Dear readers-

In its fifth year, the Wisconsin Tech Summit continues to grow. Eighteen major companies will hold about 230 “speed date” meetings with about 80 emerging companies. Read on for details about the March 19 event. Our Wisconsin Governor’s Business Content is in full swing, and our Wisconsin YES! youth contest is approaching an April 2 entry deadline. In addition, upcoming Tech Council Innovation Network events will focus on manufacturing tech and a successful entrepreneur in northeast Wisconsin. Hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,
Tom Still, president

Linking the I-Q Corridor: Tech Summit speakers will highlight ties to academic research, talent

Speakers who exemplify academic research and talent initiatives in the Milwaukee-Madison corridor and statewide will speak March 19 at the fifth annual Wisconsin Tech Summit in Waukesha. Phyllis King, part of the leadership of UW-Milwaukee, and Erik Iverson, the managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, will bracket a day’s worth of “speed dating” meetings between major and emerging companies.

Registration is closed due to high demand.

50 plans advance to semi-finals in 2018 Gov’s Biz Plan Contest

Fifty entries from 28 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the 15th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced. The contestants were selected from a field of about 200 qualified first-round entries by an independent panel of 110 judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council and its programs, the Tech Council Innovation Network and the Tech Council Investor Networks. The semi-finalists reflect the diversity of Wisconsin’s economy and are spread among four broad categories: advanced manufacturing (11), business services (13), information technology (13) and life sciences (13).

Federal role in manufacturing, cybersecurity topic of March 27 Innovation Network lunch

Helping Wisconsin manufacturers of all sizes compete by improving production processes, adding technology capacity and enhancing cybersecurity will be the theme of the Tuesday, March 27 Tech Council Innovation Network luncheon meeting in Madison. A panel of experts will describe the work of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a 30-year-old federal program, and the National Institute of Standard and Technology, which provides advice on Internet of Things, blockchain and cybersecurity among other services and research.

Hear from high-impact founder Craig Dickman at April 12 Innovation Network luncheon

Learn about being a high-impact entrepreneur in northeast Wisconsin from Craig Dickman, founder and former chief executive officer of Breakthrough Fuel, during the Thursday, April 12, meeting of the Tech Council Innovation Network in Appleton. Breakthrough Fuel is an energy management company that helps shippers around the world better manage costs through providing real-time fuel price data, effective fuel management strategies and transparency in procurement. The luncheon will be held at the Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton.

Wisconsin YES! youth biz plan contest open for entries online

The countdown is under way for middle- and high-school students to enter Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs in Science, a statewide youth business plan contest modeled after the successful Governor’s Business Plan Contest. It is open for online entries from Wisconsin middle- and high-school students through 5 p.m. April 2, 2018. Public, private and home-schooled students across Wisconsin are eligible to turn their science- and tech-related ideas into business plans and compete for cash and prizes. The contest begins with a 250-word summary submitted through www.WisconsinYES.com.

Force for Positive Change
Registration is open! Secure your seat for a day of engaging speakers, sessions and awards for social entrepreneurship. Speakers include representatives from American Family Insurance, Kickapoo Coffee Roasters, the Ashoka Foundation, Incourage, social enterprises of all kinds, Marquette University President MIchael Lovell and Wisconsin philanthropists John and Tashia Morgridge. Click here for more information and a full agenda.

Wisconsin Strong
Learn more about partnerships between businesses and early care and education providers on April 17 at the Madison Central Library. Speakers include: Ann Stern, vice president of Tri-North Builders; Mark Tyler, CEO of OEM Fabrications; and Ruth Schmidt, executive director of WECA. Click here to learn more and register.

We’re hiring! Talented operations director needed

The operations director is a key position at the Tech Council. You must have a passion for the mission, a willingness to work with people and an ability to communicate our message. Click here to see a few key elements of the position.

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