3:30–4:30 pm
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A Physicist’s Journey Through Entrepreneurship
Chukwunonso Arinze, University of Chicago
According to an American Institute of Physics survey, 12.5% of physics doctorates are entrepreneurs. I will talk about my startup, Kaoshi, which I launched while working towards my PhD in physics. I will explain how I got interested in the financial technology industry, the steps taken to found Kaoshi and get it into the market, and lessons learned along the way. Kaoshi builds technologies that enable banks and financial institutions in the home countries of immigrants to provide their financial services to their citizens living in the diaspora. Kaoshi’s technology is currently licensed by banks in Nigeria and backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and First Round Capital’s Dorm Room Fund.
Biography
Chooki is an international student from Nigeria, moving to the United States, 10 years ago for his undergraduate studies. Chooki has a BSc. in both Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He joined the University of Chicago as a graduate student in 2015. He works in Arvind Murugan’s group, where he studies physical learning in mechanical systems like self-folding origami.