Home » Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference 2024
Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference 2024
2024 Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
“Dreaming of a Driftless Getaway!”
May 29 -31, 2024
Plan Your Platteville Road Trip
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
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)
- 1:00 pm – Huff Innovation Center at UW-Platteville
- 2:00 pm – Platteville Business Incubator
- Driftless Region Road Trips
Hotels – Reserve Now
*Mention you are part of the “CEC Block” 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. | Como empleador que brinda igualdad de oportunidades en el empleo y acción afirmativa (EEO/AA, por sus siglas en inglés), la University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, proporciona igualdad de oportunidades en el empleo y en sus programas, incluyendo los requisitos del Título VI, Título IX, la ley federal para personas con discapacidades en los Estados Unidos (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) y los requisitos de la Section 504 del Rehabilitation Act. | Tus Tswv Hauj Lwm Ntawm (EEO/AA), ntawm lub Tsev Kawm Ntawv Qib Siab (University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension) pab rau kev ncaj ncees txog kev hauj lwm thiab kev pab cuam, xws li nyob rau hauv Title VI, Title IX, thiab ntawm tsab cai Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) yuav tsum kom muaj thiab Feem 504 ntawm the Txoj Cai Kev Pab Rov Tsim Kho Uas Tau Teev Tseg. |
| Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service, or activity. | Para asegurar un acceso igualitario a los programas educativos, haga el favor de solicitar adecuaciones razonables lo más pronto posible antes de la fecha del programa, servicio o actividad. | Xav thov kom ua txoj kev thov laj thawj thiaj li tau cov kev pab cuam ntxov li ntxov tau ua ntej rau li lub caij nyoog ntawm cov kev pab cuam, kev pab los yog dej num no. |
| For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu. | Para pedir adecuaciones para la comunicación en un idioma distinto al inglés, favor de comunicarse con: oaic@extension.wisc.edu. | Rau kev sib tham pab cuam rau qhov lwm yam lus ntawm lus As Kiv (English), thov sau ntawv rau: oaic@extension.wisc.edu. |
| For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu for the public. | Para personas del público que quiera pedir adecuaciones para la comunicación debido a una discapacidad, favor de comunicarse con: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu | Rau kev sib tham pab cuam rau kev puas cev xws li tes taw, thov sau ntawv rau: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu |
