The holiday season provides a good opportunity for busy executives and students, alike, to catch up on some of the best books of the year. We asked prominent Connecticut business leaders and members of our UConn faculty what business-focused book they would most highly recommend from 2021. Here are their selections:
Jennifer Mathieu
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
A Taste of Something New! Alumnus Creates Monthly ‘Subscription Box’ Filled with Distinctive Local Goodies

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-Backed MedTech Accelerator Advances 10 Powerful Startups; ‘These Companies Will Absolutely Change Lives’
The excitement was palpable Monday night as 10 health care startups, including two that are UConn-grown, shared their medical technology innovations that promise unique solutions for some of medicine’s most vexing problems.Continue Reading
UConn-grown Startups, Programs Recognized at Entrepreneurship Awards
UConn collected numerous awards this week at the CT Entrepreneur Awards, which identify, recognize and celebrate Connecticut’s leading entrepreneurs, ventures and ecosystem supporters. Jennifer Murphy, program manager for the School of Business’ Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) received recognition as a community builder. In addition, the university was recognized for CCEI, as well as its Get Seeded and Accelerate UConn programs. Three UConn-grown startups, QRFertile, Encapsulate and VigorSential also were honored.
First ‘Get Seeded’ Event Awards $3k to New Ventures
Junior Daniel Ruskin has an idea for creating an in-home, hand-held voting machine that electors would receive when they register to vote.Continue Reading
CCEI Fellowship Program Features Top Entrepreneurs

It is a great thing to be an entrepreneur; it is even better to be an entrepreneur who can make a difference in the world. Continue Reading
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Explored in Israel

What better place to learn about business, entrepreneurship, and innovation than from one of the world’s leading countries for business creation? Continue Reading