MADISON –
Twelve panel discussions on topics of interest to entrepreneurs and investors
alike will be among the highlights of the annual Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, to be held Nov. 12-13 at the
Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.
Produced by the Wisconsin
Technology Council and its partners, the conference gives selected companies
the opportunity to make presentations and meet with investors. For more
information and to register for the conference, go to www.wisearlystage.com.
Organized across three concurrent tracks, the panel discussions will
span both days of the conference. The
line-up features a series of discussions focused on the funding hurdles for
entrepreneurs and the investment climate within the region. Those panels
include:
- Does angel or venture
capital make sense for your company? - Pursuing investors: What angels and VCs need to
hear - Coming to terms with your term sheet
- Invest in the Midwest: VCs scouting Wisconsin
for their next deal - Investing in medical breakthroughs: Healthcare
ventures out
A “Reverse Elevator
Pitch” will give
entrepreneurs an opportunity to hear directly from angel groups and early stage
funds on how, when and where they invest.
Other panel discussions will drill into some of the challenges and
opportunities facing entrepreneurs at all stages of growth. They include:
- Telling tales: How to
shape your company’s story - How to find (and keep) your
first customers - Numbers that matter: Key
business metrics, capital planning and proformas - Tech Lingo Bing How to
speak the language of the deal - Cracking foreign markets:
How to avoid traps while hunting for opportunity - The story behind the
numbers: Understanding business valuation
“The
lineup of investors and experienced entrepreneurs taking part in this year’s
conference offers attendees a ‘who’s who’ list of expertise,” said Tom Still,
president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Investors who
will take part in panels include: James
Burgum, Arthur Ventures; Scott
Button, Venture Investors; Dan
Einhorn, Capital Midwest Fund; Adrian
Fortino, Mercury Fund; David
Guinther, WISC Partners; Larry
Hayward, Cornerstone Angels and Independence Equity; Paul Jones, Angels on the Water; Mike Liang, Baird Capital; Bob
Okabe, RPX Group and Angel Resource Institute; John Philosophos, Great Oaks Venture Capital; Greg Robinson, 4490 Ventures; Jim
Rotche, Chicago Tribune Media Group; Andy
Shrago, Wisconsin Investment Partners; Frank
Staniszewski, Madison Development Corp.; Michael Thorson, Inventure Capital, Wisconsin Investment Partners and
Golden Angels Investors; Bob Wood,
Wisconsin Investment Partners; and Prakesh
Ramani, Loop Capital Markets.
Entrepreneurs on
panels include: Justin Beck, PerBlue
Inc.; Michael Barbouche, Forward
Health Group; Rimas Buinevicius,
Rowheels and Madcelerator; Scott Cooper,
Marketing Engine Group; Brian Ellison,
Death’s Door Spirits; Murray Firestone,
RestoreHealth; Robert Hopton, Idle
Free Systems; Brian Jensen, Fishidy;
Laura King, Elucent Medical; Rock Mackie, TomoTherapy; Todd McLees, Pendio Group; Todd Muderlak, Xela Innovations; Andy Nunemaker, Dynamis Corp.; Janet Phillips, Vector Surgical; Toni Sikes, CODAworx; Praveen Sinha, HealthMyne; and Shobhan Thakkar, Tascet. In addition, Kevin Conroy and Maneesh Arora of Exact Sciences are speaking during a plenary
session.
“Many other small business experts and advisors will also be
taking part in discussions throughout the two-day conference,” Still said. “The
amount of talent on hand to help emerging companies will be truly impressive.”
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; Google; 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; Summit Credit Union; 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 learn more or to register, visit www.wisearlystage.com.
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