Ten panel discussions will dive into best practices and success stories at the 14th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, June 7-8 at Madison’s Alliant Energy Center.
Visit www.WiTrepsConference.com to register and learn more. Special hotel rates apply through May 24.
The two-day conference will feature sessions organized into three concurrent tracks titled “Launch, Grow and Succeed” to appeal to companies at different stages of development.
The 10 panels in the Launch and Grow tracks will feature seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and others as they look at a variety of challenges and hurdles emerging companies may face.
The Launch Track will include these panels: “What founders should know: Common hurdles, mistakes and pitfalls;” “From idea to IP: How ‘treps can work with Wisconsin’s leading patent pools;” “Patriot Pitch: Veterans present their business ideas;” “How to get money: Tips for finding investors and what to expect when you do;” and “Community connections: Finding entrepreneurial support close to home.”
The Grow Track will feature: “Lessons learned: Success stories from women entrepreneurs;” “Building your team: How to recruit and retain talent;” “Keeping it legal: ‘Do’s’ and ‘don’ts” for young companies;” “How to get money: Tips for finding investors and what to expect when you do;” and “I got money; what’s next?: Managing investor relationships as you grow.”
The previously announced “Succeed” track will showcase five companies that have moved to, expanded and/or continue to grow in Wisconsin – and why the state is the right place for them. Those companies are Comply365, Bright Cellars, Understory, PerBlue and NeuWave Medical.
“Our panel line-up is designed to help entrepreneurs at all stages, and from all industry sectors, learn from veteran ‘treps, investors and others who have walked this path before,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “Our panelists are willing to share their experiences with others … from successes to occasional failures, pivots and reboots.”
Produced by the Tech Council, the Entrepreneurs’ Conference is one of the largest events for entrepreneurs and early stage investors in the Upper Midwest. More than 500 people are expected to attend the two-day conference, to be held June 7-8 at the Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, just off Madison’s South Beltline Highway. Other highlights will include:
- Pat Quirk, UW graduate and software expert whose companies have been involved in more than $10 billion in exits over time;
- Erik Iverson, the new managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation;
- Representatives from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation;
- The 2016 Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award recipient;
- Diligent Dozen: Top 13 finalists from the Governor’s Business Plan Contest square off;
- Innovation Showcase featuring more than 40 companies from around the state; and
- Plenty of chances to connect with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors over food and refreshments
Sponsors so far include: Aberdean Consulting; Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium; Alliant Energy; Altapure; American Family Insurance; American Transmission Co.; Ascendancy Advisors; AT&T; Baird Capital; Baker Tilly; BDO; BloodCenter of Wisconsin; BMO Harris Bank; Capitol Bank; Carroll University; Center for Technology Commercialization; City of Fitchburg; Dedicated Computing; DeWitt Ross & Stevens; Findorff; First Business Bank; Godfrey & Kahn; Google; HealthX Ventures; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Madison College; Madison Gas & Electric; Makin’ HEY! Communications; Marquette University; Michael Best & Friedrich; Midwest Prototyping; Mortenson Construction; Murphy Desmond; Neider & Boucher; Quarles & Brady; RDC National; Red Arrow Production; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.; Rockwell Automation; Uber; University Research Park; UW-Madison Discovery to Product (D2P); UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; UW-Madison Office of University Relations; UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; Venture Investors; WERCBench Labs; Whitewater University Technology Park; Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek; WIPFLI; Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Wisconsin Technical College System; World Wide Technology; and WTN Media.
For more information, visit www.witrepsconference.com or call 608-442-7557.
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