By: Aaron Holbrook
A new business accelerator based at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay launched Sept. 30 to focus on early stage companies across all industries.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Foundation have partnered with global venture firm and startup accelerator, gener8tor, to launch gBETA UW-Green Bay pre-accelerator program.
The free gBETA UW-Green Bay is a seven-week, no-equity accelerator program that provides startup founders with concierge coaching and programming, along with access to a large network of mentors, customers and investors. It will follow the curriculum of gener8tor’s global pre-accelerator, gBETA.
The intial investment in the program is $500,000 from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Brown County and Associated Bank.
“We will be doing our best to make sure that the best and brightest in Green Bay and on this campus have what they need to compete globally,” said Joe Kirgues, who cofounded gener8tor 13 years ago in Wisconsin. Since that time, gener8tor has grown to 100 employees and operates across the United States and in four countries. Kirgues said the graduates of its startup programs have gone on to generate $2.7 billion in follow up investment and more than 10,000 jobs.
The inaugural gBETA UW-Green Bay program is recruiting startups immediately and will kick off Oct. 28 with a cohort of five. Startup companies and founders interested in applying or learning more about gBETA -are encouraged to visit the gener8tor website. Emma Snyder has joined as the first program manager for gBETA UW-Green Bay. She can be reached at emma@gener8tor.com.
Officials speaking at the announcement said the launch is part of a larger effort to create an ecosystem of innovation, serve Northeast Wisconsin and provide UWGB students education and opportunities to succeed.
“We recognize that it doesn’t matter if you are an engineering student, you major in art, nursing or in business — you’re going to have to leave here with an entreprenurial mindest so you can identify and solve the world’s emerging challenges,” said Matt Dornbush, dean of the Cofrin School of Business. “We are a university thats built to serve the region and this is about partnerships. Through this program, we can put our faculty, staff and most importantly our students in direct relationships with the corporations and organizations that are shaping the future of this region.”
One of those partnerships is with Brown County which is collaborating with UWGB on the Phoenix Innovation Park. County Executive Troy Streckenbach said this is another step forward for the region to retain talent and grow businesses.
“Collaboration with gener8tor allows us to create new opportunities for entrepreneurs right here in Northeast Wisconsin,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “The partnership highlights how regional comprehensive universities can provide tremendous economic value to our communities while providing experiential learning for UW-Green Bay students and anyone in the region who wants to grow their ideas and companies.”
Kirgues said long range gBeta UW-Green Bay could include industry focused cohorts with nutrition, food and health being possibilities that are a good fit for the region and the UWGB partnership.
The program fits will with TitletownTech’s efforts which have funded some of gener8tor’s graduates, according to gener8tor partner Abby Kursel, who credited Craig Dickman, managing partner of TitletownTech with making introductions that fostered the partnership.