The University of Chicago, among its manifold institutional distinctions, is recognized as host for the top university accelerator program in the U.S., the Polsky Center and its expanding innovation ecosystem encompassing the entire university as well as the external community. At this program, we’ll be briefed by its leader on the current priorities, evolving mission, and opportunities for both alumni and new business aspirants to draw upon and/or extend support to its diverse activities focused on entrepreneurship.
Presentation with opening networking: April 8, 2019, 6:15-9:00 P.M.
Sponsor: Chicago Booth Entrepreneurial Roundtable, West Suburban Chapter
Moderator: Greg Gocek
Speakers: Starr Marcello, Executive Director, Polsky Center https://polsky.uchicago.edu/meet-the-team/starr-marcello/
Starr oversees the strategic development of the Polsky Center, where she has worked since 2005, and also runs the Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge which has fostered 800+start-ups since 1996 including Grubhub and Braintree. She launched Polsky’s I-Corps Program that helps commercialize STEM-based projects out of the UC’s labs. She also teaches entrepreneurship at Booth as an adjunct assistant professor and to high school students in Chicago. She sits on the Executive Advisory Board of TechWeek and is a board member for the US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Starr earned her BA from Wesleyan U. and both her MA and MBA from U Chicago.