Startup Wisconsin Podcast

Discover the untold stories of innovation across Wisconsin's growing tech startup ecosystem. From Madison to Milwaukee and everywhere in between, we go behind the scenes with the founders, investors, and community builders shaping Wisconsin's entrepreneurial future.Each episode features in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs who are leveraging Wisconsin's unique advantages to build sustainable, impactful companies across industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture. You'll hear from ecosystem builders creating opportunities statewide, investors backing the next generation of Wisconsin companies, and community leaders connecting talent, resources, and ideas.Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, seasoned founder, or simply curious about Wisconsin's startup scene, this podcast showcases the real stories of innovation happening right in our backyard.

Startup Wisconsin Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Startup Wisconsin, Jacob Miller, with 21 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Startup Wisconsin, Jacob Miller hosts Startup Wisconsin Podcast, a business show with 21 episodes published.

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  Episode #21

  No Fees, No Equity: How Creative Destruction Lab Builds Startups in Wisconsin, with Kai Heineman

  Jul 23, 202633 min

  Kai Heineman puts 50% of her startup evaluation on the team. That may sound surprising when the product is what customers ultimately buy. But in the early stages of a company, the team has to navigate uncertainty, raise money, find customers, change direction, and keep showing up when progress gets difficult. Kai is a venture manager at Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she leads the health and wellness stream. CDL works with seed-stage science and technology companies through a nonprofit model with no fees, no equity, and no IP requirements. In this conversation, Kai explains how CDL works, why the program focuses founders on three critical objectives at a time, and what separates founders who thrive from those who struggle. Jacob and Kai also discuss why CDL chose Wisconsin, what visiting founders discover when they come to Madison, and how the program connects global startups with local mentors, investors, healthcare organizations, and UW–Madison students. Tune in to learn: Why Kai weighs the founding team more heavily than the product How Creative Destruction Lab differs from traditional accelerators What makes Wisconsin valuable to health and insurance startups Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introduction (02:20) From biology student to startup builder (04:33) How Creative Destruction Lab supports startups (06:45) Mentorship expands from local to global (08:30) Inside CDL’s intensive session days (10:52) Why founders focus on three objectives (13:26) Why CDL launched in Wisconsin (15:04) How corporate partners support CDL (16:11) CDL recruits scalable startups worldwide (17:34) Why visiting founders embrace Madison (19:09) How Droxy scaled through CDL (20:32) Connecting UW students with global startups (22:33) Why seed-stage startups fit CDL (24:17) Why strong teams make successful startups (28:05) How to join the CDL community (29:35) Apply by July 24 for CDL (30:39) Why founder community determines success Connect with Kai and CDL Connect with Kai Heineman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-heineman/ Check out Creative Destruction Lab: http://www.creativedestructionlab.com/ Podcast Sponsor Valency Fund Flexible funding solutions designed for sustainable growth of Wisconsin companies. Learn more at https://www.valencyfund.com/ Connect With Us Subscribe to the Startup Wisconsin Newsletter https://www.startupwi.org/ Upcoming Tech and Startup Events in Wisconsin (400+ every year) https://www.startupwi.org/events Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-wisconsin/ Connect with Jacob Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kineticbear Interested in being a guest? Reach out! jacob@startupwi.org Startup Wisconsin's mission is to connect, educate, inspire, and grow tech startup communities across the state, not just during events, but year-round. This podcast is part of that vision, creating deeper connections and sharing the knowledge that helps Wisconsin's startup ecosystem thrive. This podcast is made by your friends at Headway. https://www.headway.io

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  Episode #20

  How Forward BIOLABS Gives Wisconsin's Biotech Founders a Running Start with Jessica Martin Eckerly

  Jun 30, 202636 min

  “If you're a founder without any sort of Forward BIOLABS, you have some experiments that you need to do. And without anything like this, they have to think, ‘Well, how am I gonna get that done?’” Jessica reflects on her 20 plus years of experience moving academic discoveries into the marketplace and explains why biotech founders face such high barriers to entry. From expensive lab equipment, safety requirements, and regulatory testing to complex logistics, she breaks down how shared lab space and on-site support can save startups significant time and cost. She also shares how Forward BIOLABS began as a “napkin scratch” idea that required fundraising, stakeholder alignment, and quick validation through early tenant companies. We also discuss how Forward BIOLABS fits into Wisconsin’s broader innovation ecosystem, including partnerships across universities, nonprofits, and industry. Jessica highlights collaboration with organizations like WARF and WiCell, the strength of biotech talent in Madison, and why many companies choose to stay in Wisconsin as they scale rather than relocate to coastal hubs. She also shares examples like Elephas Bio, which grew from early-stage tenancy into a major personalized medicine company. Tune in to learn: Why biotech startups struggle with space, equipment, and regulatory complexity How Forward BIOLABS helps founders launch faster with shared lab infrastructure and support Why Wisconsin’s biotech ecosystem is growing through collaboration across universities, nonprofits, and industry Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introduction (04:10) Building the 2018 pilot lab launch (06:34) Why biotech startups cost more (08:41) All in one lab simplicity advantage (11:09) Founder unlocks and early wins (12:17) When founders should join labs (15:04) Ecosystem front doors and referrals (17:10) Elephas Bio cancer startup spotlight (20:44) Why startups stay in Madison (24:13) Milwaukee pilot ICP funding program (26:38) Milwaukee ecosystem momentum tour insights (27:44) Culture safety and fit screening (31:55) What's next in 2026 expansion plans (35:18) How to get involved quickly Connect Connect with Jessica Martin Eckerly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eckerlyjm/ Check out Forward BIOLABS: http://www.forwardbiolabs.org Podcast Sponsor Valency Fund Flexible funding solutions designed for sustainable growth of Wisconsin companies. Learn more at https://www.valencyfund.com/ 🔻 Connect With Us 🔻 Subscribe to the Startup Wisconsin Newsletter https://www.startupwi.org/ Upcoming Tech and Startup Events in Wisconsin (400+ every year) https://www.startupwi.org/events Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-wisconsin/ Connect with Jacob Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kineticbear Interested in being a guest? Reach out! jacob@startupwi.org Startup Wisconsin's mission is to connect, educate, inspire, and grow tech startup communities across the state, not just during events, but year-round. This podcast is part of that vision, creating deeper connections and sharing the knowledge that helps Wisconsin's startup ecosystem thrive. This podcast is made by your friends at Headway. https://www.headway.io

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  Episode #19

  Inside the Founder Forward Vision for UW-Madison with Jon Eckhardt

  May 21, 202657 minS0

  <p>“I cannot wait till like I'm somewhere up in Northern Wisconsin, I stop and open the door, and there's the founder of a company that came from this process.”</p> <p>In this episode, I sit down with Jon Eckhardt, Pyle Bascom Professor at the Wisconsin School of Business, to explore the university’s push to become more founder forward. Jon shares why entrepreneurship should be treated as a true career path, with support systems similar to medicine, law, and engineering.</p> <p>Jon reflects on the experiences that shaped his thinking, from serving in the Army to co-founding gener8...

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  Episode #18

  Fixing the Data Problem Slowing Down Life-Saving Drugs with Justin Byers

  Apr 21, 202644 minS0

  <p>“If nobody else is going to do this, I'm gonna jump in with both feet and I'm gonna make it happen.”</p> <p>In this episode, I sit down with Justin Byers, founder and CEO of Axio BioPharma, to explore how his company is solving one of biotech's most overlooked bottlenecks: the broken flow of data between early-stage research and large-scale manufacturing. Through AI-powered data pipelines, Axio is helping get life-saving therapies to patients faster and more reliably.</p> <p>Justin traces his path from bench scientist to biotech founder, sharing hard-won lessons from building a company in one of t...

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  Episode #17

  Building Belonging in Startup Communities with Angela Damiani

  Mar 31, 202650 minS0

  <p>“Every entrepreneur in Wisconsin has a place in this community.”</p> <p>In this episode, I chat with Angela Damiani, CEO and Co-founder of NEWaukee, a brand engagement agency that has been making waves with its innovative activations, events, and community-building efforts. Angela shares the story of how NEWaukee, initially a social club for entrepreneurs, evolved into a thriving agency and a leader in fostering Wisconsin’s startup culture. She discusses the creation of the Midwest Founders Community (MFC), a decentralized network connecting founders across the region, and the inspiring work of elevating the Wisconsin tech scene through collaboration and mu...

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