This summer, the spirit of the StartUp Learning Community came alive in an unexpected place—Grandparents University (GPU), UW–Madison’s inter-generational learning program that welcomes Badger “Seniors” and their grandchildren from across the country. StartUp Program Manager, Sari Ratner Judge, led the “Entrepreneurship” course which allowed 38 participants across 18 family teams the opportunity to think like entrepreneurs.
Taking place over two days in Grainger Hall, “Badger Tank” as the program was affectionately called, introduced families to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship in a format that was accessible, engaging, and most of all — fun.
Day 1 opened with introductions after which participants were challenged to identify problems in everyday life and imagine products or services that could solve them. With prompts like “What’s something that annoys you?” and real-life examples of youth entrepreneurs who turned small ideas into big ventures, Sari helped participants see that great businesses often start with simple observations — and a lot of curiosity.
The second day was all about bringing those ideas to life. Families sketched prototypes, developed branding and marketing plans using the 4 P’s (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) and built tangible mock ups of their ideas using candy, graham crackers, and craft supplies. In a “sweet” final session, called Sugary StartUp, each team pitched their sugar-based prototype to the full group in five-minute presentations that blended storytelling, humor, and creativity.
From a better way to feed backyard chickens, to a device that helps grandparents play on the ground more easily, to a social network that lets kids schedule their own playdates safely, the results were imaginative and heartfelt. The room buzzed with energy as families worked together across generations, sharing perspectives and discovering that their different strengths — life experience, fresh thinking, and tech savvy — made for strong entrepreneurial teams.
Badger Tank is a great example of how entrepreneurship education can meet people where they are, and how the StartUp Learning Community continues to find new ways to make innovation part of campus life. And who knows, maybe one of the grandchildren will choose to become a StartUp resident when they enroll at UW-Madison over the next decade. They will already have the experience for getting “something started” right away as a freshman!
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