Three University of Wisconsin alumni and one faculty member who have succeeded as entrepreneurs will receive an Entrepreneurial Achievement Award in a ceremony held Monday at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, the university announced today.

“UW-Madison has long been an incubator for entrepreneurs, with a vibrant culture that encourages innovation among our faculty, staff and students,” Interim Chancellor David Ward said in a statement. “This award was created to honor some of the many talented and creative alumni and faculty who have achieved great entrepreneurial success, become job creators and have served as exceptional models for our students.”

The recipients are:

• Laurie Benson, who co-founded Inacom (now Core BTS) and now runs her own consulting firm,
• Professor Emeritus Richard Burgess, who co-founded ConjuGon and founded the university’s Biotechnology Center,
• Brian Raffel, who co-founded Raven Software, and
• Eric Sheinkop, who co-founded Music Dealers and co-wrote Hit Brands: How Music Builds Value for the World’s Smartest Brands.