After Sam Floyd served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2004, he gave college a try.
“I went to UWO for a year and dropped out because I didn’t really understand how to be a student,” Floyd says.
In April and May, Floyd returned to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, but this time he is part of a program designed to bring entrepreneurs together with students.
The Innovation Foundry that launched this spring in Oshkosh identified a gap in the entrepreneur ecosystem and is filling it with hands-on learning.
The program is a collaboration with the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation (GOEDC), the UW Oshkosh Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and the Small Business Development Center at UW Oshkosh. It secured a $150,000 Small Business Technical Assistance grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
“GOEDC reached out and said we have this strategic pillar around building a culture of innovation. We were talking about how we start building entrepreneurial ecosystems here,” says John Muraski, a UW Oshkosh professor who leads its Center for AI.
Muraski helped develop entrepreneurial ecosystem building tools at UW Oshkosh after it received a Kauffman Foundation grant. Those tools (ccubed.tools) were shared with land grant universities across the U.S.
GOEDC strategic planning revealed a gap in resources for existing small businesses seeking to diversify or test new offerings.
“This program aligns with GOEDC’s Future in Focus strategy to cultivate a Culture of Innovation for longer-term business growth and competitiveness,” said Tricia Rathermel, president and CEO of GOEDC.
Early-stage startups have access to entry-level programming, but established firms often lack a structured pathway to move ideas from concept to launch.
“So we said, ‘let’s eat our own dog food here in Oshkosh,’” Muraski says.
In one classroom session, Muraski guided the groups in exercises designed to analyze their business opportunities and challenges using AI tools that resulted in specific actions and questions for each entrepreneur.
“I’m really loving it so far,” says student Carter Phillips. “I want to become an entrepreneur some day and AI is the future.”
Phillips, who sells vintage clothing online, says, “I was starting to use AI to build larger profit margins for my business.”
Floyd says it’s been a good fit for him. He started Operation Coffee in 2017 after some mental health struggles. He says part of his company’s mission is to start conversations over coffee and to help veterans support each other.
He is paired with Phillips and Floyd says it’s helpful to have someone to help evaluate ideas, and he has included Phillips in business meetings.
“Carter brings a different perspective,” Floyd says. “It’s super valuable.”
The two have been working to help Operation Coffee bring a ready-to-drink canned coffee beverage to market. One idea that came from the student team was to include a QR code on the can that links customers to the mission of Operation Coffee.
It fits well with the opportunities Muraski and GOEDC identified, and Muraski says the student teams bring an interdisciplinary approach.
“The goals are allowing students to have this real experience with entrepreneurship and working with small businesses and to help those small businesses kick off a new product or service or add a new product or service,” he says.
Muraski says the enthusiasm and interest in the program is growing with six businesses expected to participate in the next cohort.
“It’s just a really neat program,” Muraski says.
Phillips adds, “I’m learning a lot and learning how to manage my time as well.”
How Innovation Foundry Works
Eight-week program with a two-hour facilitated workshop each week with students
Each session focuses on building real deliverables for the business
A dedicated student works eight to ten hours per week embedded in the business
Student support includes market research, AI-powered analysis, digital marketing and design work
Business owners complete two to three hours of guided outside activities per week, applying classroom learning directly to their business
