The UW Carbone Innovation Fund and Venture Philanthropy Program represents a unique partnership between the UW Carbone and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) providing a novel investment vehicle for leaders to direct key seed funding in promising new ideas, expand research capabilities, support faculty recruitment, and advance the development of innovative products and approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer.
Donors to this discretionary fund are true partners in the transformative work being done at UW Carbone. Innovation Fund members receive bi-annual impact reports, early notification of groundbreaking research, invitations to exclusive events in Madison and around the country, and a sense of community among the cancer center’s most generous and visionary friends. As of March 1, 2026, the Innovation Fund consists of 55 members, with a total of $21,878,691 in investments surpassing the initial goal of Phase I.
Members as of March 1, 2026
William and Signe Buchholz, Founding Members*
Rich and Sue Clack*
Walter and Londa Dewey*
David and Lois Fritz*
Greg and Michelle Gard, Garding Against Cancer*
Jeffrey and Mary Grundahl*
Melita Grunow*
Lemon Brothers*
Andy and Susan North, Andy North and Friends Initiative*
Ty and Sherrie Trbovich, The Feature*
The Aly Wolff Foundation*
Anonymous
Norm and Barbara Berven
Brad and Madonna Binkowski
Ernest and Louise Borden
Gertrude Deinlein
Roger and Gloria DeMeritt
George A. Fait Family 2001 Irrevocable Trust
Tom and Karen Falk
Susan Nicholas Fasciano Family Foundation
John and Jeanne Flesch
Gialamas Family
Christian and Carol Rosenstock, Gunning for Hope
Forrest Hartmann
Horizon Development Group, Inc.
Mark and Bonnie Huetten
Dan and Lena Kelly
Donald and JoAnne Krause
Daniel Leaver and Debra Zillmer
John and Kimberly Leja
Dave and Kris Lenz Family
Irving and Dorothy Levy Family Foundation, Inc.
Tim and Beth Mielcarek
Michael and Meghan Morrissey
Todd and Shari Nelson
Estate of Eldrid T. Olson in honor of Stephen Michael Olson
Ann Palmenberg
Edward and Judy Peirick
Margaret and Tom Pyle, The Pyle Foundation
Dan and Patti Rashke (TASC) Family Foundation
Jeffrey and Catherine Risseeuw
Fred Robertson and Sheryl Blair
Peter and Colleen Schmitz
John and Mary Schroeder
Dennis and Judith Skogen
Ron Skoronski
Sam Soffa
Linda and John Hughes and Anne and Tim Connor, Malcolm Stack Foundation
Chuck and Denise Steinhauer
Mary K. Strachota
Ken Von Rueden
R. Bart and Linda Wear
John and Patricia Zimbrick
*Denotes members of the Director’s Circle
Interested in learning more?
To learn more about advancing innovative cancer research and treatment at the UW Carbone through a gift to the UW Carbone Innovation Fund or to request a current UW Carbone Innovation Fund quarterly impact report, please contact: Valerie Zibell |Valerie.Zibell@SupportUW.org| (608) 234-0627