Join Login

Category: Chamber Updates

Our members are shaking things up. The entrepreneurial spirit in our community means our members are always looking for ways to grow and improve their businesses. Keep up with the movers and shakers to see what they’ve been up to lately.

Photo by Richard Hurd

Chamber Launches HealthTech Capitol Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 13, 2016)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of the HealthTech Capitol website – healthtechcapitol.com – as part of an initiative dedicated to establishing Greater Madison as the world-class leader for health innovation by allowing companies to leverage a density of talent, capital and mentoring.

“With a robust ecosystem of world-class research, the market leader in electronic medical records, entrepreneurs and a strong network of payers and providers, Greater Madison is already a leader in health innovation,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “HealthTech Capitol will help build on these strengths by supporting companies and talent in our region and building an infrastructure that will amplify our health discoveries to the world.”

HealthTech Capitol represents a scaling of efforts begun in 2012 by entrepreneurs to make Greater Madison the best place to start and grow a health technology company. The effort brought together a group of emerging healthtech companies and providers from the Madison area, including HealthX Ventures, Moxe, Healthfinch, Forward Health Group and Wellbe, among others. HealthTech Capitol is sponsored by Godfrey and Kahn, with support from UW Health and CUNA Mutual Group.

“Having built a Madison-based healthtech business and venture capital fund focused on investing in making health care safer, more affordable and more effective, I know this region is in a unique position when it comes to health technology,” said Madison HealthTech Capitol Chair Mark Bakken, the founder of HealthX Ventures and co-founder and former CEO of Nordic Consulting. “With the right vision and resources, there is no limit to the impact our region can have in solving global health challenges.”

Membership in HealthTech Capitol is offered as an added benefit of Chamber membership. Members will benefit from collective marketing and branding, as well as event programming and exclusive networking opportunities. You can apply for Chamber membership here: http://member.greatermadisonchamber.com/member/newmemberapp

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 9,500 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.

###

Photo by Richard Hurd

Chamber Adds Five Members to Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 20, 2016)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced five new members for its 2016 Board of Directors. The new members join the 43 current business and community leaders representing a broad cross-section of the greater Madison economy.

“Each of our new board members bring a wealth of business experience and represent important sectors in our local economy,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “The Chamber is well-positioned to take advantage of the economic momentum happening in Greater Madison. We look forward to working with these new board members and drawing upon their influence and expertise to build upon that momentum.”

New 2016 board members are:

Mindi Giftos, Office Managing Shareholder, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C.

Jeff Lenz, President & Chief Development Officer, North Central Group

Arthur Nizza, President and Chief Executive Officer, Meriter-UnityPoint Health

Jon Rozenfeld, President, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Madison

Pablo Sanchez, Vice President, Business Development Manager, Park Bank

Click here for the full roster of the Greater Madison Chamber Board of Directors.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 9,500 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.

###

Photo by Richard Hurd

Chamber and Capital Entrepreneurs Accepting Applications for Pressure Chamber and Startup Showcase

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 7, 2016)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Capital Entrepreneurs announced today they are accepting applications for this year’s Pressure Chamber competition and Startup Showcase celebration, which will take place August 23 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center during the Forward Festival, an eight-day celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Madison. The pitch events return this year as part of a popular evening of programming, including the Forward Technology Conference, neXXpo and a happy hour sponsored by Zendesk.

“If you are a startup in Greater Madison looking to raise capital and attract talent and new business opportunities, you should be applying for Pressure Chamber and Startup Showcase,” said Chamber Vice President Kevin Little. “Nowhere else will you have access to this number of local, regional and global investors, as well as the visibility associated with taking the stage in front of a packed room of potential customers and employees at Forward Fest.”

Applicants for Pressure Chamber go through a screening process that may include presentations with prominent Wisconsin investors. From there, a select number of companies will be chosen to pitch in front of a panel of out-of-state investors, business executives and a live audience during Forward Fest. The winning company is decided based on a combination of judges scoring and audience votes. In addition to receiving the coveted “golden suitcase,” the winning company will also receive an all-expenses paid spot on the Chamber’s exclusive Madison-area startup delegation to Palo Alto in October for meetings with top Silicon Valley investment firms.

Both the 2014 Pressure Chamber winner, Fishidy, and the 2015 winner, bluDiagnostics, closed successful funding rounds following their presentations at Pressure Chamber.

Applicants may also apply for the Forward Festival Startup Showcase, sponsored by Capital Entrepreneurs and Accelerate Madison. The Startup Showcase features an evening of startup pitches from some of Madison’s most compelling emerging companies. Five to seven startups will be selected to give a five-minute “demo day” style pitch. In addition, several Startup Showcase alumni from past years will take part in a lightning round of one-minute update pitches.

Both Pressure Chamber and Startup Showcase are open to any industry, as long as the company meets the following requirements:

  • Must be a member of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce or Capital Entrepreneurs
  • Must be located in Dane County or plan to locate to Dane County by August 23, 2016
  • Must have raised at least $25,000, excluding personal investment by company founders
  • Application must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 8, 2016

The full application can be accessed here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wftzo0xuNG1EWu8WtUx4Hh_acurPMYpCBVqkFW9a-Y4/viewform?c=0&w=1&fbzx=-991742882096097900

Pressure Chamber is presented by Michael Best & Friedrich, with support from the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, American Family Ventures, Baird Capital and 4490 Ventures.

For more information about Forward Fest, please visit http://www.forwardfest.org/

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 8,000 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.

###