There is never a dull moment on the StartUp Learning Community floor, and the 64 students we will welcome for the 2026-2027 academic year are stepping right into our latest iteration: We are saying a huge, warm welcome to Maia Donohue as our incoming Faculty Director, and giving a massive, heartfelt thank you to John Surdyk as he passes the torch!
If you have spent even five minutes in the entrepreneurship universe at UW–Madison, you know John. For years, he’s been the intellectual leader for freshmen future founders — part mentor, part cheerleader, and full-time champion for every resident who walked through the door. John did not just teach our two exclusive seminars, he built an incubator where every idea, regardless of stage, had the opportunity to be nurtured. From coaching students through their very first pitch practice to offering incredible wisdom (and humor) during office hours, John made sure StartUp was a place where taking risks was celebrated, all while helping students build the capabilities, confidence, and connections to scale their ideas on campus and beyond. The StartUp floor will not be quite the same without him, but John’s impact is baked into the very walls of our community.
As we look toward the upcoming school year, we couldn’t be more excited to launch this next phase with Maia Donohue, Director of Student Engagement – Entrepreneurial Mindset for the Weinert Center, as our new Faculty Director!
Maia is stepping into the role with tons of energy, a strong strategic vision, and a lot of proven passion for hands-on, student-led innovation. Maia has built a career around helping young founders connect the dots, collaborate across disciplines, and turn MVPs into real impact.
So whether students are arriving this fall with a fully hatched business plan or just a curious mindset and a desire to build cool things, Maia is poised to help them hit the ground running. Maia’s enthusiasm and ability to connect are palpable, and we know our incoming residents are going to love working together in the year ahead.
Here’s to remembering our roots, embracing the pivot, and making this next chapter of StartUp a success! We can’t wait to welcome our next cohort on Saturday, August 29th!
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