Dan Rashke, owner and chief executive officer of Madison-based TASC, the nation’s largest privately held third-party administrator, will talk about innovation inside a mature company on the second day of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

Rashke, who has invested in early stage companies through TASC and other vehicles, will speak over lunch on Thursday, Nov. 16, the second day of the two-day conference at Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center.

With nearly 900 employees nationwide, TASC was founded in 1975 with roots in Wisconsin’s agri-business sector. Today, TASC is one of the top five national third-party administrators of employee benefit plans, with annual revenues exceeding $100 million, 21 service offerings and clients in all 50 states.

“Dan Rashke has helped keep TASC on the cutting edge in a traditional marketplace by innovating through technology, corporate investments and more,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “His award-winning approach to corporate culture and community building is an example for others in Wisconsin.”

Rashke will speak after the announcement of the fourth annual Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education award and before the popular Elevator Pitch Olympics. Other highlights unveiled so far:

  • Forty-two young companies have been selected to pitch to investors in two tracks: The Tech Council Investor Networks track and the Elevator Pitch Olympics.
  • Remarks at the Wisconsin W·O·M·E·N reception the evening of Nov. 14 by Toni Sikes, the CEO of CODAworx. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. at The Madison Club. Register here for this separate event.
  • An un-keynote presentation on Nov. 15 from Tamara Kleinberg, founder of LaunchStreet, on innovation and getting ahead of the competition.
  • Nov. 16 plenary panel discussion entitled “Outside looking in: Thoughts on Wisconsin from investors in other states.”
  • More than 40 investor groups set to meet with emerging firms in “Investor Intros” on Nov. 16.
  • The 2017 Investor Hall of Fame dinner, where BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation founder Tom Shannon will be inducted before invited investor guests.

More speakers and special attractions to be announced soon.

The Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors so far include: 100state, Aberdean, Accuray, ACS, Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium, Affiliated Engineers, Alliant Energy, American Family Insurance, American Transmission Co., AT&T, Aurora Health Care, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, BMO Harris Bank, Boardman & Clark, Bunker Labs Madison, Carroll University, Center for Technology Commercialization, City of Fitchburg, Concordia University, Cresa, CUNA Mutual, Dane County Regional Airport, Dedicated Computing, DXC Technology, Enbridge, Findorff, First Business Bank, Fluno Center, Functional Biosciences, Godfrey & Khan, HealthX Ventures, Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central, Husch Blackwell, IBM, Madison College, Madison Gas & Electric, Makin’ HEY! Communications, Marquette University, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Medical College of Wisconsin, Michael Best, Midwest Prototyping, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, Morgridge Institute, Murphy Desmond, N29 Capital Partners, Neider & Boucher, Northwestern Mutual, Omni Resources, Perkins Coie, Promega, Red Arrow Productions, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, River Valley Bank, Skyward, Smith & Gesteland, Square 1 Bank, Susan Healy (Tech Council board member), SWIB, TASC, University Research Park, UW-Green Bay, UWM Research Foundation, UW-Madison Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations, Venture Investors, WCMP, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., WERCBench Labs, Whitewater University Technology Park, WIPFLi, Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, Wisconsin Hospital Association and Ziegler.

 

Learn more and register at www.wisearlystage.com.