UConn Today – After a busy day at work, the last thing mother-of-three Kim Conti wanted to do was spend time sorting and organizing construction trucks, pretend-play toys, puzzle pieces—and those dreadful games that come with dozens of small parts. To help reduce household clutter and save toys from ending up in landfills, Conti has created Orbit Crates, a subscription toy-rental company.
Upcoming Events
UConn School of Business to Induct Five Distinguished Business Executives into ‘Hall of Fame’
UConn Today – The School of Business will induct five alumni business leaders into its ‘Hall of Fame’ during a dinner and ceremony on Friday, April 11 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.
The School’s signature event typically draws hundreds for a night of celebration.
Entrepreneur, Gender-Equity Advocate to Discuss How Women Can Move from the Sidelines to the C-Suite
UConn Today – Any company that strives to be profitable and successful needs to include women and other diverse representatives in its leadership. Yet even in the most forward-focused organizations, women may still face obstacles to inclusion.
Sameer Somal, a tech entrepreneur and the co-founder of Girl Power Talk and Girl Power USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping you women become leaders in business and society, will share his experiences and perspective on empowering women during the next Equity Now presentation on Nov. 19. The event is sponsored by School of Business.
‘Equity Now’ Speaker to Address Prevalent Employee Secret: The Invisible Disability
UConn Today – More than one billion people worldwide live with a disability, and yet a vast majority of those with ‘invisible’ disabilities try not to disclose them at work for fear of stigma and discrimination.
Lawrence Deju-Wiseman, Executive Director & Global Head of Strategic Initiatives at Morgan Stanley in London and an employee with an ‘invisible disability,’ will be the guest speaker at the final Equity Now Speaker Series event at 5 p.m. April 15.
UConn Alum to Discuss Bold Changes, Perseverance in Addressing Sustainability Challenges
UConn Today – When Brian Paganini ’03 (BUS) and the team at Quantum Biopower proposed building a food waste-to-energy plant in Connecticut about 10 years ago, there were plenty of cynics.
“The challenges we faced were too many to list,’’ Paganini says. “We had to figure out the logistics of developing, constructing, and operating a new technology platform that had not existed in this country at that point.’’
Nicholas Donofrio, former Executive VP at IBM, Shares Leadership, Innovation and Tech Strategies at March 5 Alumni Program in Stamford
UConn Today – With almost six decades of experience in technology and innovation, including as an Executive Vice President ushering an era of dramatic change at IBM, Nicholas M. Donofrio knows a great deal about transformation and strategy.
Donofrio, a scientist and engineer, is also the author of a 2022 book titled, “If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes: The Nick Donofrio Story,’’ which offers a combination of personal anecdotes, business insight, and wisdom, woven in with the advice and guidance from 37 other, extraordinary business leaders.
Popular Business-Law Series Kicks Off With Discussion of College Athletes’ Rights Movement
UConn Today – The School of Business’ popular Equity Now Speaker Series resumes this fall with a discussion about the relatively new opportunity for college athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness.
School of Business Celebrates 30th Anniversary ‘Hall of Fame’ Event
UConn Today – The UConn School of Business will host its 30th Anniversary Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony in April, drawing more than 300 attendees to celebrate the achievements of outstanding alumni.
One Year After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Can Businesses Prevent Future Wars?
UConn Today – The Russian invasion of Ukraine has captured the attention of Americans in ways that few other conflicts have, and created challenges that today’s business students will likely grapple with for the rest of their careers.
That’s the perspective of two leading business-ethics scholars who will be the guest panelists during a Feb. 20 program called “Business, Peace and the War in Ukraine: One Year Later.’’ It is part of the School of Business’ Equity Now speaker series that addresses prominent justice and human rights issues in business.
The School of Business’ Popular Hall of Fame Ceremony To Resume In-Person Celebration

The School of Business will resume its in-person Hall of Fame celebration this year, honoring five prominent alumni at an elegant ceremony on April 22 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.
“The Hall of Fame ceremony is one of the signature events at the School of Business,” said Dean John A. Elliott. “The event was established to recognize alumni whose professional achievements, character, and commitment to others have placed them among an elite group of graduates. We are looking forward to gathering to celebrate these five inductees, who exemplify the values of a UConn business education.”Continue Reading