Wednesday May 4 - Friday May 6, 2005
A block of rooms has been reserved by WEDA at a special rate of $62.00, available until April 26, 2005
Agenda
| Wednesday, May 4 | |
| 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Golf Outing at Trappers Turn, Hiking at Devil’s Lake State Park |
| 4:00 – 6:00 p.m | WEDA Board of Directors meeting |
| 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Informal Reception – Wintergreen Pool |
| Thursday, May 5 | |
| 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Registration, Networking, and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Opening remarks Peter Thillman, WEDA President Merlin Zitzner, Baraboo Bancorp CEO Gordon Priegel, Supervisor, Village of Lake Delton |
| 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Keynote Speaker Jan Twombly, President, Rhythm of Business “Weaving the Threads of Entrepreneurial Culture” |
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Our keynote presenter challenges business leaders and economic development professionals to weave the threads of Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial culture and grow our economy on the strength of local assets. You’ll get a global perspective on how innovative communities are fostering business and high-wage job creation by raising the entrepreneurial aspirations and confidence level of residents. Learn strategies for leveraging the unique advantages of your community — whether rural or urban — by collaborating with others who share similar objectives. Growing a thriving entrepreneurial culture requires thinking differently about economic development. Our keynote presentation will set us on the right path. | |
| 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Break / View Exhibits |
| 10:30 – Noon | Breakout Sessions |
| SESSION 1 | |
| 10:30 - noon | Catch the Culture ... Its Contagious! Terry Whipple, Executive Director, Juneau County Economic Development Corp Ivan Davis, Founder, Output Generation Deb Malewicki, Director, Wisconsin Innovation Service Center |
| Terry, Deb and Ivan will speak from their experience nurturing the growth of Inventors and Entrepreneurs Clubs. They will share their perspectives on the state’s entrepreneurial environment and culture. You will also learn about the characteristics of inventors and the constraints they face; what it’s like to work with an inventor; how clubs provide a safe place to gather, explore ideas and gain education from peers; why a mix of inventors and entrepreneurs is important for critical networking to occur; what resources are available to assist inventors and entrepreneurs; and how to start a club in your region. | |
| SESSION 2 | |
| 10:30 - noon | Planting the Seeds Early: Creative Strategies in Youth Entrepreneurship Moderator: Julann Jatczak, Wis. Women’s Business Initiative Corp Panelists: Redonna Rodgers, President, Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Milwaukee, Wis. Margaret A. Ellibee, Ph.D. Director, Secondary Career & Technical Education, State Department of Public Instruction Michael Bark, Business Instructor and Finance/Business Administration & Self-Employment/Small Business Advisor |
| Tomorrow’s economic vitality rests in large part on our efforts to cultivate young entrepreneurs today. This session will highlight creative youth entrepreneurship programs from three distinct perspectives — urban, rural and state government. We’ll discuss different approaches to help young people explore business ownership as a viable career alternative, and we’ll share successful models that can be replicated in your community. | |
| 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Luncheon Buffet — Wintergreen Restaurant |
| 1:15 – 2:45 p.m. | PeerSpective™ network Workshop Moderator: Pam Christenson, Wis. Dept. of Commerce Bureau of Entrepreneurship and Certified PeerSpectives Facilitators. |
| This hands-on workshop will show conference attendees the importance and benefits of a new peer-to-peer learning network for second stage entrepreneurs, called Peerspectives™. Highly structured roundtables provide business owners with a great tool to help them with decision making and problem solving. A demonstration of the way this peer-to-peer interaction works will help conference attendees see the benefits of establishing a PeerSpective™ roundtable in their own community. | |
| 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. | Break / View Exhibits |
| 3:15 – 5:00 p.m. | Finding the Entrepreneurial Catalysts in Your Community Facilitator: Jan Twombly, President, Rhythm of Business Panelists: Connie Loden, Executive Director, Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance Ann Katz, Executive Director, Arts Wisconsin Tobey Andropolis, President of the Inventors’ Network of Wisconsin Margaret Bau, Cooperative Development Specialist, USDA Rural Development |
| Panelists will share their stories about how to recognize hidden assets, leverage resources and connect the dots within communities to create 1+1=3. The keynote speaker will facilitate an interactive dialog so you will take home some new ideas to explore, strategies to try and resources to collaborate with, to help you support inventors and entrepreneurs in your region. | |
| 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. | Networking / View Exhibits |
| 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. | WEDA Reception – Grand Teton Room |
| 8:00 p.m. | Karaoke Entertainment Phyllis Leonard, Wintergreen Resort |
| Friday, May 6 | |
| 7:00 – 8:15 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet – Wintergreen Dining Room |
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Breakout Sessions |
| SESSION 1 | |
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Developing a Culture of Risk Taking – Growing Inventions into Innovations Dave Bayless, Principal, Evergreen IP |
| Wisconsin is notorious for its risk averse culture. While this serves us well in many respects, it also helps put us near the bottom of states for rates of business formation. This session will explore the nature of entrepreneurial risk, the different risks associated with various types of entrepreneurial ventures and how we can help potential entrepreneurs see risk as just another issue to be managed. | |
| SESSION 2 | |
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Not Your Father’s Incubator — A New Kind of Fertilizer for Innovative Ideas Panelists: Joe Kremer, Director, Wisconsin Angel Network Matt Wagner, CATI Director, Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation Deb Malewicki, Director, Business Outreach Services UW Whitewater |
| What do entrepreneurs need to succeed? What part can you play in helping to nurture and encourage entrepreneurs in your area? This panel will look at three crucial things entrepreneurs need — money, technical assistance and other entrepreneurs. Our panel of experts will provide you with information and examples that you are able to use within your own community. | |
| 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Break / View Exhibits |
| 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. | Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network Erica Kauten, State Director, Small Business Development Center |
| The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network will build on the exceptional services offered at Wisconsin universities, technical colleges, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, and will link them to four new regional centers and a statewide network of intake centers. Regional center staff will continue the process of helping firms convert innovative ideas into market successes and act as a growth vehicle for their local economies. Learn about key new resources, programs and services available to you and your local entrepreneurs at this session. | |
| 11:45 a.m. | Conference Wrap Up |
WEDA
4600 American Parkway, Ste 208
Madison, WI 53603
Phone: (608) 255-5666
Fax: (608) 241-7790
