Entrepreneurship Major
What You’ll Learn
Learn how to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses by identifying customer needs, conducting market research, testing value propositions, and raising capital. Lead with an entrepreneurial mindset and manage both new ventures and product lines in growing companies.
Topics, skills, and concepts
- Develop ideas for new business ventures
- Evaluate opportunities using quantitative and qualitative analytical tools
- Acquire resources needed to launch a successful venture
- Lead thoughtfully, value diverse perspectives, and work collaboratively
6
in public universities in North America for undergraduate entrepreneurship
—Pitchbook, 2023
Prepare for Your Career in Entrepreneurship
average starting salary*
*Starting salaries for startup founders vary. They are largely determined by the economics of the business at the time of graduation.
Key employers
Knowledge and abilities
- Develop and de-risk new venture ideas
- Evaluate market opportunities
- Quantify and pursue necessary capital for the launch and growth of a new venture
- Build and lead high-performance teams able to navigate entrepreneurial situations
Common job titles
- Founder
- Financial analyst
- Management consultant
- Marketer
- Product manager
Common Career Paths
Founders use their skills and knowledge to start and run businesses. They identify a problem, create a solution, and acquire funding to turn their idea into a successful venture. Founders work in any industry and create products or services that meet the needs of their target customers. These skills can be used to develop and manage new products or services in existing companies.
Financial analysts provide financial advice and analysis to individuals or organizations. They help clients with various financial topics, such as budgeting, forecasting, cash flow analysis, and investment advice. They advise early-stage investors or companies raising capital.
Management consultants specialize in optimizing organizational practices for increased performance and productivity. They offer advice and guidance on various aspects of business, such as strategy, operations, finance, and marketing.
Marketers work with companies or individuals to create content that promotes a specific product or brand. Marketers perform a variety of jobs, from digital design to copywriting. Leveraging a variety of tools, they ensure content reaches as many consumers as possible.
Product managers define and deliver products that meet customer needs and business goals. They are responsible for identifying customer problems, validating solutions, creating product roadmaps, and collaborating across teams. They measure and communicate the impact of the product to leadership and other stakeholders.
Making an Impact Beyond Business
Our students and alumni are innovators. They start their own ventures and brands. They push boundaries. They pursue that idea that just won’t quit.
Creating Community
CJ Wilkerson (BBA ’25)
Founder and CEO, Croesus
Washington, D.C.
To CJ, business is about people. He runs two businesses from UW–Madison–a barbershop and an apparel line, Croesus. Each provides a sense of community: the barbershop, a safe place for clients to talk; Croesus, a brand that symbolizes shared values.
Changing the Game
Noe Vital (BBA ’15)
CEO and Co-Founder, Vibez Golf Club
San Diego
Noe is making golf more accessible. He co-founded Vibez Golf Club, a startup that’s removing barriers to the sport. He’s driven to diversify and generate new interest in golf, particularly among communities that are not exposed to it.
Uplifting Her Community
Jayla Thompson (BBA ’23)
Founder, Shape with Jay
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jayla wants students to know they can have a healthy lifestyle. As a student, she founded the wellness brand Shape with Jay. Through training, meal planning, and social media, she encourages students—especially Black women—to establish healthy habits.
Starting Companies to Give Back
Jake Wood (BBA ’05)
Founder, Team Rubicon; Founder, Groundswell
Los Angeles
Jake Wood is reinventing philanthropy. He founded Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that helps communities hit by disaster. Then founded Groundswell, a platform for individuals and companies to oversee volunteering and charitable giving.
Empowering Others Through Wellness
Reena Vokoun (BBA ’98)
Founder and CEO, Passion Fit
San Diego
Reena founded Passion Fit by combining her lifelong passion for health and fitness with her years of professional business experience. She brings fitness, health, and wellness tools to companies, individuals, schools, and nonprofits.
Go Beyond the Classroom
Each year, students participate in competitions on campus where they showcase their innovative business ideas. Students apply what they learn in the classroom, network with mentors and investors, and gain feedback on their venture ideas.
Students can also choose to live in the residential StartUp Entrepreneurial Learning Community and participate in the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship.
Join a student org
Meet the Entrepreneurship Team
Career coach
Use Starfish to make an appointment with your career coach.
Shawn Johnson
Pathway consultant
