Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference
media release: A new opportunity for young companies to pitch and a keynote speech by Scott Becker, author of “The Entrepreneur’s Edge,” are among highlights on tap for the 23rd annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference. It will be held June 4-5 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.
The conference returns to Wisconsin’s capital to celebrate the region’s rise as a startup and scale-up hub within the Midwest. Registration is open at witrepsconference.com or linked here.
Becker is an entrepreneur, investor and lawyer who has built ventures in health care, media and more. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he produces “Becker Private Equity and Business” as a daily report from his home base in Chicago. It captures his passion for helping entrepreneurs and business leaders navigate the complexities of building and scaling their ventures.
“In these uncertain times, Scott Becker will offer topical insights to entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders alike,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces the conference. “He does so with a unique combination of humor and experiential depth.”
In addition to the June 4 “Diligent Dozen” finalist pitches in the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Contest, the conference will introduce “Open Mic” pitching for early-stage companies to share their ventures with the audience on the morning of June 5.
Each founder will have two minutes to pitch, with no Q&A afterward, to get as many founders in front of the group as possible. Don’t yet have a formal company? No problem. Tell us what you’re thinking of launching.
Participating entrepreneurs will also have the option to reserve free table space to showcase their business during the designated networking times to further their connections with their businesses. To be eligible to pitch, please fill out this short form. This is on a first-come, first-served basis with a limited number of slots.
Students, veterans and entrepreneurs whose companies are three years old and under can attend the two-day conference for $79; the general admission rate is $279. More information on all other fees can be found at witrepsconference.com.
“Building bridges for Wisconsin’s emerging economy” is the conference theme, which underscores that entrepreneurs from across the state can showcase their ideas, services and technologies. Detailed session information will be posted soon at witrepsconference.com.
Produced by the Tech Council, the Entrepreneurs’ Conference is among the largest and affordable events for entrepreneurs and early stage investors in the Upper Midwest. Other highlights will include:
- Diligent Dozen: Top 12 finalists from the Governor’s Business Plan Contest square off on the afternoon of June 4 (see more info below)
- Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” 2025 award winner, to be announced;
- Governor’s Business Plan Contest “Diligent Dozen” awards announcements June 5;
- Innovation Showcase featuring exhibits from Wisconsin companies, and;
- Plenty of chances to network with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors over food and refreshments, including a June 4 reception on the roof of Monona Terrace, weather permitting.
Diligent Dozen participants are:
BreezyFile: Matt Campbell,Rhinelander
CellTrack: Victor Santoro Fernandes, Madison
Equability: Hilary Pham, Madison
FerroMX: Jiajie Sui, Madison
Galasys: Jarryd Featherman, Janesville
Induction Technologies: Samuel Enerson, Madison
Phoenix-Aid: Ashwinraj Karthikeyan, Oshkosh
Saturn Agrisense: Kuan-Yu Chen, Madison
Sea Change Silicides: Steven Girard, Whitewater
Service ID: RJ Pire, Fitchburg
Strudel AI: Kristin Isaac, Madison
SwallowEase Diagnostics: Sara Gustafson, Waunakee
Synpha Biosciences Corporation: Phil Huss, Madison
Sponsors thus far are: Affiliated Engineers, Amazon, Apple, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, ATC, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, Business Fitness, Center for Technology Commercialization, City of Fitchburg, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Dairyland Power Cooperative, Findorff, Fine Point Consulting, First Business Bank, Foley & Lardner, Godfrey & Kahn, HealthX Ventures, Husch Blackwell, J.P. Morgan, Kimberly-Clark, Madison College, Madison Development Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Makin’ HEY! Communications, Marquette University, Microsoft, Neider & Boucher, Perkins Coie, Quarles & Brady, Raven Software, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, SustainableHR PEO, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, University Research Park, UW-Madison Center for Dairy Research, UW-Madison College of Engineering, UW-Madison Dept. of Computer Sciences, UW-Madison Innovate Network, UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement, UWM Research Foundation, VC3, Venture Investors, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Wisconsin Technical College System and Yahara Software.
To become a sponsor, contact Angela Schlobohm at angela@
Water Technologies, Jordan Sand, Verona; CompRex, Zhijun Jia, La Crosse;ContraDoc Inc., David Meyers, Brookfield; Contrast Dynamics, Erick Oberstar, Verona; FANTM, Finn Kuusisto, Madison; HeyGov,, Dustin Overbeck, Sturgeon Bay; My Hearing Care, Yi Hu, Milwaukee; Rapid Radicals Technology, William Schanen, Milwaukee; Reinventauctions.com, Todd Wilkins, Fontana; Stellar Tech Girls, Marina Bloomer, Madison
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