their predictions.Keep up with both Prime TSR and Clinify Health as they work to reshape proactive healthcare with data.Download the "Telemedicine Pros and Cons" White Paper on digital patient engagement, use cases to acquire and retain patients. Support the show (http://www.helpinghumans.care)

What are the trends in educational kids' toys today? How can programming kits be improved? How does an education business start and succeed? Entrepreneur Joseph Greer in Chicago discusses these issues as he describes his STEM education startup, MakeXchange, and its “Invention Lab” Arduino kit. The kit was designed to be more user-friendly and more organized than other Arduino kits. This is the start of Joseph's goal to make the number one STEM education consumer product company. ***For a limited time this November, use the discount code K12ENGINEERING10 AT MakeXchange.com for a 10% discount. Related to this episode: • MakeXchange: https://www.makexchange.com/ • MakeXchange Inventor's Kit: https://www.makexchange.com/collections/the-goods/products/electronics-invention-lab • Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide for Tweens: https://www.thetoyinsider.com/holiday_guide/tweens/ • Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ • Ohm's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law • Accenture, consulting corporation: https://www.accenture.com/ • Marc Andreessen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Andreessen • Shawshank Redemption film spoilers: https://youtu.be/5y_O094dGDU • Lego Mindstorms robotics kits: https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms • MakeXchange Paper Airplane Launcher kit: https://www.makexchange.com/collections/the-goods/products/diy-paper-airplane-launcher-accessory • mHub Chicago, startup incubator: https://mhubchicago.com/ • Fat Brain Toys: https://www.fatbraintoys.com/ • My Science Shop: https://myscienceshop.com/ • MakeXchange YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC61eOn-djaK8ubdxzaRWfVA • Sparkiverse STEM education company: https://www.sparkiverselabs.com/ • Raspberry Pi computer: https://www.raspberrypi.org/ • Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago: https://polsky.uchicago.edu/ Our closing music is “Yes And” by Steve Combs, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. Support Pios Labs with regular donations on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs, or send one-time contributions by buying us coffee: https://ko-fi.com/pioslabs. Thanks to our donors and listeners for making the show possible. The K12 Engineering Education Podcast is a production of Pios Labs: http://www.pioslabs.com.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Jerry Huang, Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship in Career Advancement, discusses new avenues and resources for students who are interested in starting their own business or pursuing innovative career paths. Opportunitites include the College New Venture Challenge, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship, and a network of mentors, investors, and entrepreneurs who are willing to help new businesses succeed.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. Jerry Huang, Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship in Career Advancement, discusses new avenues and resources for students who are interested in starting their own business or pursuing innovative career paths. Opportunitites include the College New Venture Challenge, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship, and a network of mentors, investors, and entrepreneurs who are willing to help new businesses succeed.