Four members of the Business Badger community are among the winners of the 2024 Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) awards, including John Morgridge (BA ’55), Gary Wendt (BS ’65), Ross Freedman (BBA ’97), and Abby Kursel (BBA ’14).
“From transformational gifts to investments in new courses and entrepreneurial efforts, all four of these individuals have left their mark on the Wisconsin School of Business, and the surrounding community, in their own unique way,” says Vallabh “Samba” Sambamurthy, WSB’s Albert O. Nicholas Dean. “We’re incredibly proud of these special members of the Business Badger family and are thrilled they’re receiving this well-deserved recognition and honor.”
Morgridge is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, which acknowledges individuals who have had unparalleled impact on UW–Madison. The former CEO and chair of Cisco Systems, Morgridge was recognized alongside his wife, Tashia (BS ’55), for an unprecedented record of service and philanthropic giving to the university—one that’s touched generations of students all across campus. The couple’s gifts have led to the creation of the Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Morgridge Institute for Research, the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, and much more. Morgridge was also one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Naming Partnership, a major investment to preserve the Wisconsin School of Business’ name for at least 20 years. Today, the partnership compromises 17 members and over $110 million in investments.
Wendt is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, which honors prestigious alums and their professional achievements, contributions to society, and support of the university. The cofounder of Deerpath Capital Management, Wendt studied civil engineering at UW–Madison and took classes at WSB that ultimately changed the trajectory of his career path. That led him to pursue an MBA at Harvard University, and later, a career in financial management. He has given back to UW–Madison through the creation of scholarships and programs, and was the catalyst for the development of general business courses for non-business majors at WSB.
Freedman received a Luminary Award for his accomplishments in the areas of leadership, discovery, progress, and service. A successful technology startup founder and venture capitalist, Freedman is the co-founder of Origin, a technology consulting company operating at the intersection of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation. He’s also co-founder and managing director of 367 Ventures, a venture firm focused on advising, mentoring, and investing in founders of early-stage companies. Freedman serves on the advisory board for the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship’s WAVE program, and is the founder of Badgers in Tech Chicago.
Kursel received a Forward Award for her outstanding exemplification of the Wisconsin Idea. Kursel is a partner at gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator that invests in high-growth startups, with a special focus on Wisconsin’s startup and venture capital network. Along with partner and fellow UW–Madison alum Maggie Brickerman (BA ’08), Kursel helped create gener8tor’s successful accelerator program, gBETA. Under the pair’s leadership, alumni of gener8tor have gone on to cumulatively raise more than $2 billion in capital investment and employ more than 11,000 people.
Read more about each award recipient.
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