‘Diligent Dozen’ BPC pitches can be viewed ahead of June 4 Entrepreneurs’ Conference

Finalists representing diverse tech-based sectors in Wisconsin’s early stage economy have recorded their presentations for online viewing as part of the 17th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. The four-month-long contest culminates during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference. This year’s finalists have recorded seven-minute pitches on their business ideas for you to watch. New this year is a “People’s Choice” award and contestants need your support to win! Please watch all 12 and vote for your favorite before June 4. Winners selected by our judges as well as the “People’s Choice” award will be announced during our virtual conference. Click here to watch!

2020 STUDENT STORIES FEATURED at WISBUSINESS.COM

These stories were authored by graduating students in UW-Madison’s Department of Life Sciences Communication, highlighting various early-stage businesses in Wisconsin and their founders:

Last Lock transforms doorways, locks into a smart access control system
eCourt Reporters connects talent to the legal system more efficiently
Safety4Her aims to provide the right clothing for women in the trades
Bizzy Bizzy’s ‘assembly line’ approach makes building a website a one-day project
GoDx uses point-of-care test to quickly diagnose gut, COVID-19 pathogens
AGent Plus Solutions LLC is a finalist in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest
“Big-game” changer: ModuTree allows hunters to modify their custom blinds
FixdPicks uses AI for ROI transparency in sports betting
For entrepreneur and survivor, double mastectomy led to idea for clothing line
Gyld provides networking platform for skilled trades
Eau Claire startup taking the audio-visual industry wireless
Extended release opioid treatment is aim of Plumb Pharmaceuticals
Pedal Motive keeping bikes safe from elements and bikers active
Güd Medical offers a less expensive yet precise IV tool to the medical world
Company uses smartphone app to help people with hearing difficulties
MyGenomeRX shows how DNA variations can affect one’s response to medication
Steady Shot aims to make insulin injections more precise
Partita shifts focus to face shields during pandemic

INSIDE WISCONSIN by TOM STILL
Even with new scientific paths, broad vaccine availability still a year or more away

In the 1950s play “Waiting for Godot,” two characters talk among themselves and a few others while patiently anticipating the arrival of a friend named Godot, who never shows.

If that Samuel Beckett play was recast today for the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps Didi and Gogo could be portrayed by public figures both national and local.

President Trump has ordered a Manhattan Project-style effort called “Operation Warp Speed” that aims to inoculate almost all Americans by late 2020 or early 2021 with a coronavirus vaccine. Closer to home, the reopening order for Dane County may not be fully implemented until a vaccine is available in quantities that could make a difference.  Click here to read Still’s full column.

View Tom Still’s full InsideWis archives by clicking here.

Register today for our ‘virtual’ Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference!

We recently announced that Brian Pinkerton, Apple’s chief architect for Siri and a graduate of the UW-Madison Department of Computer Sciences, will speak June 4 during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference on a virtual platform that will offer plenty of interaction with attendees.

Click here to read the conference press releases: 
'Diligent Dozen' BPC pitches can be viewed ahead of June 4th Entrepreneurs' Conference
Discounted registration for vets, students available for June 4 Entrepreneurs' Conference 
Tech Council's virtual event platform launched for June 4 Entrepreneurs' Conference 
Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy to receive the 2020 'Seize the Day' award June 4 at 'treps conference
Five interactive workshops to target post-COVID strategies at June 4 Entrepreneurs' Conference
Panels at virtual Entrepreneurs’ Conference will focus on COVID-19 economic recovery 
‘Virtual’ Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference will offer plenty of ways for attendees to engage
‘Siri, did you know your boss will speak June 4 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference?’

We’ll announce more conference highlights soon, including engaging ways for attendees to network among themselves and presenters. Nothing beats live, but this will come close! Among the features of the conference over time have been the Governor’s Business Plan Contest (see more below) and a presentation by the winner of the Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs in Science, or YES!, contest. A full release on the young people advancing in that competition is linked here, as well.

Please stay tuned for more about panel discussions, workshops and special networking activities.                                                                    Register here!

WPR: Where stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 restrictions are in effect in Wisconsin
WISN: Counties, municipalities that reopened & remain closed
TMJ4: Dane County issues its own order, continues Safer At Home measures
City of Milwaukee Health Department: COVID-19 Public Health Plan for the City of Milwaukee
Wisconsin State Journal: 13 of 72 Wisconsin counties and the city of Racine have extended stay-at-home orders
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's which Wisconsin counties and cities have continued or started new stay-at-home orders
Urban Milwaukee: Cities respond to pandemic with public space experiments
The Journal Times: After the coronavirus: Your next road trip may look like this
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we've learned about how to protect yourself from coronavirus in reopened Wisconsin
Milwaukee Business Journal: Employers need to weigh legal and health ramifications when reopening, experts say
Madison.com: As Memorial Day tempts people outdoors, precautions advised
The Cap Times: Some Madison restaurant owners wary about reopening dining rooms
Madison.com: How should I clean and store my face mask?
Wisconsin State Journal: How to manage COVID-19 risk as you leave your cocoon
BizTimes: Area restaurants carefully approach reopening dine-in service

Wisconsin State Journal: Backlog of Wisconsin's unemployment claims expected to continue for months
Release: Letter to Gov. Evers on Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund
Gov. Evers delivers Democratic radio address encouraging Wisconsinites to wear masks
Axios: Census Bureau reports spike in signs of anxiety and depression since coronavirus
Wisconsin State Journal: Elections Commission approves sending absentee ballot applications to 2.7 million
WisconsinINNO: ‘People need food’: Why Madison’s GrocerKey thrives during coronavirus
WisBusiness: Meatpacking plants balance production with protection as workers worry about safety
Wisconsin State Journal: Most Big Ten teams uncertain when athletes will return for workouts
Milwaukee Business Journal: Milwaukee officials weighing COVID-19 data, looser restrictions, Mayor Barrett says
Wisconsin State Journal: Madison restaurants allowed to expand outdoor dining during COVID-19 pandemic
WISN: 1 in 4 American workers have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic
Wisconsin Public Radio: As they reopen, small retailers grapple with new expenses, uncertainty
Madison.com: Poll reveals 50% of Americans are willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine
BizTimes: Metro Milwaukee lost nearly 108,000 jobs in April
WisPolitics: Republicans grill Frostman over unemployment insurance problems
Wisconsin State Journal: Madison School District examining reopening guidance as it plans for fall semester
Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsinites aren't staying home but researchers hope health precautions will continue
Milwaukee Business Journal: Owners challenged like never before
CNN: Tracking COVID-19 cases in the US, breakdown by state
BizWomen: These are the jobs displaced workers are taking as lockdowns ease
Madison.com: Theater companies go online to save the industry
The Journal Times: US layoffs climb to 41 million; Vegas, Disney plan reopenings
Release: [Video] The UW-Madison CROWE’s Williams estimates the unemployment rate in Wisconsin was 22.7 percent
Madison.com: Devil's Lake State Park, Baraboo-area state natural areas overflow with cars on holiday weekend
Wisconsin Public Radio: Circuit courts mull plans to safely resume in-person proceedings during coronavirus pandemic
CNN: Trump is set to announce an executive order against social media companies
The Journal Times: Tips for making healthier choices when hunger hits
WISN: 2020 Wisconsin State Fair canceled amid coronavirus

• Gov. Evers’ office has launched a statewide COVID-19 website that aggregates information and resources throughout state government.
• COVID-19 Volunteer Program
• Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health
• Religious Gatherings and Services
• DVA Assistance to Needy Veterans Program
• Call 1-800-WIS-VETS for Veterans Benefits Information
• Relief and recovery resources for your business: Reopen guidelines
• Gov. Evers Announces Badger Bounce Back Plan
• Helping minority-owned micro-businesses weather the storm: Ethnic Minority Emergency Grant
  
• The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development produced this helpful Frequently Asked Questions document.
• The Wisconsin Department of Revenue offers these information sources:
•       Business Development and Government Relations (BDGR)
•       COVID-19 Information and Announcements
• WEDC has compiled a comprehensive overview of their resources along with state and federal resources to assist Wisconsin citizens aimed at maintaining the viability of the companies upon which our economy depends.
• Report any scams or price gouging to Wisconsin Department of Justice: If you suspect fraud or a scam, Attorney General Kaul suggests filing a complaint online at datcp.wi.gov.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) has guidance for businesses, Pending congressional and presidential approval, the SBA may offer another round of low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses and non-profits impacted by coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control: Coronavirus latest updates
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: COVID-19 Outbreaks in Wisconsin
• The FDIC has provided guidance to banking institutions and consumers affected by COVID-19 and encouraged financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers and customers in affected communities.
• The Department of Labor has issued guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements.
• NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers are providing services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers such as connecting businesses that are pivoting their production in response to the coronavirus to new supply chains, connecting firms with state resources, advising companies on new operational issues, and providing workforce support.
• “Wisconsin COVID-19 Startup Talent” is a new project to help those displaced from jobs and employers now hiring
• The Department of the Defense has established the Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) for COVID-19 to assess and rapidly respond to challenges presented by this pandemic. They are collecting information from both government and non-government personnel who are interested in getting involved. All resources and solutions are welcome from industry, academia, venture capital firms, individual contributors and more. Request information here.
• Wisconsin Hospital Association releases a COVID-19 dynamic Situational Awareness Update
• View an interactive map of public wi-fi “hot spots” in Wisconsin