Launching a Business in Business School
Zell Fellows are given access to an entrepreneurial success kit
Entrepreneurs are known for their drive and passion, working tirelessly, and often in excess of the 40-hour workweek, to bring a unique vision to life. That time commitment might seem daunting to someone also pursuing an MBA degree, but time and time again, Kellogg students have proven that with the right resources, mentorship, and community, the two goals are complementary.
Recognizing the determination of its students to launch their own companies while in school and the need for support, Kellogg formed the Zell Fellows Program for students looking to launch a startup or acquire an existing venture. Funded by Sam Zell, a global investorThe program accepts new entrepreneurs annually in three tracks— new venture, acquisition and ownership, and healthcare – and currently includes a pilot track for those students starting ventures in emerging markets. Since 2013, it’s helped launch 44 ventures that remain active and have raised more than $73,000,000 in funding, and created hundreds of jobs.
One of those ventures is
As a Zell Fellow, Snider says she received an abundance of mentorship and found the structure to carry
Other examples of successful startups run by recent Zell Fellows include Kheyti, a social enterprise that provides a low-cost greenhouse to smallholder farmers in India, Wise Apple, a company that makes healthy, customizable lunches for kids, FourKites, a B2B that developed a predictive analytics platform for global supply chains, and