Every graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business has their own story, their own journey, and their own achievements. No matter their path into business, they all share one thing: the experience of attending a school that rewards big aspirations. From starting a business or a recognizable brand to making it big in the entertainment or scientific fields, here are 25 of those stories—all made possible by one school.
Head of the Class
Meet the pioneering Business Badgers who made their mark on UW–Madison.
BBA ’50
Bill Sachse
MPH ’43, PhD ’55
Larzette Hale-Wilson
BA 1917
Mary McNulty
Bill Sachse (BBA ’50)
With a little creativity—and a lot of papier-mâché—Sachse commissioned the design of the very first Bucky Badger head in 1949 alongside fellow students Connie Conrad and Bill Sagal (BS ’51). Working off an illustration of UW–Madison’s then-unnamed, sweater-clad badger, the team designed a wearable head to be placed atop a member of the cheerleading squad. They debuted their creation at a 1949 football game, and the rest is history.
Larzette Hale-Wilson (MPH ’43, PhD ’55)
Hale-Wilson was the first Black woman CPA in the country to earn a PhD in accounting. She later launched a CPA firm, taught at Utah State University, and became the head of its School of Accountancy.
Mary McNulty (BA 1917)
A native of Spring Green, Wisconsin, the self described “Commerce Girl” enrolled at UW–Madison during World War I and became WSB’s first female graduate. She had a 40-year accounting career at Wisconsin Power & Light Co. and retired as the company’s comptroller.
Behind the Household Names
From kitchen cupboards to living room TVs, these WSB alumni played key roles in powering the businesses, teams, and brands that we all know and love.
MBA ’51
Donald Goerke
BBA ’92
Paul Quantrill
BBA ’02
Manu Raju
MBA ’89
Aaron Kennedy
BBA ’15
Tessa Ruid
Previous card
Next card
Donald Goerke (MBA ’51)
Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs! It’s been 60 years since the childhood staple first landed on grocery store shelves, and kids today are still enjoying the late Goerke’s circular pasta creation, SpaghettiOs.
After beginning his marketing career at Valentin Blatz Brewing Company, the Waukesha, Wisconsin, native spent the rest of his 35-year career at Campbell’s Co., where he was tasked with creating an easy-to-eat meal for children. The round pasta was perfect for canning, reheating, and most importantly for parents: eating with a spoon without making a mess! The product was a pop culture sensation that brought Goerke into the spotlight. He appeared on Today and What’s My Line?, and autographed cans at company-sponsored events.
Paul Quantrill (BBA ’92)
Take me out to the ball game . . . to see former Boston Red Sox starting pitcher and current Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Quantrill!
Manu Raju (BBA ’02)
Beginning his media career at UW–Madison’s student newspaper, The Badger Herald, Raju is now the anchor of CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday. The veteran Washington, D.C. reporter also covers Capitol Hill and campaign politics as chief congressional correspondent.
Aaron Kennedy (MBA ’89)
Inspired by a Thai noodle shop in New York City, Kennedy founded the restaurant franchise Noodles & Company, opening the first location in Denver in 1995. The following year, Kennedy and his partner opened a second location in Madison on State Street, where it remains as the company’s longest-standing location! Today, the popular eatery has over 460 locations across 31 states, offering globally influenced noodle dishes in a fast-casual setting.
Tessa Ruid (BBA ’15)
Ruid knows a thing or two about Wisconsin sports. While a student, Ruid’s social media posts about the Milwaukee Bucks led to a unique opportunity; the team invited her to share the fan perspective on their social accounts for Bucks Media Day, kickstarting her sports career. Internships at the NBA headquarters and FOX Sports Wisconsin soon followed, where she worked in corporate services and marketing. Ruid also held a student position at University of Wisconsin Athletic Communications.
After graduating from WSB, the marketing and international business major headed to Lambeau Field, where she scored a marketing and brand internship with Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers, and then focused on digital marketing and fan insights for five years.
Today, Ruid is the director of arena marketing at the Milwaukee Bucks—the very team that helped launch her sports career years ago.
The Start of Something Big
These Business Badgers transformed their ideas and inspirations into successful companies and new ways of doing business.
BA 1927
Mildred Kramer Gill
BBA ’13 and x ’15
Tyler Kennedy and Wes Schroll
BBA ’76
Viveca Chan
BBA ’84
Dale Nitschke
MS ’74
Jon Hammes
BBA ’12
Katie Lorenz
Previous card
Next card
Mildred Kramer Gill (BA 1927)
One of the first women to graduate from WSB, the late Kramer Gill put her entrepreneurial spirit into action in 1936 when she opened a printing shop on the Capitol Square in Madison with a typewriter and a mimeograph machine. Kramer Gill was president of Kramer Printing—which still stands today as Kramer Madison in Waunakee, Wisconsin—until her retirement in 1980.
Tyler Kennedy (BBA ’13) and Wes Schroll (x ’15)
What started as a WSB assignment is now a thriving business valued at over $1 billion. Kennedy and Schroll are the founders of Fetch, a consumer rewards app used by millions.
Viveca Chan (BBA ’76)
A pioneer in advertising and e-commerce, Chan founded WE Marketing Group in 2005: one of China’s first independent brand consultancy and integrated communication agencies that focuses on bringing the West to China—and China to the world.
Dale Nitschke (BBA ’84)
Those who enjoy shopping at Target.com can credit Nitschke, who developed the website in 1999 and served as its president for over eight years. Nitschke is now the founder and chief executive officer of Ovative Group, a successful digital marketing and measurement firm.
Jon Hammes (MS ’74)
Hammes’ impact on real estate is felt across the country and in WSB’s own backyard.
In 1991, the real estate major founded Hammes Company, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based firm focusing on commercial real estate development and property management. For 30 years, Hammes Company has managed the construction of several sports venues, including UW–Madison’s Kohl Center and the expansion of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Other notable venues include Ford Field for the Detroit Lions and U.S. Bank Stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.
Katie Lorenz (BBA ’12)
Lorenz is creating positive change—and cozy alpaca-inspired products—through her company Campo Alpaca. Launched in 2017, the business works with Peruvian artisans to craft Wisconsin-themed sweaters and more, while ensuring that creators receive fair wages and have access to safe work environments.
Connectors and Community Builders
Through philanthropy and servant leadership, these alumni have created lasting impact.
BBA ’82, MS ’83
Phill Gross
BBA ’91
Ricky Sandler
BA 1920
Mary Rennebohm
BBA ’55
John Morgridge
BBA ’95
Dorri McWhorter
Previous card
Next card
Phill Gross (BBA ’82, MS ’83)
Gross is a founder, philanthropist, and advocate for diversifying the financial sector. His $10 million gift launched Project ACCLAIM, which provides funds for HBCU students to invest and manage—a model based on WSB’s Applied Security Analysis Program.
Ricky Sandler (BBA ’91)
Badgers working in finance have Sandler to thank for championing their professional success through recruiting networks, internship programs, philanthropy, and more. Founder of Eminence Capital, LP, Sandler also teaches WSB’s Applied Equity Market Research capstone course.
Mary Rennebohm (BA 1920)
Through the Rennebohm Foundation, this accounting major and former first lady of Wisconsin provided multimillion-dollar support to local organizations, including UW–Madison.
John Morgridge (BBA ’55)
Few people have shaped UW–Madison like John and Tashia Morgridge (BSE ’55). As the university’s single largest benefactors, the couple has funded faculty positions, research, public service, and state-of-the-art facilities—to mention just a portion of their visionary philanthropy on campus.
Their generosity extends beyond campus, too. Through their Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, more than 28,000 students from low-income backgrounds have been awarded $140 million in grants and stipends to pursue higher education in Wisconsin.
Despite their obvious fondness for the Badger state, it was California that called their name after graduation—John to the tech world and Tashia to teaching. John joined Cisco Systems in 1988, becoming one its first 40 employees and eventually rising to president, CEO, and chair of the board.
In 2024, the duo received UW’s inaugural distinguished service award in recognition of their unparalleled support and generosity.
Dorri McWhorter (BBA ’95)
McWhorter is synonymous with social enterprise business leadership. She’s been CEO and board advisor to several charitable organizations driving human-centered change in Chicago and beyond.
Taking Center Stage
There’s no business like show business, and these alumni have made an indelible mark.
BA ’37
Meinhardt Raabe
MA ’84
Robert Greenblatt
BBA ’17
Matthew Hauri, aka Yung Gravy
BBA ’94
Jennifer Melin Miller
Previous card
Next card
Meinhardt Raabe (BA ’37)
Born on a Wisconsin dairy farm in 1915, accounting graduate Raabe played a role in two iconic events of the era: the launch of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and The Wizard of Oz. After graduating from WSB, Raabe accepted an accounting job at Oscar Mayer in 1937, just as Carl Mayer was creating the Wienermobile. Mayer suggested Raabe—who then stood under four feet tall—could tour around the country with the vehicle as “Little Oscar, World’s Smallest Chef.” While touring, Raabe met friends who passed along a tip about a movie casting little people. Raabe earned a role in the classic film, playing the coroner who tells Dorothy the Wicked Witch is dead.
Robert Greenblatt (MA ’84)
Though television executive Greenblatt might not be a household name, his hit shows—Six Feet Under, Weeds, and the X-Files to name a few—certainly are. Growing up in nearby Rockford, Illinois, Greenblatt got involved in local community theater before attending UW–Madison and graduating from WSB’s arts administration program in 1984. His storied career in television began with Fox and later Showtime, where he served as head of programming, responsible for blockbuster shows such as Dexter, Weeds, and Californication. Greenblatt’s influence continued as chairman of NBC Entertainment and WarnerMedia Entertainment, where he produced the acclaimed Six Feet Under and other successful programming for HBO. Today, he leads his own production company, The Green Room, with a legacy marked by numerous Emmy, Producers Guild of America, and Tony Awards, as well as the GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award recognizing his impact on LGBTQ visibility.
Matthew Hauri (BBA ’17), aka Yung Gravy
With over seven billion streams, Hauri—aka rap star Yung Gravy—has built a platinum-certified music career and global fanbase through six albums, headline tours, and genre-blending collabs with T-Pain, Shania Twain, and Zac Brown.
Jennifer Melin Miller (BBA ’94)
An experienced investor and producer, Miller brought her business savvy and passion for theater to Broadway’s biggest stages. This work earned her a 2019 Tony Award as co-producer of Hadestown.
Breaking New Ground
From worlds contained in a human cell to the vast expanses of architecture, these alumni crossed new frontiers in science and sustainability.
MBA ’11
Rodolphe Barrangou
BBA ’12
Sean Park
Rodolphe Barrangou (MBA ’11)
Paris-born molecular biologist Barrangou’s leading-edge research advanced scientific knowledge about the immunity capabilities of CRISPR, a bacterial DNA sequence, and helped set the stage for the future of gene editing. He’s a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Inventors.
Sean Park (BBA ’12)
Park revolutionized the sustainable architecture landscape in 2019 as a co-founder of EnergyX. The firm is the world’s sole source for holistic solutions for outfitting and retrofitting zero-energy buildings.
How We Selected the 25
For this list, the Update editorial team chose 25 alumni stories from the last 125 years that showcase the breadth and depth of the WSB experience. Through research, trips to the campus archives, and deep dives into back issues of the magazine, we selected individuals with fascinating backgrounds, impactful achievements, unique career paths, and that “it” factor.
You may recognize some of these names; others might be new to you. But by no means is this a comprehensive list of all of the amazing alumni that have walked through WSB’s doors. With nearly 60,000 graduates since 1900, how could it be? But we hope these stories leave you delighted, surprised, and proud to be part of the Business Badger community.
—Clare Becker, Haley Boyer, Shaysa Sidebottom Cook, Betsy Lundgren, Chris Malina, and Erin Canty Ryan
