CHICAGO–(Company WIRE)–The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is happy to announce the winners of the 2021 Alumni New Undertaking Problem (ANVC), a system committed to supporting College of Chicago alumni throughout the globe in launching and creating their startup ventures.

7 teams offered their small business options to a panel of judges for the duration of a digital finals party Thursday, May perhaps 6, for a prospect at a $100,000 investment decision pool.

1st location, and $50,000, was awarded to Rosita Longevity, based in Valencia, Spain. Cofounded by Chicago Booth alumni Juan Cartagena, MBA ’12, and Clara Fernandez, MBA ’19, Rosita Longevity is a cell app that promotes balanced life style habits for seniors, with the objective of escalating wholesome everyday living expectancy by five decades.

Two groups that tied for 2nd put just about every will receive $25,000.

Gravitrek, centered in Arizona and cofounded by Booth alum Kira Burns, MBA ’07, will make a walker-variety system that simulates a lowered-gravity environment to aid folks with bodily disabilities be more cellular.

Venture Hive Pet Organization, based mostly in Minneapolis and cofounded by Melissa Rappaport Schiffman, MBA ’94 MA ‘94, is a mission-pushed brand name of premium doggy toys and treats that presents a share of proceeds to organizations that restore bee and butterfly habitats.

“The camaraderie and help that groups confirmed a single an additional was inspiring,” stated Gorana Kolar, senior affiliate director at the Polsky Centre. “And inspite of all the problems of launching a company in the course of a pandemic, the groups built huge development and have so a lot to be very pleased of.”

The ANVC, now in its third 12 months, is just one of five tracks of the New Enterprise Obstacle, a major-ranked college accelerator at the Booth School of Small business that has assisted launch almost 400 organizations that are nonetheless lively these days. The NVC, a pioneering plan when it released in 1996, this calendar year marks its 25th anniversary.

The alumni observe, which is open up to all University of Chicago alumni, is operate out of six geographic locations, with alumni volunteering to provide as co-chairs to manage regional semi-finals situations. Three of the regions are in North America, with the West Coast, Midwest and East Coastline serving as hubs. The other folks are Asia-Pacific, Latin America and EMEA (Europe, Center East and Africa).

Of the 57 teams that utilized to be in this year’s ANVC, 28 were picked to contend in the regional semi-finals, with obtain to mentors and on the net methods from the Polsky Center to enable them put together. Seven of these 28 groups superior to the finals.

“One of the genuinely exclusive factors about the ANVC is that it exemplifies the wide, international arrive at of the College of Chicago and its business enterprise university,” reported Dan Sachs, executive director of instruction and applications at the Polsky Center. “It is a car or truck for building a world network of business owners that help every single other in launching and escalating corporations.”

About the Polsky Heart for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the College of Chicago

The Polsky Heart for Entrepreneurship and Innovation applies earth-course enterprise know-how from the College of Chicago Booth Faculty of Company to carry new strategies and breakthrough improvements to sector. With a 60-man or woman qualified staff members, the Polsky Center drives the development of new ventures and commercial partnerships at the College of Chicago and beyond. As a world-wide chief in entrepreneurship education, the Polsky Centre is household of the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Undertaking Obstacle, a single of the top rated accelerator applications in the nation. The Polsky Middle gives training for aspiring business owners and people in search of a occupation in non-public equity, undertaking capital, and entrepreneurship as a result of acquisition. Discover far more at polsky.uchicago.edu and comply with updates on Twitter @polskycenter.

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