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 Accepting Applications for 2017 Pressure Chamber Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 14, 2017)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today it is accepting applications for this year’s Pressure Chamber pitch event to be held during the Forward Festival, a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Madison taking place Aug. 17-24. In its three years, participating Pressure Chamber companies have gone on to raise more than $100 million from investors.
“Pressure Chamber is a window into what’s next in Greater Madison’s economy,” said Chamber Vice President Kevin Little. “Whether your company is currently raising or planning to raise investment capital in the future, Pressure Chamber is a valuable platform to tell your story and make new connections across the country.”
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 San Francisco this October for meetings with top Silicon Valley investment firms.
In its first three years, each Pressure Chamber winner – Fishidy, bluDiagnostics and POLCO – has credited the initiative for helping their company close successful funding rounds. Additionally, Pressure Chamber has been recognized by both the International Economic Development Council and Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Summit as an entrepreneurship and economic development best practice.
“With each year, the national awareness for this initiative and the number of investment partners has grown, yielding a positive return for both participating companies and Greater Madison,” said Little. “We’re excited to see what this year has to offer.”
Pressure Chamber is open to any industry, as long as the company meets the following requirements:
- Must be a member of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
- Must be located in Dane County or plan to locate to Dane County by August 21, 2017
- Must have raised at least $25,000, excluding personal investment by company founders
- Application must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, 2017
The full application can be accessed at bit.ly/PressureChamber2017
Pressure Chamber is presented by Michael Best & Friedrich, with support from the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, American Family Ventures, Baird Capital, 4490 Ventures, HealthX Ventures, Lindsay Stone & Briggs and Rock River Capital Partners.
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 10,000 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.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza Announces Kids Eat Free!
Mondays Kids Eat Free!
One Free Kids’ Meal Per Purchase Of An Adult Entree, Valued At $6.49 Or More. Kids 12 And Under Only. A Kids Meal Is A Cheese or 1-Topping Pizza & A Drink. Cannot Be Combined With Any Other Offers Or Promotions. In-Store Only.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Workforce disrupter: ‘Gig economy’ May 23 topic at Tech Council Innovation Network lunch in Madison
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 16, 2017)
Contact: Tom Still or Cassidy Wartenweiler at 608-442-7557
To learn more online: www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com
Workforce disrupter: ‘Gig economy’ May 23 topic at Tech Council Innovation Network lunch in Madison
MADISON – As temporary positions become common and with more organizations contracting for short-term engagements, the “gig economy” has arrived in force. Learn how the gig economy is changing traditional business models at the May 23 Tech Council Innovation Network luncheon meeting in Madison.
The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Madison’s John Nolen Drive. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $10 for students and Bunker Labs members, $25 for individual members, $35 for non-members and included for Tech Council corporate members. Click here to register.
Tech Council President Tom Still will moderate as a panel of experts discuss trends such as regulation, competition and how contingent works are changing the hiring process. Panelists include: Carrol Chang, general manager for Uber Wisconsin; Kevin Kiser, head of brand strategy and communications, Bunker; and Traci Scherck, senior human resources consultant, Honkamp Krueger.
“Whether they are called agile workers or gig workers, the rise of freelance and contract workers is changing how jobs are defined,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council. “As Wisconsin deals with demographic forces that are shrinking the traditional workforce, gig workers may increasingly be a part of the solution.”
This Tech Council Innovation Network event is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.
The Wisconsin Technology Council is the independent, non-profit science and technology adviser to the governor and Legislature, with events, publications and outreach that contribute to Wisconsin’s tech-based economy. To join, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com or call 608-442-7557.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Chamber Unveils Access Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 16, 2017)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce unveiled its Access Agenda, a new two-year policy roadmap at the local, state and federal level to accelerate our advanced industries and bolster the state’s standing as a place of innovation and entrepreneurship. The Access Agenda is framed around the factors that drive companies to make decisions: access to talent, customers, infrastructure, supply chain and a livable community.
“Greater Madison is growing in advanced industries, population and recognition as a world-class place of innovation, and as our momentum continues, we must take collaborative and intentional action to ensure the advanced economy we are building works for everyone,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “Our Access Agenda doubles down on science, technology, innovation and investments in talent, as well as ensuring Greater Madison is an inclusive place where anyone can see opportunity and share in our region’s prosperity. With greater access, we will achieve a greater Madison.”
View the full Access Agenda at greatermadisonchamber.com/access
For a TruScribe-produced video introducing the Access Agenda, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1rsoD-i95M
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.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Farwell Continues Rapid Growth
“Lower cost and ubiquitous technology has caused massive disruption regardless of industry. It is a fast-paced mix of increased competition, a multitude of vendor solutions, and aggressive growth goals,” said McQuin. “From that comes a wide breadth of transformation including modernization, organizational restructuring, consolidation, customer experience redesign, partnerships and automation. These efforts succeed when Change Management best practices are applied.”
Farwell Senior Change Consultant Rachel Breitbach noted that the increased emphasis on dedicated Change Management is also a result of leaders learning from programs that were not successful. “Employee engagement, executive support and proper expectation-setting are key components of managing the pace and breadth of change we see today,” she stated. “Leaders that dedicate teams to help their organizations navigate these changes increase their probability of success and gain competitive advantages.”
For the third straight year, Farwell will be sponsoring the Madison/South Central Wisconsin Project Management Institute’s Annual Professional Development Day (PDD). The Farwell team will be meeting with hundreds of professionals and leaders responsible for planning and executing strategic projects during an unprecedented period of innovation, change and transformation.
The Farwell team enjoys engaging directly with companies and learning more about their successes and challenges. “PDD is a great opportunity to talk with our clients and other Wisconsin companies about their strategies to compete during this time of rapid change,” said Nick Lombardino, a senior member of the Farwell Client Solutions team. “Scaling to meet customer demand, prioritizing projects, technical modernization and becoming more agile are common discussions for our clients.”
Meet the Farwell Team at PDD on Friday, May 12th at the Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q Hammons Dr, Middleton, WI 53562.
About Farwell
After being a consultant for other firms since the 1990’s, Jason Potter started Farwell as an independent consultant in 2012. Steve McQuin joined him a year later to help Farwell grow, and Nick Lombardino joined at the end of 2013. Farwell now has over 30 consultants working on projects with clients in the Midwest.
Farwell focuses on Change, Risk and Vendor Management. Service categories include Strategy and Planning, Project Execution and Partner Services. The Farwell consulting team includes Project, Program and Portfolio Managers, Process Improvement Experts, Business Analysts, and Solution Architects. Farwell’s Partner Services include managed service providers, technical staffing firms, data experts, application development teams, and IT security consultants, among others. Farwell and its partners work together to develop custom, client-focused solutions.