Entrepreneurship


KeyBank Gives $75K to UConn Program for Veteran Business Owners

KeyBank has presented a $75,000 grant to the UConn School of Business’ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, which helps U.S. military veterans become small business owners. Pictured from left to right are UConn EBV program graduates Jorge and Jessica Rodriguez, KeyBank Corporate Responsibility Officer LaKisha Jordan, KeyBank Market President Jim Barger, and UConn  EBV Director Michael Zacchea. (Contributed Photo)
KeyBank has presented a $75,000 grant to the UConn School of Business’ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, which helps U.S. military veterans become small business owners. Pictured from left to right are UConn EBV program graduates Jorge and Jessica Rodriguez, KeyBank Corporate Responsibility Officer LaKisha Jordan, KeyBank Market President Jim Barger, and UConn EBV Director Michael Zacchea. (Contributed Photo)

The KeyBank Foundation on Thursday presented a $75,000 grant to UConn in support a School of Business program that helps U.S. military veterans become small-business owners.Continue Reading


Startup That Recycles Toxic Sludge Wins UConn’s Wolff Competition

UConn Today – A startup that could rid the earth of vast cesspools of toxic sludge won UConn’s annual Wolff New Venture Competition, and a $20,000 prize, on Monday night.

The entrepreneurial competition honors some of the strongest startup programs with a UConn affiliation. All five of the teams that participated have spent at least a year refining and developing their business plans under the guidance of the School of Business’ Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.Continue Reading


UConn’s Entrepreneurship Program for Veterans Celebrates 10 Years

EBV Director Michael Zacchea (pictured above) reflects upon the ten year anniversary of the program (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)
EBV Director Michael Zacchea (pictured above) reflects upon the ten year anniversary of the program (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Tony Audette is a former U.S. Marine combat veteran, and award-winning industrial designer, who is using his degree in automotive engineering to start a custom-made, high-end motorcycling manufacturing company in Manchester, Conn.Continue Reading


CCEI’s 2019 Entrepreneurship Summer Fellowship Champs

Left to right: Michelle Chao, Michael Martin, and Nicolas Myers, of Phoenix Tailings.  Emily Yale, of Land Maverick.  Christian Heiden, of Levo International.  Derek Hargrove, and Xiuling Yu, of Nami Therapeutics.  Brendan MacIntyre, and Nikolas Franceschi-Hofmann, of Geyser Remediation. (Evan Olson - UConn School of Business)
Left to right: Michelle Chao, Michael Martin, and Nicolas Myers, of Phoenix Tailings. Emily Yale, of Land Maverick. Christian Heiden, of Levo International. Derek Hargrove, and Xiuling Yu, of Nami Therapeutics. Brendan MacIntyre, and Nikolas Franceschi-Hofmann, of Geyser Remediation. (Evan Olson – UConn School of Business)

The startups at this year’s CCEI Summer Fellowship Finale presented vastly different entrepreneurial ideas, but all were united by a common, altruistic thread.Continue Reading



xCITE Conference: Bolster Women Entrepreneurs by Starting Younger

xCITE 2019 Keynote Speaker Cristal Glangchai (Zack Wussow/Zack Wussow Media)
xCITE 2019 Keynote Speaker Cristal Glangchai (Zack Wussow/Zack Wussow Media)

When Cristal Glangchai asked a 5-year-old girl if there was a problem in her life that she would like to solve, the youngster said she was tired of getting scolded for eating Play-Doh. Continue Reading





EBV Alum: ‘To Do What You Love is Priceless’

EBV alumnus Jason Otrin (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
EBV alumnus Jason Otrin (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Imagine a young child wandering alone in the woods on a frigid afternoon, with each passing minute decreasing the likelihood of a successful rescue.

UConn alumnus Jason Otrin would like to encourage emergency responders in Connecticut, and across the nation, to adopt the use of drones for such public-safety emergencies. Continue Reading