As the spring semester comes to a close, the word “graduation” becomes louder with the excitement for our students. For many, this time of the season marks the many years of hard work, dedication, and growth. And for many, graduation signifies not only an ending of an era but creates a stepping stone for a new beginning for these graduates and their futures.
As this academic year comes to end, it is important and tradition to celebrate our students. Their accomplishments during their time at UW-Madison and in the Weinert Center of Entrepreneurship have earned recognition.
OwlVision Labs Award
The OwlVision Labs award was started by Martin (Marty) Kimmel who graduated with a BBA degree in May 2018 with a double major in entrepreneurship and management. He was formerly the President of OwlVision Labs in Chicago. This year’s OwlVision Labs Award was presented to Jude Joerger who graduated in May 2024 with a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance. Jude will continue to work on his startup, Hudson Services LLC, and hopes to address New York’s trash waste issue and contribute to a more sustainable planet.
Jane Pricer Memorial Scholarship
The Jane Pricer Memorial Scholarship celebrates the life of Jane Pricer who was a driving source of inspiration and positivity and created a nurturing environment for students to pursue their business interests and dreams. This year’s Jane Pricer Memorial Scholarship was presented to Chloe Gruszynski. Chloe graduated in May 2024 with a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing and a certificate in Digital Studies. She will be working for her two startups, FWD Consulting, LLC and MarketMate.
Jon G. & Susan S. Udell Scholarship in Entrepreneurship
This endowed scholarship in entrepreneurship was started by Jon and Susan Udell. Jon Udell was a professor of marketing and worked on free enterprise education in the Wisconsin School of Business with Bob Pricer and Al Filley and merged their programs to create the Enterprise Center which was later renamed the Weinert Center. Shiyue Xie, an MBA student specializing in Marketing Analytics and Insights, was this year’s recipient. She will be interning with PepsiCo this summer as a Shopper Insights Manager in Chicago, Illinois.
Paul Shain Graduate Scholarship Fund
The Paul Shain Graduate Scholarship fund was created in 2021 by BBA alum Nathan Brand to honor his friend and our WAVE board member, Paul Shain. This year’s recipient was Michael Flowers, an MBA student specializing in Technology Strategy and Product Marketing that will be part of the Fellowship in Enterprise Development Program next year. Michael will be interning at American Airlines in Dallas, Texas as a Commercial Strategy Intern for Consumer Experience.
Outstanding WAVE Student
Each year the Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) class selects a classmate for special recognition regarding the advice and assistance the person gives to other teams to enhance and enrich their business ideas. This year’s recipient of the James J. Weinert Outstanding WAVE Student Entrepreneurship Award is Barry Shepherd who graduated with his MBA in Tech Product Marketing in May 2024 and will be working at WiscMed as VP of Sales and Marketing in Madison.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations and celebrate the exceptional work of these students. We wish the best as they start on their future endeavors.
Finally, we also say goodbye to our wonderful Fellowship and WAVE students. Each individual has created an impact within the university and we have no doubts that they will continue to do so outside of it.
We are pleased to share the future plans of our Fellowship and WAVE students with you.
Cameron Ashford (WAVE ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Hector Aviles (Fellows ’24) will be joining Sam’s Club as a Merchandising Analytics Manager in Bentonville, AR.
Amber Bushey (Fellows & WAVE ’24) will be joining Reorg as the Director of Product Strategy in Chicago, IL.
Sahill Dev (Fellows ’24) will be joining FlexGen as an Associate Product Manager in Durham, NC.
Billy Erazo (WAVE ’24) will be continuing in his Ph.D. studies in Cellular and Molecular Pathology.
Michael Flowers (WAVE ’24) will be interning with American Airlines as a Commercial Strategy Intern for Consumer Experience in Dallas, TX.
Scott Fox (WAVE ’24) will be continuing in his M.S. studies in Industrial Engineering.
Will Frimel (WAVE ’24) will be joining Bitly as an Associate Product Manager in New York City, NY.
Johnny Gomez (Fellows & WAVE ’24) will be joining Origin Digital as a Tech Consultant in Chicago, IL.
Poorva Halbe (WAVE ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Brandon Kalinske (Fellows & WAVE ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Rachit Khaitan (Fellows ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Ethan Kolesky (WAVE ’24) will be joining KPMG as an Audit Associate in Chicago, IL.
Rishabh Lakhotia (Fellows & WAVE ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Matt Medich (WAVE ’24) will be interning with Boston Scientific in Minneapolis, MN.
Sonakshi Mittal (Fellows ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Angana Nath (Fellows ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Sokhibkhon (Sakhib) Salkihov (Fellows ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions.
Barry Shepherd (Fellows & WAVE ’24) will be joining WiscMed as VP of Sales and Marketing in Madison, WI.
Jiajie Sui (WAVE ’24) will be continuing in her Ph.D. studies in Materials Science and Engineering.
Linh Tran (Fellows ’24) is still on the market for full-time positions but was admitted to MSBA program in WSB.
Ezra Wood (Fellows ’24) will be joining Porphyry Capital as a Founder.
Categories: