Wisconsin Startup Week will run from November 6th to 12th. Concordia University Wisconsin will host nine prominent speakers at each of the university’s nine centers located throughout Southeastern Wisconsin in partnership with Wisconsin Startup Week, November 6th – 12th. Each presentation is free and includes lunch or refreshments.
Wisconsin Startup Week is an expansion of Milwaukee Startup Week which welcomed nearly 3,000 entrepreneurs, local leaders, and investors at the organization’s inaugural 2016 event. According to Matt Cordio, founder and president, “Entrepreneurs are everywhere in Wisconsin, and they tend to be involved in multiple projects with other like-minded thinkers; as we started to plan for our second year, we were looking to expand our programming and networking opportunities to bring more innovators together so more opportunities could be created.”
Cordio approached Dan Sem, dean of CUW’s Batterman School of Business and CEO of Bridge to Cures, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit with a mission to help entrepreneurs translate their research and inventions into products and companies in the healthcare field. “There’s a lively entrepreneurial spirit at Concordia University,” said Cordio. “We have worked with the school on several local initiatives in the past, so when we were ready to expand statewide, we naturally reached out to them to help us.”
Maximizing CUW’s significant reach in Southeastern Wisconsin, Sem and his colleagues at each of the nine centers, assembled a roster of recognized entrepreneurs who will share powerful life lessons and practical advice as encouragement to others interested in getting started. “We’re passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and providing opportunities for others to learn from them,” said Sem.
Highlights of the series include a talk about retail innovation by Ted Balistreri, co-owner of Sendik’s Food Markets, a panel discussion on veteran entrepreneurship, and insider funding tips from well-established tech entrepreneurs. A listing of all of the speakers participating in CUW’s speaker series for Wisconsin Startup Week, November 6th – 12th appears below. Full program descriptions, center locations, and reservations are available here.
- Appleton – Gary Vaughan, “Raising Startup Capital”
- Beloit – Ross Thomas, “So You Want to be A Franchise Entrepreneur”
- Green Bay – Tara Carr, “Resources to Start and Grow Your Business”
- Kenosha – Ray Koukari, “Investing in the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce”
- Madison – Tom Hershberger, “The Lean Startup”
- Mequon – Panel, “Veteran Entrepreneurship”
- Miller Park Way – Ted Balistreri, “Innovation in Retail – the Sendik’s Story”
- Milwaukee Midtown – Panel, “Changing our Community through Entrepreneurship & Innovation”
- Waukesha – Loren Peterson & Steven Visuri, “Lessons Learned in Funding Healthcare/Tech Startups”
Following the presentations, guests are invited to learn more about the many educational opportunities available at the center in their community. Accelerated learning centers offer graduate and undergraduate programs in business, criminal justice, health care, education and liberal arts. Classes generally meet one night a week and much of the coursework can be completed online.
Click here for more information about the adult education at Concordia University Wisconsin.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
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