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 WisBusiness: The Show

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John “Jack” Lynch Jr., chief executive officer of Renaissance Learning, a Wisconsin-based online education company recently purchased for $1.1 billion, will speak June 3 at the 12th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Madison.

Google Capital invested $40 million in Renaissance Learning in early 2014, and the company was purchased within a month for $1.1 billion by Hellman & Friedman LLC, a private equity firm. Read more here.

​The two-day conference is one of the Midwest's premiere “how-to,” hands-on events for entrepreneurs of all ages and experience levels. Visit www.WiTrepsConference.com to register and learn more. “Early bird” registration is open through May 13 and special hotel rates apply through May 3.

Twenty-four entries representing sectors as broad as software, agriculture, water technology, medical devices and innovations in manufacturing are competing in the finalist round of the 11th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

The contestants have survived two rounds of judging in the contest organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council and its programs. A lead sponsor is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

One top entry from UW-Madison’s G. Steven Burrill Business Plan Contest will join these 24 plans in the Phase 3 judging round in early May.

Finalists will submit 15- to 20-page business plans for review by a panel of more than 80 judges. The “Diligent Dozen,” or top 12 business plans announced in late May, will present in front of a panel of judges and conference attendees at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference on June 3 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Category winners, as well as the 2014 Grand Prize Winner, will be announced during the BPC Awards Luncheon on June 4.

Two national ridesharing companies that use mobile technology to connect customers with drivers have entered the Madison market, prompting disagreements with the city of Madison over regulations that extend to traditional taxicab firms.

Hear from representatives of Uber and Lyft, as well as representatives of a regulated cab company and the city of Madison, at the Tuesday, April 22 luncheon meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Madison.

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.

Learn more and get registered here.

Justin Kaster, founder and executive director for Midwest Cleantech Open, will discuss near-term opportunities for emerging businesses and other market participants including investors at the April 24 meeting of the Cleantech Network forum.  

The forum will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wisconsin Energy Institute, 1552 University Avenue, on the University of Wisconsin campus, follow this link to map for parking.

Kaster will discuss an overview of Cleantech Open's national accelerator program; which is taking applications through May 1, as well as near-term opportunities for both emerging companies and investors and industry trends both in the Midwest and nationally.

Learn more and register here. 

Hear how the recently formed BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation is raising funds through capital donations and now, making early stage investments in companies at the May 8 luncheon meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network 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 12 p.m. and the presentation at 12:15 p.m.

Panelists include Todd Sobotka, portfolio manager for BrightStar and Juan Gomez, co-founder and president of 425 Inc., the Mount Pleasant-based manufacturer of the Guardian Angel. The Guardian Angel is LED light personal safety device to illuminate emergency personnel in dark or low lighting situations.

BrightStar is a non-profit organization that accepts charitable donations and uses them to take equity positions in for-profit early-stage companies. Government, educational institutions, other charitable organizations, angel groups and venture funds are aligned with BrightStar to identify, invest or co-invest in, mentor and promote fast growing early stage companies to create technology based jobs in Wisconsin.

Learn more and register here.

Produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and partners that include the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the Tech Summit provided an organized way for young companies and corporations with a national and global footprint to meet and explore likely business relationships around technology needs and innovation.

Major companies and private institutions that took part include: AT&T, American Family Insurance, Aurora Health Care, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Direct Supply, Faith Technologies, GE Healthcare, HP Enterprise Services, IBM, Intel, Johnson Controls Inc., Kraft, Plexus, Rockwell Automation, Runzheimer International and TASC.

With company life spans growing shorter, young companies help fill gap

Getting behind the numbers on why new company creation is important

Angels in the cornfields: Investing not just a big-city game

Graying of Wisconsin shows challenge in filling tomorrow's jobs

Wisconsin, Midwest slowly finding way on to investors’ radar screens

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.

Corporate Members
Neider & Boucher
Nelson Schmidt
Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media

Individual Members
Sally Anlin
Amy Brown
Jenna Erickson
Ray Harter
Steve Holzhauer
Pradeep Jain
Annamalai Karthikeyan
Tom Lieven
Al Oelschlaeger
Jon Passman (Wisconsin Angel Network)
Ann Pieper
Peter Qian
Shobhan Thakkar
Constantin Tivis