Michael Brennan’s service to the Graaskamp Center for Real Estate didn’t end when he stepped down from his role as the Irgens Executive Director in May — a role he held for 15 years, alongside his busy job as co-founder, chairman and managing principal of Brennan Investment Group. Through a generous gift of $150,000, he’s funding the Graaskamp on the Road (GOTR) Roundtable Series for the next three years, including an annual $10,000 student scholarship for Wisconsin graduate students.
In addition to Brennan’s esteemed service to UW-Madison and the Center, he has generously donated over $100,000 to fund student scholarships. He continues to actively support the center as a board member and Graaskamp on the Road co-host for the next three years.
During his tenure at the Center, Mike demonstrated visionary and strategic leadership, launching groundbreaking programs such as the Graaskamp on the Road Roundtable Series, the Global Real Estate Markets (GREM) Conference—held annually for 10 years at the New York Stock Exchange—and the Graaskamp Center/Real Estate Club Innovator Award. Under Mike’s leadership, the Center’s events and conferences gained a reputation as industry-leading, recognized for their high-quality content, outstanding networking opportunities, and distinguished speakers who rank among the most influential leaders in the field
Brennan, along with the Graaskamp Center team, launched the Graaskamp on the Road Roundtable Series in 2011 in alignment with the Wisconsin Idea — the principle that education should influence and benefit people’s lives well beyond the classroom, extending the university’s knowledge and expertise to communities and industries across the state and nation.
Building on the Wisconsin Idea concept, the Center hosts roundtable events in growing or established real estate hubs to connect with alumni, share knowledge, and gain insights into real estate innovations shaping the industry nationwide. The series, reflecting the university’s commitment to public service and outreach, has visited over 20 destinations in the United States, fostering strong professional networks and facilitating the exchange of cutting-edge ideas between academia and the real estate sector.
Graaskamp on the Road (GOTR) visits four to five cities annually. This academic year, the program will explore real estate hubs such as Denver, New York City, Newport Beach, Dallas, and Miami. Each event is centered around a presentation led by a senior-level executive from the host city, offering attendees an insider perspective on the local market. Discussions delve into key topics such as real estate deals, major development projects, the business climate, and the unique opportunities and challenges facing each city, providing guests with invaluable real-world insights and networking opportunities.
Attendance is kept low to foster genuine connections, Brennan said. Lively conversations are encouraged. Last year, students traveled to Southern California for a Real Estate Club Field Trip so graduate were able to the Graaskamp on the Road event in Newport Beach and network with alumni and board members in the area.
“One unique feature of Graaskamp on the Road is its intimacy and our guidelines to speakers to speak truthfully,” Brennan said. “A career in real estate is never a straight trajectory upward but, rather, a lifetime of learning, sacrifice, success and failures.”
The program also strengthens the Graaskamp Center’s visibility on a national scale.
“It gives us the opportunity to discuss the progress of our sacred educational mission for the Wisconsin Real Estate program that has become a world-wide brand,” Brennan said.
Brennan’s gift is also funding an annual $10,000 graduate scholarship and other student activities at the center. He has strong faith in the Graaskamp Center’s ability to enrich students with the knowledge necessary to go out into the world and make it a better place.
“We do this because we believe in Wisconsin exceptionalism, and we are convinced that no industry has the power to improve lives and communities as tangibly as the real estate industry,” Brennan said.
If you are interested in attending or hosting a Graaskamp on the Road event in your city, contact Lee Gottschalk at lee.gottschalk@wisc.edu.