2024 Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference

“Dreaming of a Driftless Getaway!”

2025 Conference

Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative

May 29 -31, 2024

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Driftless Road Trip Map

Inaugural Wisconsin CEC Conference: Platteville

Come to Platteville this spring and explore how local entrepreneurship drives the Driftless Region’s development. Network with fellow community champions from around the state. And gain new technical skills for promoting entrepreneurship in your own small town.

An annual event in other Midwestern states, the CEC Conference is coming to Wisconsin for the first time in 2024. Business leaders, economic development professionals, local leaders, and community champions will gather in Platteville for two days of programming about strategies for supporting entrepreneurship in Wisconsin’s small towns.

Not a typical conference, CEC will tour attendees around Platteville to explore the Driftless Region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Local businesses will host panels and presentations, and conference attendees can check out the local food scene, visit key community sites, and network with fellow leaders in rural development. Participants will walk away with new perspectives and strategies for building entrepreneurial ecosystems in their own small towns.

Conference Schedule

Conference Agenda

Access PowerPoint Slides from Sessions

Wednesday, May 29: Pre-Conference

6:00 – 8:00 pm: Meet & Greet

Out-of-town arrivals can gather for appetizers and early networking

Thursday, May 30: Day 1

9:00 am: Check-In, Trade Show, & Light Breakfast

10:00 – 11:15 am: Welcome and Introductions

Master of Ceremonies: Kate Koziol, Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Official Welcome: Barb Daus, Platteville Council President
Driftless Defined: Cory Ritterbush, Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Research Review: Matt Kures, UW-Madison, Division of Extension
Keynote Speaker: Missy Hughes, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Keynote Speaker: Tripp Hughes, Organic Valley

11:15 – 11:30 pm: Travel to Session 1

11:30 – 12:30 pm: Sessions 1

Track 1: Key Partners in Dynamic Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Track 2: Start-up Support and Resources 101
Track 3: Entrepreneurship with the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce
Track 4: Creating a Sustainable Agriculture Engine through Use-Inspired Innovation

12:30 – 2:00 pm: Lunch at Platteville restaurants

2:00 – 3:00 pm: Sessions 2

Track 1: Economic Development Case Study: Grant County
Track 2: Wisconsin Incubator Round Table
Track 3: Creating Communities of Belonging in Rural Wisconsin
Track 4: Financial Resources for Agri-preneurs

3:00 – 3:30 pm: Travel to Session 3

3:30 – 4:30 pm: Session 3

Track 1: Economic Development Strategy, Roles, & Tactics
Track 2: Business Start-Up Financing Resources
Track 3: Collective Entrepreneurship through Cooperatives
Track 4: Local Food Systems: What is the Economic Impact?

5:00 – 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception

6:00 – 8:00 pm: Dinner and Music at the Mining Museum

Friday, May 31: Day 2

8:00 – 9:00 am: Light Breakfast & Trade Show

9:00 – 9:30 am: Travel to Sessions 4

9:30 – 10:30 am: Session 4

Track 1: Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building in Practice with the REV Program
Track 2: Preserving Community Assets: Facilitating Business Succession Planning
Track 3: Comienzos: Building Latino Entrepreneurship
Track 4: New Crops and New Farms: A Panel of Driftless Agri-preneurs

10:30 – 11:00 am: Travel to Closing Session

11:00 – 12:00 pm: Idea Sharing and Adjourn

Post-Event Tours (Optional)