Forward Fest 2026

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7:30am CDT

Tapping Trends: A step-by-step guide to assess trend relevance & brand fit

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 7:30am - 9:15am CDT

StartingBlock Madison @ 821 E Washington Ave 2nd floor, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

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.

Erica Nasstrom, Assistant Account Executive, PR, Social & Content – Hiebing

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.

Hosted by Social Media Breakfast Madison

Event Organizers

Social Media Breakfast - Madison

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 →

Sponsors

DreamBank

Wednesday August 19, 2026 7:30am - 9:15am CDT
StartingBlock Madison 821 E Washington Ave 2nd floor, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Free, Hybrid

Category Tech / Software, General, Networking and Marketing
Interaction Type Social, Breakfast, Networking, Education

8:30am CDT

Wisconsin Founders and Funders Breakfast

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:30am - 10:30am CDT

Café Hollander Hilldale @ 701 Hilldale Wy, Madison, WI 53705, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

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!

Hosted by Hyde Park Venture Partners

Event Organizers

Caroline McManus

Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:30am - 10:30am CDT
Café Hollander Hilldale 701 Hilldale Wy, Madison, WI 53705, USA

Free, In Person

Category Tech / Software
Interaction Type Social

9:00am CDT

DevFest WI

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm CDT

Memorial Union @ 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

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.)

Hosted by UW Union

Event Organizers

Naveen VK

Tech Director, nvisia LLC

Sponsors

Wisconsin Union

Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm CDT
Memorial Union 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Ticketed, In Person (DevFest)

Category Tech / Software
Interaction Type Conference, Social

11:30am CDT

Fireside Chat with WEDC Secretary John Miller and Maggie Brickerman

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT

Madison Club @ 5 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

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.

Event Organizers

Julie Johnson

Operations Director, Wisconsin Technology Council

Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm CDT
Madison Club 5 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Ticketed, In Person (Fireside Chat WEDC)

Category Bio / Health, Family, Food, Tech / Software, Games, General
Interaction Type Social, Panel discussion with audience Q&A, networking, lunch

4:00pm CDT

Stone Soup 101

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

TBA @ 5 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

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!

Event Organizers

Jesse Barry

Owner, Higher Ground dba ColdSpell Cooling garments

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.

Wednesday August 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
TBA

Free, In Person

Category Bio / Health, Social Good
Interaction Type Social, Workshop

4:30pm CDT

THE "ANTI-BURNOUT" BLUEPRINT: Wellness for Solo Founders and Small Business Owners

Wednesday August 19, 2026 4:30pm - 7:30pm CDT

100state @ 17 South Fairchild Street fl 7, Madison, WI, USA

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.

Hosted by H Cubed Group

Sponsored by 100state

Event Organizers

Hollie Hollister

Founder, H Cubed Group

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
100state 17 South Fairchild Street fl 7, Madison, WI, USA

Free, In Person

Category Bio / Health, Food, Social Good, General
Interaction Type Social, Workshop

5:00pm CDT

Jazz with Venture Capitalists

LIMITED

Wednesday August 19, 2026 5:00pm - 8:00pm CDT

On the King Street Walkway of the Capitol Square @ King St, Madison, WI, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

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.

Hosted by Badger Fund of Funds

Event Organizers