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Dear readers –

The 13^th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference should entice ‘treps from all industry sectors and stages of development. Speaker Jerry Jendusa of EMTEQ and STUCK LLC represents success in advanced manufacturing; “Seize the Day” winner Jim Berbee’s story began with building an internet service company before he embarked on a second career as an emergency room physician; and our opening panel discussion will focus on innovation in digital health. As always, the finalists in Governor’s Business Plan Contest will cover the full range of industry sectors – and our “Launch, Grow and Succeed” panels will offer tips and best practices for companies at all stages, from idea to revenue. Please join us June 2-3 at the Alliant Energy Center!

Sincerely,
Tom Still  

Fifteen panels will dive into best practices, success stories – and even how to learn from failure – at the 13^th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, June 2-3 at Madison’s Alliant Energy Center. Tracks within the two-day conference are built around three distinct stages that matter to all startup companies: launch, grow and succeed. More than 60 seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and others who work with emerging companies will take part in each discussion. See full lineup here.

Other conference highlights include:

•  The 'Diligent Dozen' in the Governor's Business Plan Contest.
  
• A keynote presentation by Jerry Jendusa, co-founder and former CEO of EMTEQ and now a principal with STUCK LLC
• The 2015 Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award recipient Jim Berbee, founder of Berbee Information Networks Corp.
• The Governor’s Business Plan Contest awards ceremony will kick off with a conversation with Jonathan Zuckerbrod, who is driving technology as a part of the marketing efforts of the Milwaukee Bucks
• Innovation Showcase featuring more than 45 companies from around the state
• Plenty of chances to connect with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors over food and refreshments

Learn more and register for the two-day event at www.WiTrepsConference.com. “Early bird” registration is open through May 14 and special hotel rates apply through May 15.  Read Tom Still's recent commentary here.

Young ‘treps to pitch startups at May 14 WIN-MKE evening event

Come hear startup pitches from some of Milwaukee’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs emerging from the UW-Milwaukee at the Thursday, May 14, meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network’s Milwaukee chapter in Wauwatosa. During this event, judges and attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback to three young entrepreneurs pitching their startup business idea.

The evening event will take place at UW-Milwaukee’s Innovation Accelerator, 1225 Discovery Parkway. Registration, networking and hors d’oeuvres will begin at 4:30 p.m, with the presentations starting at 5:30 p.m.  Learn more here. 

Health-tech cluster featured at May 19 WIN-Madison

Trends in health information and other health technologies will be the topic of a panel discussion Tuesday, May 19 at a meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Madison.  Panelists include: Michael Barbouche, founder & CEO, Forward Health Group Inc.; Michael Eaton, president, Elli Health; Mark Gehring, co-founder, HealthMyne, Propeller Health. Tom Still of the Tech Council will moderate as panelists discuss the importance of Madison’s fast-growing health-tech industry, as well as trends and challenges facing the industry and its benefits for people, communities and health-care institutions at home or abroad.

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 register here.

This month, Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council discussed with TechAmerica the importance of developing partnerships within the community and media to advance Wisconsin’s advocacy efforts and assist in the development, growth and success of technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.  Read this interview at TechVoice here.

In 2014, angel groups in the Great Lakes region invested more dollars than anywhere else in the country, 17.2 percent of the U.S. total, including angel groups in California (17 percent). This marks the first time a U.S. region other than California led in dollars invested by angel groups since the Halo Report has started to track angel investments. Read the full story here.

This acceleration in angel activity is the continuation of a general trend of increased valuations, deal sizes and activity by angel groups since the start of 2011. The data presented in the report is collected via survey and aggregation of public data using innovative data analyses. Read the report on SlideShare here.

Wisconsin Investment Partners, or WIP, invested $4.4 million in 2014, which is why the report showed the Madison-based network among the 12 most active angel groups in the United States in 2014. It was an elite group that included Tech Coast Angels, New York Angels, the Houston Angel Network and Desert Angels. Read Tom Still's recent column. More details coming with the 2015 Wisconsin Portfolio.

The MidWest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) has opened applications for its business startup initiative, WERCBench Labs. Engineers, scientists and programmers across all funding stages are asked to submit their applications by May 29.

Between 10 and 15 startup teams and early stage companies will be selected each year to join this three-month immersive program. Each team will work with world-class experts, mentors and have access to unique testing and production facilities, including high-performance computing, rapid prototyping and small-scale production equipment.  Learn more here.

A statewide panel of judges have selected 26 entries to advance to Phase 2 of Wisconsin YES!, a youth business plan contest for students in middle school and high school.    

Students submitted their science- and tech-based 250-word business summaries through the contest website – www.WisconsinYES.com – in April to compete in Phase 1. Eighty-three entries were received from around the state, representing more than 130 students. Professionals committed to the development of young business leaders in Wisconsin served as judges, scoring the entries and providing constructive feedback to the students. Learn more here. Teh 2015 winner will be invited to present during the BPC Award Cerimony on June 3 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference.

Click here to view archived episodes the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness. The show is sponsored by UW-Milwaukee.

Software ‘developer day’ for disability apps puts UW-Stout in strong company

A day-long workshop, or “Developer Day,” will be held Saturday at UW-Stout to give students, faculty and others outside the campus a chance to learn more about the competition and to test their ideas. The deadline to enter the contest is still about six weeks out – 4 p.m. June 24 – but the UW-Stout workshop will give developers a head start. Teams will be formed, participants will hear from people with disabilities and strategize around possible solutions.

Building Downtown Wisconsin: Exact Sciences plan right for times

Plans to redevelop what’s known as “Judge Doyle Square” south of Capitol Square, on land bounded roughly by Wilson and Doty streets, is the latest example of an opportunity that can’t linger.

Turning brain drain into brain gain: Growth strategies for rural Wisconsin

Looking back on a litany of grant announcements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the past six months or so, I reached this conclusion: Wisconsin leaves a lot of federal money on the table.

Badger Fund of Funds already a success

The Badger Fund of Funds has yet to make a single investment, but it can be argued it's already a success.

Patent director’s visit to Wisconsin underscores value of innovation economy

When computer scientist Michelle Lee joined Google as its first head of patent strategy, the company held a few dozen intellectual property grants. When she left eight years later, Google’s portfolio spanned 10,500 patents. The patent explosion inside Google during Lee’s tenure there is emblematic of how much the U.S. economy relies on innovation – and how protection of intellectual property is essential to perpetuating that cycle.

Algorithms and the human factor: How will society strike balance?

Data science is a fancy term for statistics. It’s the extraction of knowledge from data, which can be derived from multiple digital sources and turned into a resource to make business decisions.

JSOnline: Medical software firm TeraMedica bought by Fujifilm Medical Systems

BizJournal: What is Wisconsin’s I-Q corridor?

WisBusiness features 2015 BPC semi-finalists

WisBusiness: Ex-Packer develops outlet for athletes beyond the game

JSOnline: Bus ticketing service Tixora wins UW-Madison business plan contest

Tech Council supports 12th annual 'Posters in the Rotunda'

Tom Still discusses outsourcing jobs from Wisconsin on Capitol City Sunday

State Journal: WISC Partners looks to boost promising Wisconsin companies

JSOnline: Clean water crisis spawns UWM research into water-monitoring products

WisBiz: WISC Partners to fill niche between venture capital, angel investing

State Journal: Madison's health IT firms make a splash at HIMSS

JSOnline: Madison start-up raises $923,000 in funding

JSOnline: Catalyze helps health-tech companies innovate

State Journal: State Senate approves statewide regulations for Uber, Lyft

Milwaukee joins National Innovation Network through grant

Economic success depends on UW, other public universities

WisBusiness: Better battery imaging paves way for renewable energy future

WisBusiness: Faster, smaller, cheaper - Technique could speed biologic drugs

JSOnline: 'Fab labs' transform ideas, foster innovation, invention

JSOnline: Sale of Madison company could be a big step for stem cell research

New program announced to advance water entrepreneurship

Federal grant advances pain-free blood tests from UW startup

JSOnline: WARF leader Gulbrandsen to retire in 2016

State Journal: UW-Madison claims $15 billion in state economic impact

State Journal: St. Louis IT consulting firm opens Madison office

JSOnline: Madison start-ups put digital technology in the grocery aisles

WIN-Milwaukee
UWM Innovation Accelerator, Wauwatosa
May 14

WIN-Madison
Sheraton Hotel, Madison
May 19

2015 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference
Alliant Energy Center, Madison
June 2-3

Corporate members
Core Business
Fluno Center
Midwest Prototyping
mpirik
Neckerman Insurance Services
Neider & Boucher
Nelson Schmidt, Inc.
Red Arrow Production
Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media
Whitewater University Technology Park

Individual members
​Scott Dicks
Michael Gay
Alan Hartman
Paul Jadin
Craig Kettleson
Ed Klug
Karl Koenig
Chester Kolodziej
Thomas Lieven
Robert Puissant
Venkat Raman
Tom Strader

Click here to fill out an online application to become a new member or renew your current membership!