Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Knoxville Business News Tennessee Mountain Scenery Background
February 04, 2025 | Tom Ballard

U News | U of Cincinnati continues to have the best likelihood of producing unicorns

The University of Chicago and healthcare investment firm Deerfield Management have announced the launch of Hyde Park Discovery.

From the University of Cincinnati:

While schools like Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology bask in storied prestige, the University of Cincinnati (UC) outpaces them as a hub for billion-dollar start-up founders. That’s according to a study by Stanford University Professor Ilya Strebulaev.

“Unicorn” refers to a privately held start-up company that exceeds a $1 billion valuation. UC’s ranking in the most recent study reflects its commitment to fostering innovation and spotlights the school’s ability to compete with other elite institutions. Notable UC alum-turned-unicorns include:

  • Chris Wanstrath, Co-Founder of GitHub, sold to Microsoft for $7.5 billion;
  • Jay Chaudhry, Chief Executive Officer of Zscaler, a cybersecurity firm he founded that is valued at $28 billion; and
  • Ry Walker, Founder of Astronomer, Cincinnati’s first unicorn start-up

Strebulaev shared his latest report via LinkedIn. The results show that founders who either studied or worked at UC are 3.3 times more likely than average to achieve unicorn status if they create a venture capital-backed start-up.

In the latest report, he wrote about what he termed as “a surprising finding: institutional impact varies beyond the usual suspects. The University of Cincinnati shows the highest likelihood (3.3x) of producing unicorn founders, outpacing even Stanford (1.6x).”

From the University of Massachusetts Amherst

A new study by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst reveals that women in academic entrepreneurship are more likely to be driven by social impact than commercial motives, highlighting a key factor influencing gender disparities in STEM-related business ventures.

The findings, published in Research Policy, suggest that women researchers are significantly more interested in entrepreneurship when it involves addressing societal challenges. In contrast, men displayed equal levels of interest in social and commercial entrepreneurial pursuits.

“We know that who is involved in science and innovation shapes the kinds of questions asked and the discoveries made,” says Ina Ganguli, Professor of Economics at UMass Amherst and an author of the paper. “Without different types of individuals inventing and creating products, then we are likely missing out on some solutions to problems facing consumers and society more broadly.”

The research examined data from the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, which provides entrepreneurial training to faculty and graduate students seeking to commercialize scientific discoveries. Despite efforts to promote diversity, women have accounted for only 20 percent of I-Corps participants since the program began in 2011.

From the University of Chicago:

The University of Chicago (UChicago) and healthcare investment firm Deerfield Management have announced the launch of Hyde Park Discovery, a collaboration to advance the development of new drugs and other life-saving treatments for disease.

Over the next 10 years, Deerfield will provide up to $130 million in targeted funding, as well as operational and scientific expertise to advance UChicago discoveries with the potential to improve disease treatments. The strategic agreement brings together the University’s leading research and innovation across several key therapeutic areas, along with Deerfield’s healthcare product development capabilities.

“The Biological Sciences Division at UChicago and the UChicago Medicine health system comprise a distinct environment that brings together basic researchers studying fundamental biology and physicians who provide advanced patient care. It is crucial to have the kind of support and innovative capabilities that Deerfield brings to accelerate discoveries and create meaningful results for our community and the world,” said Mark Anderson, Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at UChicago.

From the University of Maryland College Park:

Thanks to a $3.8 million gift from Linda Lamone, the ’s prestigious Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship will be renamed the Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship, in recognition of the significant contributions and distinguished accomplishments of Rudolph P. “Rudy” Lamone, longtime Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. This philanthropic naming in honor of Lamone pays tribute to his extraordinary legacy of visionary leadership and unwavering commitment, and his instrumental role in establishing and developing the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Dingman-Lamone Center is a nationally recognized incubator for student entrepreneurship, with opportunities including for-credit experiential learning courses, venture creation programs, seed funding, and start-up employment opportunities. Lamone established the center, one of the first entrepreneurship centers at a business school, with a gift from founding donor and University alumnus Michael Dingman in 1986.

From Emory University:

The Hatchery, Emory University’s Center for Innovation, with the support of the Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), has launched the latest evolution of a long-standing initiative designed to elevate student innovation and foster future-ready skills. It is the Innovation Consulting Fellows (ICF) Program.

With a strategic focus on empowering student entrepreneurs across all Emory schools, this program equips fellows with the knowledge, tools, and experience needed to thrive in innovation and entrepreneurship (I/E) consulting.

What began in 2020 to help student clubs navigate the challenges of remote operations during the pandemic has now transformed into a high-touch consultancy model serving ventures across diverse fields. Last year’s fellows developed and supported Hatchery programs like STEM Sync and Wonderful Wednesdays.

This year’s fellows are working directly with ventures in The Hatchery’s Incubator program, applying their expertise in areas like designing customer discovery interviews, assisting with prototype development, and providing code review — which are vital steps for helping ventures move forward effectively.



Like what you've read?

Forward to a friend!

Don’t Miss Out on the Southeast’s Latest Entrepreneurial, Business, & Tech News!

Sign-up to get the Teknovation Newsletter in your inbox each morning!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


No, thanks!