WIN Newsletter - January 2006

Happy New Year! Welcome to the Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) eNewsletter for January 2006, a periodical of news, events and programs that focuses on the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Innovation Network has chapters in the Chippewa Valley, the Lake Superior Region, Madison, Milwaukee and Northeast Wisconsin. Soon to organize: Central Wisconsin. WIN is a non-profit subsidiary of the Wisconsin Technology Council, which works with organizations such as those listed (left) to enhance Wisconsin's technology development climate. Look below for upcoming WIN events.

Questions or ideas? Contact Sally Muller at sallym@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

Governor’s Business Plan Contest accepting entries

You don’t have to win the $50,000 grand prize in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest to benefit from entering. Finalists from past contests who responded to a recent Tech Council survey have stayed in business, received financing (60 percent of all finalists) and attracted new business and partners. Contestants also receive valuable feedback from mentors and judges, exposure in the news media, and links to a statewide network of community resources, talent and possible sources of capital.

Add more than $100,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to the list of reasons to participate and there’s no reason why your idea abstract (250 words or less) shouldn’t be part of the contest.  It’s easy to enter at www.govsbizplancontest.com.  Entries are being accepted now through 5 p.m., Jan. 31, 2006.

The contest is seeking contestants, judges and sponsors. To learn more, go to www.govsbizplancontest.com and find out how you can move that business plan off the shelf and into the marketplace.

Business Plan Contest winner secures $360,000 in angel financing
AquaSensors LLC, who won the Advanced Manufacturing category in the 2005 Governor’s Business Plan Contest and finished second overall, has closed a deal with the Silicon Pastures angel network for $360,000 in financing. Read More

Speaking of business plan contests…

About 100 contestants are taking part in the first Northeast Wisconsin Regional Business Plan Contest. The contest is being run with the help of the WIN-Northeast chapter; some contestants will be able to segue into the statewide Governor’s Business Plan Contest. Multiple winners in the Northeast BPC will share in $25,000 in prizes. The contest is being sponsored and coordinated by the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of the Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN), the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership (NEWREP), the Fox Valley and Bay Area Workforce Development Boards. Read More about the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Business Plan Contest

Deadline near for Wisconsin “BioTheater” presentations at BIO ‘06

The international BIO convention will be held in the Midwest for the first time when 20,000 people descend on Chicago’s McCormick Place, April 9-12. The Wisconsin pavilion is being organized by Forward Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association, and the Wisconsin Technology Council. New this year: The Wisconsin BioTheater, where companies and organizations can present in the pavilion to a live audience -- and the presentation lives on! Through the “Mediasite” rich-media recording device developed by Madison’s Sonic Foundry, presentations will be recorded and digitally archived. Investors, research collaborators, business partners and customers can hear and see your complete presentation after BIO delegates go home. The deadline to sign up is fast approaching! For rates and more information, contact Jan Alf at Forward Wisconsin: (262) 691-7873 or jalf@execpc.com

Upcoming WIN events

Wisconsin Innovation Network events focus on the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin. Over time, WIN events have effectively assisted companies in the areas of capital, networking, information, and business consultation referrals. If you have questions, contact Sally Muller, program director, at 608-442-7557x 22 or 1-888-443-5285.

Watch for e-mail notices about upcoming WIN meetings in Chippewa Valley, the Fox Valley, the Lake Superior Region, Madison and Milwaukee.

REGISTER HERE:  Visit our Events Calendar to register and for more detail on the following Events

WIN Lake Superior Region (Ashland) - The world, the nation, and the Lake Superior Region economic outlook: A view from the Fed - January 9, 2006, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
 
Tobias Madden, regional economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will visit a number of technology businesses in the region the morning of January 9, then report off-the-cuff to the WIN-Lake Superior Chapter's late afternoon meeting.  Get the inside scoop on his observations and see how our region stacks up within the Federal Reserve region. The event will take place at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Ashland and is free to WIN members.  The cost is $5 for non-WIN members.
    
WIN Milwaukee - Sizing up Wisconsin’s life sciences economy:  Gale Davy of the Wisconsin Association for Biomedical Research and Education - January 9, 2006 – 11:30 – 1:30 p.m.
 
Beer, brats … and biotech! The state’s bioscience industry, which is 338 companies strong, generates about $6.38 billion in revenue and attracts $582 million of research funding from out-of-state sources. Find out how the life sciences industry has become a major player in the state economy when Gale Davy of WABRE speaks Jan. 9 at the WIN-Milwaukee meeting. The cost is $35 for non-WIN members and $25 for members. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency, 333 W. Kilbourn St., Milwaukee. Lunch is provided with registration.
       
WIN Northeast - Using innovation to keep products on the cutting edge of market demands - January 19, 2006 - 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.
 
Dan Peterson, Executive Director Thermal R&D of Appleton (formerly Appleton Papers) will present how Appleton develops new products and services.  Appleton has been recognized as an organization that has reinvented itself as customers needs have changed.  Appleton has created an internal process for creating new products and finding new opportunities.  Mr. Peterson will share this process and how other organizations can increase their capacity for innovation.  The cost is $5 for WIN members and $10 for non-WIN. The event will be held at the D.J. Bordini Center, Fox Valley Technical College Appleton Campus.
 
WIN Madison - A Year in Preview: What’s on the calendar for Wisconsin’s tech community - January 24, 2006 - 11:30 – 1:30 p.m.
       
Hear from a panel of tech leaders about what’s ahead in 2006: The Governor’s Business Plan Contest, BIO ’06 in Chicago, the latest data on angel investing in Wisconsin, legislative initiatives and trends in the Madison market. Join Tom Still of the Tech Council, Jim Leonhart of the Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association and other guests for a look at what’s ahead. The cost is $25 for WIN members and $35 for non-WIN. The event will be held at the Sheraton, 700 John Nolen Drive, Madison, and lunch is provided with registration.

A world-class idea deserves a world-class presentation

Presentations just got that much easier.  The Tech Council and Sonic Foundry have partnered to provide a web-based recording and publishing system that can capture presentations and digitally store them for “on-demand” use via the Internet. From conferences to online presentations for potential investors, the Mediasite system can help drive key communications for your programs and projects.  For example: A Madison firm recently used Mediasite to broadcast live to potential angel investors in Wisconsin and Illinois. For more information and rates, contact Wisconsin Angel Network Director Joe Kremer at jkremer@wisconsinangelnetwork.com

Interns available for tech companies and organizations

Have a UW-Madison senior or graduate student join your staff for a semester!  Students enrolled in “Issues and Science and Technology Communication” are available for non-paid internships for course credit. Past student projects have included web site development, market research, promotional design, media relations and more. The course is offered through the Department of Life Sciences Communication. For more information, contact LSC instructor and Wisconsin Technology Council President Tom Still at tstill@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

UW Sciences job fair offers crack at new talent

If you’re looking for talent, sign up now for the UW-Madison Sciences and Life Sciences Career Fair, to be held 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the Memorial Union. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of students looking for full-time positions and internships in a variety of science fields. This event is sponsored by the College of Letters and Science/School of Human Ecology Career Services office and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Learn More Here:

UW Business School offers tech business class for faculty

A class aimed at teaching University of Wisconsin faculty and staff how (and when) to start a technology-based business will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 25 in Grainger Hall, the School of Business, 975 University Ave. in Madison. The class will focus on the basics of disclosure, patenting and licensing, and help participants assess their strengths and weaknesses as entrepreneurs. Participants will learn how to assess the business potential of their research, and hear about ways to finance a business start. The program will be presented by Technology Business Development Institute staff, a WARF patent agent, and Wisconsin SBIR-FAST program (Federal and State Technology partnership) staff. Register now by calling 262-3909, or visit www.technologybusinessinstitute.com

Milwaukee to host 2007 BIO Mid-America VentureForum

Milwaukee has been selected as the site of the 2007 BIO Mid-America VentureForum, the Midwest's largest life science venture conference. The event will take place in September 2007. The BIO Mid-America VentureForum is co-sponsored by the national Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and 10 Midwest state life science associations, led by the Wisconsin Biotechnology & Medical Device Association. A coalition of Wisconsin groups, including the Tech Council, helped advance Milwaukee’s bid for the conference. It will bring more than 500 attendees and up to 90 national venture capitalists to Milwaukee, which Entrepreneur Magazine has called one of the top 20 “hottest” large cities in the United States for entrepreneurs.  Additional information is available at www.biomed.org or by calling (608) 252-9393.

Tech Council offers another new online service

The Wisconsin Technology Council has teamed with JobSightUSA, an internet-based job-matching service, to provide a searchable database of professional employment opportunities in Wisconsin via the Tech Council website. This new feature will allow technology companies to match candidates with jobs based on skills rather than the more traditional approach of using job titles. 

In addition to providing an innovative method to helping match companies and jobseekers, the initiative will provide objective data to help Wisconsin identify the skills that need further development.
Please visit the WTC Career Center to learn more.

Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium highlights on web

The first Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium was held Oct. 19-20 at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. More than 250 people attended over two days.  To review highlights of the conference, including news releases, news coverage, videos of speakers and photographs, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com and click on the conference icon that flashes “It’s a wrap!”

TechBytes

•      The Tech Council website now includes a Legislative Initiatives page where you can read current legislative news. Visit the Policy/Legislative page on the WTC website.

Benefits expand for WIN Members

Your membership with the Wisconsin Innovation Network is rewarding. It includes:

  • Discounted registration at conferences.
  • WIN luncheon, event and sponsorship opportunities.
  • Your subscription to the WIN eNewsletter.
  • Subscription discounts and/or advertising opportunities for publications such as the Wisconsin Technology Network, WisBusiness.com, The Business Journal, the Small Business Times and the Capital Region Business Journal.
  • Access to other WIN members and their expertise.
  • Opportunities to be listed in our online Resource directory.
  • Monthly educational and networking events.
  • Discounts from selected vendors. For example, the Tech Council and Aberdean Inc., a Madison-based IT consulting and management firm, have reached an agreement to provide strategic technical services consulting to eligible WIN members at a discounted rate. Dependent upon your membership level, eligible WIN members may be able to receive up to a 25 percent discount for technical services. Some complimentary services are also expected to be available. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Eric Steffen at Aberdean (608) 204-9620 or eric.steffen@abedean.com

Wisconsin Technology Council Newsroom

The Wisconsin Technology Council News Room provides “real-time” news about the Tech Council, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their efforts to assist in the development, growth and success of technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.

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