The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is set to significantly expand its support and offerings for students interested in energy transition innovation thanks to a generous $12.5 million gift from Michael and Tanya Polsky through the Polsky Foundation.
The gift is part of a larger $25 million donation to the University of Chicago, which established the Polsky Energy Transition Leadership Academy.
“As an energy entrepreneur who has designed and built power plants and associated electricity infrastructure that power millions of homes and businesses, I’ve seen firsthand the practical challenges that stand in the way of building energy infrastructure and the solutions that can help America reclaim leadership in energy innovation, manufacturing, and deployment,” said Michael Polsky, MBA ’87. “Our gift to the University of Chicago supports the next generation of leaders that will build the efficient, cleaner, low-cost, scalable energy infrastructure needed to support America’s technological and energy leadership.”
Given over a 10-year period, the funds will support critical entrepreneurship and innovation programs at the Polsky Center through prizes and startup funding, as well as co-curricular educational offerings and career support for students. Beyond the Polsky Center, the money will also provide scholarship support, faculty engagement, and curriculum development.
With the first pledge received last month, the Polsky Center is positioned to immediately start making an impact by supporting students, faculty, and entrepreneurs working to help accelerate the transition to a clean, abundant, affordable, and reliable energy future.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
A portion of the funding will be dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship through the Polsky Center’s accelerator programs. Entrepreneurial prizes and startup funding will provide financial backing to student and faculty-led ventures focused on energy transition. Funding will be awarded to teams participating in select Polsky Center accelerators, including:
- The New Venture Challenge (NVC), all five tracks
- Build and Launch Accelerator
- Booth-affiliated teams involved in other Polsky Center programs, such as Duality, Resurgence, Transform, and the George Shultz Innovation Fund
