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A man in a blue suit jacket and red striped tie.
People

Power Shift

Veteran Alex Dixon WG22 developed critical skills at Wharton that have served him in positions ranging from product management at Amazon to energy consulting.

Portrait of a woman in a field of flowers.
News

SIMPLi

This food brand is bringing pantry staples to the table from sustainable farms in South America and Europe. The company — co-founded by Sarela Herrada WG25 and her husband, Matt Cohen — sources organic products from farmers who practice regenerative agriculture. Translation: They restore the land through activities such as crop rotation, carbon sequestration, and composting-preservation efforts that could benefit future generations. SIMPLi’s partners include farmers in Spain who make olive oil, bean producers in Argentina, and chia seed growers in Paraguay. Its products can be found across the U.S. in stores such as Giant, Whole Foods Market, and Publix.

Two men in casual jackets and button-down shirts.
News

Lunr

Lunr is gently guiding consumer brands to the shelves of major retailers. Co-founded by Michael Hoffman WG98 and Andy Cox WG98, the fintech company provides financing for early-stage consumer brands; success stories include a candy product, 1UP, that went from YouTube sensation to the aisles of Walmart and Five Below. The Lunr team prides itself on providing more than just capital to budding entrepreneurs, offering data-driven insights and retail expertise from those who know the ins and outs of the industry. According to Hoffman, as of June, Lunr had raised about $20 million in funding.

Portrait of a woman in a flower-printed dress.
News

Moonlight Club

This new venture is helping successful mid-career women reimagine what work can look like. Started by Tennessee Watt WG26 while she was at Wharton, Moonlight Club is developing a biweekly newsletter and quarterly salons in New York and Philadelphia for women seeking to cultivate side businesses, portfolio careers, fractional consulting, and other independent pursuits. Featured recently by Business Insider, Watt aims to foster a community for women from fields such as tech, finance, and strategy. In connection with the venture, she is also launching Moonlight & Company, a consultancy for brands navigating the creator economy.

Illustration of a lightbulb atop an oil well.
News

Eclipse Energy

When it comes to energy, what’s old can be new again. CEO Prabhdeep Sekhon WG23 leads Eclipse Energy, which uses abandoned oil fields to produce hydrogen. The best part? No drilling required. The company’s method sits at the intersection of microbiology, engineering, and geoscience. In short, Eclipse sends microbes down to do the job: As the tiny organisms eat the leftover oil, hydrogen is released and floats to the surface. The company was named Overall Hydrogens Solution of the Year for 2026 by the CleanTech Breakthrough Awards, and its innovative technology has been featured in the Los Angeles Times.

Recette bowls, plates, and silverware.
News

Recette

Frustrated with the harmful materials used in tableware, Rachel Wexler C09 W09 created a more family-friendly solution: Recette. Wexler, a mom of two, kept kids in mind when working with a chemical engineer to create such items as BPA-free bowls and forks made of stainless steel, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Product design is a priority for Wexler, who has a background in fashion. This is evident in a limited-edition line of placemats — a collaboration with journal brand Quiet Your Mind that features a pattern of joyful images such as teddy bears with encouraging messages like “I am brave.”

Illustration of a snake-like robot cutting branches of a tree.
News

Serpent Robotics

The winner of the 2026 President’s Innovation Prize at Penn, Serpent Robotics co-founder Margaret Zhu W26 is prototyping a remote-controlled robot that trims trees. The roughly two-foot-tall robot travels up ropes thrown into trees by workers, who then guide it to reach and cut branches. The goal is to keep humans safely on the ground while the robot takes the risks. Prior to receiving the $100,000 Innovation Prize award, the Serpent Robotics team was a finalist in the university’s Y-Prize competition, won $20,000 through Venture Lab’s Startup Challenge, and participated in Venture Lab’s VIP-X accelerator program.

Three men sit on a couch.
News

Kin

Doctors’ visits can be overwhelming, but Kin ensures that you don’t miss critical details. Co-founded by Arpan Parikh WG20, this free app listens during appointments and turns conversations into easy-to-read summaries with key takeaways and next steps. Users can share their Kin record with loved ones and caregivers so everyone stays informed. In May, the company announced $9 million in seed funding and named GoodRx co-founders Doug Hirsch and Trevor Bezdek as founding partners and executive chairmen.

Illustration of a lock.
News

Cloak

Instead of fearing AI, some publishers are taking action. That’s the idea behind Cloak, developed by Rishi Ambavanekar ENG29 W29 and Tyler Sacharow C29 with the goal of combating digital plagiarism. Cloak encrypts text-from online articles, PDFs, even screenwriting software-so that humans can read it while rendering it useless to AI scraping. And for clients who don’t mind the copycats? The founders offer an option for publishers to opt in and get paid each time a large language model uses their work for training. Cloak won the $75,000 Perlman Grand Prize for Venture Lab’s 2026 Startup Challenge.

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News

Prezent

Rajat Mishra WG08 and Deepti Juturu WG08, spouses and co-founders of Prezent, are supercharging how life sciences companies craft communications. Whether they need a presentation, poster, or other materials, businesses can use Prezent’s AI agent, Astrid, to ready content for every stage of the drug development cycle, from clinical trials to commercialization. For higher-stakes communications, the company also offers services that bring Prezent’s human experts into the process, with AI accelerating the path to a final polished product. The result: deliverables that come together faster, without sacrificing scientific accuracy or brand compliance.

Three people pose for a photo at a table with games atop it.
News

Rabble

Act out silly words. Answer thought-provoking questions. Identify imposters. Those are just a few of the ways Rabble encourages adults to connect with one another and learn a little more about themselves through its card and board games. Since launching Rabble in 2019, spouses George Li W15 and Pallavi Bakshi W15, together with co-creator Jake Vizek, have released more than 10 titles, including the company’s original namesake party game. Their latest, Sprout — in which players care for a growing collection of houseplants — is being readied for launch following a successful Kickstarter campaign. Other Rabble games are sold by retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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News

Overalls

When life gets busy, Overalls is here to help. Named one of Fast Company’s “most innovative companies” in 2026, Overalls is an employee benefit that gives workers a hand with personal to-do lists. Co-founded by Jon Cooper C03 WG09, the platform deploys AI-assisted humans to help workers with tasks ranging from finding accountants and scheduling allergist appointments to researching summer camps for their children. Its team includes financial professionals, former teachers, and other specialists who help navigate responsibilities that might otherwise be unfamiliar or time-consuming for busy employees.

Portrait of a woman in a black suit jacket and blue shirt.
News

Shombhob

Azra Salim W00 recalls trips to drugstores in her native country of Bangladesh as uncomfortable — in the crowded spaces, women ask all-male staff to hand them personal-care products. Salim founded the online pharmacy Shombhob to change that. Named after the Bengali word for “possible,” Shombhob delivers herbal remedies, baby wipes, hair treatments, and more, straight to the doorsteps of Bangladeshi residents. The e-commerce company is succeeding in making quality health care more accessible for women, with more than 50,000 customers and recognition by the Women Economic Forum.

Illustration of a woman walking dogs.
News

Petcha Can

Eryn-Ashlei Bailey WG20 brings the professionalism of the C-suite to pet sitting. When she started taking dog-walking gigs through an app, Bailey noticed an unmet demand from busy traveling executives in the Boston area and created Petcha Can. Bailey leverages her prior experience in wealth management to deliver the reliable, consistent standard of service that executives expect for tasks including doggie dates, concierge pet taxis, and more. The high-touch offerings extend to special situations, such as pets with behavioral needs and medication administration. Petcha Can also offers corporate partnership possibilities through Employee Assistance Programs.

Wharton Magazine logo with Watchlist written on the bottom across building windows
News

Fuego

Fuego is firing up the dance floor. Kevin Weschler WG20 developed the shoe brand after taking a dance class in his everyday sneakers and realizing they wouldn’t cut it. He designed Fuego sneakers to move in tandem naturally with the foot — like the perfect partner — with a knit upper that makes pointing toes easier and a cushioned insole to support arches and prevent blisters. From salsa to hip-hop, high-top to low-top, in colors like mocha and jade, the brand’s shoes come in a wide variety of designs, as seen on its website. Fuego has also sparked celebrity attention: It’s the preferred sneaker of the Miami Heat dance team, and the company recently collaborated with choreographer and Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough on a new collection.

A woman climbs a mountain.
People

The Mountains We Climb

Susan Agar WG05 reflects on how the feat of summiting Mount Everest mirrors the challenges of the workplace, especially for women and older professionals.

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Cohort B Rep

November 5, 2019
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A man in a blue suit jacket and red striped tie.
People
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Careers
Fall/Winter 2026

Power Shift

Veteran Alex Dixon WG22 developed critical skills at Wharton that have served him in positions ranging from product management at Amazon to energy consulting.

Portrait of a woman in a field of flowers.
News
/
Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2026

SIMPLi

This food brand is bringing pantry staples to the table from sustainable farms in South America and Europe. The company — co-founded by Sarela Herrada WG25 and her husband, Matt Cohen — sources organic products from farmers who practice regenerative agriculture. Translation: They restore the land through activities such as crop rotation, carbon sequestration, and composting-preservation efforts that could benefit future generations. SIMPLi’s partners include farmers in Spain who make olive oil, bean producers in Argentina, and chia seed growers in Paraguay. Its products can be found across the U.S. in stores such as Giant, Whole Foods Market, and Publix.

Two men in casual jackets and button-down shirts.
News
/
Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2026

Lunr

Lunr is gently guiding consumer brands to the shelves of major retailers. Co-founded by Michael Hoffman WG98 and Andy Cox WG98, the fintech company provides financing for early-stage consumer brands; success stories include a candy product, 1UP, that went from YouTube sensation to the aisles of Walmart and Five Below. The Lunr team prides itself on providing more than just capital to budding entrepreneurs, offering data-driven insights and retail expertise from those who know the ins and outs of the industry. According to Hoffman, as of June, Lunr had raised about $20 million in funding.

Portrait of a woman in a flower-printed dress.
News
/
Entrepreneurship
Fall/Winter 2026

Moonlight Club

This new venture is helping successful mid-career women reimagine what work can look like. Started by Tennessee Watt WG26 while she was at Wharton, Moonlight Club is developing a biweekly newsletter and quarterly salons in New York and Philadelphia for women seeking to cultivate side businesses, portfolio careers, fractional consulting, and other independent pursuits. Featured recently by Business Insider, Watt aims to foster a community for women from fields such as tech, finance, and strategy. In connection with the venture, she is also launching Moonlight & Company, a consultancy for brands navigating the creator economy.

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