Allen Dines, a longtime mentor and advocate in the Madison business scene, will be offering free advice sessions to entrepreneurs at 100state, the University of Wisconsin announced today.

The “office hours” begin Wednesday, and those interested may sign up online. According to a release, participants do not need to be affiliated with UW or 100state.

Dines, an assistant director at the UW Office of Corporate Relations, also has offered office hours at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

“I acted as coach, counselor, cheerleader and broker,” Dines said in a statement. “Some (visitors) had thought (their ideas) through pretty well and already had investors or made a product. Others were right at the beginning: ‘I have an idea; I wonder if makes any sense.”