Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship
The Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship provides no-cost consulting, training, and technical assistance to Wisconsin small business owners through a statewide SBDC network and specialized programs covering technology commercialization, food and farm finance, digital marketing, AI adoption, and capital readiness.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersMadison, Wisconsin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship does
The Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship (OBE) is a non-profit governmental unit within the Universities of Wisconsin system, founded in 1979 to deliver educational programs and no-cost confidential consulting services to Wisconsin-based small business owners and entrepreneurs. OBE is overseen by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and is not venture-backed, privately held, or publicly traded. The organization operates through four core business units—the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), Food Finance Institute (FFI), Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network, and YourEconomy—supported by regional SBDC centers embedded at University of Wisconsin campuses in Madison, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, River Falls, La Crosse, and Stevens Point, providing service coverage across all 72 Wisconsin counties.
OBE delivers its offerings through a portfolio of specialized initiatives: the Small Business AI Center (SBAIC) for AI adoption support, the Main Street Bounceback Technical Assistance Program, the Digital Marketing Clinic (DMC), the SSBCI Technical Assistance Center for very small and disadvantaged businesses, the Capital Readiness Program for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business Clinics, SBIR Advance matching grants, and the SBIR Labs program. All consulting, training, and technical assistance services are provided at no cost to eligible Wisconsin businesses; programs such as SBIR Advance are the exception, providing matching funds for technology commercialization. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products but functions as a consulting and technical assistance platform that leverages university resources including faculty expertise and trained student consultants certified in SEO, analytics, and AI tool usage.
Operating funding is sourced from state appropriations through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), federal pass-through funding from the U.S. Treasury under the SSBCI program, and federal grants including up to $1 million over 5 years from the SBA's Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. Reported cumulative client outcomes since 2020 include 4,260 jobs created and retained, 870 new businesses started, and $557 million in client capital obtained and invested. Geographic scope is explicitly restricted to Wisconsin-based businesses, and the organization is led by Executive Director Bon Wikenheiser.
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship
- Legal name
- Board of Regents - University of Wisconsin System
- Website
- https://business.wisconsin.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship provides no-cost consulting, training, and technical assistance to Wisconsin small business owners through a statewide SBDC network and specialized programs covering technology commercialization, food and farm finance, digital marketing, AI adoption, and capital readiness.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Small Business Consulting and Economic Development Services
- NAICS
- Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison, Wisconsin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- State Funding - Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC): Primary state funding through partnership with WEDC, which administers SSBCI and other state economic development programs. OBE receives support to provide technical assistance, training, and programs to Wisconsin small businesses.
- Federal Funding - U.S. Treasury SSBCI: SSBCI is funded by the U.S. Treasury through WEDC, providing no-cost technical assistance to very small and socially/economically disadvantaged businesses seeking access to capital.
- Federal SBA FAST Grant: Center for Technology Commercialization received up to $1 million over 5 years from U.S. Small Business Administration's Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program for SBIR Labs program.
- Universities of Wisconsin System Support: Core operational support from the Universities of Wisconsin system, including staffing, facilities, and administrative infrastructure through UW-Madison and other UW campuses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | No-cost consulting and assistance to all eligible Wisconsin small businesses |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Office of Business & Entrepreneurship provides no-cost, confidential consulting, educational programs, training events, and grant facilitation services for Wisconsin-based small business owners and entrepreneurs. Its portfolio is organized around four core business units (SBDC, CTC, FFI, YourEconomy) and specialized programs covering AI adoption, digital marketing, capital readiness, technology commercialization, and food business finance.
Product overview
The Office of Business & Entrepreneurship (OBE) is a business assistance network providing educational programs and no-cost, confidential consulting services for Wisconsin small business owners and entrepreneurs. The portfolio consists of four core business units: the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), Food Finance Institute (FFI), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and YourEconomy. OBE also operates multiple specialized initiatives including the Small Business AI Center (SBAIC) providing AI education and implementation support, the Main Street Bounceback Technical Assistance Program offering business training and consulting, the Digital Marketing Clinic for digital marketing assistance, the SSBCI Technical Assistance Center for capital readiness support, and the Capital Readiness Program for Women Entrepreneurs. Additional offerings include Small Business Clinics (one-day workshop events) and SBIR Advance Matching Grants for technology commercialization. The programs work collaboratively to provide comprehensive, often no-cost support across all stages of business development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Small Business AI Center (SBAIC): Provides no-cost AI education, tools guidance, and implementation support to Wisconsin small businesses
- Main Street Bounceback Technical Assistance
- Capital Readiness Program (CRP)
- Digital Marketing Clinic
- SSBCI Technical Assistance Center
Products and services
- Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
- Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC)
- Food Finance Institute (FFI)
- YourEconomy
- Small Business AI Center (SBAIC)
- Main Street Bounceback Technical Assistance Program
- Digital Marketing Clinic (DMC)
- SSBCI Technical Assistance Center
- Capital Readiness Program for Women Entrepreneurs (CRP)
- Small Business Clinics
- SBIR Advance Matching Grant
- SBIR Labs
- University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,260 jobs created and retained since 2020
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UW-Madison Law & Entrepreneurship CliniccoreProvides one-on-one education and advising on legal matters for SSBCI program participants. If a legal need is identified through SSBCI intake, direct referrals are made to the clinic. Services include business formation, contracts, investor documents, and ESOPs.
- Universities of Wisconsin SystemcoreOBE is a proud part of the Universities of Wisconsin (Board of Regents - University of Wisconsin System). The organization leverages UW campuses including Oshkosh, Milwaukee, River Falls, La Crosse, Stevens Point, and Platteville for program delivery through SBDC centers and specialized initiatives.
- University of Wisconsin OshkoshcoreUW Oshkosh operates in affiliation with OBE's Small Business AI Center (SBAIC) and Digital Marketing Clinic (DMC), providing student consultants and faculty expertise for AI and digital marketing support programs.
- University of Wisconsin MilwaukeecoreUW Milwaukee operates in affiliation with OBE's Digital Marketing Clinic (DMC), providing student consultants and faculty expertise for digital marketing support programs serving Wisconsin small businesses.
- University of Wisconsin River FallscoreUW River Falls operates in affiliation with OBE's Small Business AI Center (SBAIC), providing student AI consultants and university resources for AI support programs.
- Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)minorPartner in the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference and other economic development initiatives. WWBIC assists diverse populations including Latina entrepreneurs through collaborative programming.
- Waukesha County Technical CollegeminorHost venue for Small Business Clinic events. Partners with OBE to provide accessible location for small business training and consulting services in the Waukesha area.
- Wisconsin Indigenous Housing & Economic Development Corporation (WIHEDC)minorPartner in Small Business Clinic events, providing welcome address and connecting indigenous entrepreneurs with OBE resources and programs.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- America's SBDC Network: The national association that links every state/territory SBDC; OBE operates the Wisconsin SBDC Network as part of this umbrella. Comparable because it represents the same SBDC model OBE delivers, just aggregated at a national level.
- Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC): Wisconsin-based peer organization providing capital, education, and technical assistance — especially to women and Latina entrepreneurs. Overlaps directly with OBE's Capital Readiness Program for Women and SSBCI TA Center, and the two partner on joint programming.
- SCORE: National nonprofit that provides free business mentoring, workshops, and resources to entrepreneurs — closely mirrors OBE's SBDC and Main Street Bounceback service model of free1:1 consulting and training for SMBs, though operating nationally.
- Small Business Majority: National small business advocacy and education organization that conducts research, runs entrepreneur education programs, and connects SMBs to resources — comparable mission and audience to OBE, though operating at national scale and with stronger policy advocacy.
Emerging players
- MassChallenge: Global accelerator offering no-equity startup support, mentorship, and programming — overlaps with OBE's startup-advisory functions (SBAIC, CTC) but serves a for-profit founder cohort via a competitive cohort model rather than open-access state-funded consulting.
- Main Street America: National downtown/district revitalization program whose 'Main Street' approach is the namesake inspiration for OBE's Main Street Bounceback Technical Assistance Program. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem-builder serving small businesses in commercial corridors.
Broad incumbents
- Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): Federal U.S. agency that partners with OBE on the Capital Readiness Program for Women and provides capital-access support to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable as a federally funded small business assistance entity, though operating nationally and through different delivery partners.
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major national philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship education, research, and ecosystem-building — comparable mission of advancing small business and entrepreneurship, though it operates as a grantmaker and research institution rather than a direct service provider like OBE.
Regional players
- Michigan Small Business Development Center: A peer state SBDC network in Michigan with near-identical service structure (free consulting, training events, technology commercialization support) — directly comparable as a regional peer to Wisconsin's SBDC network within OBE.
- Illinois SBDC / Illinois Business Consulting: Illinois state SBDC network offering no-cost advising and training to small businesses, including tech commercialization — mirrors Wisconsin OBE's structure but serves a different (neighboring) state.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship social profiles
Digital presenceUniversities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship
What does Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship do?
The Office of Business & Entrepreneurship provides no-cost, confidential consulting, educational programs, training events, and grant facilitation services for Wisconsin-based small business owners and entrepreneurs. Its portfolio is organized around four core business units (SBDC, CTC, FFI, YourEconomy) and specialized programs covering AI adoption, digital marketing, capital readiness, technology commercialization, and food business finance.
Is Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship a public or private company?
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship founded?
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship based?
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. State Funding - Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is the primary driver. The others are federal Funding - U.S. Treasury SSBCI, federal SBA FAST Grant and universities of Wisconsin System Support.
Who are Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are America's SBDC Network, Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), SCORE and Small Business Majority. Emerging players are MassChallenge and Main Street America. Broad incumbents are Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Regional players are Michigan Small Business Development Center and Illinois SBDC / Illinois Business Consulting.
Does Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship have an API?
No public API is recorded for Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship.
What industry is Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship in?
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Business & Entrepreneurship's product category is Small Business Consulting and Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics, with a secondary code of EDAAAOAM, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs. Its NAICS code is 611410 and its SIC code is 8200.