The University of Wisconsin–Madison is executing its campus entrepreneurship plan with the formation of a new entity, the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub. The Hub, aimed at strengthening entrepreneurial pathways, was approved by campus governance in May, and a search for its first executive director is underway.
In October 2024, the university released a report commissioned by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin that outlines a new strategy to boost entrepreneurship at UW–Madison. The report was developed by a working group that engaged more than 200 stakeholders within and outside the university. It lays out an initiative that builds on UW–Madison’s rich history of innovation to further empower the university’s founders — UW–Madison students, faculty, and staff — to help them transform their ideas into real-world impact. Mnookin appointed Jon Eckhardt as special adviser for the “founder-first” entrepreneurial initiative to help move the effort forward.
“UW–Madison has a long legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship, from the discovery and patenting of the blood thinner warfarin to today’s spinoff companies pioneering modern solutions, such as fusion energy. We have an opportunity to make this legacy even stronger,” says Mnookin. “The university is a home for founders, the people who drive entrepreneurship, and by providing them with the right support and infrastructure, we can create even greater economic growth throughout the state.”
Click here to read the full article.