Top Entrepreneurship MBAs in Chicago
Chicago is a hot spot for entrepreneurs and startups. Not only is it the largest city in the Midwest, but it also offers a ton of great resources for those starting a business, including 1871 and Techstars.
1871 is Chicago’s center for technology and entrepreneurship. Today it is home to more than 400 early-stage startups. Techstars is an accelerator program that has helped over 750 companies with more than $2 billion in funding.
But it’s not just the city that offers resources to entrepreneurs—it’s also the universities. Chicago is home to a wealth of top-notch business schools, and for MBAs, there are a few programs that stand out.
D’Amore-McKim Showcases Student Startups at The Market
Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business (DMSB) recently published an article on The Market—“an indoor farmers market-style event” showcasing new food and drink ventures from Northeastern students, past and present.
DMSB seniors Johnny Fayad and Ali Kothari’s CoffeeBar answers the question, “Why can’t we eat our coffee?” The startup began as a simple solution to the duo’s morning time crunch: take a cup of coffee and infuse it with an all-natural energy bar. CoffeeBar took audience favorite at Northeastern’s Husky Startup Challenge ’13 and “received $10k in gap funding from IDEA, the university’s student-run venture accelerator.”
Speaking of morning brew, El Recreo Coffee is a “crop-to-cup” coffee operation run by engineering school alum Miriam Morales ’90. According to the article, El Recreo beans are sourced from “Morales’ family farm in Nicaragua, and they’re roasted and ground in the El Recreo facilities in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood. The proceeds from the coffee shop fund a school and clinic program Morales’ mother started on their farm in Nicaragua.”
MetroMBA has previously covered all-natural sports drink Hylux Sport, a “vitamin- and electrolyte-enhanced water” concocted by Lamar Letts (DMBS ’17) after a debilitating track injury. “When I was recovering, I found myself adding water to all my sports drinks because they were so sugary.” The drink boasts “less sugar than Gatorade, more electrolytes than Vitamin Water and more potassium than a banana.”
Sitting beside Letts at The Market was Northeastern alumna Kate Weiler, whose alternative sports drink DRINKMaple—“bottled pure maple sap”—is “gentler on the stomach and easier to digest before or after intense athletic events than typical sports drinks.”
Fancy Pants Baking Co. is the brainchild of former neuroscientist Maura Duggan (DMBS ’98) who dramatically changed course in 2004 to sell her “all-natural, nut-free cookies” full-time. “Everything in these, you could make with ingredients you have at home. There’s nothing we have that you wouldn’t have in your kitchen.”
Former hotel manager and Northeastern alum Elisa Coppelman’s Mystic, Connecticut–based tea and spice company Noank Nibbles took shape when a lavender tea she made to help her young daughter fall asleep suddenly became popular among her circle of friends. You can now find Noank Nibbles products in select Connecticut and Massachusetts grocery stores. According to the article, Coppelman’s proudest achievement is partnering with the Groton Public Schools special skills high school program, “where young adults ages 18 to 21 with special education needs help produce and package her goods.”
What’s in a Name? Drexel University’s Bennett S. LeBow
Often, life after an MBA can be unpredictable and not without controversy, as evidenced by Bennett S. LeBow.
The namesake of Philadelphia’s Drexel University LeBow College of Business came from a background of solid work ethics, giving him the drive to push through difficult circumstances that sometimes stood in the way of his success.
Top Entrepreneurship MBAs in Baltimore
It may not be New York or San Francisco, but Baltimore is gaining a reputation as a hotbed for startups and entrepreneurs. Continue reading…
Haub School of Business to Host Yuengling Family for Upcoming Event
On September 27, 2016, St. Joseph’s University’s Haub School of Business (HSB) Alumni Association will host an engaging discussion with the leaders of one of the region’s most well-known companies.
Richard Yuengling, Jr., the fifth generation owner of D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., will join his daughters Jennifer Yuengling-Franquet and Wendy Yuengling Baker for the discussion.
Sawyer Business School Professor Moonlights As Public Artist
Suffolk’s Sawyer Business School recently published an article about management and entrepreneurship professor Jenni Dinger’s recent foray into public art.
