Wharton Stories: Entrepreneurship

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“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

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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

Sarela Herrada, WG'25, and her cofounder/husband Matt Cohen in a farmer’s field in Peru. Credit: SIMPLi
“Wharton has broadened my perspective, strengthened my knowledge, and challenged me to think differently,” says Sarela Herrada, WG’25.

Balancing Entrepreneurship, School, and Parenthood While Scaling a Global Business

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“The ETA community at Wharton played an enormous role in helping me pivot my career, so I’m committed to paying it forward.” – Jason Nguyen WG25

From Venture Capital to Acquisition: One MBA Student’s Journey to Entrepreneurship at Wharton

A group of people sits in an office setting, attentively listening to a person standing in front of a whiteboard with notes. The environment appears collaborative with plants and a casual atmosphere.
Through the four-year consulting program at Penn, undergrads get real-time experience with startups almost from the minute they step on campus.

Making a Tangible Impact through Snider Consulting