|
To make sure you receive future emails,
please add events@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com to your address book or safe list.
|
|
| In This Edition |
Welcome
2013 'Treps Conference
Blake named new WAN director
Wisconsin YES! deadline is March 18
State Supreme Court debate
WARF topic of WIN-Madison
Entrepreneurs' Edge in Green Bay
Capital bill topic of WIN-MKE
BPC Boot Camp draws 70 'treps
'WisBusiness: The Show'
Inside Wisconsin columns
Innovation news round-up
News, events and opportunities
Get WIN-volved
Sponsor a regional WIN meeting
Promote your event
|
| 'WisBusiness: The Show' |
Click here to watch the latest episodes of "WisBusiness: The Show," which include a rising-and-falling stock report on Wisconsin business, commentary and an interview with a state business leader. Produced by Tweedee Productions and sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek , UW-Milwaukee and Madison Gas & Electric.
|
| Entrepreneurs' Toolkit |
|
The Entrepreneurs' Toolkit, a soup-to-nuts guide for Wisconsin entrepreneurs, is available at www.WItoolkit.com and through the Wisconsin Technology Council website. It was launched in April and is designed to give innovators a pathway to resources available in the state and beyond. Those resources include information on business assistance programs, sources of financing, permits and regulations, how to choose a business structure, how to write a business plan and more.
|
| Tech Bytes |
The Tech Council offers notary services to WIN, WAN and WSRC members by appointment.
Contact us here
|
| Upcoming WIN Events |
WIN-Madison
March 19
WIN-Green Bay
(Entrepreneurs' Edge)
March 20
WIN-Milwaukee
March 21
Have program ideas for your regional WIN chapter?
Let us know
|
| Join WIN |
|
Click here to read more about member benefits and join today!
|
| Recent WIN Sponsors |
|
MasterCard
QTI Group
Madison Gas & Electric
First Business Bank
UW-Milwaukee
BizStarts Milwaukee
Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
Capitol Navigators
Vital Support Systems
Tweedee Productions
Interested in sponsoring a WIN event? Contact Molly Lahr
|
| Sponsor the Newsletter! |
|
Newsletter sponsored by:
|
| Quick Links |
Inside Wisconsin
Tom Still's column
More About Us
|
| Join Our List |
|
|
| Our Major Sponsors |
|
|
| Welcome to the March 2013 WIN eNewsletter |
Dear Reader:
In this edition of the WIN eNewsletter, learn more about our major programs and coming events that help tie them together. The Wisconsin Angel Network has hired Dan Blake as director, the Wisconsin Innovation Network has scheduled informative meetings in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay, and our two Business Plan Contests are in full swing. And you thought March Madness was limited to college basketball! Read on to learn more about Wisconsin’s high-growth economy.
Sincerely,
Tom Still, president
|
| Wis. Entrepreneurs' Conference moves to Middleton |
The 11th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference will be held June 4-5 at the Marriott West in Middleton. The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference is one of the Midwest's premiere networking and educational events. In keeping with this year’s "back to basics" theme, the conference will provide hands-on information, advice and best practices for companies as they launch, grow and succeed with their innovative ideas.
2013 conference highlights include:
• Two nationally known speaker to be announced soon
• The Top 12: Finalists from the Governor’s Business Plan Contest square off
• Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” Award
• Launch, Grow and Succeed tracks tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs
• Innovation Showcase for sponsors, entrepreneurs and others
• Plenty of chances to network over food and refreshments!
Stay tuned for more information on the conference!
|
| Dan Blake named director of Wisconsin Angel Network |
Dan Blake will join the Wisconsin Technology Council next week as the director of its Wisconsin Angel Network. Blake succeeds Zach Brandon, who recently became president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.
Blake comes to the Tech Council from Epic Systems, where he was a project manager for an electronic medical records installation at one of Epic's major clients in California. He was previously a reporter and web producer at the Chicago Tribune, where he was part of a small team that launched the paper's first internet-news desk, which grew website visitors by 34 percent in one year. For the full release, click here.
|
| Deadline for YES! youth biz plan contest is March 18 |
The statewide Wisconsin YES! youth business plan contest will close to entries 5 p.m. Monday, March 18. All Wisconsin students in middle and high school have the opportunity to submit their 250-word business ideas and receive feedback from professionals across the state. Students will learn how to write a business plan and develop entrepreneurial skills that will help them succeed in a global economy – all while competing for cash and other prizes. As a tool for educators, Wisconsin YES! helps foster interest in science and tech education and encourages students to be independent, creative thinkers capable of problem solving. To enter the contest, visit www.WisconsinYES.com. If you are interested in serving as a judge or in sponsorship opportunities, contact Joy Sawatzki.
|
| Want to quiz state Supreme Court candidates? |
Sign up now for debate! The two candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court will meet for their only scheduled joint debate on Friday, March 22 in Madison. Incumbent Justice Pat Roggensack and Marquette University law school professor Ed Fallone will meet for the debate that is being organized by the State Bar of Wisconsin and We the People/Wisconsin. Click here to learn how you can be a part of the studio audience.
|
| WARF's plans to help startups at WIN-Madison |
The UW-Madison is one of the nation’s five largest research universities in terms of total dollars spent on R&D, but the number of startup companies spun off each year from the university campus is sometimes criticized as being relatively low. Hear from leaders of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation on WARF’s strategies for working more directly with startups on and off campus at the Tuesday, March 19 meeting of the WIN-Madison chapter.
The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Madison’s John Nolen Drive. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. Panelists will include Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of WARF; Leigh Cagan, chief technology commercialization officer; Michael Falk, general counsel; and Carrie Thome, director of investments. Provost Paul DeLuca will discuss the larger campus role. Tom Still of the Tech Council will moderate. Register here.
|
| Perfect your business pitch at Entrepreneurs' Edge |
What do investors need to hear from entrepreneurs in an “elevator pitch”? Who should consider joining an angel group – and why? Those questions and more will be examined at the Wednesday, March 20 meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Green Bay as part of WIN’s new Entrepreneurs’ Edge project. Investors and other business startup experts will share best practices, with some entrepreneurs getting the chance to practice their pitches in front of those mentors.
The meeting will take place at the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center located in the Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, 2701 Larsen Rd., Green Bay. Registration and networking begins at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast and refreshments available. The event runs from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Entrepreneurs’ Edge, produced by WIN and the Wisconsin Technology Council, is designed to introduce entrepreneurs to investor expectations when reviewing potential early stage investments. After hearing about best practices, selected entrepreneurs will make a 90-second pitch in front of a live audience – followed by constructive feedback. The event will also feature a presentation on the work of the Wisconsin Angel Network and how high-net-worth individuals can consider getting involved in angel investing through one of Wisconsin’s angel networks or funds. Register here.
|
| Latest on capital bill is topic at WIN-Milwaukee |
Now that Gov. Scott Walker has earmarked $25 million in the state budget bill for an early stage capital program, what needs to happen next to enact the proposal into law? Join the president of the recently formed Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition, the new director of the Wisconsin Angel Network and others at the Thursday, March 21 meeting of the WIN-Milwaukee chapter in Wauwatosa.
The luncheon will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 10499 Innovation Drive, Wauwatosa. Registration and networking begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch at 11:45 a.m. and the presentation at 12:15 p.m.
The Legislature began its floor period in January. The state budget debate began in late February with the introduction of the 2013-2015 bill. Steve Lyons, president of the Growth Capital Coalition will discuss the status of the proposal – and how entrepreneurs and others can help push for its enactment. Dan Blake, director of the Wisconsin Angel Network, will discuss how more early stage investing will help Wisconsin’s startup scene. Tom Still will moderate. Register here.
|
| Seventy 'treps participate in annual BPC Boot Camp |
More than 70 entrepreneurs from communities across the state took part in the annual "boot camp" sponsored as a part of the 10th annual Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest. The afternoon exercise consisted of peer-to-peer practice pitches, a look back at the process by a past contest finalist, a blueprint for best practices in writing a business plan and a review of what investors look for in emerging companies. The boot camp was hosted at the Waukesha offices of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. For the full release, click here.
|
| 'WisBusiness: The Show' covers news, commentary |
Please watch these latest editions of "WisBusiness: The Show," the twice-a-month Web show covering state business news and issues.
In this episode, Liz Schrum talks with Kelly Lietz, vice president of marketing for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., about the "In Wisconsin" marketing campaign; Tom Still explains the job creation statistics in Wisconsin for 2012; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for mid-March 2013 covers mining and power plant wages.
Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., and the UW-Milwaukee.
Guests on other recent shows:
Steve Lyons, Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition
Zach Brandon, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
|
| Inside Wisconsin columns tackle state, tech issues |
Wis. would have plenty of company if it launches a capital fundAcross the nation, at least 34 states have either launched venture capital funds, created investment tax incentives or both to leverage private investments in startups and emerging companies. If the Wisconsin Legislature embraces an early stage capital plan at least as large as what has been proposed by Gov. Scott Walker, it would not be plowing new ground.
Yahoo's work-at-home recall not an industry shift
While there are some who would turn Mayer's decision to abolish Yahoo's work-at-home policy into a national referendum on workplace flexibility, it's not. Mayer was simply doing what was right for Yahoo at the time. Her decision offers a lesson for executives everywhere about striking a balance between allowing employees to keep flexible hours to balance their own lives and blanket policies that practically invite productivity and morale problems.
With technologies that look inside cells, fight against cancer poised to advance
The war against cancer has many fronts. One of the emerging battlegrounds is location: Bringing cancer-fighting technologies to people regardless of where they live. That’s the thinking behind the creation of the Wisconsin Oncology Network of Imaging Excellence, a project that promises to bring the latest work of the UW-Madison Carbone Cancer Center to a network of treatment centers across Wisconsin.
'Sequester’ budget cuts drive home debate over federal R&D role
Embedded in the national debate over automatic cuts in the federal budget – the so-called “sequester” – is a question that could hit Wisconsin harder than many states: What is Washington’s role in fostering innovation? The answer is vital to the state’s academic research institutions, many of its entrepreneurs and the larger goal of making Wisconsin more competitive in the global economy.
Wisconsin needs to support startups
Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to create a $25 million "capital investment program . . . for co-investments in business startups and investment capital projects" was deliberately vague. As he told reporters and others last week in unveiling the state's $68 billion budget plan for the next two years, it's because he wants the Legislature to have a hand in shaping the details.
Latest cyber-attack report underscores size of the threat, need for defense
The Feb. 18 release of a private report that tracked 141 corporate data thefts to China, perhaps even to units of the People’s Liberation Army itself, has heightened government and private concerns about cyber-attacks. Increasingly at risk are some of America’s lifelines – including its energy pipelines, its water supply, its health-care networks and its financial institutions. Strategies for guarding against cyber threats will be explored Feb. 26 during a Wisconsin Innovation Network luncheon meeting in Madison, where two experts on the front lines of defense will discuss how state expertise is being tapped.
Investment capital is critical part of job creation equation in Wisconsin
One proposal that would go a long ways toward rounding out the budget strategy is a state-leveraged investment capital fund. If Walker adds this idea to the list to be announced Wednesday, it would attract private dollars to Wisconsin while helping to jumpstart a whole generation of emerging companies.
|
| Innovation news round-up |
|
JSOnline: Pharmaceutical research facility proposed for Mequon
A start-up company formed by the founder of a Milwaukee-area drug ingredient maker is proposing to build a pharmaceutical research and development facility in Mequon, creating 50 jobs. Major Pharmaceuticals LLC wants to develop a two-story, 79,000-square-foot facility on a 7.7-acre parcel immediately south of Executive Drive and east of Commerce St., according to a filing with the city Plan Commission. That site is in Mequon Business Park, near the northeast corner of Donges Bay and Wauwatosa roads.
JSOnline: Swallow Solutions raises $1 million in venture funds
Swallow Solutions LLC, a Madison company that develops products for people with swallowing difficulties, has raised $1 million in a funding round led by Venture Management LLC. Other investors were NEW Capital Fund LP, Wisconsin Investment Partners and wealthy individual investors.
State Journal: Schools need boost, budget needs balance
Some of Walker’s priorities are strong, including a special fund to lure more investment capital for young and innovative companies. The fund is an important step for encouraging job and income growth for workers across Wisconsin.
Still discusses Walker's early stage capital proposal in video
Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, talks about Gov. Scott Walker's early stage capital proposal in an episode of “Newsmakers” with Larry Gallup of the Appleton Post Crescent. Click here to view the video.
MedCity News: Wis. startup raises $3 million for drug-discovery platform
The discovery and development of biologics is complex, time-consuming and expensive because they’re derived from living organisms. A new drug discovery company based in Madison, Wis. called Invenra Inc. says it has a platform that could overcome some of the barriers that limit the discovery of new biologic drugs in areas like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. The company disclosed in a securities filing that it has raised $3 million.
JSOnline: Angel fund geared to young firms starts with $5 million
A new angel fund - the first to focus on very young companies in southeastern Wisconsin - has launched with more than $5 million to invest. Organizers of the Wisconsin Super Angel Fund raised money from more than 40 investors, including three foundations and an insurance company, said John Torinus Jr., a general partner and chairman of Serigraph Inc. in West Bend. The fund is the first early-stage fund to form in southeastern Wisconsin, said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. The other early-stage investors in the region are angel networks, where members receive information about companies and individually make decisions about whether to invest in them.
JSOnline: State certifies four start-ups for investor tax credits
Four start-ups have been certified for early stage business investment tax credits by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. With the certification, the companies' financial backers will be eligible for a 25% tax credit on the amount they invest in the company. The companies certified for the tax credits are: Easenet Inc., United Community LLC, NexVex Inc. and SpanDeX Inc.
JSOnline: EatStreet raises $2 million in angel investment funds
EatStreet, a Madison company with an online ordering system, has raised $2 million in a funding round led by Cornerstone Opportunity Partners LLC, a Northbrook, Ill., angel investment fund. Great Oaks Venture Capital, Independence Equity Management LLC and Gener8tor also invested in the company, the company said.
JSOnline: Exact Sciences cancer test closer
Exact Sciences Corp., expects to submit its application for a noninvasive, DNA-based test for detecting colon cancer to the Food and Drug Administration in May, said Kevin T. Conroy, president and chief executive officer. The company is ramping up its manufacturing capabilities, "laying the foundation" for insurance coverage of the test, and working to develop the market for it, he added.
Spaulding Clinical Research Expands Clinical Pharmacology Facility
Spaulding Clinical Research, a change agent in the clinical research and medical device industries, announced that the company has completed a First-In-Human (FIH) study using their dedicated, 12-bed FIH High-Visibility-Unit (HVU). The study was conducted for a biotech Sponsor developing a non-opioid analgesic.
GreenWhey Energy secures financing for $28.5M project in Turtle Creek
GreenWhey Energy, Inc. announced Monday it has secured the construction and long-term financing required to construct and operate its innovative anaerobic digester facility in Turtle Lake, Wis. When completed in the summer of 2013, the project is expected to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States.
Business Journal: State of Wis. funds energize Milwaukee-area startups
Supporters said the movement to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeastern Wisconsin and around the state could receive a critical jolt from several initiatives Gov. Scott Walker wants to fund in the next biennial budget, to be introduced this month.
|
| News, events and opportunities |
Deadline for Wisconsin YES! entries
March 18, 5 p.m.
WIN-Madison
March 19
Sheraton Hotel, Madison
WIN-Green Bay (Entrepreneurs' Edge)
March 20
UW-Green Bay SBDC, Green Bay
WIN-Milwaukee
March 21
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wauwatosa
2013 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference
June 4-5
Marriott West Hotel, Middleton
|
| Get WIN-volved! Membership has its priviledges |
|
The Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) is The Tech Council's membership subsidiary - a community-based economic development organization dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. In association with the Tech Council, WIN programs focus on the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.
When you become a WIN member, your membership applies to all chapters, statewide. Membership is for one year starting with the month you join. Go here to learn more about the benefits of a WIN membership.
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations that have recently joined or renewed their WIN memberships:
Corporate Memberships
Medtrak
Runzheimer International
Venture Investors
Widen Enterprises
Individual Memberships
Amelia Baxter
Kurt Brandt
Cindy Dillenschneider
Aaron Kappellusch
Jason Maloney
Richard Thieme
Allyn Ziegenhagen
|
| Sponsor your next regional meeting |
|
Sponsoring your chapter's next WIN meeting will give you and your company immediate exposure to Wisconsin's best and brightest people. WIN is a network dedicated to giving a voice to the technology community as a whole - from the bottom up! Sponsorship opportunities are available on a monthly or annual basis. Contact Molly Lahr, WIN director, for more information.
|
| Post your events to our Community Events Section |
Click here to add your event to the Tech Council Community Events section that is designed to assist in the development, growth and success of science- and technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.
|
|
| The Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) eNewsletter is a periodical of news, events and programs about the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin. WIN has chapters in western Wisconsin, the Lake Superior region, Madison, Milwaukee, northeast Wisconsin and central Wisconsin. |
Email: news@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com
Phone: (608) 442-7557
Fax: (608) 231-6877
Web: www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com |
|
|