Wharton Stories: Entrepreneurship

Utkars Jain, WG’27 (third from right), with his Learning Team. (Image Credit: Anurag Maken)
“I know I’m the right person to lead this mission, but I didn’t want to be the reason it falls short because I lacked business knowledge,” says Utkars Jain, WG’27.

Building the Skills to Scale: A CEO’s Journey at Wharton

A commercial kitchen workspace with various baking ingredients, including butter, chocolate chips, nuts, flour, spices, and measuring tools, arranged on a cutting board.
“I was so overwhelmed by the possibilities, in the best way,” says Emmy Keogh, C’26, of Venture Lab’s Food Innovation Lab.

Butter Business at Venture Lab’s Food Innovation Lab

Margaret Zhu smiles and wears professional attire, standing outside Huntsman Hall.
“Margaret [Zhu] aims to increase safety in one of the most dangerous jobs in our country,” says Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “Her use of cutting edge-technology together with human insight is quintessentially Penn and will help protect arborists while improving the industry.”

Wharton Undergrad Margaret Zhu Receives 2026 President’s Innovation Prize

An aerial view of a wooden desk with someone's hands at a laptop alongside ear buds and other tech accessories.
“Wharton gives you an unusually safe environment to test things: classmates who will give real feedback, professors who will pressure-test your assumptions, and programs like VIP-X that simulate real investor scrutiny.” — Ojú Junaid, WG’26

Inside VIP-X Philadelphia: How Wharton MBA Founders Are Scaling Startups

Silhouettes of several people walking along a brick-paved street at sunset, backlit by warm golden light that casts long shadows.
Three Wharton alumni previously profiled as undergraduates reflect on life and work after graduation.

Their Stories Then, Their Careers Now

Kristen Denzer, WG’26, (middle) in front of a Tierra Encantada location. (Image Credit: Robert Thesing)
“I’m leaving Wharton a stronger operator, leader, and decision maker thanks to what I learned here,” says Kristen Denzer, WG’26.

How Wharton Is Helping This Founder Scale and Lead a Childcare Brand

Students learning about the Penn Wharton Innovation Fund. (Image Credit: Venture Lab)
“Venture Lab has been the cornerstone of my entrepreneurial evolution. It’s where ideas get pressure-tested and pushed to a higher level,” says Madison Li, WG’26.

Entrepreneurship at Every Stage: How EMBA Students Engage With Venture Lab

Venture Lab event attendees stand together in a row with award recipient Tory Burch at center.

Venture Lab Honors Entrepreneur and Penn Alumna Tory Burch

Robert Kress, WG’24 visiting a U.S. Navy boat maintained by Anchor Innovation (Photo Credit: Chief Brian Sheffield, U.S. Navy)
“If I hadn’t gone to Wharton, I’d still be on the corporate climb and wouldn’t have discovered this knowledge, passion and confidence for entrepreneurship,” says Caroline Chapdelain, WG’22.

How these EMBA Students Became Entrepreneurs Through Business Acquisition

Bo Zhao walking with her toddler daughter in a stroller on a stone path through greenery. Credit: Cham Zhao
“Wharton doesn’t just provide you with knowledge for two years—it gives you a lifetime of resources and connections that continue to support you long after graduation,” says Bo Zhao, WG’18.

Wharton MBA Exec Mom is Revolutionizing the Baby Gear Industry