The fall semester saw the return of an event that has become a fixture in programming over the years: the Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch. While students were no longer able to congregate in a room to listen to the week’s featured entrepreneur over Ian’s pizza, the adapted online format allowed for a variety of speakers from both coasts to share their entrepreneurial journey with those in attendance. The fun, approachable environment allowed students from all disciplines to ask questions and seek advice.
We heard from 11 entrepreneurs representing all different walks of life including venture capital, artificial intelligence, products empowering women, peer-to-peer marketplaces, pay-per-streaming platforms, and more. Almost 300 students participated in the lunch program learning firsthand how entrepreneurs start, grow and pivot their businesses especially in a pandemic.
We are grateful to all of our featured entrepreneurs that participated in the lunch program this fall. We thank our devoted and gracious sponsor Neider & Boucher, S.C., who started off each lunch with a video from co-founder and alumnus Joe Boucher, for making this lunch program available to our students.
![Joe Boucher](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1Joe-Boucher880.jpg)
Featured speakers of the Fall 2020 Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch included:
September 9: Michele Boal, Kadima Forward Inc.
![Michele Boal](https://business.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2-Michele-Boal752.jpg)
September 16: Bharat Pulgam, pkup.io
![Bharat Pulgam](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3-Bharat-Pulgam880.jpg)
September 23: Sarada, Elektrifi
![Sarada](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/4-Sarada880.jpg)
September 30: Robert Phillips, an AI company focused on electric utility data
![Robert Phillips](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/5-Rob-Phillips880.jpg)
October 7: Darryl Schoen, Manufacturers Financing Services
![Darryl Schoen](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/6-Darryl-Schoen880.jpg)
October 14: Stephanie Biegel, Key
![Stephanie Biegel](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/7-Stephanie-Biegel880.jpg)
October 21: Debbie Lessin, Lessin & Associates/ Balancing Act Productions, Inc.
![Debbie Lessin](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/8-Debbie-Lessin880.jpg)
October 28: Joe Coyne, Studio VC
![Joe Coyne](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Joe-Coyne6-880x550-1.jpg)
November 4: Ernie Hu, CAST
![Ernie Hu](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/10-Ernie-Hu880.jpg)
November 11: Craig Schedler, Northwestern Mutual Future Funds
![Craig Schedler](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/11-Craig-Schedler880.jpg)
November 18: Johanna Wolfson, Prime Impact Fund
![Johanna Wolfson](https://live-wisc-business.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12-Johanna-Wolfson880.jpg)
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