Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s vibrant culture encourages innovation among faculty, staff, students and alumni. Established in 2011, the Chancellor’s Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards recognize UW innovators and alumni who further the Wisconsin Idea through outstanding accomplishments in entrepreneurship. Honorees have achieved great entrepreneurial success that contributes to economic growth and social good, offers models for the UW community, and inspires the campus culture of entrepreneurship. The annual awards event is presented by the Office of the Chancellor in partnership with the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and produced by University Relations and Discovery to Product (D2P).

For information on how to nominate individuals for this award, please see here.

Past Award Recipients

Date Honorees Stories and Videos
April 2024 Mark Bakken ’89, Founder and Managing Partner HealthX Ventures

James Dahlberg, Professor Emeritus of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Co-Founder, Third Wave Technologies and Cambridge BioTech Corp.

Dorri McWhorter ’95, President and CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

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Three honored for innovation, entrepreneurial excellence
April 2023 Tyler Kennedy ’13, Senior Vice President-Operations and Co-Founder, Fetch

Winslow L. Sargeant PhD’95, Chair, International Council for Small Business

Wesley Schroll, CEO and Founder, Fetch

Anne Smith JD’83, Co-Founder, Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, University of Wisconsin Law School

UW entrepreneurial awardees model innovation, shape Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
March 2022 Lynn Allen-Hoffmann, Stratatech Corporation

Jim Bakke ’77, Sub-Zero Group, Inc.

Valarie King-Bailey ’82, OnShore Technology Group

Scott Resnick ’09, Hardin Design & Development, StartingBlock Madison

Four honored with UW Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards
November 2018 Matt Howard ’11, Eric Martell ’12 and Alex Wyler, EatStreet EatStreet snaps up campus award for entrepreneurship
May 2017 Michele Boal ’91, Quotient Technology (formerly Coupons.com)

Troy Vosseller ’06, MBA’09, JD’10, gener8tor and Sconnie

Alumni honored with Entrepreneurial Achievement Award
April 2016 Christopher Salm ’75, Salm Partners LLC

Andrew Ziegler ’83, JD’86, Artisan Partners LLC

UW honors noted entrepreneurs with achievement awards
May 2015 Mark Cook, Aova Technologies and Isomark LLC

Pavan Nigam MS’82, Cendura Corp and WebMD (formerly Healtheon)

UW honors noted entrepreneurs with achievement awards
May 2014 Elisa All ’90, 30Second Mobile and iParenting Media

Mike Shannon ’80, KSL Capital Partners

UW–Madison honors leading entrepreneurs with achievement awards
April 2013 Laurie Benson ’75, LSB Unlimited and CORE BTS (formerly Inacom Information Services)

Richard Burgess, ConjuGon

Brian Raffel ’86, Raven Software

Eric Sheinkop ’04, Music Dealers

UW honors four with Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards
April 2012 Rajiv Batra MS’83, Palo Alto Networks

Jon Hammes MS’74, Hammes Company

Sheldon B. Lubar ’51, LLB ’53, Lubar & Co

Thomas Rockwell “Rock” Mackie, TomoTherapy Inc.

Stephen Siegele ’84, Advanced Delivery & Chemical Systems

Toni Sikes MS ’83, The Guild, Inc.

Matthew Younkle ’97, Y Innovation LLC and Laminar Technologies

Seven receive entrepreneurial achievement awards
April 2011 Jim Berbee ’85, MS’87, MBA’89, Berbee Information Networks

Judy Faulkner MS’67, Epic Systems

Hector DeLuca MS’53, PhD’55, Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Chad Sorenson ’99, MS’01, MBA’02, Sologear LLC

James Weinert ’67, MBA’69 Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship and the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship

Five receive Entrepreneurial Achievement Awards