Entrepreneurship



Drug Triggers Immune System to Fight Cancer in Pets

Ashley Kalinauskas, '14 (BUS). (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Ashley Kalinauskas, ’14 (BUS). (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

UConn Today – Every time the veterinarian removed the cancerous tumor from the back of “BW,” a sweet-faced, well-loved, white cat, the malignancy would return two or three weeks later.

The cat’s owner opted to try a revolutionary veterinary cancer treatment, called VetiVax, which triggers the animal’s immune system to fight the disease. After the third treatment, the fibrosarcoma tumor didn’t recur, and “BW” has been healthy for 2½ years.

UConn alumna Ashley Kalinauskas is the CEO of Torigen Pharmaceuticals, the Farmington, Connecticut-based company that creates the new treatment. She is currently marketing it to veterinarians and is anticipating rapid growth for her startup.


Unique, Creative Startups Win $30,000

2017 Innovation Quest Awards

Innovation Quest Tops Participation Record; Winners Present Vastly Different, Creative Startup Ideas

The winners of this year’s Innovation Quest (iQ) competition had a unique set of people to credit for inspiring their success, including:

  • A friend with a teddy bear tattoo, emblazoned with his ex-girlfriend’s name;
  • A waitress who was trying to handle a mad-house of customers during a blizzard, when the rest of the wait staff didn’t show up;
  • A little brother who leaves his EpiPen home because it is too bulky to carry;
  • Americans who have very polarized beliefs about political events, depending on which news source they follow.

Continue Reading


Over 200 Would-Be Entrepreneurs Seek Mentoring, Business Advice

Freshman Michael Mayo has dreams of building a roller-skating business adjacent to his alma mater, New Britain High School. (Devin Basdekian/UConn School of Business)
Freshman Michael Mayo has dreams of building a roller-skating business adjacent to his alma mater, New Britain High School. (Devin Basdekian/UConn School of Business)

“It’s Not a Passive World”

Freshman Michael Mayo has dreams of building a roller-skating business adjacent to his alma mater, New Britain High School. His goal would be to afford students some much-needed recreation while also offering them classes and hands-on knowledge about how to run a business. Continue Reading



EBV Graduates 22 Veteran Entrepreneurs

The 2016 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) Class. UConn's EBV is a 10-day program that gives veterans the knowledge, skills and helping hand they need to create their own businesses. (Lisa Ducharme)
The 2016 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) Class. UConn’s EBV is a 10-day program that gives veterans the knowledge, skills and helping hand they need to create their own businesses. (Lisa Ducharme)

‘I Can’t Believe How Lucky I Am!’ Veterans’ Plans Include Cookie Business, Animal Shelter, Counseling Center

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Damone “D” Garner has a secret weapon for his post-military career.

Hailing from a family that boasts three generations of talented bakers, Garner has a collection of secret, family-cookie recipes that will make other bakers quake in their aprons. Continue Reading


A First-Place Tie

The creators of LambdaVision with two undergraduate student interns who helped represent the company during the CCEI fellowship and again at the Wolff competition. From left, Dr. Jordan Greco '10 (CLAS), '15 Ph.D., Molly Zgoda '17 (CLAS), Audrey Gallo '17 (CLAS), and Dr. Nicole Wagner '07 (CLAS), '13 Ph.D. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
The creators of LambdaVision with two undergraduate student interns who helped represent the company during the CCEI fellowship and again at the Wolff competition. From left, Dr. Jordan Greco ’10 (CLAS), ’15 Ph.D., Molly Zgoda ’17 (CLAS), Audrey Gallo ’17 (CLAS), and Dr. Nicole Wagner ’07 (CLAS), ’13 Ph.D. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Revamped Wolff New Venture Competition Surprises Audience with Two Medical-Device Champs

The late Thomas John Wolff ’56 was an entrepreneur, and UConn School of Business alumnus, who ran five businesses simultaneously. He exemplified values like enthusiasm, mentorship and appreciation. Continue Reading


‘You are an Entrepreneur!’

Kathryn Friedrich, Head of Global Monetization, YouTube (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Kathryn Friedrich, Head of Global Monetization, YouTube (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

UConn’s New Xcite Conference Draws 200+ Women; Strives to Increase Connecticut’s Women Business Leaders

It was a simple assignment that YouTube executive Kathryn Friedrich gave to the audience of 200 business women: take a minute and think of an entrepreneur.

“If you’re not thinking of yourself, think again, because you are an entrepreneur,” she said. “Entrepreneurship is a mindset. You don’t have to start your own company to be an entrepreneur. You can start working on it right away!” Continue Reading


Welcome New Faculty

Fourteen new faculty members join the UConn School of Business for the Fall 2016 semester. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
New faculty members pose for a photograph during orientation. Fourteen new faculty members join the UConn School of Business for the Fall 2016 semester.  (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

School of Business Adds 14 Professors to Ranks

An OPIM professor with a near-perfect student rating, an expert in entrepreneurship and startups, an MSA graduate who wants to help lead the program she loves, and a management professor who specializes in international business growth are among 14 new faculty members joining the School of Business for the Fall 2016 semester.

Our new faculty include: Continue Reading


‘The World Is …Brimming with Opportunities’

Sumit Kumar '17 MBA, one of 5 UConn graduate students who participated in a new summer program called The Verge Consulting Group. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Sumit Kumar ’17 MBA, one of five UConn graduate students who participated in a new summer program called The Verge Consulting Group. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Graduate Students Find Fulfillment in Assisting Startups; Business Owners Grateful for Helping Hand

Sumit Kumar, a second-year MBA student, couldn’t believe his good fortune.

This summer he was able to devise a market strategy for a growing beverage company and conduct market analysis and funding research for a biomedical-device manufacturer, both in Connecticut.Continue Reading