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Alumni in Action

Meet WSB Impact Award Recipient Sean Jacobsohn

By Alumni Relations

September 9, 2024

Sean Jacobsohn, WSB Impact Award

A dedicated champion of the Wisconsin School of Business, Sean Jacobsohn (BBA ’94) has been recognized with the WSB Impact Award.

This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated service to the Wisconsin School of Business, and have volunteered their time and talent to advance the school’s priorities.

Jacobsohn, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, has been a major supporter of WSB, where he recently concluded a term on the school’s External Advisory Board. Jacobsohn has also participated in alumni networking events, serves on the finance department’s advisory board, was a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab, and has connected numerous corporate partners to WSB, creating countless opportunities for both students and alumni.

“Sean’s service to the Wisconsin School of Business has resulted in wide-reaching impacts across the areas of entrepreneurship, finance, industry relations, and so much more,” says Jerad Meyer, associate vice president of development for WSB at the University of Wisconsin Foundation. “He has supported many of our school’s efforts through both philanthropy and volunteer service. He talks the talk, walks the walk, and is unbelievably committed to student success. On top of that, Sean is one the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. I’m proud to call him a friend and can think of no one better for this recognition.”

As a high school student growing up in Mequon, Wisconsin, Jacobsohn applied to one university and one university only: UW–Madison. At WSB, he pursued majors in finance and marketing, plus a minor in international business, while also getting involved with school entrepreneurship programs and starting a student-based sports club.

After graduation, Jacobsohn launched his career at Prudential Financial. He’d go on to earn an MBA at Harvard Business School, join three early-stage companies that would eventually go public, and become involved in angel investing.

“Sean’s service to the Wisconsin School of Business has resulted in
wide-reaching impacts across the areas of entrepreneurship,
finance, industry relations, and so much more.”

—Jerad Meyer, associate vice president of development for WSB

In 2014, he was recruited to Norwest Venture Partners, a global venture capital and growth equity investment firm which manages more than $15.5 billion in capital and has invested in more than 700 companies. In his role as partner, Jacobsohn focuses on early to late-stage investment opportunities in enterprise software.

In addition to his work, Jacobsohn is the founder and chief historian of the Failure Museum: his personal collection of over 1,000 artifacts showcasing a wide range of failed companies, products, and ideas. In addition to featuring each item online, Jacobsohn shares his thoughts about failure on his blog and personal LinkedIn page, and what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from each example.

Read about the other 2024 WSB Alumni Award recipients.


Vallabh “Samba” Sambamurthy, WSB’s Albert O. Nicholas Dean

From Dean Samba

“Sean’s energy is boundless and we are fortunate he has generously shared his perspectives, expertise, and networks with us. He is the ultimate connector and advocate, helping us engage with a host of alumni, companies and parents.”


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