An app that assists Alzheimer’s caregivers. Refining Nike’s website user experience. Using augmented reality (AR) to enhance learning in areas as varied as managing product inventory and music education.
Just three months after its launch, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Tech Exploration Lab, a cross-campus collaboration led by the Wisconsin School of Business and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, is showcasing its impact through 24 innovative student-led projects. This cross-disciplinary lab, housed at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, focuses on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, AR, Internet of Things, machine learning, and robotics.
Students in the lab, who benefit from over a dozen industry partnerships offering mentorship and resources, work on both industry-driven and self-directed projects under the guidance of alumni partners.
“We believe the best learning happens when students engage with real problems from industry,” says Sandra Bradley, co-director of the Tech Exploration Lab. “Our mentors and partner companies are the driving force behind that experience. By bringing their toughest challenges into the lab, companies not only give students an invaluable opportunity to experiment, but they gain something just as powerful: fresh thinking, rapid prototyping, and insights that can directly advance their own innovation efforts.”
Kurt Kober, entrepreneur and former global vice president with The Honest Company, encountered exactly that when mentoring a team who developed an AI model to monitor and assess changes in skin health.
“I came into the Tech Exploration Lab to mentor students, but I walked away with something I didn’t expect: momentum,” says Kober, a WSB alum (MBA ‘07) and member of the school’s External Advisory Board. “The lab’s interdisciplinary, experimental spirit gave me the space—and the spark—to test an idea I’d been quietly incubating in the wellness space. Sometimes, the best breakthroughs happen when curiosity, collaboration, and a little Badger grit collide.”
For Cub Foods CIO Luke Anderson, mentoring students is “a unique way to stay ahead of the curve while also supporting the next generation of innovators,” he says.
“The Tech Exploration Lab has been a great resource for us to explore how AI can benefit our business—without the high risk that usually comes with early experimentation,” says Anderson. “Through our engagement with the lab, we’ve been able to surface fresh ideas from talented students, test potential applications in a low-stakes environment, and get clearer insights into where AI could drive real value for our operations.”
In Bradley’s view, these collaborations highlight the incredible value WSB contributes to campus.
“After graduating from programs that provide a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to business, WSB alumni work in a wide variety of industries and roles,” she says. “The Tech Exploration Lab leverages this global network to connect students from any discipline with the Business Badgers that can take their work from project to product in a very real way.”
The positive impact of alumni leadership
The Tech Exploration Lab benefits from the guidance of 14 industry mentors—all accomplished UW–Madison or WSB alumni hailing from leading firms in retail, tech, and venture capital. These partnerships contribute to the lab’s success across three key areas of influence.
- Shaping strategic direction. Among the most renowned leaders in their field representing some of the world’s top brands and firms, the lab’s industry partners help UW–Madison shape its strategic direction and provide the visionary ideas and thought leadership that drive each project and initiative.
- Cultivating relationships with industry. Industry partners are on the cutting-edge of the latest trends and emerging technologies. Forging relationships with one alumni mentor can open doors to other industry leaders or partner organizations excited to contribute, support, or engage with the lab and the wider UW–Madison ecosystem.
- Building relationships with students. Semester-length projects offer students the opportunity to benefit from industry mentors’ expertise and real-world experience while seeing their ventures take shape. The lab’s networking events and upcoming Open House are opportunities for students to showcase their technological skills and business acumen to potential employers. “Many companies definitely view the lab as an opportunity to vet talent and ‘pre-train’ future interns and employees,” Bradley says. “Others are looking for ‘what’s next’ and, especially with AI driving innovation, young founders have an edge.”
Partnering with Google
In addition to the 14 industry partners, Google has been a primary partner this first semester, not only in strategy but in providing technology and tools, including a custom AI Sandbox—managed by the university’s Division of information Technology, and access to Google Cloud and other tools.
“Google has been a critical strategic partner for us,” says Bradley.
Along with the technological tools, Google engineers come to campus to meet with students and connect via virtual office hours.
“That’s huge,” Bradley says, “because students can just jump on, ask questions, ‘Can you help coach me with this?’ and ask for feedback in real time. That’s been one of the most powerful things we’ve done.”
The company also gave the lab access to asynchronous online educational content at no charge to students, including skills modules where they can earn microcredentials and certificates to add to their résumé.
“A multidisciplinary lab like ours relies on partnerships like the one we have with Google,” says Bradley. “Through an AI Sandbox, learning modules, and access to Google engineers, students are able to learn and advance ideas in ways they could not otherwise.”
Experience the Tech Exploration Lab
Student teams will showcase their projects at the lab’s upcoming Open House on Thursday. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are encouraged.
The event celebrates student innovation in emerging tech and highlights the pivotal role of alumni and industry partnerships in fostering this cutting-edge work.
“Partnering with sharp, driven students helped turn that early vision into a viable concept,” Kober says. “It was a powerful reminder that innovation doesn’t flow top-down.”