Whether you are just beginning at the idea stage or are ready to launch a startup company, partners in the Innovate Network offer a wide range of education and training programs to help you on the path to success at every step of the way. Most programs have a virtual connection option. Subscribe to the Innovate Insider newsletter to get a monthly e-mail highlighting even more events, networking opportunities, and education programs.
This page primarily lists non-credit programming. To explore the range of UW–Madison academic programming related to entrepreneurship, consult guide.wisc.edu.
Biz Smart Training for Entrepreneurs
The eight-week Biz Smart Training for Entrepreneurs Class includes an overview of the business areas crucial to planning and running your business. This program is meant for entrepreneurs who are just starting out, need a refresher of the business basics or need to update or write a business plan.
Center for Dairy Research TURBO Program
The University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research TURBO program helps food-based businesses develop their ideas through technical assistance, business planning, regulatory, and financial resources.
Center for Dairy Research Short Courses
The Department of Food Science and the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research collaborate to offer multiple short courses to benefit learners in today’s food industry. Course topics include milk pasteurization, cheese processing, dairy ingredient utilization, sanitation techniques and ice cream making.
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems Trainings
This center offers a variety of short courses, such as the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers and the Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers, as well as the Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum.
Innovation to Market
Innovation to Market is a five-week course for UW–Madison faculty, staff or students that are just getting started with an innovation. Participants learn how to avoid one of the main reasons startups fail: building something nobody wants. Minimizing this risk involves getting out of the lab and going out into the field to interview real people to refine what’s known as product-market fit.
Igniter
The primary objective of the thirteen-week Igniter course is to help position teams to be able to successfully launch a startup company. During the course, teams work on creating and validating a viable business model, refining everything from distribution channels & partners to key activities and milestones.
Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp
The Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp (MEB) is a one-week intensive training program in technology entrepreneurship for graduate students in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math. MEB students work with case analyses, lectures, expert panels, and exercises in market assessments and participate in lively social events.
SBIR Ready program
SBIR Ready helps graduate/doctoral students and early-career scientists get introduced to federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Successful teams qualify for grant funding to complete market research at the completion of the program. Offered once annually beginning in late May or early June. Applications due in March.
SBIR Advance program
SBIR Advance provides up to $10,000 in state match funding, training, and other resources to incorporated Wisconsin startups to advance the commercialization of technology funded by Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants. The program fills critical funding gaps for activities such as market research, customer validation, patent development, business model development, and regulatory assessment restricted under federal awards.
UpStart
UpStart is a free multi-week program for women and people of color. The course covers a range of topics including customer segmentation, marketing and public relations, legal issues, accounting and taxes, business planning, and more.
Forward Bio Institute Catapult Program
The Catapult Program is a tailored technology maturation pipeline which enables targeted and progressive business, legal, regulatory, and technical development. Engagement with the program introduces team members to industry best practices and expands their network within UW-Madison and the greater Madison entrepreneurial ecosystem.
I3-Ideas, Insights, Impact
This six-week program for postdocs and graduate students. Whether your audience is grant reviewers, journal editors, or job search committees, you’ll need them to see the potential impact of your work in order to succeed. Learn new skills to address your market risk and increase the impact of your work in academia, industry, or wherever your career takes you.
Ideadvance Program
If you are exploring a new technology or innovative solution, the Center for Technology Commercialization's Ideadvance may be for you. Applicants must have a team member associated with any UW System institution to compete in this grant program. Grant dollars are earned after demonstrating key learnings toward commercialization goals.