In July,  the Wisconsin School of Business directed the second annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (WEB) for graduate students in chemistry, biology, law and engineering, among others. The program is an intensive, hands-on week of learning focused on technology entrepreneurship, meant to help the 57 students who attended explore how business startups can create both economic and social value.

Students had hands-on learning with real-world professionals. Industry experts John Morgridge, chair emeritus of Cisco Systems; G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill and Co.; and Mark Leslie, founding chair and CEO of Veritas Software, returned for a second year to teach sessions. They joined top Wisconsin School of Business faculty and key university and community experts. Promega Corp. founder and CEO Bill Linton provided remarks as part of a tour of the global supplier of biochemistry and molecular systems headquarters.

As part of WEB, students gain knowledge in three key areas: creating and assessing the viability of technology-based opportunities; building an organization with people and funding; and applying finance and accounting. The program exposes students to the many resources available in Madison and campus, and triggers awareness of the value of both business and universities. This year’s students represent diverse fields, including electrical engineering, organic chemistry, biology, law, and atmospheric and oceanic science.

New this year, six students from Wageningen University, a top agricultural research institute in the Netherlands, worked in teams with UW-Madison students, supported by a grant from the European Union.

Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (WEB) is a joint venture of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business and the cross-campus Initiative for Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship (INSITE), both spearheaded by Dean Michael Knetter.

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