Samir Mayekar named managing director of UC’s Polsky Center

Samir Mayekar / Image: University of Chicago

Indian American Samir Mayekar has been named managing director of the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation with effect from November 6, 2023.

In the new role, Mayekar will be responsible for advancing the institution's priorities in innovation, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. He will foster connections which will enable the Polsky Center to accelerate the commercialization of critical technologies, the University said in a statement.

The president of the University of Chicago, Paul Alivisatos, emphasized, "Samir brings a marvellous energy to building partnerships and is creative and thoughtful in his approach to new business opportunities." According to the University, Mayekar’s work in both high-tech innovation and urban economic development is well-matched to the Polsky Center’s goals and mission.

"I am excited to bring my civic, corporate and entrepreneurial experience to enhance the Polsky Center’s role as a platform to both support local economic development on the South Side and advance the commercialization of globally needed technologies to solve critical issues—from climate change to public health and responsible artificial intelligence,” Mayekar said.

Before working for the city of Chicago, Mayekar served in the Obama administration, being part of the White House’s national security team and the executive staff at the US International Development Finance Corporation. As a former deputy mayor for the city of Chicago, Mayekar focused on economic and neighbourhood development.

He was a driving force behind initiatives such as the city’s INVEST South/West initiative and philanthropic partners to support commercial corridors across several South and West Side neighbourhoods.

Mayekar also co-founded and served as chief executive officer of NanoGraf Corporation, a global manufacturer of advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry that has raised over $100 million in funding and was spun out of Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University.

The Indian American earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Northwestern, where he served as a trustee. He is also a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and is an alum of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.