Jan Eddy, an entrepreneur, mentor and investor who has helped scores of young companies gain their footing over time, will be inducted into the Wisconsin Technology Council’s “George Mosher Memorial Investor Hall of Fame” during the Nov. 6-7 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

Eddy will be honored Nov. 6 at a dinner with fellow investors from across Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest and beyond. The full conference will be held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. Visit wisearlystage.com to register.

The “Investor Hall of Fame” was established by the Tech Council to highlight the importance of angel and venture investors to the early stage economy. It was renamed in 2019 in honor of the late George Mosher, one of the first inductees and a prolific angel investor.

Eddy is a past winner of two other major awards produced by the Tech Council: The Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award for entrepreneurial accomplishments and the “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education” award for her mentoring and other efforts to help young companies.

Eddy, of Prairie du Sac, founded Office Solutions and Wingra Software. She volunteered to help scores of companies over time through many venues, including the Early Stage Symposium. She served on the first board of directors for the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship within the UW-Madison School of Business; was an early member of the Madison Entrepreneur Resource, Learning and Innovation Network (MERLIN); and was an early board member of the Doyenne Group for women entrepreneurs.

She has been a member of Phenomenelle Angels, Belle Capital USA and the Badger Fund of Funds, serving on investment committees for each. She is a member of the First Business Bank board of directors and is a former chairwoman.

“Jan Eddy’s first investments were her own companies and she has remained active in the investment community ever since, bringing a wealth of hands-on experience to portfolio companies,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council.

She joins past Hall of Fame inductees Dick Leazer, Wisconsin Investment Partners; the late George Mosher; Roger Ganser, Venture Investors; Jeff Rusinow, Silicon Pastures; Carl Gulbrandsen, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Tom Shannon, BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation; and John Neis, Venture Investors.

The conference will also feature:

  • More than 40 company presentations in two different segments and the “Investor Intros” speed-dating segment.
  • Keynote speakers Marques Ogden, entrepreneurial former NFL player with a rags-to-riches-to-rags-and-back story, and UW-Eau Claire graduate Jeff Schumacher, who founded California-based BCG Digital Ventures and now leads 55 Foundry, which will invest in and incubate young decentralized technology companies.
  • Anne Smith, winner of the 2019 “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education” award.
  • 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.
  • A Nov. 6 evening conference reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking opportunities, including an investors-only dinner.

The Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors so far include: 100state, Aberdean Consulting, Accuray, ACS, Alliant Energy, American Family Insurance, American Transmission Co., AmpliPhi, AT&T, Aurora Health Care, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, Ben Brewer Photography, Boardman & Clark, C.D. Smith Construction, CGI, City of Fitchburg, Concordia University of Wisconsin, CUNA Mutual, Dane County Regional Airport, Dedicated Computing, Discovery World, Eppstein Uhen Architects, Exact Sciences, Findorff, First Business Bank, Fluno Center, Foley & Lardner, Foxconn, Godfrey & Kahn, HealthX Ventures, Husch Blackwell, Idea Fund of La Crosse, KW2, M3 Insurance, Madison Development Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Marquette University, Makin HEY! Communications, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Medical College of Wisconsin, Michael Best, Midwest Prototyping, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Morgridge Institute, Murphy Desmond, N29 Capital Partners, Neider & Boucher, Northwestern Mutual, One City Schools, Perkins Coie, Quarles & Brady, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, RSM US, ScaleFactor, Signature Bank, Summit Credit Union, Susan Healy, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, TASC, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, University Research Park, UWM Research Foundation, UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement, Venture Investors, Versiti, WEA Trust, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Whitewater University Technology Park, WIPFLi, Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions, Wisconsin Investment Partners, Yahara Software and Ziegler.

Learn more and register at wisearlystage.com.