Companies to Watch Award Winners Announced
Monday, 22 February 2010

Wisconsin Department of Commerce
February 22, 2010 

MADISON - Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel and Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN) State Director Gayle Kugler today announced the winners of the inaugural year of Wisconsin Companies to Watch (CTW). Companies to Watch (CTW) is a distinctive awards program developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation to honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, exhibit innovative products, services or processes, or otherwise make their company "worth watching."

"I'm pleased that we could join the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network in recognizing these dynamic, innovative companies," said Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. "I'm confident that we will be watching and benefiting from their achievements in the years to come."

"CTW recognizes companies at the crucial stage of growth where financial potential, concept and management have been established, and attracting talented workers, solid vendor relationships and access to peer learning are key components of future growth," added Gayle Kugler. The Edward Lowe Foundation's studies have shown second-stage companies are the ones who generate jobs and economic growth in their communities.

Class of 2010 Wisconsin CTW award winners are as follows:

•Alice.com, Inc., Middleton
•Beehive Botanicals, Inc., Hayward
•BioSentinel Pharmaceuticals LLC, Madison
•Bradshaw Medical, Inc., Kenosha
•Broadjam, Madison
•CORE Consulting, A Limited Liability Company, Thiensville
•EraGen Biosciences, Inc., Madison
•Fiberstar, Inc., River Falls
•FluGen, Inc, Madison
•Green 3, Oshkosh
•Idle Free Systems, Inc, Madison
•Interfacial Solutions, River Falls
•Lauterbach Group, Sussex
•LMI Packaging Solutions, Inc., Pleasant Prairie
•MailFoundry, Green Bay
•NeoClone, LLC, Madison
•NeuWave Medical Inc., Madison
•New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus
•PercipEnz Technologies, Inc., Madison
•PhysioGenix, Inc., Milwaukee
•PreventionGenetics LLC, Marshfield
•Quintessence Biosciences, Inc., Madison
•River Town Ironworks, Inc., Prairie du Chien
•RoomPro Technologies, Wisconsin Rapids
•Semba Biosciences, Inc., Madison
•Standard Imaging, Inc., Middleton
•The Payroll Company, Inc., Middleton
•Visonex, LLC, Green Bay
•Wisconsin Specialty Protein, dba teraswhey, Reedsburg
•Zeon Solutions, Inc., Milwaukee

Winners will have an opportunity to attend a complimentary three-day Leadership Retreat, hosted by the Edward Lowe Foundation at their Michigan headquarters this summer. The facilitated peer-learning retreat is created specifically for leaders of second-stage growth-oriented companies and gives them the opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of the group. Winners from other state's CTW programs will be invited as well.

The Edward Lowe Foundation recognizes that many second-stage companies fly under the radar of typical awards programs. CTW is specifically designed to seek out businesses from a wide range of industries representing all areas of the state, not just those in major metropolitan areas. In addition to an evaluation on past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths. These strengths revolve around innovative products and business practices, special use of technology, work within the community and more.

WEN and Commerce have been host to another Edward Lowe Foundation program since 2005. PeerSpectives, a peer learning roundtable group for entrepreneurs currently has eight tables around Wisconsin, facilitated by the Small Business Development Center network. In addition to the retreat in Michigan, CTW award winners will be invited to join a year-long Wisconsin peer learning group.

About WEN: The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN) was established in June 2005 as a joint venture between the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the University of Wisconsin-Extension's Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Division (DEED). WEN and its partners strive to provide seamless access to the statewide network of entrepreneurial resources and expertise to create new ventures. WEN partners help grow existing businesses and move forward high-potential entrepreneurs to enable Wisconsin to be competitive in a global economic environment. For more information, visit www.wenportal.org.

About the Edward Lowe Foundation: Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a Michigan-based nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through recognition, education and research with a focus on second-stage companies - those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. The foundation also encourages economic gardening, an entrepreneur-centered strategy providing balance to the traditional approach of business recruitment. For more information, visit www.edwardlowe.org.

 
Grand Chute's Fox Valley Technical College E-Seed training program for entrepreneurs adds high-speed
Thursday, 04 February 2010
The Post-Crescent 
February 2, 2009

GRAND CHUTE — The Fox Valley Technical College is rolling out a fast-track version of its E-Seed training program.
The program, dubbed E-Seed Express, is an abbreviated form of the intense course for entrepreneurs drawing up business plans. It's been in the making for 18 months and is coming none too soon.

"We're really excited to roll it out," said Amy Pietsch, director of the Venture Center at FVTC. "We really think it's going to meet a gap in the marketplace."

E-Seed Express is set to launch with an initial pilot session Feb. 20. Ten were enrolled with space for up to 15.
"We're going to be marketing E-Seed Express to folks who have some level of business experience and those early stage entrepreneurs who've been operating their businesses but never formally adopted a business plan," Pietsch said.
One of the first to sign up was Cyndi Connolly of Appleton, an entrepreneur who makes and sells artisan pasta flavored with organic herbs.

"I expect it to focus attention in my weak areas," she said. "I have a business plan but no where near the intensity of what I think they'll put us through.

"They have marketing strategy. They have financial strategies as well as your business plan. And you have to develop all three areas if you want to stay successful and continue to grow."

FVTC instructors will conduct a series of three-hour classes, which will take place over an eight-week span compared with the current 15-week E-Seed program.

Not only does the Express version call for a shorter time commitment, but it's more affordable: tuition is $699 versus $1,000.
Nearly 200 entrepreneurs have completed the E-Seed program the past six years, most of them successful with their business ventures, said Chris Jossart, spokesman for FVTC.

Pietsch said the school normally launches its new Venture Center offerings as a pilot before proceeding with marketing campaigns. In the six years E-Seed's been going, FVTC found some students want to move a little bit faster.
"Oftentimes, they don't have 15 weeks. So we were losing people," she said.  Connolly concurred with that.

"The Express answered a lot of my needs," she said. "I could go 15 weeks but this is my slow time right now when I start gearing up for the spring and summer. And I've already started my business. So this was a perfect answer."
 
The ‘primo’ networking event
Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Insight Magazine
January 2010

The ‘primo’ networking event 
Passing business cards, noshing nibbles make a tasty mix at NEW END

Heading into the exhibit hall at the KI Center in Green Bay, it was a bit hard to decide: sample the tables filled with delicious food made by area entrepreneurs or jump into conversation with entrepreneurs, business and education leaders and others from across the New North. But since this was NEW END, you could do both at the same time (although please remember to keep your mouth closed while chewing).

“This is a wonderful way to bring people together and network. Coming here is definitely worth our time. It’s a great way to renew old contacts and make new ones,” says Barb Dreger, director of marketing for Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.

NEW END – which stands for Northeast Wisconsin Entrepreneur Networking Day – was created five years ago as a networking opportunity for area entrepreneurs. It’s a time for small business owners to gather for an afternoon and trade ideas and make connections, says Amy Pietsch, director of FVTC’s Venture Center. Last year, the event took on another dimension when it combined with the annual New North Summit. Added to the mix was the Taste of Entrepreneurship, where a dozen locally-owned restaurants from across the New North display their wares.

“It was a natural progression – bringing entrepreneurs together with business leaders and others throughout the New North. New North is committed to entrepreneurship and growing small business, so it made perfect sense to bring everyone together,” Pietsch says. “Imagine the ideas being exchanged!”

With that in mind, participants balanced their plates with nibbles from Titletown Brewing Company and Republic Chophouse in Green Bay to cookies from Leonard’s Designs of Hortonville, to name a few of the vendors, while catching up with old friends and making new ones.

“I saw someone here I haven’t seen in 20 years – it was amazing,” Dreger says. “This is definitely the primo networking event of the year.”

 

Read more...
 
Home Things becomes My Happy Place
Friday, 22 January 2010

The Post-Crescent
January 20, 2010

These days, when a store cleans out inventory, it looks like a casualty of the unforgiving economy.

But in this instance, the storeowner isn’t throwing in the towel, rather going in a new direction.

My Happy Place opened today at 1869 N. Casaloma Drive in the Trasino area of Grand Chute. It’s actually a retooled version of Home Things, a decor and gift store that shut one building to the north.

Andrea Hogan, owner of both ventures, decided to downsize and tailor her merchandise to fit customers’ need-driven buying patterns.

“After three years in business, we figured out what people want,” she said. “It’s more gift oriented and we have more jewelry, puzzles and gift items. People still have birthdays and anniversaries. Mother’s Day is one of our busiest holidays.”

She edited out a lot of the home furnishings, so the name change was in order, she said.

The phone remains the same: 920-968-7554.

The new spot is between Nails 4 All and Charles Schwab in the Trasino building that also houses New York Deli and New Balance.

 
Business startup launches outdoor adventures
Friday, 06 November 2009

Fox Valley Technical College
August 21, 2009

The Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College helped Louis launch Wolf River Outfitters, a business that introduces the great outdoors to people seeking adventure in tranqulity. In addition, his business also provides great experiences for disabled citizens in our community, thanks to a special invention through FVTC's FAB LAB.  Click here to view Louis' video!

 

 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

Results 21 - 25 of 62
[ Back ]
Copyright © 2007 The Venture Center | Privacy Policy | Terms | 5 Systems Drive PO Box 2277 Appleton WI 54912 | (920) 735 5709 | This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Developed by Dynamic Digital Media LLC