From November 7-11, 2024, UW-Madison’s StartUp Learning Community, in partnership with University Housing and the Wisconsin School of Business, hosted its annual 100-Hour Challenge, a beloved innovation event popular with undergraduate students. This fully virtual competition highlights a key truth: creativity often emerges from the simplest of beginnings, proving that innovation doesn’t always require high-tech tools or advanced expertise.
The Challenge is designed to inspire entrepreneurial thinking and show how storytelling and adaptability are just as vital as technical skills. Students discover how meaningful ideas can emerge from the most unexpected places—like rummaging through a sock drawer or raiding a bathroom caddy.