Alumni in Action

Business Casual: March 2025

An informal but informative newsletter for WSB alumni and friends

By Wisconsin School of Business

March 17, 2025

Kai Buliox holds up a fish during an ice fishing trip
Kai Buliox (MS ’25), a student in WSB’s Master of Science-Business: Analytics (MSBA) program, holds up the first catch of the day during an ice fishing trip on Monona Bay. Since 2022, the MSBA program has hosted this fun, annual event to build community among students—and introduce many of them to the popular Wisconsin pastime. Photo by Paul L. Newby II

The Briefing

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UW–Madison outlines founder-focused approach to entrepreneurship
In February, a panel of university leaders and entrepreneurs, including Fetch CEO and co-founder Wes Schroll (x ’15), met to discuss how UW–Madison can better support campus members launching new businesses. The Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative, led by WSB’s Jon Eckhardt, is a multifaceted plan that expands access to capital, creates a culture that celebrates and promotes entrepreneurship, and more.

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Business Badgers share what they love about WSB
To celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary, we’re asking alumni and friends like you to share what they love about the Wisconsin School of Business. Check out some of our fantastic submissions so far, which include everything from mentorship opportunities and top-notch professors to building camaraderie with fellow students at Grainger Hall. Join the anniversary fun and share your favorite things about WSB for a chance to be featured in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Update magazine.

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WSB community explores artificial intelligence’s impact at inaugural AI Day
Students, faculty, and staff gathered in Grainger Hall on February 7 for the first-ever AI Day. Featuring insights from industry leaders, alumni partners, and faculty, the event highlighted AI’s broad impact and applications across industries. Speakers from companies like Deloitte and Epic shared how AI is transforming everything from health care delivery to the fan experience at big league baseball games.

The Ticker

  • Ranking high worldwide: UW–Madison was recognized among the top universities globally for academic reputation and prestige, placing 38th overall and 22nd among U.S. universities in the 2025 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings. UW was also the fifth-highest ranked Big Ten school on the list!
  • Faculty features: Harvard Business Review recently featured research from WSB’s Anyi Ma on the relationship between personal control and similarity bias. Additionally, the UCLA podcast Forecast Direct recently hosted WSB’s Alina Arefeva, who discussed her research that links a possible uptick in racial discrimination to COVID-19 tenant eviction bans.
  • The changing face of wellness: Today, UW–Madison students have access to many new resources and facilities to stay well—including nap pods and sports simulators—in addition to classic favorites like Union South’s bowling alley and rock wall Mt. Mendota.
  • Snowball effect: After six inches of snow accumulated in Madison last month, students took to Bascom Hill for a snowball fight like no other.
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Back to School

Double Major Mania

Roughly 30% of UW–Madison students major in two or more areas, allowing them to connect ideas across different disciplines and boost their future career potential. UW–Madison recently released the five most popular fields for double-majoring in 2023-24, and one of WSB’s majors earned the number three spot!

Can you guess which WSB major is most likely to be paired with another major at UW–Madison? (Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer!)

A. Finance, investment, and banking
B. Marketing
C. Supply chain management

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Tip Sheet

Grow Your Sustainability Career

On February 25, four UW–Madison alumni shared industry and career insights during Planet, People, Profit: Careers in Corporate Sustainability. During the virtual event, sustainability leaders from companies like Target and UL Solutions engaged in a lively discussion about corporate sustainability careers and shared advice for navigating this in-demand industry. Here are some of their tips for thriving in the corporate sustainability field:

  • Never stop learning and connecting: The sustainability sector is constantly evolving and taking shape based on new regulations and shifting demands. Keep up with the latest practices and learn as much as you can by connecting with other sustainability professionals (especially those in the Badger network!).
  • Know your stuff: Implementing sustainable practices often starts with getting buy-in from key stakeholders and business partners, so it’s crucial that you can explain not only the science behind sustainability, but why it will benefit the business’ strategy.
  • Find ways to make an impact: Besides pursuing roles that are explicitly labeled as sustainability, you can act as a champion for sustainable operations—and find ways to incorporate them—in any role you’re taking on.

Curious to learn more about corporate sustainability? View the full event recap and broadcast.

Alumni Opportunities

March 20: Attention Chicago Badgers! This is the final opportunity to register for Talking Tech in Chicago, an event focused on the ever-evolving landscape of agentic AI—and how you can prepare for it.

April 8–9: Save the date for Day of the Badger, an annual giving tradition where alumni, community members, parents, and friends come together to support WSB students.

April 17: Register now for Badgers in Consulting, an in-person event for Chicago Badgers looking to network and learn career insights from partners at McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, EY-Parthenon, and Accenture.

April 24: Come see what students have been working on at the UW–Madison Tech Exploration Lab’s open house at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. The Lab allows students to solve industry problems through experimentation with emerging technologies. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet students and participate in hands-on experiences with new technologies!

Submit a special class note: Tell us about your greatest moments since graduating from WSB and you might be featured in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Update magazine!

Get connected: Join professional networks at UW–Madison that connect you to industry: Badgers in Tech and Badgers in Finance.

Get involved: Give back to WSB by serving on a board, lending your time and talents to support students, sharing your perspective through the Alumni Voice Panel, and more.

Level up: WSB alumni receive a 5% discount on professional development programs offered by the Center for Professional & Executive Development.

Quiz answer: A: Finance, investment, and banking. Top matches that pair with this major are real estate and urban land economics, risk management and insurance, and economics.

About Business Casual

Every other month, alumni and friends of the Wisconsin School of Business will receive insider updates with news about our alumni, faculty, students, and programs. If you want to share Business Casual with friends, they can sign up at go.wisc.edu/wsb-biz-cas.

Questions or comments? Email businesscasual@wsb.wisc.edu

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