Forward Fest 2026

8:00am CDT

Monday August 17, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT

Limited Capacity seats available

You Didn't Sign Up For This

A 1-hour session for founders who are building a business — not running errands for one

You launched a startup to build something. Instead, you're switching between 8 tools, chasing invoices, fixing shift schedules, and wondering why your ""lean team"" still feels like chaos.

This session is for founders who are done with that.

In one hour, we'll show you how fast-moving startups are collapsing their entire ops stack — CRM, projects, HR, contracts, billing — into a single platform, cutting $3,000+ a month in subscriptions, and getting back to the work that actually grows the business.

What you'll walk away with:
- A clear map of which tools you can replace today
- A live look at how OneHermes works in a real startup workflow
- A 30-day plan to simplify your stack — no migration nightmare

Format: 20 min talk · 25 min live demo · 15 min open Q&A

Seats are limited. Bring your mess — we'll show you how to clean it up.

Hosted by OneHermes

Event Organizers

NR Karthikeyan

Monday August 17, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
TBA

Ticketed, In Person (You Didn't Sign Up For This)

Category Bio / Health, Family, Tech / Software, General
Interaction Type Conference, Workshop

7:00pm CDT

Sweat Equity Sauna Happy Hour

LIMITED

Monday August 17, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm CDT

Saunaday @ 315 S Blount St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Check out our Website

Sweat Equity Happy Hour is a reimagined alternative to traditional networking—designed for founders, creatives, and builders who want something more real than surface-level conversation.

Hosted at Saunaday, guests move through a guided thermal cycle:
Steam → Sauna → Cold Plunge → Rest & Hydration

Shared challenges—like heat and cold—naturally break down barriers and create space for more open, grounded connection.

What to expect:
-2-hour, open-format thermal contrast experience
-Light guidance on the sauna + cold plunge cycle
-Complimentary beverage
-Tech-free, presence-driven environment

Hosted by Saunaday

Event Organizers

Roshelle

Founder & CEO, Saunaday

Roshelle Ritzenthaler is the co-founder and CEO of Saunaday, Wisconsin's fist Nordic bathhouse. An architect and service designer by training, she previously led innovation and service design at UW Health before leaving healthcare to build one of the Midwest's most celebrated wellness... Read More →

Monday August 17, 2026 7:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Saunaday 315 S Blount St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Ticketed, In Person (Sauna Happy Hour)

Category Bio / Health, General
Interaction Type Happy Hour

10:00am CDT

Design Workshop: Building a New Knowledge Stack

LIMITED

Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm CDT

TBA @ 315 S Blount St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

AGENDA
10:00 AM Welcome and Overview: Knowledge-as-a-service and Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS©) methodology and it's various applications.
10:30 AM Share your Story: We all have a (customer service) story to share - some good, some bad, and some extremely ugly. We'll share experiences from the real life and I'll share some gems from my time with over 100+ different customer service teams.
BREAK
11:00 AM Design Workshop: Participants will sketch their "2026 Knowledge Stack", creating a physical ARTifact to bring back into everyday operations.
With any luck, this session will inspire participants to build better service through designing and future-proofing your organization's knowledge.
12:00 PM LUNCH: Join an optional lunch with workshop participants to reflect together and enjoy the outdoors in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin. Location TBA.

LOCATION: TBA - if you have a recommendation, please contact Christina.
QUESTIONS? Contact Christina Libs at any time.

Session Detail:

Most teams are stuck when it comes to knowledge bases, help centers, AI chatbots, and static documentation. They don't consider their knowledge as an asset - as the technological system that powers their delivered services. Understanding how you stack up AND how to distill your knowledge down will quickly show you customer insights and opportunities to grow efficiently. Just remember you're a human - and knowledge is a first and best technology naturally existing throughout your organizational network.

If you're hearing:
🥔 "Our help center is a mess - it's a hot potato"
💸 "Customer support is is too expensive / too reactive"
😖 "My team is burning out answering the same 5 questions"
📈 "We need a more sustainable way to scale"

You have overwhelm. You likely have unharnessed knowledge that overwhelms and weighs you down.

Take a breath and join us to find better ways to work.

About Christina Libs:
Christina improves accessibility and reusability in organizational operations. She is a fractional knowledge systems program manager for enterprise businesses. She's open to project-based contracts for any small (5-50) teams supporting large customer bases (100s-1000s+). She is a KCS® certified practitioner ♻️, ex-Zendesk Engagement Manager and Manager of Proactive and Automated Support 💚, ex-Epic Implementation Services and Post Go Live Support Program Manager ❤️, and UIUC Graduate in Communication and Sociology 🎓. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin and loves to 🌱 🏒 🥏 🏄‍♂️.

Event Organizers

Christina Libs

Knowledge Strategy Consultant, Service Knowledge Operations

Questions? Contact Christina Libs at any time.
About Christina Libs:
Christina improves accessibility and reusability in organizational operations. She is a fractional knowledge systems program manager for enterprise businesses. She's open to project-based contracts for any small (5-50) teams supporting large customer bases (100s-1000s+). She i... Read More →

Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm CDT
TBA

Ticketed, Hybrid (Design Workshop)

Category Arts, Tech / Software, General, Customer Service, Knowledge Work
Interaction Type Workshop

3:00pm CDT

Pressure Chamber 2026

LIMITED

Tuesday August 18, 2026 3:00pm - 6:00pm CDT

The Sylvee @ 25 S Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

SEPARATE REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR ALL ATTENDEES - REGISTRATION OPENING SOON
Free for Greater Madison Chamber Members and Forward Fest All Inclusive Pass Holders | $30 for Non-Members

Pressure Chamber returns for its 13th year as the region's top emerging companies pitch for the coveted "golden suitcase," which guarantees a reserved spot in the Chamber's exclusive Greater Madison startup meetings with top Silicon Valley investment firms this fall. Participating companies will present in front of a panel of national investors and a live audience, with the winning company chosen based on a combination of judges' scoring and audience votes.

Thank you to Presenting Sponsor Michael Best; Supporting Sponsors State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), UW–Madison Office of Business Engagement and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; Reception Sponsor Fetch; Voting Sponsor Associated Bank; Student Sponsor Madison College – Center for Entrepreneurship; Community Sponsors JP Cullen and The Gialamas Company; Investor Sponsors HealthX Ventures, Idea Fund, Mastercraft Ventures, Rock River Capital Partners, Wisconsin Investment Partners; and Venue Sponsor FPC Live.

Hosted by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

Event Organizers

Rylee Gaber

Alanna Thiede

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Sharla Rowe

Events Manager, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Sponsors

Associated Bank

Fetch

JP Cullen

Madison College - Center for Entrepreneurship

Michael Best

The Gialamas Company

WEDC

Tuesday August 18, 2026 3:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
The Sylvee 25 S Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703, USA

Ticketed, In Person

Category Bio / Health, Social Good, Tech / Software, Business
Interaction Type Happy Hour, Social, Live Pitches

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

9:00am CDT

LinkedIn Glow-Up Lab

LIMITED

Thursday August 20, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am CDT

Event Hall at Hydrate IV Bar @ 4707 Madison Yards Way, Madison, WI 53705, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

This hands-on LinkedIn workshop is warm, welcoming and fun. It walks attendees through the full ecosystem of building a powerful presence. Participants will learn how to optimize their profiles so they clearly communicate value, attract the right audience, and open doors—whether that’s landing a dream role, growing a business, or expanding influence.

The session moves beyond setup into momentum: covering content strategy, topic ideation, and practical tools to create engaging posts without burnout. It also dives into the art of community-building—because LinkedIn isn’t just a platform, it’s a relationship engine. Attendees will learn how to engage authentically, build trust, and turn connections into meaningful opportunities.

Hosted by LinkUp Madison

Event Organizers