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).
Past Award Recipients
| Date | Honorees | Stories and Videos |
| 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 |
For information on how to nominate individuals for this award, please see here.