Our annual bootcamp took place from June 11-15, 2018 but under a new name! Formerly known as the Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Bootcamp (WEB), the new name of the program is the Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp (MEB) due to a $1.5M endowment named for Morgridge that permanently funds the program. Over 50 individuals, organizations and alumni made donations to support the program and thank the Morgridges for all they have done for the UW and Wisconsin. John was instrumental in working with UW faculty and WARF in developing the bootcamp and he has been an instructor in the program since the beginning in 2007.
It was a week of intensive hands-on learning focused on technology entrepreneurship and exploring how business startups can create both economic and social value. The program had a record 69 graduate students from across the campus representing almost 40 different majors. The event also provided an opportunity for returning MEB alumni to talk about their careers and the key lessons they learned.
Throughout the bootcamp, students learn key entrepreneurial concepts and tools to assess product ideas, form and fund a technology-based startup and understand and use financial analysis. Case analyses, networking and social events, and expert panels help students make links between concepts and practice. The program exposes students to the many resources available in Madison and on campus and helps them learn how to use those resources effectively.
A community dinner on Thursday night was held at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery where faculty sponsors, MEB alumni, instructors, panelists and local entrepreneurs gathered. We were honored to have two MEB (’14) alumni speak at the event: Katie Brenner, co-founder of bluDiagnostics and Mehrdad Arjmand, co-founder of NovoMoto. Both talked about their experience with MEB (they both sat at the same table) and how it helped them to win the grand prize at the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest (Katie in 2015; Mehrdad in 2018). Read More
We wrapped up another successful bootcamp and thank the wonderful students, instructors, panelists and MEB alumni who played a key role in its success. As always, we graciously thank John & Tashia Morgridge for all of their support and participation in MEB.
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