UW Entrepreneurship Kickoff
Welcome to the UW Entrepreneurship Kickoff — the front door to innovation and startups at UW–Madison.
UW's entrepreneurial ecosystem is bigger than most students realize and harder to navigate than it should be. Campus funds, accelerators, makerspaces, legal clinics, mentor networks, pitch competitions, student orgs, and courses — all real, all available, mostly invisible.
This is the one night of the year they are all in the same room.
👥 Who it's for
Students, alumni, faculty, and community members at every stage of entrepreneurship.
You don’t need an existing idea, a team, or a polished pitch. Whether you run an Etsy shop, freelance code/design, work on side projects, have a scalable startup concept, or just want to explore what UW has to offer — this event is for you.
📍 What to expect
30+ Organizations & Resources Across 5 Curated Zones:
💰 Get Funded (Grants, venture funds, competitions)
🛠️ Build Something (Makerspaces, prototyping labs, developer communities)
🧠 Get Advice (Mentors, legal clinics, small business advising)
🤝 Join a Community (Student clubs, builder networks, founder cohorts)
📚 Study & Explore (Entrepreneurship certificates, academic programs, informative student orgs)
Direct Access: Connect face-to-face with student leaders, founders, advisors, and mentors.
Keynote Remarks (6:15 PM): Brief, high-impact stories from successful UW–Madison alumni founders and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub.
🎁 What You Get
Free Food & Drinks: Enjoy free pizza throughout the event while you mingle, network, and explore the campus ecosystem.
UW Entrepreneurship Digital Guide (2026–27): The full directory of UW's entrepreneurial ecosystem — descriptions, upcoming events, and direct contact info for every major resource, org, and program on campus. Free to all Transcend general members, whether or not you make it to the event. [Become a member (takes 5 minutes) → https://tally.so/r/QKqPzp]
📅 Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Keynote at 6:15 PM)
📍 Location: Great Hall, Memorial Union
🏷️ Hosted by: Transcend UW