“What makes UW-Madison thrive is Badger alumni helping current Badgers. If we all keep doing that, everybody’s going to succeed because we are all helping each other.”
Keaton Nankivil (BS ’17 and MBA ’20) grew up with Badger spirit in his blood. Originally from the west side of Madison, Keaton was always drawn to the “U-rah-rah” spirit that UW-Madison had to offer. Keaton officially joined the Badger family for his undergraduate degree and was awarded a basketball scholarship. In 2011, he left Wisconsin to play basketball professionally and traveled all around Europe for five years before returning to Wisconsin to finish his degree.
Coming back to campus after his hiatus, Keaton was faced with the challenge of learning new technology and using electronic textbooks. However, coming back to school in his late twenties, he was able to have a different mindset when it came to his academics. “When I came back as an adult, I could contextualize it a little better… I put my pride aside and just like, go talk to the instructor and learn this thing.” While finishing his undergraduate degree, he developed a passion for venture capital. After graduating in 2017, he decided to join the MBA program with a focus on corporate finance and investment banking, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship through the Fellowship in Enterprise Development program.
While completing his MBA degree, Keaton highlights the guidance from the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship. While in the fellowship, he emphasizes that “the big thing for me was really the people who worked at the Weinert Center. They are some of the smartest, most generous people you will ever meet.” Giving a specific shoutout to our very own Dan Olszewski, who guided him through the Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) course he partook in as part of the fellowship. “A big inspiration for me and how I do my job today is Dan because what I notice with Dan is he was very generous and genuine about promoting entrepreneurship within the Badger community.”
After graduating in 2020, Keaton did not want to leave his Madison community behind. He currently works in venture capital at Alumni Ventures, focusing on early-stage tech companies with high growth potential, often considered risky due to their lack of revenue. Alumni Ventures makes venture capital more accessible by offering a middle ground between angel investing and large-scale funds, allowing smaller accredited investors to partake. He also emphasizes investing in companies founded by UW alumni, fostering a supportive cycle among Badger entrepreneurs who share values like hard work and financial discipline. He celebrates ambitious UW alumni and helps them build their businesses so one day, they can help a fellow Badger.
“Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting your own company; it’s about helping someone else build theirs,” Keaton tells young entrepreneurs, highlighting that contributing to a startup with a great idea is just as valuable as starting your own business. He also advises to take risks early. Emphasizing that entrepreneurship is an excellent learning experience and, when young, you have fewer obligations, making it the perfect time to take big risks. Lastly, Keaton stresses the importance of paying it forward. Inspired by his guidance and generosity from Dan Olszewski. He always makes time to help fellow Badgers, believing that this cycle of support will help everyone succeed.
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