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Month: August 2014

Photo by Richard Hurd

BIMvid Recap: Startup Showcase

The entire Startup Showcase is here for your viewing, compliments of BIMvid and Accelerate Madison, a program of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. Watch as Greater Madison’s top startups took the big stage at the Majestic Theatre Aug. 27. Each startup told their story in 5 minutes to a houseful of entrepreneurs and business and civic leaders. If you missed the evening, you don’t have to miss the event.

Startup Showcase was presented by Accelerate Madison and Capital Entrepreneurs.  The event was sponsored by gener8torBIMvid, CUNA Mutual Group and Foley & Lardner LLP.

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Photo by Richard Hurd

Photo by Richard Hurd

Chamber Announces Keynote Speaker and Reimagined 100-Year Old Book of Business Promotion for Region’s Premier Networking Event

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced bestselling author, national TV host and international speaker, Steven Johnson, will keynote the 62nd Annual Dinner Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center. Steven’s first speaking engagement in Greater Madison comes weeks before the launch of his upcoming book, How We Got to Now, and the debut of his six-part PBS series of the same name scheduled for October.

“We discovered that exactly a century ago, our predecessor, the Madison Board of Commerce composed a beautifully written book of business promotion outlining this region’s attributes and the incredible potential yet to be realized,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “These words ring as true today as they did a century ago. The Annual Dinner with Steven’s keynote will not only be an understanding of how we got to now but where we go from here.”

Brandon said the search for a high-caliber speaker was a short one as Steven’s thought leadership on innovation and idea creation became the perfect fit. Steven work centers around the power of great ideas and why and how they happen. His bestselling book to date, Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, was also the subject of his popular TED talk attracting more than 2.6 million views.

Steven’s last book, Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age, proposes that a new model of political change is on the rise and transforming everything from local government to classrooms to health care.

“The 62nd Annual Dinner will unveil a reimagined book of business promotion and weave a fascinating tale using the insight of our past as foresight for our future,” said Brandon. “Moving from a state of unrealized perfect to a state of FUTURE PERFECT will be the theme of the 62nd Annual Dinner. FUTURE PERFECT will also be our call to action.”

The 2014 book of business promotion will only be available to those attending the dinner. The 62nd Annual Dinner will be held Sept. 18, 4:30–8:30 p.m. at Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center. Registration opens to the public today at greatermadisonchamber.com. In 2013, the 61st Annual Dinner sold out to an unprecedented 1,000-person crowd.

The Annual Dinner is supported locally by our gold sponsors: American Family Insurance, Alliant Energy Corp., Ho-Chunk Gaming, Madison, TDSUW Health, WPS Health Insurance and silver sponsors: BMO Harris Bank, Godfrey & Kahn S.C., Nordic, Oakbrook Corporation, The QTI Group Inc., Summit Credit Union and Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 7,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

Contact: Jo-ell Carson, Communications Director, at 608-443-1952 or 608-213-1799

Click here for an electronic version of the press release.

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