Entrepreneurship


Alum Who Created ‘Merican Mule Cocktail Company Has Plenty to Celebrate

UConn Today -Sales of ‘Merican Mule premium cocktail have skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, fueling the good spirits of its UConn alumnus co-founder.

“Sales have been shot out of a cannon,’’ says Dean Mahoney ’09 (BUS). “The pandemic posed challenges to people who typically went to bars and restaurants. They wanted a quality cocktail at home, so they shifted their search to liquor stores.Continue Reading


A Taste of Something New! Alumnus Creates Monthly ‘Subscription Box’ Filled with Distinctive Local Goodies

Curated CT provides products from a variety of local sources. Pictured above, is a sample from a previous month. (Contrbuted Photo)
Curated CT provides products from a variety of local sources. Pictured above, is a sample from a previous month. (Contributed Photo)

For more than a decade, alumnus Donald Pendagast ’20 MBA, had been thinking about ways to introduce people to local, small food businesses that they might not try otherwise. In October, his idea came to fruition with the creation of Curated CT, a subscription food box featuring local delicacies, including cheese, coffee, chocolate and sometimes beer. The company is already turning a profit and donates some of its profits to a different local charity every month.Continue Reading


UConn School of Business Receives First-Ever Top 30 Ranking for Graduate Entrepreneurship from Princeton Review

UConn Today – The rankings, released today by Princeton Review and slated to be published in the December issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, included more than 300 applicants, putting UConn in the top 15 percent of all survey participants. For the second year in a row, UConn ranked at No. 46 for undergraduate entrepreneurship and, for the first time, the UConn School of Business ranked at No. 28 for graduate entrepreneurship amidst the competitive field of participants in this year’s survey.Continue Reading


Alumna to Share Mindset Secrets To Help Women Entrepreneurs Prosper

Charlene Walters '92, pictured above, will headline the upcoming xCITE networking event. (Contributed photo)
Charlene Walters ’92, pictured above, will headline the upcoming xCITE networking event. (Contributed photo)

As brazen as it might seem in an uncertain economy, now may be the ideal time for many women to take that giant step into entrepreneurship.

That’s the advice of UConn alumna Charlene Walters ’92, who has created a blueprint for women interested in pursuing their own businesses.

Walters, an entrepreneurship coach, business and branding mentor, and author, will be the keynote speaker at the School of Business’ “xCITE: Women in Entrepreneurship Network” series for women who are, or want to become, entrepreneurs. The event, which will be virtual this year, is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16. This is the first in a series of programs to connect women entrepreneurs.Continue Reading


UConn Entrepreneur Smashes a Home Run With Sophisticated Baseball-Training Invention

UConn Today – As a high school baseball player, Elijah Taitel ’22 (BUS, ENG) wanted to develop a more powerful, well-refined swing to deliver blistering results at bat. Little did he know when he began creating the ProVelocity Bat, an innovative baseball and softball training tool, it would attract the interest of the Tampa Bay Rays, an MLB slugger, and numerous private coaches and parents.Continue Reading



No More Worry Warts: Medical Resident’s Innovation May Revolutionize Patient Care

Reid Waldman MD is a resident in the dermatology practice at UConn Health on June 19, 2018. (Stan Godlewski for UConn Health)
Reid Waldman MD is a resident in the dermatology practice at UConn Health. Waldman is one of five UConn innovators who will compete in the Wolff New Venture competition. (Stan Godlewski for UConn Health)

Ugggh, warts. They’re disgusting!

Although they may be a minor-league player in the hierarchy of medical maladies, warts are the source of annoyance, embarrassment and, often, teasing for school-age kids.Continue Reading


Pisces Atlantic Wins Prestigious Wolff New Venture Competition

UConn Student Peter Goggins poses in a rustic warehouse.
UConn Senior Peter Goggins is the founder of Pisces Atlantic. He competes against four other startups in the Wolff New Venture Competition on October 19th. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Student Entrepreneur Opens Fish-Food Production Facility; Prepares for Next Business Competition

Except for the challenges of operating an extruder machine that is as complex as an airplane control panel, and the problem of disposing of fish-food dust that can pile up ankle-deep, Peter Goggins is a happy guy.Continue Reading


Alumna Entrepreneur Hopes to Make a Splash with Revamped, Flattering Women’s Swimwear

Hayley Segar '17, founder of 'onewith', posing with a neon sign displaying her company logo.
Hayley Segar ’17 has founded ‘onewith’, a swimwear company focused on East Coast aesthetic and flattering design. (Contributed Photo)

Alumna Hayley Segar ’17 planned a trip to Miami last year and had at least a dozen swimsuit choices for the beach.

She hated every single one of them!Continue Reading