Applications for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s UpStart winter 2026 entrepreneurship program for women and people of color are now being accepted through Nov. 7, organizers recently announced.

The free eight-week program begins Tuesday, Jan. 20 and ends Tuesday, March 10. The classes are held from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

According to the website, UpStart connects participants to area professionals, helps them gain the skills needed to launch a business, helps them establish strategic goals and helps them identify next steps. Participants need to reside in or near Madison and surrounding communities, have a legal business idea and supportive of an inclusive learning environment.

Applications can be found here.

Note: the editor-in-chief of MadisonStartups.com teaches in UpStart