Students at UW–Madison will have expanded opportunities to explore the intersection of sustainability and entrepreneurship, thanks to a catalytic philanthropic investment of $660,000 in the Green Fund from alumnus Jim Weinert ’67, MBA ’69.
Established in 2006 and led by the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability, the Green Fund helps students turn big ideas into real projects that make campus more sustainable. By connecting student-led sustainability innovations to resources, the Green Fund both improves campus today and prepares student leaders to shape future change.
In recent years, the Green Fund supported projects that installed bird-safe windows, evaluated the energy efficiency of campus’s first electric kitchen, and even developed an ice cream recipe that can be stored at a higher temperature to reduce carbon emissions from freezers. This funding expansion will expand grants for student proposals, create networking events to connect the campus community with industry partners, and increase tracking and analyses of project effectiveness.
“If UW–Madison is going to meet its ambitious energy, waste, and sustainability goals, we are going to need ideas: lots of them,” says Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, which coadministers the Office of Sustainability. “Students bring boundless innovation, fresh eyes to old problems, and new takes. The Green Fund, backed by Jim Weinert’s experience and vision, lets them unleash all this, training them to get from pitch to execution. There’s nothing like it.”
A dual-degree Badger, Weinert has been a longtime supporter of the UW–Madison — particularly its efforts to support student startup ideas, train the next generation of business leaders, and expand entrepreneurship across the campus. In 1999, his generosity was honored with the naming of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship in the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB), which fosters entrepreneurial thinking for UW students at all levels and areas of study.
With a personal passion for sustainability and environmental initiatives, Weinert established the UW Environmental Awareness Fund at the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship in 2020. In addition to sponsoring Office of Sustainability campus events, this funding supports hands-on, real-world digital marketing projects for WSB students in support of campus sustainability initiatives. Students have led paid advertising campaigns to promote awareness of the Office of Sustainability’s intern program, drive attendance at UW–Madison Earth Fest, and more. Moved by the success of this initial investment, Weinert was motivated to help the University increase its impact in this space, and the idea to expand the Green Fund was born.
“The world is currently experiencing record-breaking extremes in heat, torrential rains, drought, and historic wildfires. Action by world leaders is long overdue, but we can all do our part,” Weinert says. “The Green Fund team of students, faculty, supporters, and their entrepreneurial spirit, has been and will increasingly make a difference. It has been my honor to have provided my support for the Wisconsin School of Business, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.”
Dan Olszewski, the Goldberg Family Director at the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship, was pivotal in seeing the expansion move from idea to fruition. Over the past 20 years, he has partnered with Weinert on entrepreneurial programming at UW–Madison and was instrumental in the development of this unique collaboration.
“Entrepreneurship is fundamentally about bringing people and resources together to creatively solve important problems. This program brings together students from across campus, innovative ideas, and funding to advance sustainability and make an impact far beyond UW–Madison,” said Olszewski.
The Wisconsin School of Business and the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies will jointly oversee the Green Fund expansion and management of funds. The vision is to fund projects that help UW–Madison both advance its sustainability goals and be a leader in the field by testing cutting-edge technologies and offering applied learning opportunities for students. A key driver of this vision will be collaborations with industry, including early-stage startups who are creative and nimble.
Weinert will be on campus to celebrate his gift and explore the nexus of sustainability and entrepreneurship at the Sustainability Symposium on October 28.
For more information on the Green Fund, contact program manager Ian Aley at iraley@wisc.edu.