UConn Today – From business to nutritional sciences, engineering to the arts, the Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has distinguished itself as a dynamic and multidisciplinary environment where all UConn students can find an opportunity to learn, connect, and innovate alongside their entrepreneurially minded peers and with the help of seasoned educators and mentors.
CCEI
CCEI Helps 10 UConn-Affiliated Startups Grow, Prepare to Impact the World
Senior Elijah Taitel loves baseball, and has spent the last few years creating the ProVelocity Bat, a unique training device designed to improve the swing of everyone from Little Leaguers to MLB players.
Sophomore Raina Jain’s passion revolves around the environment, and, more specifically honey bees. Her Queen Bee startup is preparing to sell an immunity- boosting beverage that contains honey and other all-natural ingredients.
Although their startups are vastly different, their business drive is well aligned. The two aspiring entrepreneurs began an eight-week entrepreneurship program this week, offered by the School of Business’ Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI). They are joined by eight other business teams.Continue Reading
Santander Bank Supports Initiatives to Benefit Minority Students, Minority-Owned Businesses
Santander Bank, N.A., through its Santander Universities program (“Santander”), has awarded a $100,000 grant to the UConn Foundation, to support initiatives that will benefit both minority business students and minority-owned small businesses.
The grant marks a new relationship between UConn and Santander, one of the country’s largest retail and commercial banks.Continue Reading
How a Much-Loved Cat Inspired Entrepreneur Travis Bloom to Create a Business
Alumnus Travis Bloom ’13 is the co-founder of Pawlicy Advisor, a pet-insurance marketplace that helps pet owners find the right coverage for their animal. With pet-ownership increasing during the pandemic, and emergency veterinary bills that can run as high as $10,000, the service is more vital than ever, said Bloom. In the last three months, the company has secured millions in funding and tripled its team.
Bloom, who majored in management information systems at UConn, considered himself a risk-averse person, but said creating his own business has been 10 times harder, and 10 times more rewarding, than he ever imagined.
Below he shares a bit about his business journey.Continue Reading
How Sweet It Is: Entrepreneurship Winner Creates Honey-Infused, Immune-Support Supplement
Freshman Raina Jain hit a trifecta with her QueenBee immune support supplement.
Not only did she create a delicious and healthy supplemental beverage for consumers, she also found a way to help save the bees, and won the School of Business’ Innovation Quest (iQ) competition at the same time. Continue Reading
Alumnus’ Brainchild: Cannabis-Infused Beverage Company
Alumnus Matt Melander ’09 is the President of LEVIA, a new cannabis-infused beverage company, based in Massachusetts. The company currently has three seltzers that are distributed at 38 dispensaries in Massachusetts, with roughly 40 more on the waiting list. Sales have been better than anticipated and the startup is growing quickly. Continue Reading
Startup ‘BeRemote’ Masterminds Stronger Employee Bonds
BeRemote’s mission is to transform remote, professional work teams by enhancing engagement using an AI-based social-interaction platform that helps employees build and strengthen bonds within their organization. “Be a team that loves being a team,” is part of the company’s philosophy.
CEO Vivek Nigam, who earned his MBA from UConn in 2003, has 30 years of experience in IT and data strategy roles. He sold his first tech startup to AOL in 2000. Below he explains the company’s approach to team-building and how he hopes it will help transform the workplace.Continue Reading
Connecticut Startup Creates Over-the-Counter Pain Creams Without the Harmful Additives
The Feel Good Lab, a local startup, develops over the counter pain relief products free of harmful chemicals. (Contributed Photo)
Pharmacist Gene Gresh’s customers often asked him what kinds of over-the-counter pain relief products he would recommend.
After looking at the ingredient lists of the leading products, he discovered all contained harmful substances. In good faith, he couldn’t truly recommend any of them.
Gresh, the owner of Pioneer Health Compounding Pharmacy in Vernon, began formulating his own product, using natural ingredients. The new medications, now available from the company he helped create called The Feel Good Lab, are gaining traction in the healthcare market and are now sold in many large pharmacies, as well as online.Continue Reading
Pandemic Won’t Disrupt Annual iQ Competition Because ‘Innovation is Relentless’
When someone asked Professor Rich Dino if the School of Business’ Innovation Quest (iQ) entrepreneurial competition would be postponed this year due to the pandemic his quick reply was: Of course not!
“Innovation is relentless,” said Dino, program director. “No matter the economic environment, good or bad, entrepreneurship carries on.”Continue Reading
Wolff Family Philanthropy Champions UConn Entrepreneurs with ‘Unstoppable Ambition’
UConn Today – If there is one thing that alumnus Thomas John Wolff ’56 (BUS) knew well, from first-hand experience, it’s that becoming a successful entrepreneur is incredibly hard work.
Wolff, who once owned five businesses simultaneously, believed in persistence, ambition, determination and almost unstoppable drive. He also knew that a great mentor and wise advice can take a young entrepreneur a very long way.Continue Reading