Fifty entries from nearly 30 communities are competing in the second round of the fourth annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Wednesday.

The contestants were selected from a field of 279 first-round entries by an independent panel of judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is producing the contest in conjunction with its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin Innovation Network, the Wisconsin Angel Network and other statewide affiliates.

“Once again, the quality of ideas submitted by Wisconsin entrepreneurs was high – so much so that it was difficult to reduce the number of plans selected for the next phase of competition,” said Mark Bugher, chairman of the Tech Council. “The quality of the ideas submitted has increased each year, supporting our belief that Wisconsin has the ideas, the innovative culture and the entrepreneurs necessary to succeed in the 21st century economy.”

The Wisconsin Technology Council and the WiCell Research Institute have partnered to bring research professionals, scientists and business leaders in touch with Wisconsin civic and business organizations through a new public initiative. Called “The Wisconsin Edge,” this initiative is working to engage Wisconsin communities on the topic of human embryonic stem cell research.

Stem cells, especially human embryonic stem cells, remain a hot topic in the news and in conversations throughout the nation. In Wisconsin, the public is working to develop an informed perspective on this much-discussed but little-understood subject.

The Wisconsin Angel Network (WAN) is a public-private partnership program of the Tech Council to build the number and dollar amount of early-stage investment deals in Wisconsin.

The Angel Network is part of the Tech Council's continuum of entrepreneurial programs.

Governor’s Business Plan Contest (BPC):
- Helping BPC contestants receive additional exposure to investors by running phase 2 entries through WAN’s Deal-flow Pipeline

Deal-flow Pipeline (DFP):
- Web-database for investors with more than 150 entrepreneurial executive summaries

Resources:
- New, on-demand coaching videos for entrepreneurs
- eServices, launching a menu of fee-based consulting services to help entrepreneurs raise capital
- ePlan, offering a new tool to attract investors, that allows entrepreneurs to pitch to investors via the Internet

Annual Early-Stage Deals Reporting:
- Collaborating with Wisconsin's law firms to track overall early-stage deals
- Releasing 2006 report in April

Visit www.wisconsinangelnetwork.com to learn more about the Wisconsin Angel Network

• UW-Madison brought in about $49 million in licensing income in 2005, positioning it in the top five among other U.S. Universities according to the 2005 AUTM U.S. Licensing Survey

• The U.S. ranks as the 5th country behind Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada in financial infrastructures that support entrepreneurial activity by providing access to capital according to the 2006 Capital Access Index

2007 Small Business Conference, March 22, Madison
Hosted by City of Madison, the Small Business Advisory Council, the African-American/Black Businesses Association, the Latino Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Watch the Supreme Court debate live!, March 30, Madison
We the People/Wisconsin will air a live, statewide Supreme Court debate between Washington County Circuit Court Judge Annette Ziegler and Madison attorney Linda Clifford. The forum will broadcast live from 7 to 8 p.m. in the studios of Wisconsin Public Television in Madison. To be a member of the viewing audience, please call 1.800.492.7505 to register. Only those who are pre-registered will be allowed to attend.

Wisconsin Technology Council Board of Directors meeting, April 10, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Beloit College; among the items on the agenda is a presentation by UW-Madison developmental biologist Dr. Jamie Thomson. The Tech Council board meets quarterly in locations across Wisconsin. Requests to host a future meeting may be directed to Andrea Johnson at ajohnson@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

2007 Wisconsin Charter Schools, April 15-17, Waukesha
Sponsored by WCSA and DPI

Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium, April 18, Madison
Coordinated by the UW-Madison/NIH Stem Cell Training Program, the UW Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center and the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute

International Bioethics Forum April 19-20, Madison
Hosted by Promega Corp.’s BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute

CATO 2007 Biotech Symposium, April 25-27, Madison
Hosted by Cato BioVentures, Cato research and the University Research Park

2007 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, June 12-13, Madison
This one-and-a-half day conference is designed to be a short course in the tactical strategies necessary to navigate the inevitable pitfalls and roadblocks of starting a business

Joining your local Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) Chapter offers networking connections with a variety of industries and professionals in high tech, law, banking, government, public relations, manufacturing, and local entrepreneurs. Your next client/customer/partner is only "six degrees of separation" away.

Click here to join your local WIN Chapter or to learn more about us.