UW–Madison Innovate Week (Oct. 4-8)
Are you a campus researcher, problem-solver, inventor, maker, entrepreneur, or social impact innovator? Are you looking to maximize impact for your research, turn your idea into a product or service, or start a company or organization? Discover inspiring stories and practical tools to advance your idea at Innovate Week (October 4 – 8, 2021), coordinated by UW Discovery to Product (D2P) and the UW Innovate Network.
Innovation- and entrepreneurship-focused campus-affiliated organizations will offer a range of FREE events and overviews of resources for faculty, students, and staff, including open houses, office hours, info sessions, a resource fair, talks, panels and workshops. Hear about campus innovation from STEM to STEAM and beyond, meet campus and alumni entrepreneurs, connect with programs, trainings and resources, and learn about entrepreneurship contests on campus, federal funding for technology commercialization, cooperative business models, how NSF I-Corps programs could advance your innovation, data resources for innovators, and more.
Each event listed below indicates whether it will be held in-person* or virtually. Please explore these great event opportunities and stay tuned for updates!
*In-person events will follow campus health and safety policies (including masking) in effect on the event date. Please check back for any changes to event formats. For events with pre-registration, registrants will be updated in case of changes.
Event Schedule
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Monday, October 4
Federal Funding to Develop a Commercial Product
Center for Technology Commercialization
(virtual; on demand + scheduled consultation)
Have you considered federal funding to develop your technology’s commercial potential, but aren’t sure where to start? Multiple federal agencies provide grants/contracts for development research to solve significant problems and mitigate technical risk through the SBIR/STTR programs. Get an intro to funding opportunities plus individualized guidance from the Center for Technology Commercialization, through on-demand learning and individual consultation with an expert.
Office Hours
Isthmus Project
8:00 – 11:00 am (virtual)
UW Health Isthmus Project facilitates commercialization of healthcare ideas for UW Health and the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH). Interested to learn more about the Isthmus Project and if we can help with your healthcare innovation project? Email us to schedule a 20-minute virtual chat with our staff!
Office Hours
Forward BIOLABS
8:30 – 10:30 am (virtual)
Forward BIOLABS is a co-working laboratory serving early stage startups with fully equipped and maintained laboratories plus a support network. Startups served span biotech, health care, life sciences, ag tech, food sciences, engineering, and physical sciences. Whether you are ideating or have your startup going, it’s never too early or late to connect! Meet with Forward BIOLABS to learn how to put our lab resources to work for your startup. Email us to reserve a virtual slot in advance. If you can’t make these office hours, come see us at the Oct. 6 Resource Fair, or email us to get a conversation started.
NSF I-Corps Info Session
Discovery to Product (D2P)
Noon – 1:00 pm (virtual)
Learn how participating in I-Corps programs could advance your innovation at this information session designed for busy students, postdocs and faculty. UW–Madison researchers and Discovery to Product (D2P) mentors who participated in regional and national I-Corps programs will share their experiences and answer attendees’ questions. Pre-registration required.
Varsity Venture Studio Office Hours
Varsity Venture Studio
1:00 – 3:00 pm (virtual)
Learn more about the venture studio on UW-Madison’s campus this fall. Meet the Varsity team to ask questions and see if your idea might be a good fit.
Tuesday, October 5
Federal Funding to Develop a Commercial Product
Center for Technology Commercialization
(virtual; on demand + scheduled consultation)
Have you considered federal funding to develop your technology’s commercial potential, but aren’t sure where to start? Multiple federal agencies provide grants/contracts for development research to solve significant problems and mitigate technical risk through the SBIR/STTR programs. Get an intro to funding opportunities plus individualized guidance from the Center for Technology Commercialization, through on-demand learning and individual consultation with an expert.
Office Hours
Forward BIOLABS
8:00 – 10:00 am (virtual)
Forward BIOLABS is a co-working laboratory serving early stage startups with fully equipped and maintained laboratories plus a support network. Startups served span biotech, health care, life sciences, ag tech, food sciences, engineering, and physical sciences. Whether you are ideating or have your startup going, it’s never too early or late to connect! Meet with Forward BIOLABS to learn how to put our lab resources to work for your startup. Email us to reserve a virtual slot in advance. If you can’t make these office hours, come see us at the Oct. 6 Resource Fair, or email us to get a conversation started.
Office Hours
UW Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
9:00 – 11:00 am (virtual)
Students in the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic provide free legal services to startups and entrepreneurs. Sign up for virtual office hours to talk to lawyer about your startup legal issues. To sign up, complete this intake form, and you will receive a response email with a calendar to pick a time.
Office Hours
UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Dissemination and Implementation Launchpad
11:30 am – 1:00 pm (virtual)
The Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Launchpad accelerates the pace of disseminating research findings and increases the use of effective interventions. We work in the field of healthcare innovations and provide services in dissemination and implementation grant applications, developing business and marketing to assist with scale-up and broad dissemination. During our office hours, we will provide consultations on your projects.
Cooperative Business Resources for Entrepreneurs and Researchers
UW Center for Cooperatives
2:00 – 3:00 pm (virtual)
What is a co-op? A cornerstone of America’s economy, co-ops have been empowering people, developing communities and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. In this session, UW Center for Cooperatives staff will share resources available to campus innovators including technical assistance for starting or converting a cooperative, training opportunities and research on the cooperative model. They will also highlight grants and trainings available through the City of Madison funded–Madison Cooperative Development Coalition–which provides support to innovators to explore the worker cooperative model. Pre-registration required.
Office Hours
Discovery to Product (D2P)
3:00 – 5:00 pm (in-person or virtual)
Whether you are just getting started or are well on your way to launch, campus innovators can meet with Discovery to Product’s Innovation and Commercialization Specialists for free advice and guidance. D2P mentors are business developers, entrepreneurs, product managers and startup executives with wide-ranging academic and industry experience. It’s never too early or late to connect for help with your project and learn about D2P’s free programs and services. Reserve a 20-minute in-person or virtual slot in advance. In-person drop-ins also welcome.
Wisconsin Innovation Awards (at Memorial Union)
5:30 – 8:30 pm (in-person, cost to attend)
The Wisconsin Innovation Awards celebrate and inspire innovation throughout the state and across all industries. Many finalists are UW-Madison spinouts or inventions, or were founded by UW students, faculty or alumni, including Ayrflo, Badger Shield, Blexx Technology, Curate, Curbside Bicycles, DataChat, EnsoData, Steady Shot, Understory, and Voximetry. The UW-Madison Innovate Network and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are proud to be among the event sponsors. Cheer on the finalists and celebrate the winners at Memorial Union! Pre-registration requested.
Wednesday, October 6
Federal Funding to Develop a Commercial Product
Center for Technology Commercialization
(virtual; on demand + scheduled consultation)
Have you considered federal funding to develop your technology’s commercial potential, but aren’t sure where to start? Multiple federal agencies provide grants/contracts for development research to solve significant problems and mitigate technical risk through the SBIR/STTR programs. Get an intro to funding opportunities plus individualized guidance from the Center for Technology Commercialization, through on-demand learning and individual consultation with an expert.
Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch with Kristen Forecki, Microsoft
Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship
12:15 – 1 pm (in-person)
Come join us for our Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch program on Wednesday, October 6 to meet Kristen Forecki, Senior Director of Strategy at Microsoft, who is focused on Microsoft’s next big bets for growth. An experienced startup veteran, advisor, and investor, she was instrumental to the growth of unicorn companies Convoy—a freight company last valued at $2.75B in 2019—and Rover—a pet-sitting marketplace last valued at approximately $1B in 2020.
Varsity Venture Studio Office Hours
Varsity Venture Studio
1:00 – 3:00 pm (virtual)
Learn more about the venture studio on UW-Madison’s campus this fall. Meet the Varsity team to ask questions and see if your idea might be a good fit.
Office Hours
CS NEST
4:00 – 5:00 pm (virtual)
Join us to learn more about the CS NEST program and to meet the director of the program, Menachem Tabanpour. The CS NEST program is a free venture-creation program designed to help entrepreneurially minded UW students, postdocs and recent alumni create high-growth startups. Pre-registration requested.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship on Campus: From STEM To STEAM and Beyond
WARF Entrepreneurons
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
4:00 – 5:00 pm (in-person)
Does “entrepreneur” refer only to someone who starts a business? Or could entrepreneurship be much more – and more accessible – than you think? UW-Madison has a rich history of innovation and entrepreneurial efforts in policy-making, the arts, education and more. Join university leaders who will highlight initiatives and activities engaging students from every corner of campus! Pre-registration requested.
Innovate Week Resource Fair: Learn, Connect, Innovate!
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
5:00 – 6:00 pm (in-person)
Calling all UW-Madison innovators—faculty, students and staff! Stop by this resource fair to meet the experts and discover the organizations that can help you advance your idea. Whether you are looking to maximize impact for your research, turn your idea into a product or service, start a company or organization, or just learn about entrepreneurship or social impact innovation, it’s never too early or too late to connect with the people, resources and programs that can help.
Game Changer: UW Law’s L&E Clinic on NIL Policies and Practices in College Athletics
UW Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
7:00 – 8:00 pm (in-person)
Effective July 1, 2021, the NCAA adopted a new policy allowing all NCAA D1, D2 and D3 student-athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness. The UW has adopted a temporary policy to provide guidance for student-athletes, coaches and staff around use of a student-athlete’s name, image and/or likeness for commercial purposes. Come hear UW Law’s L&E Clinic Student Associates talk about the new policy and what it could mean for college athletes! Event location: Student-Athlete Performance Center, Bennett Hall (4th floor), 1475 Engineering Dr. (entrance on the north side of Camp Randall Stadium). To attend, please RSVP in advance by email.
Thursday, October 7
Federal Funding to Develop a Commercial Product
Center for Technology Commercialization
(virtual; on demand + scheduled consultation)
Have you considered federal funding to develop your technology’s commercial potential, but aren’t sure where to start? Multiple federal agencies provide grants/contracts for development research to solve significant problems and mitigate technical risk through the SBIR/STTR programs. Get an intro to funding opportunities plus individualized guidance from the Center for Technology Commercialization, through on-demand learning and individual consultation with an expert.
Office Hours
UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Dissemination and Implementation Launchpad
11:30 am – 1:00 pm (virtual)
The Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Launchpad accelerates the pace of disseminating research findings and increases the use of effective interventions. We work in the field of healthcare innovations and provide services in dissemination and implementation grant applications, developing business and marketing to assist with scale-up and broad dissemination. During our office hours, we will provide consultations on your projects.
Connect+Create: Bobby Ghoshal on Startup Entrepreneurship
UW Master of Science in Design + Innovation
Noon – 1:30 pm (virtual)
Join the UW Master of Science in Design+Innovation program for a conversation Bobby Ghoshal, CEO & Founder of Carrot — a new app designed to simplify and streamline online shopping for consumers.
Marketing and Finance Data Resources for Entrepreneurs
UW Business Library
4:00 – 5:00 pm (event format and location information TBD)
When taking a business from idea to reality, you’ll likely have a lot of questions. Some about narrowing down your market – How large is it? Who are they? Others about finance. What you may not know is that there are resources and specialized experts available to help you succeed – at your the UW Business Library! Put this session on your Holds List, and “check out” some great resources. This session helps entrepreneurs with planning to ensure that their business is off to a great start!
Winning Ways: An Overview of Entrepreneurship Contests on Campus / PartnerUp!
StartUp Learning Community / Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship
5:30 – 6:30 pm (in-person)
Interested in participating in or hosting a student competition? Come join us for “Winning Ways” before “PartnerUp!” to hear about the entrepreneurship competitions available and how easy it is to participate and win money to support your idea! Then join us at PartnerUp to find your partner and compete! If you are a UW student who has a startup idea and would like to meet some potential teammates or are interested in potentially joining a startup team, this PartnerUp! session is for you! Enjoy hearing about cool student startup ideas and connect with other entrepreneurial-minded individuals. Get your business idea off to a great start and form a team to compete in Transcend, 100 Hour Challenge, CS Nest, Arts Business Competition, etc. This free event is held in room 5120 at Grainger Hall. RSVP requested.
Friday, October 8
Federal Funding to Develop a Commercial Product
Center for Technology Commercialization
(virtual; on demand + scheduled consultation)
Have you considered federal funding to develop your technology’s commercial potential, but aren’t sure where to start? Multiple federal agencies provide grants/contracts for development research to solve significant problems and mitigate technical risk through the SBIR/STTR programs. Get an intro to funding opportunities plus individualized guidance from the Center for Technology Commercialization, through on-demand learning and individual consultation with an expert.
Office Hours
Discovery to Product (D2P)
11:30 am – 1:30 pm (in-person or virtual)
Whether you are just getting started or are well on your way to launch, campus innovators can meet with Discovery to Product’s Innovation and Commercialization Specialists for free advice and guidance. D2P mentors are business developers, entrepreneurs, product managers and startup executives with wide-ranging academic and industry experience. It’s never too early or late top connect for help with your project and learn about D2P’s free programs and services. Reserve a 20-minute in-person or virtual slot in advance. In-person drop-ins also welcome.
Explore Other Innovate Network Resources
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Start-In UW–Madison Campus Entrepreneurial Resource Directory
Explore a comprehensive database of campus resources for innovators and entrepreneurs to find funding, education, training, co-working space, and more to support your idea. Start-In UW–Madison is “by campus, for campus”.
UW Innovate Network Points of Pride
UW–Madison and affiliate partners are advancing innovation, supporting students, and growing businesses to create opportunity, solve problems, and build value for Wisconsin and beyond.
