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Venue: TBA clear filter
Monday, August 17
 

8:00am CDT

You Didn't Sign Up For This
LIMITED
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
Monday August 17, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
TBA
 
Tuesday, August 18
 

10:00am CDT

Design Workshop: Building a New Knowledge Stack
LIMITED
Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm CDT
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
avatar for Christina Libs

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

10:30am CDT

Is the Government Your Next Growth Customer?
Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:30am - 12:30pm CDT
A practical workshop for Wisconsin founders deciding whether government sales can become a real growth channel — and which path to pursue first.

Agenda: 
The Wisconsin Opportunity Map
What Wisconsin companies already sell to the government, including defense manufacturing, food/ag, healthcare, logistics, construction, technology, and professional services.

The Founder Decision Tree
Should you pursue direct federal contracts, subcontracting, prime-supplier channels, SBIR/STTR, state/local contracts or hold on government contracting for now?
Government Revenue Fit Canvas

A hands-on exercise to map your customer, end user, buyer, funding source, channel partner, compliance gaps, and next test.

The Readiness Check
What you need before pursuing this channel: customer fit, delivery capacity, compliance, registrations, certifications, working capital, insurance, cybersecurity, and sales-cycle tolerance.

How Deals Actually Happen
A candid conversation with a founder/operator, prime or supply-chain buyer, procurement expert, and capital provider.

90-Day Action Plan
Each founder identifies one target customer segment, one likely entry path, three next steps, and one thing not to waste time on yet.
Event Organizers
avatar for Laura Strong

Laura Strong

CEO, Valency Fund

Sponsors
Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:30am - 12:30pm CDT
TBA
 
Wednesday, August 19
 

12:00pm CDT

Ideate Prompt Prototype Repeat
Wednesday August 19, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
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.

Hosted by Quantum Ideation and Prototyping LLC

Event Organizers
avatar for Brett Hay

Brett Hay

Founder, Quantum Ideation and Prototyping LLC

Wednesday August 19, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
TBA
  Free, In Person

4:00pm CDT

Stone Soup 101
LIMITED
Wednesday August 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
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
avatar for Jesse Barry

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
 
Thursday, August 20
 

1:00pm CDT

Future of VC: Digital Assets & Policy
LIMITED
Thursday August 20, 2026 1:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
The venture capital landscape is being reshaped by digital assets, tokenized equity, and an evolving regulatory environment — and Wisconsin's entrepreneurial ecosystem needs to be part that conversation. Future of VC: Digital Assets & Policy is a forward-looking forum bringing together founders, investors, and policy advocates to explore how emerging digital asset frameworks are transforming capital formation, fundraising strategy, and startup growth.

Attendees will hear from practitioners at the intersection of venture capital and blockchain policy — examining how legislation like federal stablecoin bills, SEC guidance, and state-level digital asset law affect the way startups raise and deploy capital. Whether you're a founder navigating your first raise, an investor evaluating on-chain opportunities, or a policy stakeholder shaping Wisconsin's innovation landscape, this event delivers the intelligence and connections you need to stay ahead.

Hosted by Awen, Wisconsin Blockchain Business Council
Event Organizers Sponsors
Thursday August 20, 2026 1:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
TBA

3:00pm CDT

VentureHome Pitch Day
LIMITED
Thursday August 20, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Ambitious founders have gone through the Level Up! Pre-seed Accelerator at a WiSys VentureHome location across Wisconsin. Whether you are an investor, a founder, or someone interested in entrepreneurship, this pitch day will provide a sneak peek at Wisconsin's emerging tech startups. The pitches will each be 6 minutes, followed by 4 minutes of questions from the audience. The event will be fast-paced, captivating, and open to anyone who would like to attend.

Hosted by WiSys VentureHome
Event Organizers
Thursday August 20, 2026 3:00pm - 4:30pm CDT
TBA
 
Friday, August 21
 

8:00am CDT

You Don’t Have to be Rich to be a Philanthropist: Building a launchpad for your legacy
LIMITED
Friday August 21, 2026 8:00am - 10:00am CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
As entrepreneurs, you work to build a better world. Forward thinkers and innovators have always been a key to social change and community well-being. Join one of Madison’s top rising philanthropists, Dan Rashke, Chairman of the Board at TASC, to discuss innovative philanthropy. He will joined by a fellow philanthropist and financial advisor. 

This interactive session is led through the framework of the Dan & Patti Rashke (TASC) Family Foundation 10-year matching gift to United Way of Dane County, a first-of-its-kind gift that is structured to elevate the nonprofit sector and leverages giving on all levels across the community. This $10-$15 million commitment is not where Dan’s philanthropy started. It’s the culmination of a commitment to philanthropy and social change that is decades in the making.
You’ll leave with concrete strategies to build a roadmap for designing and achieving your own ambitious philanthropic goals. This will include diverse strategies for giving, examples of innovative investments, and some tangible tips to identify which causes align with your passion. 

Hosted by United Way of Dane County
Friday August 21, 2026 8:00am - 10:00am CDT
TBA
  Free, In Person

9:00am CDT

AI in Community Building - Build together
LIMITED
Friday August 21, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Limited Capacity seats available

Join the ASK (Actionable, Support , Knowledge ) platform online challenge , join the zoom everyday 30 mins to work on your Claude AI prototype - 8:00 am with your community and assist each other.

Meet in hybrid or in person to learn about ASK and showcase your work 8 /21 .
Topics to choose
My First ( App, chatbot, website)
AI for cause ( Lonliness, inclusive, hunger)
Ai for sales
Anything else

Hosted by Source-Right Inc
Event Organizers

Friday August 21, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
TBA

1:30pm CDT

Fuel Your Growth: Define Your Market to Build Awareness and Attract Customers
LIMITED
Friday August 21, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
You have the big idea, the technical expertise or know-how, and a product or service you believe in and excites you. But if you feel like you haven’t unlocked the same level of excitement and awareness from potential buyers, you’re not alone. Understanding how you can apply principles of marketing strategy in your business could be the missing puzzle piece to fuel the next level of your company’s growth. During this session, you’ll get an actionable crash course in marketing strategy, including understanding what a “market” is and how to define your target audience and create personas, how to conduct a competitor analysis and define your differentiators in order to develop your unique positioning, and more. After the session, you’ll be able to apply marketing strategy principles to connect more often and more authentically with your right-fit potential buyers.
Event Organizers
Friday August 21, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
TBA
 
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Forward Fest 2026
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