The Husky Effect: How UConn Is Creating the Entrepreneurs of the Future

Like the coaches and players on the storied University of Connecticut’s national champion men’s and women’s basketball teams, Toni Boucher knows firsthand how to compete and win—and occasionally how to fall short and get back up and bet on herself yet one more time.

In this overtly personal exploration of how to achieve business excellence, the former state legislator and long-standing executive lays out a recipe for entrepreneurs of any age to reach for their dreams.

She knows what she is talking about. Boucher has run in seventeen political campaigns (and won fifteen). She and her late husband, Bud, have been involved in many startups and business innovations. Each of these involved risk and belief in pursuit of an idea even when others lose faith. Bud and Boucher’s father, who brought the family to the United States when she was a little girl, have inspired her over a lifetime. Despite countless business failures, they never gave up until they found success.

That dogged determination and the incredible success of Bud’s final business allowed Boucher to name the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department at the UConn School of Business in his honor, and also to support anyone on an entrepreneurial journey who is committed to learning the skills and work ethic that get meaningful results.

A long-time politician, Boucher believes the best social justice program is creating jobs so people can support themselves and their families. The Husky Effect is a deep dive into UConn’s innovative approaches to teaching entrepreneurship and the key figures who are reshaping the curriculum to emphasize hands-on experience, emotional intelligence, and a multidisciplinary approach. It is an invitation for you to discover how you can create your own winning story.