UConn Today – Before he became a UConn Ph.D. student, Laron Burrows worked as an engineer in the renewable energy industry.
His interest in making chemical processes more “planet friendly” isn’t just a passing interest, he says. It is his life’s work. His passion has led to the creation of a new company, called Andros, that is trying to disrupt one of the dirtiest chemical processes in the world: ammonia production.
Innovation
Conflict and Commerce: A Journey to Support Founders in Ukraine
UConn Today – The coffee in Lviv is some of the best that Ryan Coles has ever had.
“Better than Seattle,” declares Coles, an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in the UConn School of Business’ Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department, who has sampled coffee in cities all over the world as he’s pursued his work as a researcher, educator, sociologist, and entrepreneur.
UConn MBA Student Launching Lingerie Company That Shuns Toxic Chemicals, Appeals to Health-Conscious Consumers
UConn Today – Christina Phillips was horrified when she discovered that toxic and dangerous chemicals are used to manufacture women’s bras and underwear.
Who would suspect that formaldehyde, pesticides, petroleum, dyes, parabens and “forever chemicals’’ are found in the creation of most popular brands of lingerie?
Tech Startup Swipestorm Addresses Quick-Service Restaurants’ Customer-Service Issues
UConn Today – As a manager at a Connecticut Chick-fil-A, Nathan Catapano ’24 (CLAS) took pride in his restaurant’s customer service, reputation, and success.
If a customer had a less-than-satisfactory experience, Catapano wanted to correct the issue quickly and do everything he could to give them a remarkable dining experience.
Veterans-Turned-Entrepreneurs Demonstrate Initiative, Courage, Dedication
UConn Today – Keri Yonika, an occupational therapist and a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, has both the knowledge and passion to help young children get a good start in life.
She loves her work with neurodivergent pre-schoolers, but not the constant pressure to see more clients. Yonika dreams of owning her own practice and running it with a client-centered approach.
Smart potty, toilet lift among innovative Connecticut products pitched at Hartford manufacturing event
Stamford Advocate – [Ming] Hui and four other entrepreneurs gave their elevator pitches to a panel of judges Monday at an event by FORGE Connecticut in Hartford. All had hopes of winning a $20,000 first prize and making connections to move their products forward.
Innovation Quest Crowns Three New Champions
UConn Today – From the time he was a young child, Laron Burrows always knew he would be an entrepreneur.
“In the third grade I sold baseball cards and trinkets,” said Burrows, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering. “At age 12, I was developing a way to remove oil from seawater. I always thought science and engineering innovations provided great opportunities for entrepreneurship.”
Brianna Regine Walston ’17, Founder of Strategic Communication Agency, Named Young Entrepreneur of the Year
UConn Today – Entering her senior year at UConn, alumna Brianna Regine Walston ’17 (CLAS), had a great career option.
She was in the midst of completing a very successful public relations internship in New York City, and the company was eager to offer Walston a permanent job after graduation.
Despite Significant Challenges, Students, Alumni and Industry Professionals Share Optimism About a More ‘Green’ World
UConn Today – The School of Business’ second annual Global Business Leadership in Sustainability Summit offered a blend of optimism and stark reality about the future of business and the planet to a passionate group of students, alumni, faculty, and industry experts.
The event addressed a variety of topics, including how some 90 percent of Connecticut’s food supply is imported. Other speakers warned about companies ‘greenwashing’ their track records and environmental efforts. Even U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt entered the discussion, as he was an early adopter of electric vehicle technology, riding in an electric motorcade during a 1902 visit to Hartford.
Fish Food and the Foundry: How One UConn Startup Went Global and Others Can, Too
UConn Today – On a blue-sky day in the northern region of Jordan, Peter Goggins ’21 (CAHNR) ’23 MEGE, striding through a sprawling field of alfalfa, was reminded of just how much he loves agriculture.
In a navy-blue shirt with the ubiquitous UConn Husky logo emblazoned on the back, Goggins traversed that inspiring alfalfa field as part of a 10-day trip to the Middle Eastern country in January, where he toured farms and aquaculture facilities, met the farmers who operate them, visited agricultural research facilities and import warehouses, and even lunched with a sheik.