Midwest Founders Community

A huge THANK YOU to all of our incredible sponsors for Women’s Entrepreneurship Week 2025! ? Because of your support, we’re able to create a week filled with connection, celebration, and real conversations that uplift women entrepreneurs. We are beyond grateful for your investment in this community. ???? Special thanks to: ?? Lucinda Gordon Sponsor Summit Credit Union ?? Shirley Abrahamson Sponsor Odvant Creative ?? Ada Deer Sponsors Keystone Click Husch Blackwell ?? Gerda Lerner Sponsors Brand Bloom LLC Bay View Printing Co. U.S. Bank Institute for Women's Leadership Marquette University ?? Dickey Chapelle Sponsors Spring Bank Educators Credit Union Riverwater Partners Executive Roundtables, a service of MMAC Denizen MKE Outpost Natural Foods Co-op ?? Small Business Partners Midwest Founders Community CL Content Marketing, LLC McMurtry Financial Services, LLC Doyenne Group Hale Consulting Services, LLC Greater Milwaukee Foundation Kim Yencheske Real Estate Meaningful Marks LLC ?? Supporter gener8tor ?? THANK YOU for standing tall with us to celebrate women entrepreneurs! ?? Want to see your business on this list? Sponsorship opportunities are still available! Learn more about supporting Women’s Entrepreneurship Week 2025: https://lnkd.in/gEbQbqqA

?? $5,000 to Support Local Founders—Apply to Pitch! We’re hosting a pitch competition designed by founders, for founders, and we want to hear from you! If you’re an early-stage startup with a big vision, this is your chance to get funding, real investor feedback, and mentorship from experienced founders. Why Apply? ? Quick & easy application – No fluff, just what we need. ? No ghosting – Every applicant gets feedback. ? 1:1 mentoring – If you advance, you’ll get guidance from founders & investors. ? Honest investor feedback – Understand real risks & key metrics that matter. ? Designed for you – We improve based on your feedback to make it better. Key Dates ?? Apply by: March 29 @ 11:59 PM ?? Pitch Competition: May 15 @ 2PM, StartingBlock Madison Don’t miss this chance to refine your pitch, connect with investors, and compete for $5,000! ?? Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gbSwG5AA Know a founder who should apply? Tag them in the comments! ?? #startups #pitchcompetition #founders #entrepreneurship

Founder Day 2025 is Here! When:?May 14th & 15th Where:?Madison, WI (Multiple Venues) What’s happening? Join us for?Founder Day, a two-day gathering designed for startup founders and entrepreneurs looking to connect, compete, and accelerate their growth. ?? May 14 – Open Mic Night: ~20 founders will take the stage to deliver rapid-fire, 90-second elevator pitches, helping you quickly identify the key people you’ll want to connect with. ?? May 15 – Founder Day Main Event: ?? Inspiring Guest Speakers ?? $5,000 Pitch Competition ?? Free headshots ?? Mentorship Opportunities ??Reserve your spot now: https://founderdaywi.com/

Just had an amazing conversation with Angela Damiani on Discovering The Possible! ??? We dove into the power of community-driven growth and how the Midwest Founders Community is making a real impact—built by founders, for founders. When passionate people come together with a shared purpose, amazing things happen. If you’ve ever found yourself searching for a community that truly gets it, this one's for you. ?? https://lnkd.in/gT6tmQyp Let’s keep building, connecting, and discovering what’s possible! ?? #VolunteerDriven #CommunityImpact #MidwestFoundersCommunity

Delighted to have testified yesterday to the State Assembly's Small Business Committee in my role at Executive Director for the Wisconsin Startup Coalition on how Wisconsin can do more to support our early stage startup founders. I spoke about supporting ecosystem builders, continuing our momentum on improving the QNBV program, and incentivizing more early stage investment. Glad to shout-out to Midwest Founders Community, MKE Tech Hub Coalition, and other key allies in our efforts to get more "starts" in Wisconsin! Thanks, to David Armstrong for the invite. Thanks to Sam Rikkers, Shayna Hetzel, and Tom Still for their testimony, too! The Welch Group

TitletownTech, in partnership with the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft, is investing $1M in a promising early-stage startup leveraging emerging technologies in Wisconsin's key industries (manufacturing, digital health, construction, supply chain, logistics, agriculture, energy, water, sports technology). To coincide with the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, they're hosting: Startup Combine (April 3-4): Finalists showcase their technology to industry leaders. Startup Draft Day (April 24): A live-streamed pitch competition where one finalist wins the $1M investment. Eligibility: - Startups aligned with the listed industries. - Raised less than $10M in capital. - Able to attend both Green Bay events. - Applications close March 16th. https://lnkd.in/gxKzeWZv

?? $1M investment, $350K in Microsoft Azure credits, and a chance to share your idea on a national stage during the 2025 NFL Draft. Are you in? In partnership with the Green Bay Packers & Microsoft, TitletownTech is looking for founders building companies in manufacturing, supply chain, agriculture, energy, digital health, and sports for the TitletownTech Startup Draft. Refine your pitch at the Startup Combine (April 3-4), and make your mark on Draft Day (April 24). ?? Applications close March 16 -- apply now!

Hiring Challenges? You're Not Alone. If the hiring process feels overwhelming, join us on March 18th at 8:30 AM for our How to Hire seminar featuring?Newance CEO?Amanda Daering?and?Forecastr's?Jeff Erickson. Use the link to RSVP! https://lnkd.in/gWf6E54Y

Attention early-stage tech innovators: Applications are now open to participate in the Summerfest Tech Pitch competition to take place during the Summerfest Tech AI, held June 23-26 in Milwaukee. The Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition is open to technology-based companies, with participants competing in one of four categories: Healthcare/Biohealth, Energy & Sustainability, Advanced Manufacturing, and Fin/Insurtech. These categories reflect key areas of innovation and industry growth, providing startups with a platform to showcase their cutting-edge solutions to investors, industry leaders, and potential partners. https://lnkd.in/gD43wHtU

Founder Day 2025 is officially live, and this year, we’re taking things to the next level with a Startup Pitch Competition offering $5,000+ in prizes! ?? https://founderdaywi.com This is your chance to pitch your startup, gain exposure, and win funding—all in front of a room full of founders, investors, and startup supporters. In addition to the pitch competition, Founder Day features: ? Learning opportunities from experienced entrepreneurs ? Structured & unstructured networking to connect with the right people ? Complimentary food & drinks to keep conversations flowing If you’ve attended a Capital Entrepreneurs event before, you know the energy in the room is unmatched. This year will be our best one yet—and you don’t want to miss it!