Tim Keane, an investor who was one
of the first college-level educators in Wisconsin to design courses around entrepreneurial studies, will be the first recipient of
the “Excellence in Entrepreneurial
Education” award at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison.
Keane will be honored Nov. 13 during the second day of the
conference, which will be held at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention
Center in downtown Madison. Visit www.wisearlystage.com to register and learn more.
The “Triple E” award, sponsored by
Concordia University, was established by the Wisconsin Technology Council to
highlight the importance of entrepreneurial education. The selection by the
2014 conference steering committee was based on:
- Delivering outstanding quality in
teaching entrepreneurship and/or mentoring entrepreneurs, in or out of the
classroom; - Stimulating innovative methods for
teaching or mentoring entrepreneurs; - Promoting entrepreneurial education
and mentorship among scholars, policymakers, practitioners and others; - Providing a significant
contribution to the development of best practices in the field.
“Tim Keane’s efforts to educate
entrepreneurs of all ages has included his work in the classroom but also
through his hands-on mentorship of early stage companies,” said Tom Still,
president of the Tech Council. “He is a pioneer in this field in Wisconsin.”
Keane has spent 30 years in startup
and growth company environments, first as the founder and CEO of a successful
software company, and, since 2002, as director of Golden Angels Investors – a
group of about 100 members, primarily in Illinois and Wisconsin.
From 2001 until 2014, he was the
entrepreneur in residence at Marquette University where he taught two MBA
classes – “New Venture Formation” and “Venture Growth Strategy.”
He was consistently one of the
highest student-ranked members of the MBA faculty, and, over 13 years, taught
more than 600 students, many of whom have embarked on entrepreneurial journeys
of their own. His popular blog for entrepreneurs, “Startups and Angels,” is at www.timkeane.org.
The annual symposium, known by
different names over 30 years, has been a premier event where companies gained
visibility among investors, other entrepreneurs and business leaders.
This year’s conference, with a theme of “30X10,” will celebrate a
rich history dating to 1984. The conference will feature:
- A presentation by Kevin Conroy and Maneesh Arora on the story of
Exact Sciences, which moved from Boston to Wisconsin. - A plenary panel made up of the leaders of major academic research
institutions on Wisconsin’s “I-Q Corridor.” - Presentations by more than 45 companies in the WAN Investors’
Track and the Elevator Pitch Olympics. - More than a dozen panel discussions or plenary sessions 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. - The annual “First Look” forum featuring selected campus-based
technologies. - Awards for Wisconsin winners of federal merit-based grants.
- Exhibit hall showcasing more than 40 Wisconsin companies.
- A first-night 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; American Family Insurance;
American Transmission Co.; Ascendancy Advisors; AT&T; Baird Capital; Baker
Tilly; BDO; BloodCenter of Wisconsin; BMO Harris Bank; Boardman & Clark;
Center for Technology Commercialization; Concordia University; ConfPlus; Cresa
Madison; Dane County Regional Airport; Findorff; Fine Point Consulting; First
Business Bank; Foley & Lardner; Godfrey & Kahn; Group Health
Cooperative; HP Enterprise Services; Insperity; K&L Gates; M3 Insurance; Madison
Gas & Electric; Makin’ HEY Communications; Marquette University; Marshfield
Clinic; Michael Best & Friedrich; Mid-West Energy Research Consortium; Midwest
Prototyping; MoolaPitch.com; Morgridge Institute for Research; Murphy Desmond;
Neider & Boucher; Nelson Schmidt; Nordic Consulting; PowerBuy 4 You;
Quarles & Brady; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren; Ruedebusch Development &
Construction; Settlers Bank; Skyward; Smith & Gesteland; State of Wisconsin
Investment Board; Tweedee Productions; University Research Park; UW-Madison
Office of Corporate Relations; UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; Venture
Investors; Virent Energy; Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek; Wisconsin Alumni Research
Foundation; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Wisconsin Manufacturing
Extension Partnership; Wisconsin Technical College System; and WTN Media.
To register and learn more, go to www.wisearlystage.com.
;
