The University of Chicago on May 1 will kick off UChicago Innovation Fest, a monthlong celebration of pioneering discovery and entrepreneurial endeavors at the University.
Led by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the month of events, workshops and accelerator programs, including the globally recognized Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge, highlights the breadth and impact of innovation at UChicago in the areas of entrepreneurship and research commercialization, scientific advancements, and social impact. In the first two years of the program, more than 80 events were held in Chicago and in key cities across the world.
Capstone events of this year’s Innovation Fest include a panel of Chicago Booth alumni discussing the cross-disciplinary formula for a successful venture moderated by Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Eric Schurenberg, a Facebook Live event discussing the end of online privacy, a research computing symposium on how to solve societal challenges with artificial intelligence and five faculty-led teams competing for up to $500,000 in early-stage venture capital investment at the UChicago Innovation Fund spring cycle finals. This year, Innovation Fest will conclude with UChicago Alumni Weekend, a four-day program featuring more than 100 events for alumni and their families with the theme of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Launched in the spring of 2014 by the Polsky Center, UChicago Innovation Fest initially began as Innovation Week, a weeklong solution to connect the various finals competitions of the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge. In 2016, to engage more of the UChicago community, the Polsky Center teamed up with partners in innovation across campus to create Innovation Fest as it exists today.
The University of Chicago invites all members of campus, the Chicagoland community and across the world to experience the pioneering discoveries and entrepreneurial activities happening as part UChicago Innovation Fest.
A full list of UChicago Innovation Fest events, including livestreams, can be found here.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
