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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.  

Sam Zell
Sam Zell
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 investor and chairman of Equity Group Investments, the program offers the tools, resources, and community students need to chart their entrepreneurial careers. Kellogg Zell Fellows are also a part of the larger Zell Global Entrepreneur Network, a network of entrepreneurs throughout the world who were also selected to be part of the program.  

The 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.

There’s vulnerability in sharing your idea with people and knowing where you should start, so the program gave me the framework to move forward and also gave me confidence.”

Carolyn Snider,
a 2017 Kellogg graduate and founder of Welltended

One of those ventures is Welltended, a one-stop online shop that matches plants with customers’ lifestyles and living spaces and then delivers the plant to their door in an attractive container with simple care instructions. Customers can even sign up for watering reminders or receive tips via text. Welltended was founded by Carolyn Snider, a 2017 Kellogg graduate and California native whose frustration with Chicago’s bleak winters inspired her to start the company. 

As a Zell Fellow, Snider says she received an abundance of mentorship and found the structure to carry Welltended forward. 

Carolyn Snider
Carolyn Snider
“The Zell Fellows Program required me to think through how to communicate the vision for Welltended and to think about the size of the market,” she explains, adding, “There’s vulnerability in sharing your idea with people and knowing where you should start, so the program gave me the framework to move forward and also gave me confidence. I really credit the Zell Program for helping me get going.” 

Other examples of successful startups run by recent Zell Fellows include Kheytia social enterprise that provides a low-cost greenhouse to smallholder farmers in India, Wise Applea company that makes healthy, customizable lunches for kids, FourKitesa B2B that developed a predictive analytics platform for global supply chains, and Innovative, a medical device company that is developing innovative advanced energy medical devices.