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Dan Olszewski

Dan Olszewski
Goldberg Family Director, Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship | Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship
Teaching Faculty III | Management and Human Resources
Director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship
608-265-3959
5110E Grainger Hall

Biography

Dan Olszewski is the Director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business.

He teaches the capstone Entrepreneurship WAVE course and was one of the co-founders of the Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp(MEB) program for UW graduate students in STEM programs.

Prior to joining the UW, Olszewski was CEO and Chairman of Parts Now! during which time revenues increased from $26MM to over $400MM from the organic growth of Parts Now! and the acquisition of Katun Corp. With the assistance of private equity sponsors, he led the successful buyout of the founder in 1999.

Before joining Parts Now! Olszewski was a consultant at McKinsey and Company, with a focus on strategy, technology, and finance. He has also worked for IBM, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Yasuda Fire and Marine Insurance in Tokyo.

Olszewski currently serves on the board of First Business Bank, Inc. and National Guardian Life Insurance Company. He has previously served on the boards of Parts Now! LLC, Sologear LLC, World Data Products, Inc., Henry Vilas Zoological Society and Wisconsin Public Television.

Olszewski graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Computer Science, and received an MBA from Harvard.

Research

Presentations

GCEC Virtual Connections (2022) Creation of Concentrated Immersive Experiences to Teach Entrepreneurship

Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers-2020 (2020) High Impact Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for STEM PhD/Postdocs

Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers-2019 (2019) High Impact Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for STEM PhD/Postdocs

UW TEACHING AND LEARNING SYMPOSIUM (2019) Tophat Tips and Tricks for Large Lectures

(2017) Startup & Social Entrepreneurship Trends in US

2015 Annual Meeting of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (2015) New Approaches to Fostering Tech Commercialization & STEM Faculty

Economic Development Forum: Growing Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin (2015) Improving Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin-Panel

Economic Development Forum: Growing Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin (2015) Improving Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin-Panel

Teaching

Undergraduate Courses

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 322), Fall 2015.
Students gain knowledge about foundations of entrepreneurship,and key topics such as founding teams,industry analysis assessing concept,communication,managing people and investors in new ventures. Business development project included.

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 322), Fall 2016.
Students gain knowledge about foundations of entrepreneurship,and key topics such as founding teams,industry analysis assessing concept,communication,managing people and investors in new ventures. Business development project included.

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 322), Fall 2017.
Students gain knowledge about foundations of entrepreneurship,and key topics such as founding teams,industry analysis assessing concept,communication,managing people and investors in new ventures. Business development project included.

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 322), Fall 2018.
Students gain knowledge about foundations of entrepreneurship,and key topics such as founding teams,industry analysis assessing concept,communication,managing people and investors in new ventures. Business development project included. Enroll Info: N

Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 322), Fall 2019.
Students gain knowledge about foundations of entrepreneurship, and key topics such as founding teams, industry analysis assessing concept, communication, managing people and investors in new ventures. Business development project included. Enroll Info: None

Fundamentals of Business for Non-Business Majors (BUS 311), Spring 2011.

Fundamentals of Management and (BUS 311), Spring 2012.
Introduces non-business students to basic concepts and practices in business. This course is a basic overview of: management, marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship, ethics, supply chain and international business.

Fundamentals of Management, Marketing & Eship (BUS 311), Spring 2013.
Introduces non-business students to basic concepts and practices in business. This course is a basic overview of: management, marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship, ethics, supply chain and international business.

Fundamentals of Management, Marketing & Eship (BUS 311), Spring 2014.
Introduces non-business students to basic concepts and practices in business. This course is a basic overview of: management, MKT, strategy, entrepreneurship, ethics, supply chain and INT.

Graduate Courses

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2014.

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2015.

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2016.

Contemporary Topics (INT 765), Spring 2017.

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2017.

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2018.
Exploration of advanced subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum. Enroll Info: None

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2019.

Contemporary Topics (MHR 765), Fall 2013.

Entrepreneurial Finance (FIN 757), Fall 2012.

Entrepreneurial Finance (FIN 757), Fall 2012.
About a half of all new businesses fail in the first five years. This course offers the tools, state-of-the-art valuation methods, and practical knowledge that are needed to make appropriate financing decisions in such highly uncertain environments.

Mergers and Acquisitions (FIN 750), Fall 2005.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum II (MHR 738), Spring 2008.
Students develop and present comprehensive strategic and financing plans for local entrepreneurial and start-up firms and make investment recommendations to the Weinert Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2013.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum II (MHR 738), Spring 2007.
Students develop and present comprehensive strategic and financing plans for local entrepreneurial and start-up firms and make investment recommendations to the Weinert Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum II (MHR 738), Spring 2010.
Students develop and present comprehensive strategic and financing plans for local entrepreneurial and start-up firms and make investment recommendations to the Weinert Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum II (MHR 738), Spring 2011.
Students develop and present comprehensive strategic and financing plans for local entrepreneurial and start-up firms and make investment recommendations to the Weinert Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in En (MHR 738), Spring 2012.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2019.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts. Enroll Info: None

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2018.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2014.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2016.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2017.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum II (MHR 738), Spring 2009.
Students develop and present comprehensive strategic and financing plans for local entrepreneurial and start-up firms and make investment recommendations to the Weinert Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) (MHR 738), Spring 2015.
Students develop and present comprehensive business and financing plans for a start-up firm. Investment recommendations are made to the WAVE Board. Class meets in a seminar format with various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum I (MHR 737), Fall 2008.
Students develop and present comprehensive analyses of local entrepreneurial firms’ overall operations and their industry environments. The class meets in a seminar format to discuss assigned readings and student research, and also incorporates presentations by various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum I (MHR 737), Fall 2009.
Students develop and present comprehensive analyses of local entrepreneurial firms’ overall operations and their industry environments. The class meets in a seminar format to discuss assigned readings and student research, and also incorporates presentations by various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum I (MHR 737), Fall 2006.
Students develop and present comprehensive analyses of local entrepreneurial firms’ overall operations and their industry environments. The class meets in a seminar format to discuss assigned readings and student research, and also incorporates presentations by various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum I (MHR 737), Fall 2010.
Students develop and present comprehensive analyses of local entrepreneurial firms’ overall operations and their industry environments. The class meets in a seminar format to discuss assigned readings and student research, and also incorporates presentations by various subject matter experts.

Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship(WAVE) Practicum I (MHR 737), Fall 2007.
Students develop and present comprehensive analyses of local entrepreneurial firms’ overall operations and their industry environments. The class meets in a seminar format to discuss assigned readings and student research, and also incorporates presentations by various subject matter experts.

Hybrid Courses

Applied Corporate Finance I (FIN/FIN 850/365), Fall 2014.
Advanced corporate finance course that provides graduate students practical experience by working on consulting projects. Students work on applied projects in the areas of capital budgeting,capital structure and cash distribution policies. Emphasis on ap

Contemporary Topics (FIN/FIN 365/851), Spring 2015.
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.

Service

Professional Organizations

MERLIN