MADISON – Serial entrepreneur Sue
Marks, the founder and chief executive officer of Cielo, will speak the evening
of Nov. 3 at the inaugural Wisconsin WOMEN Reception
in Madison and launch the full Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium the following
morning.
Marks, who leads a Wisconsin-based
company with more than $100 million in revenues and 1,300 worldwide employees,
will reflect on different aspects of her career during two talks:
– She will discuss her experiences as a woman executive at the
WOMEN reception, to be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the
Madison Club. The acronym stands for Women, Opportunities, Mentors,
Entrepreneurs & Networking. All registrants for the full conference may
attend the reception free of charge; there is
a $50 charge for separate reception registration.
The reception is not limited to women.
– Marks will return to the stage Wednesday morning to focus
on the Cielo story, which began with her founding of Pinstripe in 2005. Marks
previously founded two other startups in the human resource field, ProStaff and HRFirst, which were sold
in 2000. Her 8:30 a.m. keynote speech is sponsored by Pendio
Group and Keane Consultants.
Learn more about the Nov. 4-5
conference and register at www.wisearlystage.com. “Early bird” registration is open through Oct.
16.
“Sue Marks is an outstanding entrepreneur who
can speak directly to what it’s like to start and grow companies in a
competitive environment. We’re thrilled she can set the stage at the WOMEN
Reception and follow through the following morning at the Early Stage
Symposium,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Cielo is a talent acquisition and management
company with clients in about 60 countries. In the Inc. 5000 index a year ago,
Cielo was ranked 902nd among all U.S. companies and ninth in
Wisconsin. The Inc. index reported a 496 percent, three-year revenue growth for
Cielo, which was formed by a merger of Pinstripe and Ochre House.
Marks has been recognized as an Ernst &
Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” and has been named an HR Outsourcing Superstar
by the industry’s prominent trade magazine five years in a row. She is the
winner of the Marquette University College of Business Administration’s Alumni
Award for Entrepreneurship and a three-time winner of both the Working Woman
500 designation and the Future 50 of Wisconsin.
Previously announced speakers are Zach Halmstad, founder of JAMF Software,
and Mike Splinter, the former
chairman of Applied Materials and Intel executive who has become an early stage
investor. The conference will also feature:
– Presentations by 28 companies selected for the Wisconsin Angel
Network investors’ track. Investors from across Wisconsin and beyond will
attend.
–
The 11th annual Elevator Pitch Olympics,
which will provide 90-second presentation opportunities for 17 additional
companies. A panel of experienced investors will judge the pitches and
offer feedback.
– A dozen panel discussions and educational seminars featuring leading
entrepreneurs, investors and others tied to the tech sector.
– “Office Hours,” offering the opportunity to meet with subject experts
on a variety of topics in small discussion groups or one-on-one.
– SBIR/STTR awards luncheon to recognize grant recipients from the past
year.
– The 2nd annual “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education”
award presentation.
– The “First Look” forum featuring selected campus-based technologies.
– Exhibit hall showcasing more than 40 Wisconsin companies.
– A Nov. 4 reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking
opportunities, including an investors-only dinner.
The Tech Council produces the
conference. Sponsors so far include: Aberdean; Alliant Energy; American
Transmission Co.; AT&T; Ascendancy Advisors; Aurora Research Institute;
Baird Capital; Baker Tilly; BDO; BloodCenter of Wisconsin; BMO Harris; Boardman
& Clark; Carroll University; City of Fitchburg; Concordia University; Dane
County Regional Airport; Dedicated Computing; DeWitt Ross & Stevens;
Eppstein Uhen Architects; Findorff; Fine Point Consulting; First Business Bank;
Functional Biosciences; Godfrey & Kahn; HealthX Ventures; HP Enterprise
Services; Keane Consultants; Madison Gas & Electric; Makin’ HEY
Communications; Marquette University; Marshfield Clinic Applied Sciences;
Medical College of Wisconsin; Michael Best & Friedrich; Midwest
Prototyping; MIOsoft; Morgridge Institute for Research; Murphy Desmond; Neider
& Boucher; Nelson Schmidt; Pendio Group; Quarles & Brady; RDC National
Inc.; Red Arrow Production; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren; Safenet Consulting;
Skyward; Smith & Gesteland; State of Wisconsin Investment Board; Summit
Credit Union; University Research Park; UW-Madison Office of Corporate
Relations; UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; UW-Oshkosh Business Success
Center; Venture Investors; WERCBench Labs; Whitewater University Technology
Park; Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek; Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Wisconsin
Economic Development Corp.; Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities
Authority; and Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Learn more
at www.wisearlystage.com.
;
