Executive MBA Student Profile - Chicago Campus EMBA Student Startup Advances in Top Science and Deep-Tech Accelerator

When I applied to Booth I was working on a startup with a few friends in the nuclear energy sector. There’s a lot of chatter on whether getting an MBA is a good idea for entrepreneurs, and the honest answer is it depends, but we were trying to figure out how to finance a deep tech fusion energy concept that could cost billions to build. So for us it made complete sense. Additionally, since the University of Chicago is home to the first ever sustained nuclear reaction (1942), I accepted the moment I received my offer. My time at Booth has given me not just the tools, but the confidence to speak about the finances of our start-up in a way I never could before. Chicago Booth’s Sokolov Executive MBA Program, as well as the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, have played a huge role in the success of our startup thus far.

I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the academic rigor of the program; nonetheless, after making it through the first set of exams I was able to get in a good groove and find a balance between work and studying. What I didn’t realize was how relevant all of the coursework would be to our startup. Getting to apply the lessons from class to our business not only helped our own strategies, but really made the lessons resonate on a deeper level because I was applying them in real time.

The hardest part about earning your masters while running a startup is finding the balance between it all. With any new venture you’re putting everything you have into its success, and an MBA is also a huge investment with both your time and capital. The good news is you’ve likely built up a safety net to make these investments at this point in your life. The bad news is you likely have more responsibilities than the average 20-year-old, such as family or an established career you have to worry about. My advice would be to set up an outstanding support system. I am hugely thankful to my wife and family who supported me throughout this journey.

My co-founder, Hamilton Parrish, was also working at a private fusion company when he was accepted to Booth’s Part-Time MBA Program. We both were experiencing the same challenges at our companies, in that there was no platform to easily run the simulations needed to test the critical components of nuclear power plants. With help from UChicago’s computer science department and the University’s deep connections with Argonne National Lab, we built a platform that solved the problem we were both facing. Once we realized other nuclear energy companies were interested in what we created, we decided to go full time on this new venture and Morton Labs was born.

The George Schultz Innovation Fund is one of the top science and deep-tech accelerators in the country. It receives applications from leading research institutions such as Argonne National Lab, Fermilab, The Pritzker School of Molecular Science, and more. So to be selected as one of the four finalists is extremely rewarding. My previous startup had applied the year prior and we were not selected, so it’s really a testament to how well Chicago Booth prepares you for serious investor diligence and technical scrutiny. Also, the fact that we were the only student-focused group selected (from the business school nonetheless) is a reflection of both the team’s dedication and the notable progress we’ve made.

The international element of the program made a significant difference for our startup. The work we do in nuclear energy research is a global effort, and Booth’s international presence allowed us to expand our reach far beyond the United States. One of our first clients was a leading fusion company in the UK and while studying at the London campus we would visit their headquarters in Oxford between classes. The global reach of Chicago Booth should not be understated. The fact that I have so many friends throughout the world as a result of the program is going to make my future travels abroad much more enjoyable!

Morton Labs was named after my grandpa, Mort; a physicist turned business executive who knew the extreme challenges of commercializing innovation. He was the person I always looked up to and who encouraged me to apply to Booth. He passed away a few months before I got the acceptance letter, and I know he’d be proud of everything I’ve accomplished since getting here. But now that I’m graduating, he’d tell me the real work has only just begun. The highlight of the program for me was when we were assigned a case study that featured a story I had heard many times before, because my grandpa was on the board of the company in the story. It was a crazy full circle moment that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Coming to Booth is truly one of the best decisions I have ever made.