The Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch Program, better known as DEL, brings together students and entrepreneurs for honest, inspiring conversations. These guest speakers span from UW-Madison alumni to CEOs and founders of multi-million dollar companies, but they all share one thing: the entrepreneurial mindset. This semester, DEL welcomed a spirited lineup of speakers who didn’t just highlight their wins; they talked about the tough lessons, pivots, and failures that shaped their journeys. It’s not just lunch, it’s a masterclass in failing, getting back up again and succeeding.
The semester began with Jill Enos, Managing Partner at TitletownTech, who shared her experience in venture capital and TitletownTech’s partnership with the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. As an early-stage investor, she helps startups from the ground up. She highlighted the importance of being a fearless thinker and innovator in order to be a successful problem solver.
Next up was Marina Bloomer, Founder and Program Director of Stellar Tech Girls. She opened up about her experience as being one of a few women in her engineering classes and starting a business directed at STEM programs for young girls and non-binary people. She was amazing and continues to inspire us with her dedication to creating the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs. She highlighted the importance of taking advantage of pitch competitions on the UW campus and perfecting ideas through coursework, specifically Venture Creation and WAVE, and participating in campus competitions.
Heather Wentler is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Doyenne. She is a strong advocate for women, believing they are capable of success. We thank her for sharing her story of transitioning from education to entrepreneurship, founding Fractal, Madison SOUP, and co-founding Doyenne. She has received numerous accolades, including “Person of the Year” by Madison Magazine, and has contributed to various committees, advisory boards, and mentoring programs dedicated to supporting women and girls. She highlighted the impact her late co-founder, Amy Gannon, had on her and the challenges of navigating a loss while running a business.
For those who were interested in AI, we welcomed Matt Billings, a WSB graduate from the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management and a WAVE alum. He is the Principal Category Manager of Microsoft Cloud & AI. Matt is a passionate advocate for mentorship and brings extensive expertise in consumer electronics technology. We thank him for sharing his experience in managing billion-dollar global teams, developing supply strategies, and his expertise in AI. AI is a growing tool taking the world by storm, and it was amazing to hear about his everyday work at Microsoft.
WSB alum Nathan Allman, Co-Founder of Chefs For Seniors started the business with his father because of his passion for food and entrepreneurship. He was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the Top Franchises to Start Under $50K, and has grown his business into the largest personal chef company in the U.S. He shared his insights in franchising and highlighted the importance of creating a sense of community with his franchisors and clients.
Corey Chambas, CEO, Board Member of First Business Financial Services and WSB alum, is passionate about helping businesses flourish. He has served on non-profit, fiduciary, and advisory boards. He shared his experience in leading his company while driving growth, a 470% return on stock, and maintaining its entrepreneurial spirit. He highlighted the importance of company culture and being an ideal team player.
For our food-lovers, we had Henry Aschauer, President of Forage Holdings LLC, share his story. Henry is a UW alum and graduated in 2010 with an economics degree. Henry is passionate about health-focused food and launched Forage Kitchen in 2015, serving organic salads and grain bowls. He shared his experience with Forage and its expansion to locations across Wisconsin and Champaign, IL. Henry highlighted the importance of putting yourself in the consumers’ shoes to create products that truly resonate with them.
Next up was Lorrie Heinemann. She is the President and CEO of Madison Development Corporation (MDC). She shared her experience working in a non-profit organization focused on affordable housing and small business lending. She brings a wealth of experience, having founded her investment firm at the age of 24, served as Wisconsin’s Cabinet Secretary of Financial Institutions, and co-founded the Wisconsin Angel Network. She highlighted the importance of connecting yourself with people who can help you get into the rooms you want to be in.
We were ecstatic to have Joe Boucher, a founding shareholder of the Madison law firm of Neider & Boucher S.C. and sponsor of the Distinguished Entrepreneurship program. Joe is a Badger alumni passionate about giving back to the UW-Madison community. We thank him for his generosity as he has been sponsoring DEL for the past 12 years and counting. He shared his experience in owning and operating numerous businesses, investing in startups, and starting his own law firm. He emphasized the importance of finding work life balance, as family is what matters most.
We closed the lunch series for the semester with Ellen Rosner. She is the Founder and Former Owner of Indigo Moon and an Artist. She opened up about starting Indigo Moon and how the store turned a profit within its first year! After retiring, she pursued her longtime passion for art and travel, and currently works on transforming her travel photos into works of colored pencil paintings, and drawings. She emphasized the importance of taking bold risks and giving back to the community.
We are deeply grateful to the incredible entrepreneurs who have generously shared their time, stories, and insights with our students this past semester. We also extend our sincere thanks to Neider & Boucher, S.C., for their unwavering sponsorship and commitment to the Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch Program since Fall 2013. Their continued support has been vital to bringing in entrepreneurial-minded individuals to share their stories, unique insights, and challenges they faced when launching and growing their business.
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