Featured Guest
Event Details
Ever wondered what it's like to go from the White House to a startup garage to City Hall — and back to building the next generation of founders? Join us for an intimate fireside chat with Samir Mayekar, a leader whose career defies easy categorization. Whether you're drawn to entrepreneurship, public service, deep tech, or the policy decisions that shape innovation ecosystems, this conversation will offer a candid look at how to build a career across worlds that rarely intersect.
About Samir Mayekar
Samir is the Managing Director of the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago, where he oversees one of the country's leading engines for startup acceleration and entrepreneurial education. Before Polsky, he served as Chicago's Deputy Mayor for Economic and Neighborhood Development, co-founded NanoGraf — a deep-tech battery company spun out of breakthrough materials science research — and worked on the national security team in the Obama White House. His career bridges policy, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and he's passionate about helping the next generation of builders find their own path.