Inside: - UW-Milwaukee

Entrepreneur Internship Program
La Macchia Enterprises Makes a Major Gift
to Support Entrepreneurship Initiatives
William E. La Macchia
La Macchia Enterprises, the parent
company of The Mark Travel
Company and Trisept Solutions,
has announced a gift of $250,000 in
Nicholas Lab
(continued from page 4)
and institutional investors, the fi rm concentrates
on independent, primary
research and performance, offering low
cost and low minimum investments to its
clients. It boasts $3.5 billion in assets
under management.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree
in fi nance and information technology
from UW-Madison, David Nicholas
accepted a position as a Credit Analyst at
First Wisconsin. He joined the Nicholas
Company in 1986, and became President
in 1998. Today, in addition to serving as
both President and Chief Investment
support of the Lubar School’s entrepreneurship
program and initiatives.
“We are happy that our gift will contribute
to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit
and skills of UWM’s Lubar School
students, who are so vital to the economic
future of our region,” said William E.
La Macchia, Chairman of the company.
The gift will support La Macchia Enterprises
Entrepreneur Interns, professional development
for students to attend national and
regional entrepreneurship conferences,
and other related activities and events.
In addition, the gift will establish an annual
business plan competition in the Lubar
School, set to launch this fall, which will
Offi cer of the fi rm, David is the Portfolio
Manager for two of the fi rm’s mutual funds.
David Nicholas enrolled in the MS-Finance
program at UWM while working at First
Wisconsin — working full-time while
getting his graduate degree, as do the
majority of Lubar School graduate students.
He continues to be actively involved at
UWM, as a member of the Lubar School’s
Business Advisory Council and the UWM
Foundation Board of Directors, and as a
major fan and supporter of Panther
Basketball.
provide students with the opportunity to
learn about entrepreneurship through
the development and presentation of an
innovative new venture idea to a panel of
judges. Participants in the competition
will have an opportunity to attend
work shops on the elements of business
plans, and to compete for cash prizes that
could be used to further the successful
commercialization of their ideas.
“This most generous gift from La Macchia
Enterprises is refl ective of the exemplary
entrepreneurial spirit and achievements
of Mr. William La Macchia, the company’s
founder, “said Dean V. Kanti Prasad. “It
will provide tremendous opportunities for
our students, and will have a great impact
on the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
“David Nicholas is a thoughtful and
generous business leader who helps in
so many ways to enhance the stature of
UWM and the Lubar School,” stated
Prasad. “We are delighted and honored
to be working with him to expand our
capabilities in the area of investment
fi nance, and to provide our students with
valuable expertise and hands-on learning
experiences in investment management.
The state-of-the-art Nicholas Lab will be
a ‘win-win’ for the Lubar School, our
students, and Milwaukee’s investment
community.”
SPRING 2007 13