14 Jan Wisconsin School of Business Leads in Research and Startup Support
Through teaching, research, and startup support, the Wisconsin School of Business drives entrepreneurial success among students and alumni alike. Photo by Paul L. Newby II
The burgeoning Midwestern city of Madison, Wisconsin, appears in headlines touting top tech hubs with increasing frequency. Over the past five years, rankings from Forbes, Inc., and the Brookings Institution, among others, have all placed Madison among the leading U.S. cities for technology and innovation. The common denominator among each of these lists is irrefutable: the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the region’s leading driver of innovation and economic activity.
UW–Madison is responsible for $15 billion in economic impact statewide and boasts more than 400 university-related startup companies that support more than 25,000 jobs. At the heart of UW–Madison is the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB), which leads in providing the resources, education, and research to help young entrepreneurs succeed.
Jon Eckhardt, WSB associate professor of management and human resources, is studying ways to improve how university entrepreneurial ecosystems can drive economic growth. This research builds on Eckhardt’s existing line of survey research that looks at what characteristics and experiences make some students more inclined toward entrepreneurship.