Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
2025 Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
“Building Bridges, Empowering Entrepreneurs!”
June 16-18, 2025
Early Bird Registration Rate: $100, Rate After May 1: $125
Wisconsin’s 2nd CEC Conference: Wisconsin Rapids
The CEC Conference is back, this time in Wisconsin Rapids, the conference “about small towns, for small towns,” for economic developers, local government leaders, and community champions. Not your typical conference, CEC features programming about entrepreneurship in smaller communities, featuring the local leaders, local businesses, and local cultures of a Wisconsin town.
Rivers of opportunities are flowing from Wisconsin Rapids, and economic development professionals will take home new ideas about planning and infrastructure projects, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, agritourism, placemaking, and community partnerships.
Discover the spirit of Wisconsin Rapids, a city redefining its future. Once known as “The Paper City,” this community is now a hub of entrepreneurial energy, revitalizing its downtown along the scenic Wisconsin River. Join us for engaging workshops led by local innovators along historic Grand Avenue, take a stroll along the river’s picturesque bridges, and while you’re here, immerse yourself in the region’s cranberry heritage. Experience how this underdog community is forging a new chapter of growth and creativity in Central Wisconsin.
Conference Schedule
Monday, June 16
6:00 pm: Welcome Event at the Ballpark: Wisconsin Rapids Rafters vs. Traverse City Pit Spitters
Meet & greet with the conference planning team and early arrivals! In the Point Craft River Box over 3rd base. All-you-can-eat ballpark food buffet. Seats for the first 70 conference registrants! Sponsored by Centergy.
Tuesday, June 17
8:30 am: Registration Opens, Light Breakfast, & Trade Show
9:30 am: Welcoming Session
11:30 am: Break-Out Session 1
- Track 1: Build Your Bench: Key Players in the Business Support Ballgame
- Track 2: Bridging the Digital & Local Economy: Why Online Presence Matters
- Track 3: Repurposing the Paper Mill: Redirecting Rural Economies After Economic Shock
- Track 4: From Fields to Forests: Unlocking the Economic Potential of Outdoor Recreation and Agritourism
12:30 pm: Lunch by the Wisconsin River with Food Trucks
2:00 pm: Break-Out Session 2
- Track 1: Engaging Local Entrepreneurs and Resources in Real Time
- Track 2: Data Deep-Dive: Extension’s Latest Rural Research
- Track 3: From Kitchen to Consumer: Empowering Food Entrepreneurs in Your Rural Community
- Track 4: Strong Foundations: How Focusing on Community Infrastructure Fuels Entrepreneurial Success
3:30 pm: Break-Out Session 3
- Track 1: Funding Readiness: How to Secure Capital at Every Stage
- Track 2: Rural Tech Hubs in the Upper Midwest
- Track 3: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Action
- Track 4: Innovating for Impact: How Tribal Communities are Reimagining Entrepreneurship for Future Generations
5:00 pm: Cocktail Reception, Dinner, Music, and Cranberry Marsh Tours at Rooted in Red
Wednesday, June 18
8:30 am: Light Breakfast
9:30 am: Break-Out Session 4
- Track 1: Driving Economic Change: The Impact of REV on Rural Development
- Track 2: Identifying and Empowering the Next Generation of High-Growth Entrepreneurs in Wisconsin
- Track 3: Passionate People Lead to Quality Places
- Track 4: Rural Youth Entrepreneurship and Career Pathways
11:00 am: Closing Session
12:00 pm: Dismissal & Brown Bag Lunch
Hotels
*Mention you are part of the “CEC Conference” to receive the listed room rate.
Sponsoring Organizations
Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action Statements
We value inclusion and access for all participants. We are happy to provide accommodations to help you fully participate in this event. An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements. Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service, or activity. For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu. For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu for the public.
