SCORE Southeast Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization offering workshops and mentoring to startups and existing small businesses, is pleased to announce, “Inventing Our Way to Wisconsin’s Future”, an all-day conference for current and potential inventors and entrepreneurs, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Pewaukee.

“Invention today is not just about the high-profile technology we see featured every day in the media,” says Earl Humphrey, SCORE Southeast Wisconsin mentor and conference director. “There’s also a lot of innovation happening in Wisconsin in manufacturing, agriculture, education and consumer product development. This SCORE event targets the inventors and entrepreneurs with all types of products and services – men and women who have an idea, but need guidance on how to take the next step.”

Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, will lead a panel discussion with Liz Eversoll (Meeper Technology), Matt Younkle (Cardigan) and Dustin Herte (Blue Line Battery) about how they successfully launched products and businesses in the state. In addition, breakout sessions repeated twice throughout the day will focus on pressing issues for today’s inventors: viability, intellectual property, business plans and financing.

Fashion Designer Linda Marcus, will promote and champion invention in the state by providing insight and education that can help launch ideas from paper to prototype to actual product.

Dr. Christal Sheppard, director of the Midwest Regional U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), who will offer insight on the latest developments in intellectual property, including the resources available to inventors.

“People want to know if their invention ideas will be commercially viable, and if they can build a business plan around it,” adds Humphrey. “If they’re not immediately bankable, they need to know the alternatives for financing, and where to find that money to get their idea off the ground. We can help them find the answers.”

For more information about “Inventing Our Way to Wisconsin’s Future”, visit, www.sewisconsin.score.org.

About SCORE Southeast Wisconsin:  SCORE mentors are volunteer executives and entrepreneurs who provide free, confidential counseling and client education through low-cost business training sessions, webinars, business templates and online resources. To learn more about SCORE, visit www.sewisconsin.score.org.