Entrepreneurial spirit at Caltech?

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
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<p>How IS the entrepreneurial spirit at Caltech? Are companies popping up left and right, or are all the undergrads just drawn to the multitude of research opportunities? Can any of you provide me with links to the sites of recent start-ups, preferably formed by undergrad students still at Caltech? </p>

<p>I draw my question as a sub-discussion from <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/450969-caltech-mit-rejects.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/california-institute-technology/450969-caltech-mit-rejects.html&lt;/a>. My concern isn't the polish (as discussed eloquently and fervently), but how much the environment encourages such activity. I read a lot of posts discouraging students from attending Caltech if they want to go into business, but to my understanding, going into business and actually doing business are completely different. </p>

<p>This is a large concern for me. I plan to pursue electrical engineering, but I also have an entrepreneurial side of me just waiting for a college environment to imbue.</p>

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<p>Check out Idealab:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.idealab.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.idealab.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>It was started up by a Caltech grad and I know a few EE majors here who end up working for Idealab in some capacity or another. </p>

<p>I'll add some more to this post later about your question.</p>

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<p>Hey - </p>

<p>So when I graduated in 2005 I started a company (a non-technology company - we were working on starting an upscale chain of tattooing and piercing studios) with another techer, an alum from way back and a professor. I also can think of two or three other folks I know who took that path. I would say it is certainly the path less taken, but there was more than ample encouragement. </p>

<p>galen</p>

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<p>Thanks, aurona, for starting this thread. Developing the skills needed for successful entrepreneurship is the real issue, in any event.</p>

<p>I know just a few people who've founded successful start-ups (5 people, 4 start-ups). Their undergraduate degrees came from Caltech, Purdue, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brandeis, and a university outside the US. But they all founded the companies in their 40's, based on discoveries made post-post-doc. So the undergrad experience was just the start of the trail.</p>

<p>I only knew one person who founded a start-up directly after an undergraduate program. It was not on the scale of the companies mentioned indirectly, above.</p>

<p>What is the level of interest in entrepreneurship at Caltech now? And what about long-range planning?</p>

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<p>My S has interned with 2 start-ups already. I doubt he is only student to do so.</p>

<p>Hi to Galen. I remember your blue hair and yoga and all your wonderfully helpful posts. I'm glad you are enjoying your post-college life.</p>