Forward Fest 2026

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

11:30am CDT

Fireside Chat with WEDC Secretary John Miller and Maggie Brickerman

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. Registration for this event will close at noon on August 14.

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

4:30pm CDT

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

LIMITED

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

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

Limited Capacity seats available

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.

**************

We are excited to announce that the first 40 registrants will receive a complimentary light dinner and refreshments during the event. PLUS a special drawing where one lucky guest will win a six-month membership to 100state, Madison’s leading hub for entrepreneurs, remote workers, and creatives (must be present to win).

***************

Sponsored by H Cubed Group, 100state

Event Organizers

Ross Larson

Software Engineer, Paradigm, Forward Fest Board Member

I'm a human being.

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 →

Sponsors

100state

H Cubed Group

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 on the South Hamilton side of the Capital 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.

No RSVP required, everyone is welcome to join!

Hosted by Badger Fund of Funds

Event Organizers

Larissa Yenkey

Analyst, Badger Fund of Funds

Wednesday August 19, 2026 5:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
On the King Street Walkway of the Capitol Square King St, Madison, WI, USA

Free, In Person

Category Food, Music
Interaction Type Happy Hour, Social

10:30am CDT

From Stage to Strategy: Voices & Dreams in Action

LIMITED

Thursday August 20, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am CDT

Leflore Accounting Services @ 306 E Wilson St #2e, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

What happens after someone finds their voice?

In this interactive panel and workshop, Araceli Esparza and Aida Leflore are joined by graduates of the Voices & Dreams Academy to share how storytelling translates into real-world outcomes—from building confidence to generating income, clients, and community impact.

Participants will hear directly from Latina and Black women founders who have used storytelling as a tool for outreach, brand-building, and economic mobility. Then, through guided reflection and small-group activities, attendees will begin applying these strategies to their own work.

This session is designed for founders, creatives, and community leaders who want to build authentic outreach strategies that go beyond visibility and create lasting trust.

Hosted by Midwest Mujeres

Event Organizers

Araceli Esparza

Director, Midwest Mujeres Inc

Hi, I'm Araceli Esparza, a Chicana author, speaker, nonprofit founder, and leadership coach based in Madison, Wisconsin. I founded Midwest Mujeres to help women—especially first-generation, Latina, and Black women—build confidence, expand their networks, and create meaningful... Read More →

Thursday August 20, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Leflore Accounting Services 306 E Wilson St #2e, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Free, In Person

Category Food, Social Good, General
Interaction Type Social, hybrid panel with audience participation: we will also help them shape their stories.

12:00pm CDT

The Becoming Experience: Healing, Purpose & Entrepreneurship

LIMITED

Thursday August 20, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Leflore Accounting Services @ 306 E Wilson St #2e, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

The Becoming Experience is an interactive workshop and networking experience designed for entrepreneurs, creatives, and purpose-driven individuals ready to transform their story into impact.

Hosted by entrepreneur, speaker, and founder Tennisha Loggins, this experience blends authentic storytelling, business strategy, mindset transformation, and practical tools to help attendees move from survival mode into purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

Through guided reflection, interactive activities, networking, and actionable business insights, attendees will explore how healing, identity, and lived experiences can become the foundation for leadership, confidence, community impact, and profitable growth.

This event is ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs, women in business, creatives, side hustlers, and individuals navigating personal or professional reinvention.

Attendees will leave inspired, connected, and equipped with practical next steps to begin building intentionally, confidently, and purposefully.

Event Organizers

Tennisha Loggins

Founder & CEO, Loggins Family Business

I'm Tennisha Loggins, Founder & CEO of Loggins Family Business LLC, an entrepreneur, speaker, and storyteller. I help people turn ideas into income and purpose into action. Let's connect if you want to talk about entrepreneurship, food trucks, pop-ups, small business growth, coaching... Read More →

Thursday August 20, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Leflore Accounting Services 306 E Wilson St #2e, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Free, In Person

Category Family, Food, Social Good, General, Kidpreneurship: From Lemons to Lemonade Entrepreneurship Experience
Interaction Type Happy Hour, Social, Workshop

3:00pm CDT

Certified Organic in Wisconsin & New Wisconsin Online Organic Directories

LIMITED

Thursday August 20, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT

Giant Jones Brewing @ 931 East Main Street Entrance on, S Brearly St Suite 9, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

Understanding Certified Organic in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a national leader in organic food production—but for many consumers the certified organic system still feels opaque. “Understanding Certified Organic in Wisconsin” is a practical, interactive session designed to demystify how organic really works in our state and to introduce new tools that make it easier than ever to find, buy, and support Wisconsin organic.

This event is for anyone who cares about the future of our food system: shoppers, chefs and retailers, distributors, institutional buyers, farmers (certified or transitioning), and food system professionals who want a clear, current picture of Wisconsin’s organic landscape. Together, we’ll walk through the key facts and structures that define certified organic in the United States and Wisconsin—how certification works, who the 1,623 certified organic operations are, where they’re located, and how they fit into the broader value chain. We’ll unpack what “certified organic” really means in practice for crops, livestock, and processed foods, and why local organic production is critical at a time when so much “organic” food on store shelves is imported and often less transparent.

A highlight of the event is the public unveiling of Wisconsin Organics’ new three-part online directory ecosystem: a unified, searchable directory of certified organic farms and handlers; an emerging consumer-facing brands and products directory that will catalog an estimated 3,000 Wisconsin organic products; and a farm and garden input supplies directory mapping key supply-chain businesses—from seed and soil amendments to equipment and organic feed. Built on meticulously collected and cleaned data, these HubSpot-based tools transform scattered information into an accessible, navigable map of Wisconsin’s organic sector.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the USDA national organic standards, how certified organic works in Wisconsin, where the opportunities and bottlenecks are across the value chain, and how to use the new directories to source local organic products, strengthen short supply chains, and better align purchasing with their values.

The session will include a guided tour of the directories, have some local organic producers in attendance with their products, providetime for questions and live troubleshooting, and space for attendees to share what tools and information they most need next—helping shape the future of organic market transparency in Wisconsin.

Hosted by Wisconsin Organics and Giant Jones Brewery

Event Organizers

Noreen Mucha

Executive Director, Wisconsin Organics

Noreen Mucha is the Founder and Director of Wisconsin Organics-dedicated to building the digital and coordination infrastructure necessary for Wisconsin’s organic sector to thrive. With more than two decades of experience in global food systems and nutrition across 40+ countries... Read More →

Thursday August 20, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Giant Jones Brewing 931 East Main Street Entrance on, S Brearly St Suite 9, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Free, Virtual