AGENDA

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Wednesday, Nov. 3
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.		Continental breakfast, networking & registration
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.		Fireside chat with Nathan Herbst and Joel Fields, Paradigm
9:35 – 10:30 a.m.		Panel Tracks
	Track A	I know I need money: How do I find it? Young companies can raise money in a variety of ways, from angel and venture capital to loans, grants, crowdfunding, in-kind trades, accelerators, lines of credit, venture debt and, of course, selling a product … perhaps the most overlooked strategy of all. We’ll examine a few case studies of how a blended approach can work for many entrepreneurs. Moderator: Katie Schmitz, Ziegler Panelists: Lorrie Keating Heinemann, Madison Development Corp.; Kyle La Fond, American Provenance and Michael Thorson, Inventure Capital and Wisconsin Investment Partners
	Track B	How investors (and ‘treps) can protect themselves from scams Defunct blood-testing startup Theranos may be the most storied example saga of Silicon Valley hubris, ambition and deception, but young companies and investors elsewhere aren’t immune from getting caught up in potentially fraudulent activity. Learn more about the warning signs and what to do if alarm bells sound. Moderator: Tim Keane, Golden Angels Investors Panelists: Mark Ehrmann, Quarles and Brady and Ryan Weber, Great North Ventures
	Track C	Startup leadership: Building an ideal executive team from idea to exit Having the right team in place is essential to young companies as they grow and evolve. It starts with you – the founder or CEO – but it can’t end there! Young companies need “do-ers,” people who understand sales and customer service, financial advisors and more. Learn how to build a diverse team for the right development stages. Moderator: Ron Bote, Wipfli Panelists: Ben Camp, RehabPath; Nora Roughen-Schmidt, StartingBlock Madison and Bob Wood, Wisconsin Investment Partners
10:30 – 10:45 a.m.		Networking & coffee break *
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.		Tech Council Investor Networks presentations (session 1)
		Office Hours (session A):
	10:45 – 11:15 a.m.	Understanding Wisconsin’s “Qualified New Business Venture” (QNBV) process Hosts: Joey Frayne, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and Steve Lyons, SJL Government Affairs & Communications
	11:20 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Effective marketing strategies to master the game Hosts: Jennifer Savino, KW2 and Spencer X. Smith, AmpliPhi Social Media Strategies
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.		Triple E Award ceremony honoring Joe Boucher
		luncheon sponsored by Marshfield Clinic Health System
1:45 – 2:30 p.m.		Innovation Exhibitor Showcase – visit sponsor booths!
2:35 – 3:30 p.m.		Panel Tracks
	Track A	Pathways to recent venture successes Hear a case study about Curate, a Madison-based civic intelligence company recently acquired by Washington-based FiscalNote Inc. The company raised about $2.2 million over time for a half-dozen investors. Learn from a founder and an early investor on how the company did it. Moderator: Bill Foley, Husch Blackwell Panelists: Jonathon Horne, Idea Fund of La Crosse and Taralinda Willis, Curate
	Track B	How to navigate campus innovation in Wisconsin: What investors and companies should know Wisconsin has some strong research universities and colleges, but how can investors and companies of all sizes work with them to find the most market-ready ideas? What are the steps needed to obtain intellectual property from academic institutions? How much ‘red tape’ can you expect? Meet and learn from technology transfer experts. Moderator: Arjun Sanga, WiSys Panelists: Scott Button, Venture Investors; Greg Keenan, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Jessica Silvaggi, UWM Research Foundation
	Track C	The financial returns angels and VCs need: What ‘treps should know Hear some of the basics of raising capital from investors. How your idea is presented counts – especially if you anticipate some oft-asked questions from those who may risk money on your company. A solid business plan, a product-market fit, a differentiator from the competition and an exit strategy are among elements that help investors decide whether you’re worth the risk. Moderator: Jonathan Fritz, CHIME Panelists: Brad Bodden, Wisconsin Investment Partners; Dan Einhorn, Capital Midwest Fund and Derek Matzke, BDO
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.		Networking & coffee break
3:45 – 5:30 p.m.		Tech Council Investor Networks presentations (session 2)
		Office Hours (session B):
	3:45 – 4:35 p.m.	ARPA, SBIR and more alphabet soup: Why these federal dollars are worth chasing Hosts: David Brown, ForwardWERX and Idella Yamben, Center for Technology Commercialization
	4:45 – 5:30 p.m.	How to find (and keep) your first customers Host: Nick Myers, RedFox AI
5:30 – 7 p.m.		Reception celebrating Wisconsin’s entrepreneurs
		sponsored by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Perkins Coie
Thursday, Nov. 4
8 – 8:45 a.m.		Continental breakfast, networking & registration
8:45 – 10 a.m.		Keynote speakers: Que and Khalif El
10 – 10:10 a.m.		Networking & coffee break
10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.		Investor Intros
		sponsored by WEA Trust
		Office Hours (session C):
10:10 – 11:05 a.m.	Option 1	Incubator, accelerator or co-working space: What’s right for you? Hosts: Erin Clausen, Irontek and Jessica Martin Eckerly, Forward BIOLABS
10:10 – 11:05 a.m.	Option 2	Recruiting for the right culture and why it matters Host: Liz Schrum, RevelOne
		Office Hours (session D):
11:10 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.	Option 1	Numbers that matter: What entrepreneurs need to know Host: Dave Hynek, Business Fitness
11:10 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.	Option 2	Trade and tech: How to weather today’s storm Host: Jeff Mayers, WisPolitics and Katy Sinnott, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
12:15 – 12:35 p.m.		Buffet Luncheon
12:35 – 3 p.m.		Elevator Pitch Olympics
		awards sponsored by Madison Development Corporation

Networking coffee breaks are generously sponsored by American Family Insurance, American Transmission Co., AT&T, Godfrey & Kahn, Husch Blackwell, Michael Best, University Research Park, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.