From advertising agencies to commercial cleaning services, UW-Whitewater students are launching their own businesses while still studying.
The Launch Pad program is a startup accelerator designed to help both undergraduate and graduate students start new businesses or grow existing ones. Through mentorship, training and business development support, the program helps students refine their ideas while connecting them with experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals.
Students in the program receive expert coaching from professors and entrepreneurs, weekly training on startup fundamentals and one-on-one meetings with Launch Pad coaches. Participants also gain access to resources such as business model development, mentorship connections and preparation for business pitch and plan competitions. Students are provided with office space and meeting rooms at the Whitewater University Innovation Center, as well as connections to accounting firms, law firms, marketing firms, venture capital investors and other business resources.
For many students, Launch Pad provides an opportunity to grow their business while simultaneously completing their degree. Recently, Launch Pad released its seven scholars for their 2026 program.
One of these scholars is Ben Lawrence, a freshman marketing major who is currently developing IronCrest Marketing, a full-service advertising agency. Lawrence first learned about the program through the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, a student entrepreneurship club at UW-Whitewater. Since joining Launch Pad, he says the program has helped him accelerate the growth of his business.
“So far my favorite aspects of Launch Pad have been the mentorship and just being able to grow my business faster than if I were doing it all by myself,” Lawrence said.
Although IronCrest Marketing is still in its early stages, Lawrence believes the support from Launch Pad will help him move closer to his long-term goals.
“I think the program will be able to help me scale my agency to the point where I will be on the path to my goals before graduating,” Lawrence said.
Another student entrepreneur in the program is senior Guadalupe Bustos, who is developing a commercial cleaning business that will serve offices, warehouses and other commercial facilities. Bustos is a first-generation college student studying financial planning.
“One of the aspects that is most meaningful to me is that the business will be family-run,” Bustos said. “My parents and siblings will be involved in helping operate and grow the company, allowing us to build something together long-term.”
Bustos’ interest in entrepreneurship comes largely from his upbringing and the work ethic he saw growing up.
“Our family brings more than 15 years of experience in the commercial cleaning industry, which has helped us understand the operational side of the business and the needs of clients,” Bustos said. “I’ve always admired the effort it takes to build stability and create opportunities for the next generation, and that perspective made me interested in learning how businesses operate and eventually starting something of my own.”
Toya Butler, another Launch Pad scholar, is majoring in corporate and health communication with a minor in entrepreneurship. With her graduation less than a year away, she plans not only to use her degree for business ventures but also a career in human resource management. Butler hopes to start True Comfort Heat and Air because she believes there is a need for better quality and efficiency within the industry.
The company will provide heating, ventilation, air conditioning and indoor air quality solutions designed to deliver reliable service, transparent pricing and a modern customer experience. While initially focused on the Greater Milwaukee metropolitan area, the company’s long-term vision is to build a scalable operating model that allows expansion across the Midwest and eventually into a nationally recognized HVAC service brand.
A common theme among scholars is the hope to develop something long-lasting with family at its core.
“A family member approached me who has experience and success in this industry. They asked me to help them build a family legacy that starts with the HVAC company,” Butler said.
Launch Pad provides a series of stepping stones to help make these dreams a reality.
“The aspects of Launch Pad that I am most excited about are the mentorship and coaching, learning how to optimize marketing and service plans and building and creating,” Butler said. “There is something about making an idea into something realistic and tangible that makes me feel like I am contributing to a world that needs significant and insignificant ideas to prosper.”
Scholar Ty Brandmeier is a junior who is majoring in marketing. Brandmeier is a prime example of balancing this work; he currently serves in the Army Reserve while operating his local painting company, Northwoods Coats and Colors. The business provides interior and exterior painting services. They work to differentiate themselves by using heavy digital marketing.
“We are currently in the operating stage,” Brandmeier said. “Having successfully completed numerous residential projects, we have an established workflow and a growing portfolio. My current focus is on scaling our operations to handle larger commercial contracts and upgrading our equipment and logistics.”
While the business is fully operational, Brandmeier hopes it will continue to grow.
“I applied to Launch Pad to gain the strategic insight needed to transition from a small local service to a larger, more structured enterprise,” Brandmeier said. “The program offers a unique environment to work on the business itself rather than just working in the day-to-day operations.”
While balancing classes and business development can be challenging, programs like Launch Pad allow students to take their ideas beyond the classroom. For some UW-W students, entrepreneurship is not just a far-out future goal, but something they are building before graduation.
