About the Center

The Polsky Center advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship through a broad range of activities including academics, leading edge research, conferences, competitions, and global and community outreach. It is the focus of entrepreneurship, private equity and venture capital activities at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Chicago Booth began offering entrepreneurship courses in the 1970s. By 1998, with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the school had established the entrepreneurship center.

In 2002, Chicago Booth distinguished alumnus Michael P. Polsky, '87, founder, president, and CEO of Invenergy LLC, endowed and named the center so that it could continue to grow. Polsky credits Chicago Booth with giving him "a complete package as an entrepreneur."

The Polsky Center is run by a center team, a group of professionals committed to promoting and supporting the entrepreneurial spirit. Also guiding the center is an advisory board, made up of some of the country's leading entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and private equity investors.

The Polsky Center depends on gifts and support to produce its programs and events. Through sponsorship of conferences, competitions, student internships, and other center activities, you can help advance entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth.

Polsky Center Mission

As a multi-faceted organization, the Polsky Center's mission is to:

Support the development of new and small businesses by providing resources for students and alumni embarking on entrepreneurial ventures.
Provide students with valuable, hands-on experiential learning experiences and the opportunity to interact with actual entrepreneurs.
Sponsor competitions and conferences that foster understanding about the entrepreneurial world.
Establish relationships with the local entrepreneurial community.
Build the global Chicago Booth entrepreneurial network among institutional investors, venture capitalists, buy-out investors, corporate venture specialists, angel investors, entrepreneurs, portfolio companies, as well as industry lawyers and accountants.