The UWM Startup Challenge

The UWM Startup Challenge fosters an innovative and entrepreneurial culture at UWM. The 2024 – 2025 academic year will feature our 13^th Startup Challenge cohort.

What does it mean to “start up”? 

Launching a business? Bringing an idea to life? Kickstarting a new career, or reimagining your life beyond university?

At the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center (LEC), we believe ‘starting up’ means designing your own path, shaping your career, and creating the world you want to live in. Through the UWM Startup Challenge, we foster an innovative culture that goes beyond traditional entrepreneurship. We’re here to help you unlock your potential and discover paths to joyful, impactful work.

The Startup Challenge: Your Launchpad for Innovation

Join our exclusive community of over 300 driven and passionate alumni who’ve already benefited from our longest-running LEC program. In the Startup Challenge, you’ll:

• Research and develop your ideas
• Prototype products, services, or social ventures
• Launch new businesses
• Gain invaluable entrepreneurial skills

Dive into an academic year of hands-on ‘starting up,’ complemented by our Launch & Lunches and LEC Talk Series.

Expand Your Network, Amplify Your Impact

At the LEC, we believe our greatest asset is you and the community we build together. Through the Startup Challenge, you’ll connect with:

• Fellow innovators and entrepreneurs
• Esteemed UWM professors and staff
• Experienced mentors
• Milwaukee business leaders

Your Journey With Us: Commitment & Timeline

The Startup Challenge is designed for those ready to fully immerse themselves in entrepreneurship. Here’s what we offer to dedicated innovators:

• Booster Sessions: Intensive workshops that form the backbone of your experience
• LEC Launch & Lunches: Weekly community building and mentorship every Wednesday at noon
• Exclusive conversations with industry leaders

To get the most out of this transformative experience, we expect you to attend all Booster Sessions and actively participate in our other events. This program is for those who are passionate about innovation, committed to personal and professional growth, and ready to engage fully with our entrepreneurial community.

Eligibility

We welcome:

• All current UWM students, regardless of school or college
• Recent UWM alumni
• Non-UWM community members

Come with a team or dive in solo – both options are encouraged. Our past participants have launched diverse ventures, including:

• Engineered products and biomedical innovations
• Computer hardware and software
• Food trucks and music labels
• Yoga studios and coloring books
• Non-profits and social ventures

Your idea has a place here, no matter how unconventional.

Your Ideas, Your Rights: Confidentiality & Intellectual Property Protection

At the LEC, we believe in empowering you. You will own everything you create!

We encourage collaboration to enhance decision-making by involving a variety of players. You can request confidentiality for initial submissions; however, the LEC reserves the right to share non-confidential summaries to showcase our community’s innovation. Intellectual Property remains the property of the disclosing party unless otherwise agreed to separately.