EVENT SUMMARY One of the biggest risks on social today isn’t missing a trend—it’s forcing one. By moving beyond chasing what’s popular and instead using trends as a strategic tool, brands can strengthen relevance, credibility and performance with intention, not impulse.
This session will offer a clear, repeatable framework for deciding when to lean into a trend and when to sit it out, so your brand shows up as culturally relevant without feeling forced or tone-deaf. You’ll leave empowered to confidently pursue the right trends and push back on the wrong ones, grounded in audience insight, brand fit and algorithmic impact.
KEY TAKEAWAYS Reframe the role of trends from fleeting moments to a strategic lever that supports your broader social goals when used with intention Learn a fast, repeatable way to evaluate trend fit so you can ensure audience relevance and brand alignment before investing time or resources Build confidence in your decision making, allowing you to thoughtfully merchandise trends and clearly articulate when and why to pass
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS Kat Graham, Account Executive, PR, Social & Content – Hiebing
Chicago-area native Kat Graham has built her career around her multidisciplinary interests in storytelling, digital culture and strategic problem-solving. She graduated from Gonzaga University in 2020 with a degree in public relations and has a certification in UX/UI design from Northwestern University, bringing a user-centered lens to her social and content work.
Kat joined Hiebing's PR, Social & Content team in 2024, leading and supporting social media strategy, PR and content development and community management for national brands across the construction, manufacturing and industrial industries. Her work spans paid social campaigns (including copywriting and ideation), influencer program support and long-form content—helping brands show up online with intention, consistency and cultural awareness.
Outside of work, Kat is active in the local music scene and creative community and is always finding inspiration at the intersection of art, music, history, culture and digital connection.
Originally from Iowa, Erica Nasstrom relocated to Wisconsin in early 2025 and joined Hiebing as an assistant account executive on the PR, Social & Content team. An Iowa State University marketing graduate (roll clones), she supports integrated campaigns blending social strategy and storytelling for clients like CEFCU and Summit Credit Union.
Erica enjoys working collaboratively across teams to support social content, influencer efforts and brand storytelling. She values the connection between strategy, creativity and culture—an interest shaped early on by her love of music and theatre.
Outside of Hiebing’s walls (and green dome), Erica loves soaking in the energy that comes from good company and conversation. You’ll often find her socializing with friends and family or hunkered down catching up on the latest reality TV series.
Social Media Breakfast Madison is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization with a focus on social media education and professional industry networking. Our monthly events are FREE, and engage an ever-growing group of diverse professionals from a variety of industries including: academic... Read More →
Join other founders, investors, and innovators in the Wisconsin ecosystem for breakfast with Hyde Park Venture Partners, a Chicago-based early stage venture capital firm who invests in midwest-based companies, for a community event focused on helping companies raise their first or second round of institutional venture capital.
Know someone who would be interested in joining? Feel free to share this invite!
DevFest WI, https://www.devfestwi.com/, is an in-person conference for all technologists, organized by GDG Madison and volunteers from the Madison tech community. It will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at the Memorial Union in Madison, WI.
Our conference theme is inclusivity: how to create development teams and software products that are welcoming to everyone.
We are seeking presentations on a broad range of topics related to inclusivity in tech. We are particularly interested in talks on topics that you, the speaker, are excited about, and that can be understood and appreciated by non-specialists.
Here's a list of some options:
* online privacy and security * accessibility * localization * web performance * diversifying teams * tech interviews * empathetic code review * mentoring and teaching * cross-cultural design * AI and ML * neurodiversity, * tech talks / public speaking
Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis; submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, June 17th. As a relatively small conference, we are unable to provide funds for travel, but we are excited to provide free entrance to the conference, as well as a small speaker honorarium. (The exact amount depends on the year, but we expect it to be $50 to $100.)
Early-stage deep tech companies rarely fail because the science doesn’t work. More often, they stall in the gap between research and real market traction.
This session is a candid conversation with founders who started as scientists and are now navigating the transition to entrepreneurship, alongside the investors and funding partners who support them. We’ll unpack where things actually break—from misaligned funding strategies to weak customer signals and overbuilt technology.
Rather than focusing on success stories, we’ll dig into the messy middle: what goes wrong, why it happens, and how to better align funding, product, and market early.
Designed for tech- and scientist-founders actively building at the earliest stages as well as investors and ecosystem partners working closely with them.
Hosted by Innovative Outlier
This is a virtual event. For those who are logged in and have RSVP'd, the streaming link will appear on this page starting 10 minutes before the session.
Join us for a fireside chat between WEDC Secretary John Miller and Tech Council President Maggie Brickerman. The conversation will focus on WEDC’s efforts to strengthen the Wisconsin’s innovation, startup and venture capital ecosystem, and the specific ways that innovators can leverage WEDC as a partner.
Ever had a product idea but didn’t know how to begin building it?
This live, interactive session is for startup founders, creatives, makers, and curious people who want to explore physical prototyping without needing deep technical experience or a big budget.
Building on last year’s event, we’ll start with a basic introduction to AI-assisted hardware prototyping, then move into group ideation, whiteboard brainstorming, and a vote on which idea to pursue. From there, we’ll use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to help plan the prototype, choose affordable off-the-shelf parts, figure out how to connect them, generate code, troubleshoot, iterate, and test the result live on real hardware.
I’ll be bringing a variety of sensors, electronic components, microcontrollers, displays, motors, lights, and other parts so we can build and adapt on the fly instead of just talking about the idea. Think of the microcontroller as the “brain” of the prototype, with sensors as the inputs and lights, motors, displays, or other parts as the outputs.
This is not a polished engineering lecture. It is a live prototype build where the group helps shape the direction. Some things may work right away. Others may need debugging, rethinking, or a quick pivot. That is part of the process. Attendees will see how an initial idea can move from rough concept, to hardware plan, to wiring, to code, to live testing. The goal is to make hardware prototyping feel approachable, creative, and possible, especially for people who have ideas but do not yet know how to turn them into a working proof of concept.
You’ll walk away with: -A clear example of how AI can help move from idea to prototype -Insight into early proof-of-concept hardware design -A better feel for sensors, boards, wiring, code, and live testing -A look at how messy, iterative prototyping really works -Inspiration to start testing your own ideas with affordable tools and parts
From zero to prototype. Experience it live with AI and real hardware.
In 40+ years of working with entrepreneurs, we have regularly observed that “the money part” of business planning is often what causes many business owners and would-be business owners alike the most anxiety and confusion. Yet the numbers don’t have to intimidate you. Instead, understanding a clear financial plan for your business will give you the confidence to make educated decisions about the viability of your business idea, access needed capital and actively manage cash flow as your business grows.
This live-virtual introductory session – designed for new and prospective business owners in any industry – will help you understand:
▪️The purpose (and power!) of a pro forma in business planning, management and in accessing capital ▪️The fundamental “inputs” to building solid projections, including: ▪️Identification of your business models key revenue streams, and how to translate to your projections ▪️Synthesis of customer, competitive and industry knowledge into reasoned market size and share estimates ▪️The impact of pricing decisions, buyer behavior and capacity on projected revenue ▪️Types of key cost estimates needed for your projections ▪️Resources for pulling it all together!
By joining us for this overview session, you will build a solid foundation of concepts that can help you understand how to put real numbers to your dreams and learn the path to projections. Whether you plan to seek funding from a bank, determine the feasibility of your business idea, or explore new directions for your business, following the ideas we’ll cover in this session will help you build success based on knowledge.
Hosted by Wisconsin SBDC at UW-Madison
This is a virtual event. For those who are logged in and have RSVP'd, the streaming link will appear on this page starting 10 minutes before the session.
A high level introduction to patenting innovations for entrepreneurs. Learn from a seasoned pro when patenting an innovation is or is not appropriate, the different paths that can be taken to receive a patent, and when is the right time to consult a patent practitioner.
Hosted by E Epstein Patent Agency
This is a virtual event. For those who are logged in and have RSVP'd, the streaming link will appear on this page starting 10 minutes before the session.
In today’s dynamic marketplace, standing out is essential for success. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or a creative professional, a branding can be powerful in your organization. Join us for an immersive and interactive workshop designed to equip you with the tools and strategies to build a strong and compelling brand identity.
Led by Ibrahim Harun of IH Concepts with 18 years of experience in branding and marketing, this workshop will delve deep into the core elements of effective branding. Through a combination of an insightful presentations and collaborative discussions, you’ll learn how what goes into a brand so you can hit the ground running.
Whether you’re looking to launch a new venture, bring more life into your business, or simply refine your marketing strategy, this workshop will provide you with the knowledge and insights you need to elevate your business and drive meaningful connections with your audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your business to new heights!
How did the long and twisted path of one man lead to a new product and business? By combining little bits of information and experience from each of his stops into something new and powerful. Have you ever asked yourself the "How did I get here" and "How will I ever use that chapter" questions? Come hear how it has come together for one and be encouraged that "it" is coming together for you as well!
I have designed a Cooling garment that outperforms all of the commercially available Cooling products currently available. Based on the technology used in hospitals and the military i have brought definitive care Cooling to the job site, sideline and community center.
This dual-track workshop is designed to help attendees build a business that sustains them rather than breaks them.
Hollie H. Hollister and Ross Larson will co-facilitate this community learning exchange by bridging insights from Psychological Resilience and Heart-Centered Leadership.
Solo founders and small business owners will learn how to scale their impact without the soul fatigue of misaligned growth.
Hollie H. Hollister is a pragmatic visionary who aspires to combine the personal with the professional to bring fresh thinking, unique insights and holistic solutions that help heart-based small business owners grow their businesses and themselves (all without stifling who they are... Read More →
Wednesday August 19, 2026 4:30pm - 7:30pm CDT 100state17 South Fairchild Street fl 7, Madison, WI, USA
Come enjoy a beautiful Wisconsin evening and engage in lively conversation about the Money for Minnows investment strategy and the future of venture capital in Wisconsin.
Join us at the Jazz at Five performance on the King Street Walkway of the Capitol Square, where Venture capital fund managers from eight Wisconsin-based funds will be in attendance. the Jazz at Five performance. The Badger Fund of Funds is sponsoring the event and will provide free pizza and beer for attendees.
