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 Graduate School of Business.

Chicago GSB 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, GSB 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 the GSB 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 the GSB.

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 GSB 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