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Wisconsin Security Research Consortium signs agreement with Agricultural Research Service
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The Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) eNewsletter is a periodical of news, events and programs about the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin. WIN has chapters in western Wisconsin, the Lake Superior region, Madison, Milwaukee, northeast Wisconsin and central Wisconsin.
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| Register now for June 7-8 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference! | | |
The 9th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference, to be held June 7-8 in Milwaukee, is one of the Midwest's premier networking and hands-on events for entrepreneurs. Business leaders, investors and others will make connections as they learn how to crack into today's emerging markets.
The entrepreneurial theme is built around "Launch, grow, succeed: Creating tomorrow's jobs today." Click here to read more about the conference theme and specific tracks.
A national advocate for entrepreneurism, Tim Kane with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, will kick-off the conference on June 7. Read more here.
Other highlights include:
- Three other nationally known speakers
- The Top 12: Finalists in the Governor's Business Plan Contest square off
- Ken Hendricks Memorial "Seize the Day" Award
- Hands-on panel discussions tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs
- "Start-up Cafe" providing one-on-one instruction on social media, mobile applications, lean start-ups and more
- Plenty of chances to network over food and refreshments!
- Register here.
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| Top 12 in annual Governor's Biz Plan Contest to be announced soon | | |
The top 25 entries in the Governor's Business Plan Contest, including winners of the Northeast Wisconsin, BizStarts, Marquette University Kohler and UW-Madison Steve Burrill competitions are competing for a spot within the contest's Top 12 finalists.
The Top 12 finalists will compete for the contest's grand prize with live presentations on June 7 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference in Milwaukee.
The contest began with a field of 220 first-round entries by an independent panel of nearly 60 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. The field was then narrowed to 49 contestants in the semi-finalist round.
Read more about the top 25 finalists here.
www.govsbizplancontest.com |
| Wisconsin legislators unveil venture capital program | | |
Legislation to bolster venture capital investments in Wisconsin companies was unveiled Thursday at a Capitol news conference held by the bill's main sponsors, Sen. Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac, and Rep. Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel....Read more here. |
| Business commentary: Wisconsin can learn from Israel's experience | | |
What can Wisconsin learn from the Israeli experience? Uzi de Haan, who leads entrepreneurship efforts of Israel's Technion Center, talked about the strategies and tactics that have redefined his nation's economy during an April series of Madison and Milwaukee forums at the invitation of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Corporate Relations. Read Tom Still's commentary in the Journal Sentinel here.
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| Latest 'WisBusiness: The Show' features serial entrepreneur | |
Please watch the latest edition of "WisBusiness: The Show" the twice-a-month Web show covering state business news and issues.
This edition features serial entrepreneur Greg Meier who talks about the Talent Lab, a new type of business incubator in Wisconsin. Tom Still, president of the Tech Council, talks about how Wisconsin can learn from Israel when it comes to building and financing young companies and our stock report has the highs and lows for late April.
Click here to see the show produced by Tweedee Productions. |
| Embryonic stem cell research wins court round | |
Opponents of federally funded embryonic stem cell research have lost a key round in a U.S. Court of Appeals, news that encouraged Wisconsin researchers. Click here to read a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story. |
| Commerce Secretary Jadin discusses state economy | |
Commerce Secretary Paul Jadin has talked recently in several forums about the state of the Wisconsin economy and how the conversion of Commerce to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will create more tools for success.
Click here to watch Jadin on a recent "Upfront with Mike Gousha," a weekly news show aired on WISN-TV. Click here to read a related story posted on PostCrescent.com, the web site of the Appleton Post-Crescent. Jadin also spoke at the April 20 meeting of the WIN-Northeast chapter. |
| Wisconsin State Journal weighs in on need for more venture capital | | |
In an editorial published April 25, the Wisconsin State Jouranl took note of the need for more venture capital in Wisconsin. "We can't afford not to invest in business growth, not only to create the jobs we need but also to bring in the tax revenue to support the government services we want," the newspaper's editorial noted. Read full Wisconsin State Journal editorial here. |
| UW-Madison delegation part of Wisconsin group at 2011 BIO | | |
Wisconsin's pavilion and related events at the BIO International Convention, to be held June 27-30 in Washington D.C., will feature a "family" of organizations, colleges and programs with ties to UW-Madison, one of the nation's leading research universities in the life sciences. Read more and get involved here.
Learn how to apply for grants and scholarships from the Trade Show Grant Program of the state Department of Commerce and/or the Small Business Scholarship Program here.
Contact Jodi Hoeser for more information.
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| Wisconsin venture investments remain at paltry level | | |
Wisconsin companies once again raised a paltry amount of venture capital in the first quarter compared with their counterparts in places like Boston and Silicon Valley. State firms raised just $6.67 million, or considerably less than 1%, of the $5.9 billion of venture capital that flowed into high-potential companies during the first three months of the year, according to the MoneyTree Report, released Friday by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.
Read full Journal Sentinel article here. |
| Walker touts state's tech sector in remarks to Tech Council, SBIR | | |
In separate addresses this month to the Wisconsin Technology Council board of directors and a federal research convention in Madison, Gov. Scott Walker talked about how growth in the state's tech-based economy can help drive job creation. Read more here. |
| Growth spurt for venture capital in Wisconsin? | |
In the venture capital arena, Wisconsin has long been a laggard. Despite some growth in its venture capital pool during the last 25 years, Wisconsin still ranked just 25th among all states in 2010, with $234 million under management, according to the National Venture Capital Association's Yearbook 2011. Wisconsin ranks 20th in population, U.S. Census Bureau data shows. Read full Journal Sentinel article here. |
| Business commentary: Badger state lagging in snagging fed dollars | |
Anyone who has studied Wisconsin's return on federal tax dollars over time might conclude the federal government shut down years ago, so far as the Badger State is concerned. Year after year, decade after decade, Wisconsin has ranked near the bottom of the 50 states in terms of getting a proportionate return on tax dollars sent to Washington, D.C., and returned in the form of federal aid, contracts, grants or other payments. Read full Milwaukee Journal Sentinel commentary by Tom Still here.
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| DWD Secretary Manny Perez weighs in on state workforce strategy | |
Looking to the future, the Wisconsin Technology Council makes a case for bold action to improve the business climate, provide entrepreneurs more access to capital, and ensure a skilled workforce to meet the needs of employers in a global market. As a member of Governor Walker's Cabinet and Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development, I welcome your collaboration in advancing Governor Walker's bold plans for economic growth and job creation....Read more from Perez here. |
| Madison's drug company Cellectar to merge with Boston's Novelos | |
Cellectar Inc., a Madison pharmaceutical company working on cancer-fighting drugs, has merged with a publicly traded Boston-area firm, Novelos Therapeutics Inc. The transaction essentially grafts Cellectar's research onto the upper management of Novelos. Read full Journal Sentinel story here. |
| Madison medical technology company raises $1 million | |
A Madison company with a unique infection-fighting technology has raised $1 million in venture capital. Zurex Pharma Inc. raised the money from the Peak Ridge AgTech Fund, which is managed by Peak Ridge Capital, a Boston-based venture capital fund with offices in Madison. Read full Journal Sentinel story here. |
| Lighting a fire: BIC buys Middleton-based Sologear | |
BIC Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of Paris-based BIC Group - known for its pens, lighters and shavers - bought Middleton-based Sologear, which produces ethanol-based Flamedisk, a charcoal alternative. Read more from the Wisconsin State Journal here. |
| Asthmapolis wins Twilio contest with tracking software | |
Madison-based Asthmapolis, which builds tools to track, manage and research asthma, recently won the Twilio developer contest. Asthmapolis uses Twilio to build an SMS service that lets people record and track their asthma symptoms, and was created by Greg Tracy, David Van Sickle, and Mark Gehring. Read more here. |
| Brookfield company MyHealthDirect raises $4 million in funding | |
A Brookfield company that connects patients to health care appointments will announce Wednesday it has raised $4 million of venture capital funding. MyHealthDirect raised the money from two firms: Arboretum Ventures, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Chrysalis Ventures, of Louisville, Ky. It will use the funds to expand, said Jay Mason, founder and chief executive officer. Read full Journal Sentinel story here.
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Inside Wisconsin columns tackle state, tech issues | | |
Inside Wisconsin
Tech Council President Tom Still shares insights on technology, the economy and politics though "Inside Wisconsin." Here are some recent columns:
For school districts across Wisconsin, life goes on - with or without budget ruling: The topic of my speech was the continued value of local education in building Wisconsin's "knowledge economy," and the 50 or so school administrators in the room listened carefully to my message about preparing K-12 students for the rigors of a globally competitive 21st century...Read more.
Breaking up is hard to do: The Great Uncoupling of the UW System:
Members of the Legislature's budget-writing committee have signaled they're approaching information overload when it comes to the proposed separation of the UW-Madison from the rest of the UW System. Is there a way, key lawmakers have asked, to construct a phased plan for giving the university more freedom to run its own affairs?...Read more.
Wisconsin workforce advantages can help attract, retain business:
Manuel Perez, who leads the state agency that deals with workforce issues ranging from unemployment benefits to training, is no stranger to the human resources business. He recently spoke at a board meeting of the Wisconsin Technology Council, a statewide group made up of leaders from the tech sector, investors, educators and service professionals, to drive home his message that developing a 21st century workforce is essential to attracting 21st century businesses and jobs....Read more.
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| Sponsor a WIN event | | |
SPONSOR YOUR NEXT REGIONAL WIN MEETING! WIN has six chapters across Wisconsin. Click here or contact WIN director, Liz Schrum, to learn more!
POST YOUR EVENTS ON THE TECH COUNCIL COMMUNITY EVENTS LISTING! Click here to add your event to the Tech Council website.
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| News, events and opportunities | |
* Update on the Venture Capital Bill is topic at May 12 WIN-Milwaukee to be held at the Brookfield Suites; and May 24 WIN-Madison to be held at the Monona Terrace. Save the dates and stay tuned for more information.
* Wisconsin Cleantech Network to meet May 25 and June 22 at Vintage Brewery in Madison. Contact Jodi Hoeser for more information.
 * The Wisconsin Technology Council has released its 2010-2011 white papers report, called "Looking to the future: A case for bold action." This biennial report contains recommendations in four broad areas: Increasing access to capital for Wisconsin entrepreneurs; Workforce development; Infrastructure and business climate; and Technology development. Click here to read the full report, which was issued in July 2010. |
| Get WIN-volved! Membership has its privileges | |
 Joining your local Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) Chapter offers networking connections with a variety of industries and professionals in technology, law, banking, government, public relations, manufacturing, and local entrepreneurs.
WIN would like to recognize these new members and sponsors:
New Corporate Member:
PowerBuy 4 You is a newcomer to the Wisconsin business community, and is using a variety of well-established business principles to help small businesses in Wisconsin be more competitive. Read more here.
New Individual Members and Renewals:
Audrey Boss
Mary Kay Bates
Karin Borgh
Donald Higgins
Jason Maloney
Robert Puissant
Recent WIN event sponsors:
Click here to join your local WIN Chapter or to learn more about us. |
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