State's Asian Indians thrive in entrepreneurial society
February 7, 2010

Immigrant group uses drive, degrees to achieve prosperity
By Rick Romell, Journal Sentinel

Kaushik Patel's introduction to entrepreneurship was no picnic. It was 1998 and the economy was booming, but Patel had lost his job as a computer engineer in the Chicago area. Now he was in tiny Sibley, Iowa, cleaning rooms at a Super 8.

That was hard for a college-educated professional to swallow, the town was near "nowhere in the world" and the motel was running in the red. But it was his, and he believed that if he stuck with it he and his family would be rewarded.

They were. Today Patel has not one hotel but five, including three in Wisconsin - one in Eau Claire, two in Plymouth - and no regrets about abandoning his high-tech field.

"If I would have been in computer engineering I know I would be not (as) happy as I am," he said.

A lot of Indian-Americans throughout Wisconsin and across the country know the feeling. Immigrants from India have excelled as entrepreneurs, running everything from corner gas stations to a disproportionate share of Silicon Valley start-ups.

Nationally, a recent study found, Indian immigrant business owners average 60% more income than U.S. business owners generally, and earn more than entrepreneurs from any other immigrant group.

The Business Journal of Milwaukee

The Business Journal's annual Green Business Awards program honors the best of environmental sustainability in southeast Wisconsin.

We encourage you to nominate a company, organization or any individual you feel deserves recognition for their contribution and commitment to protecting the environment.

To be eligible, nominees must be based in The Business Journal’s coverage area of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Racine, Kenosha or Walworth counties. Work or projects nominated must have been completed during 2009.

Winners will be profiled in the June 11, 2010 issue, as part of a section focusing on environmental issues.

How to participate: Simply fill out a nomination form below and submit it by March 26, 2010.

 
EAU CLAIRE – During a visit to Evrisko Systems in Eau Claire, Governor Jim Doyle discussed his plans to position Wisconsin to seize opportunities in energy efficiency manufacturing, invest in the state’s innovative manufacturing and clean energy businesses, and create thousands of new jobs.

“My number one priority is helping our businesses create jobs and giving our workers the opportunities to get those jobs,” Governor Doyle said. “As the growth in the number of companies at the NanoRite Research Center shows, our economic development tools are helping Wisconsin to seize opportunities for growth in advanced manufacturing and in fields like energy efficiency technology.”

Governor Doyle has created some of the strongest economic development tools in the country to help businesses create jobs and get people back to work. The Governor’s efforts have helped bring businesses and thousands of new jobs to communities throughout Wisconsin. Governor Doyle has also worked hard to improve Wisconsin’s tax ranking, and today Wisconsin now ranks 30th in business taxes – well below the national average. 

By Charles Menchaca, Wausau Daily Herald

The number of Marathon County business owners seeking help from a program hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Extension has increased by 40 percent in three years.

The Small Business Development Center in Stevens Point in 2009 counseled 238 Marathon County clients in Marathon County, up from 169 in 2007. In addition, Lincoln County client numbers went from 19 to 37 in the same time period.

By Pete Bach, Post-Crescent

GRAND CHUTE — The Fox Valley Technical College is rolling out a fast-track version of its E-Seed training program.

The program, dubbed E-Seed Express, is an abbreviated form of the intense course for entrepreneurs drawing up business plans. It's been in the making for 18 months and is coming none too soon.

"We're really excited to roll it out," said Amy Pietsch, director of the Venture Center at FVTC. "We really think it's going to meet a gap in the marketplace."

University of Wisconsin-Madison News

University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos E. Santiago have announced the establishment of the first UW-Madison/UW-Milwaukee Intercampus Research Incentive Grants Program, an initiative to support research projects and scholarship undertaken jointly at the two campuses.

The program, launched last month, is designed to support joint research and promote partnerships.

Here are the details of how the program will operate:

MADISON - Entrepreneurs, technology-based companies, and researchers planning to apply for federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants will want to attend a workshop entitled Writing a Competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) SBIR/STTR Research Proposal, to be held at webinars on February 16, 18 and 23 from 9:00 - 11:00 am via the internet, and at classroom sessions February 23 through March 30, 2010 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave, Madison, WI.

"If you're seeking federal investments to support internal research and development projects for top-line growth, and want to learn how to write a successful proposal, you should attend this workshop," said Department of Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel.

NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

LA CROSSE (WPR) Business advisors say more people in Wisconsin are seeking advice on starting or expanding a business. Interest among men and women has been about even over the last decade -- but last year, the number of men seeking advice grew more quickly.

Kim Kindschi is executive director of the Entrepreneurship Division at UW-Extension.  Kindschi says men comprised 52.5 percent of those looking for business advice last year statewide.  He says the reason for the slight increase is likely the recession. Kindschi says there were more layoffs in 2009, and they likely included manufacturing or other jobs for men compared to women.

However, those results were not typical everywhere.  Jan Gallagher is the director of the Small Business Development Center at UW-La Crosse.  She says at the UW-L center, more women are thinking about going into, or expanding their businesses.

By Gena Kittner, Wisconsin State journal 

MAZOMANIE — A commercial-sized kitchen where farmers and culinary entrepreneurs can sauce tomatoes, pickle cucumbers or bake cookies is up and running in this western Dane County village, and is one of half a dozen "incubator" kitchens in the works throughout southern Wisconsin.

The idea is to spawn dozens of food-based companies by providing access to critical business development assistance as well as larger, faster ovens, restaurant-grade equipment and more work space found in licensed commercial kitchens.

By SAMARA KALK DERBY, Wisconsin State Journal

He admits it’s foreign territory for an unmarried, childless, 49-year-old man who’s spent the majority of his time in the commercial real estate business, but Tom Baggot seems to have found his calling running Legacy Academy Activity Center, a 6,000-square-foot, indoor playground for children 12 and under.

Children run up to him with questions, asking for help, or come into his office for a snack. “Theak you Mistr Babit,” wrote one child on a drawing that hangs in Baggot’s office.

by Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

A group of business and government leaders from Milwaukee and Madison plans to raise a $100 million, Wisconsin-based venture capital fund, one of its members said Tuesday.

Financial services company Credit Suisse First Boston LLC will manage the fund, said investment adviser Dick Schilffarth during a panel discussion at a Water Council Meeting at We Energies in downtown Milwaukee.

A Credit Suisse investment specialist, Mel Carter, will be in Wisconsin visiting with organizers Wednesday and Thursday, said Schilffarth, who runs the Schilffarth-Schnoll Group at RBC Wealth Management and is president of the Wisconsin Venture Network. Carter runs a fund in Ohio that's similar to the one being planned here.

"In the DNA of Wisconsin, venture capital is the part that's missing," Schilffarth said.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

Rapid Diagnostek Inc. has raised $4 million of venture capital in a funding round led by Peak Ridge Capital, Peak Ridge said Tuesday.

Hudson-based Rapid Diagnostek is working to develop a portable, one-step sensing device that could quickly diagnose diseases, bacteria, viruses, and spores by analyzing blood, urine and saliva. The company moved to Hudson in 2008 from Minnesota.

By John Hill, Corporate Report Wisconsin

Phillip Bautch of River Falls, who is “passionate” about water conservation, had a problem a few years ago. His wife and daughter were complaining that the low-flow shower head this sales engineer had installed at their home didn't provide enough water for them to readily rinse the shampoo out of their hair.

This dissatisfaction inspired him to invent a device that attaches to the shower head and allows the user to adjust water flow rates from full spray down to as little as 80 percent of full flow. By re-installing a higher flow shower head, and convincing his family to use his device for part of their showers, he was able to resolve their concerns while still saving water and energy.

Flash forward to 2007, when Bautch was laid off from his job. He started a company, J.B. Matsol LLC, that is now marketing the device, the UZLOW water and energy saving valve, across the nation. Bautch has a patent pending on the simple device, which is made up of a chrome-plated brass valve body, a valve stem of high lubricity plastic and a valve handle of molded, high-strength polymer.  Depending on the model and quantity ordered, the valves sell for between $17.50 and $21.95 apiece.

By Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel

Necedah - A Wisconsin camper manufacturer, inspired by an employee who uses a wheelchair to get around, has developed a motorized wheelchair that soon could be giving people with spinal cord injuries the mobility to participate in off-road activities such as hunting and fishing.

Powered by a small motorcycle engine, the chair is capable of speeds up to 25 mph and is geared to handle hills.

"I can get down into a valley to see what's there. It's also good for getting around something like a car show," said Chris Wiedmeyer, an employee at Camp-Inn trailers who has used a wheelchair for 11 years.

Wiedmeyer and the owners of Necedah-based Camp-Inn trailers developed a do-it-yourself kit that makes it possible to attach a small four-stroke engine to a standard Invacare wheelchair often used by people with physical disabilities.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

In line with the national trend, Wisconsin companies raised substantially less venture capital in 2009 than a year earlier.

Seven state companies raised $22.2 million during the year, the lowest total since 2003, according to the MoneyTree Report, released Friday by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.

All of the companies were in the Madison area, with the exception of MyHealth Direct Inc. in Delafield and Idle Free Systems Inc. in Watertown.

MENASHA — GoodBusiness now is being offered through Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin for people interested in starting a small business.

The 10-week training session is designed for would-be entrepreneurs to analyze the feasibility of their idea, and then decide if it is a "go" or "no-go" before investing too much time or money in the venture.

MADISON REGION - Governor Jim Doyle announced today that Thrive, the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Region, has received a $100,000 Regional Marketing grant from the Department of Commerce.

"We must draw on the resources and talent of all our communities to grow the state's economy," Governor Doyle said. "I look forward to working with Thrive as we invest in Southwest and South Central Wisconsin and drive economic growth in the region."

Governor Doyle has made strengthening Wisconsin's economy a top priority. Under his leadership, the state has gained some of the most powerful economic development tools in the country. The budget Governor Doyle signed last year made unprecedented investments in Wisconsin businesses, including powerful new tax credits designed to keep and add jobs - a project Thrive was directly involved with. The budget also offered companies major new incentives to spur research and development and gave investors new tools to promote start-ups and new companies. These efforts have strengthened a continuous drive to modernize and grow all segments of Wisconsin's economy.

Thrive will use these funds to advance the region's competitive advantage across four key areas: increasing capital in the region; target sector-based initiatives in agriculture, healthcare and technology; policy and research; and promotion of the region. Thrive will spearhead the work around these initiatives, assist with industry research and drive collaborative marketing and regional promotion to help fulfill the commercial promise and workforce potential of the region.

The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Despite enthusiasm about their endeavors, entrepreneurs have had a hard time expanding their companies and adding jobs during the recession, and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation CEO Carl Schramm wants to change that.

He presented the results of a new poll on Tuesday during a speech, “The State of Entrepreneurship,” delivered at the National Press Club in Washington, according to a Tuesday release from the Kauffman Foundation. Attendees included U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.

University of Wisconsin-Madison News

Wisconsin's two public doctoral research universities will join forces in the first campuswide program to promote collaborative research projects involving faculty at both universities.

Chancellors Biddy Martin, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Carlos E. Santiago, of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, are launching the Intercampus Research Incentive Grants Program, which will award $300,000 in intercampus grants to support joint research and promote partnerships.

Grants will focus on key areas, including physical sciences, engineering, humanities, the arts and social sciences.

Local university trying to make gains in water science, research
By John Schmid, Journal Sentinel

The rapid genesis of AquaMost LLC, a water-technology start-up that sprang from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reflects the yawning gulf that divides the state's two biggest research universities.

While UW-Milwaukee aims to expand its research capacity as a way to catalyze new jobs and investment - it is adding programs in engineering and water technology - the school barely registers on one of the nation's most crucial measures of innovation: the annual tally of newly issued U.S. patents. In 2009, the number totaled three.

The state's flagship research university in Madison, by contrast, ranks near the top of the national tables with 117 patents last year. That puts UW-Madison at No. 3 behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 2 (132 patents in 2009) and the entire 10-campus University of California system at No. 1 (172 patents). California's state system, which includes UC-Berkeley and UCLA, assigns patents under a single entity.

Emerging businesses in a variety of high-tech sectors enliven Madison’s business community
BY JUDY DAHL, MADISON MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2010

In Entrepreneur’s top-ten cities roundup, the magazine extols the open, energetic culture and enthusiastic business communities found in entrepreneurial regions. As an example of an innovative Madison start-up, it profiles Heather Hilleren’s LocalDirt.com, a subscription-based online business that connects grocers, restaurants—and others looking to buy food locally—with area farmers. It cites Madison’s quality of life, educated work force, and resources like University Research Park among the city’s attractions for businesspeople. The magazine also lauds our business community’s diversification, noting that in addition to the three-legged stool of government, the UW and agriculture, industries such as biotech, gaming, medicine and software are buoying our economy.

Here’s a look at other innovative local entrepreneurs in these burgeoning sectors.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

Brookfield — For entrepreneurship to flourish in southeastern Wisconsin, two key ingredients are needed: money and goals, three veterans of Milwaukee-area start-ups said Thursday.

If private foundations in this region would allocate just 5% of their assets to alternative investments, and direct some of that toward Wisconsin start-ups, the state would have a lot more entrepreneurial activity, said Dan Steininger, vice president of BizStarts Milwaukee and co-director of the Successful Entrepreneur Investors angel investing group.

Dubuque Herald

The first of several free Entrepreneur and Inventors meetings is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 13, in Room 493 on the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College campus.

The topic is "Online Business Plan Development" and will be presented by Southwest Tech instructors Paul Bell and Karyl Nicholson. Bell and Nicholson recently developed a one-credit

online course that focuses on a step-by-step process in developing a business plan; they will give an overview of the program.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

AquaMost LLC and a Pennsylvania environmental remediation company said Tuesday they have received a $100,000 federal innovation grant to develop an advanced water purification device.

AquaMost and Encotech Inc. will use the money to try to develop and commercialize the device, which would remove organize pollutants and pathogens from water, the companies said in a news release.

The funding, from the National Institutes of Health, "allows us to field test our patented technology on groundwater contaminated with pollutants from leaking underground gasoline storage tanks," Terence Barry, AquaMost's president and director of research and development, said in the release.

Aquamost is based in Madison and was formed in 2006 by four University of Wisconsin - Madison scientists. It licenses patents from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation on a technology called photoelectrocatalytic oxidation.

Encotech was founded in 1976 and supplies activated carbon for environmental remediation to commercial, industrial and residential customers.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

A Madison start-up company said Tuesday morning it has launched a product that can rapidly and accurately detect the presence of deadly botulinum neurotoxins.

BioSentinel Pharmaceuticals LLC's BoTest B/D/F/G uses a fluorescent material to detect the toxin, which is responsible for the paralytic and sometimes deadly illness called botulism, the company said. The test is the second product for the company, which was founded in 2007.

By JENNIFER BJORHUS, Star Tribune

MathStar Inc., a former Minnesota tech start-up at the center of a securities fraud lawsuit, is buying Sajan Inc. in River Falls, Wis., for an estimated $16.2 million.

The deal is expected to close by March. MathStar will buy Sajan with $6.1 million cash, about $9.1 million in stock and a $1 million loan, according to a filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company will operate as Sajan going forward.

Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter

Sail Young Professionals of Manitowoc County is a program of The Chamber of Manitowoc County that works to attract and retain local young talent. We provide social networking and professional development activities to engage individuals.

Once you're a part of Sail, you're connected to a great network of young professionals in Manitowoc County. We connect you with your peers and with great events to motivate your professional advancement and your personal growth.

By Terry Whipple and Bonnie J. Peterson

As appeared in the IEDC Economic Development Journal, Volume 8, Number 4, Fall 2009

Education, networking and access to resources, supplemented with a healthy dose of motivation – that’s the successful recipe used by the Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) Club of Juneau County, Wisconsin. Working from the premise that innovation and entrepreneurship will thrive if cultivated in a supportive environment, the Juneau County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) has embraced the club concept as a key component of its strategic plan. On one level, the club concept can be likened to a business incubator. However, rather than incubating emerging businesses, the club provides a nurturing environment for the exploration and development of ideas throughout an entire community or region.

By Thomas Content, Journal Sentinel

C&D Technologies Inc. will develop large-format lithium-ion batteries in Milwaukee under a $19 million U.S. Army contract.

The venture is projected to generate as many as 150 jobs in the Milwaukee area over the next three years, said Jim Paetsch, director of relocation and business development for the Milwaukee 7 economic development group.

"It's fantastic. It's a whole new technology that C&D is going to be doing some R&D on, and it's going to be a nice job generator for us," Paetsch said.

MADISON –The fourth annual recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW) occurs February 20 through February 27, 2010.  Sponsored by the National Consortium for Education Excellence, National Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of American entrepreneurs and the educational programs currently preparing youth to develop a passion toward entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

“Last year, organizations hosted events that celebrated the power of entrepreneurship throughout Wisconsin,” said Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. “Once again, we’d like to encourage state and local government, schools, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs and community leaders to observe the week by hosting events.”

The Business Journal of Milwaukee

The Specialty Meat Development Center has been formed to assist artisan sausage and cured meat makers operating in Wisconsin with the growth of their businesses.

The nonprofit center formed through a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the state’s meat-processing industry. The center will support the state’s specialty meat processors in five key categories: Business development, product development, labeling and packaging, market development, and food safety and quality.

Door County Advocate

Despite the recession, a number of projects were started in 2009 with the help of Door County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Bill Chaudoir provided a synopsis of some of the major accomplishments this public and private partnership achieved in 2009:

By Jeff Starck, Wausau Daily Herald

The federal government says it takes an average of 34 months to approve or deny a patent, but one Wausau businessman is not letting that delay keep him from developing his innovation.

David Baker, founder of PDM Solar, has developed a thermal transformer that generates energy to provide heat, air conditioning and electricity in homes and businesses. The Wausau man thinks his invention could both earn him a tidy living and lead a green revolution. All he needs are investors for his company.

His problem: He has filed for seven patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including one that dates back to 2005, but he has yet to receive a ruling on any of them
.

By JANE BURNS, Wisconsin State Journal

It takes nerves of steel to start a business even in the best of times. In a year like 2009, with experts debating if an economic recovery is actually happening, it borders on an act of bravery.

But still, the entrepreneurial spirit lives. The state Department of Revenue reports there were 24,374 business registrations in 2009 compared with 24,886 in 2008.

BY Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel

Strapped for credit, farmers are turning to the Small Business Administration and other government lenders for help.

One SBA program, funded by economic stimulus money, offers a $35,000 no-interest loan to small businesses struggling to make payments on other debts.

Applicants must show proof that they've been profitable in one of the last two years, and they can't be more than 60 days behind on their debt payments.

The loans can only be used to pay down other debts. They can't be used as a line of credit to buy equipment or fund an expansion.

"It's a lifeline to help small businesses stay in business. And a lot of farmers have picked this up and are using it," said Eric Ness, district director of the Small Business Administration in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network is seeking nominations for the 2010 Wisconsin Companies to Watch awards.

The recognition is intended for second-stage companies with revenues from $750,000 to $50 million and the potential to become among the state's top-performing companies. Winners will be announced April 13.

Visit www.companiestowatch.org or contact Cathy Sullivan at www.wiscosninctw.lowe.org for more information.

By Doug Erickson, Wisconsin State Journal 

Three longtime friends broke ground Monday on a nearly $2 million meat processing and retail business near Viroqua that is expected to employ 12 to 20 people in an area battered by factory layoffs and closings.

Premier Meats is scheduled to open in Vernon County this fall. The startup project will offer meat processing services to farmers, as well as locally grown organic and non-organic meats for retail sale. Products from the area such as cheeses and wines also will be sold, said Terry Hoyum, a partner with Dan and Sue Jacobson.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

An entrepreneur who built the nation's biggest online arts retailer from a warehouse on Madison's east side will win the Ken Hendricks Memorial Seize the Day award.

Toni Sikes will receive the award, which celebrates entrepreneurial leaders who have been crucial to Wisconsin's economic growth, at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference in Milwaukee on June 9 and 10.

By Judy Newman, Wisconsin State Journal

Ben Lap is hoping the financial drought is over. Lap says his Madison company, BioSentinel Pharmaceuticals, needs $2 million in venture capital to forge ahead with new products, now that its first -- a quick test for deadly strains of botulinum toxin -- is just out on the market.

Terry Barry is looking for about half that much money from angel investors. His startup business, AquaMost, is fine-tuning its prototype, a device to purify contaminated water. Will funds come through?

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

A Madison venture capitalist will be nominated by President Barack Obama to be chief counsel for advocacy at the Small Business Administration.

Winslow Sargeant, a managing director at Madison-based Venture Investors LLC, would have the job of protecting, strengthening and representing the nation's small businesses in the federal government's legislative and rule-making processes, Venture Investors said Friday. Sergeant's appointment would be subject to Senate confirmation.

The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Wisconsin angel networks and funds posted a 28 percent increase in early stage investments in 2008, reaching more than $15 million invested in 53 deals.

On the other hand, venture capital investments in Wisconsin – those later-stage investments made after early-stage companies begin to grow – declined by 32 percent, dropping to $76 million, in 2008, according to a press release Tuesday from the Wisconsin Technology Council, Madison.

Laurie Benson, chief executive officer and co-founder of Inacom Information Systems, Madison, received the 2009 National Women in Business Champion award from the U.S. Small Business Administration on Monday.

By Judy Newman, Wisconsin State Journal

Pull a muscle running a marathon? Hurt your shoulder pitching in a softball game? Feel a tingling in your hand after spending too much time on Facebook?

Echometrix wants to help.

The young Fitchburg company is developing technology that will let physicians see, in vivid color, ultrasound images that show soft-tissue damage such as a torn Achilles tendon, a rotator-cuff injury or a case of carpal-tunnel syndrome.

Barbara Israel heads Echometrix. Israel co-founded Platypus Technologies in 2000 and led the nanotechnology business for seven years until it was time to bring in an outside chief executive to guide the company through the next stage. She remains on Platypus' board of directors.

Wisconsin State Journal

Laurie Benson, chief executive officer and co-founder of Inacom Information Systems, Madison, received the 2009 National Women in Business Champion award from the U.S. Small Business Administration on Monday.

by Gregg Hoffmann, Westby Times

A new meat retail and processing business will be up and running in Vernon County by the end of this summer, according to an announcement at the annual Vernon Economic Development Association meeting held on May 6 at Borgen’s in Westby.

Premier Meats, Inc., is a $1.8 million dollar project that will create 12 to 15 new jobs. The new 11,000-plus square foot facility will be located at the intersection of Highway 14, Three Chimney Road and Barstad Road between Viroqua and Westby. It will include 8,000 square feet of space for processing and another 3,950 square feet in retail space. Meat, cheese, wine and other products will be sold in the retail area.

Dan and Sue Jacobson and Terry Hoyum are partners in the business. Hoyum said, “We’ve had a lot of interest and positive feedback to start this business. Vernon Economic Development and the UW-L Small Business Development Center were very instrumental in getting us through the planning process."

Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

A business plan for a device that would boost efficiency for construction contractors netted the top $5,000 prize for a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior.

Dominic Caminata's DDC Manufacturing will market a device that attaches to skid loaders, allowing them to use a wide variety of equipment for construction and demolition, said William Dougan, a UW-Whitewater entrepreneurship professor. The company will likely outsource production to a southeastern Wisconsin company as early as fall 2009, he said.

Wisconsin State Journal

Lucigen Corp. of Middleton has received two federal grants: $100,000 from the National Science Foundation to develop an enzyme, discovered in a boiling-hot spring, that may prove useful in diagnosing cancer and infectious disease; and $200,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a simple test for respiratory viruses that can be given in a doctor’s office or clinic instead of handled in a diagnostic lab.

By Bill Wineke, WTN News

WHITEWATER - The simplest way to tell the story of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate Ben Hobbins' achievement is just to say that Popular Science Magazine has ranked his plastic fishing lure one of the magazine's “Top Ten Inventions of the Year.”

That would be the simplest way, but it would leave out the part about how Hobbins, who received a master's degree in school business administration from UW-Whitewater in 2004, came to his study of fishing lures by way of an undergraduate education at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Manitowoc Herald Times


MANITOWOC — The Economic Development Corporation of Manitowoc County recently celebrated its fifth year providing economic development solutions for current as well as potential businesses and entrepreneurs.

More than 80 investors, including community and business leaders, attended an evening event held at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which featured keynote speaker Wisconsin Department of Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel.

"Over the years, the Economic Development Corporation of Manitowoc County has been among Commerce's foremost partners in economic development," Leinenkugel said.

By Lynn Welch, WTN News

MADISON - Madison start-up Stemina Biomarker Discovery Inc. has launched its first product, which uses human embryonic stem cells to screen drugs for their likelihood to cause birth defects.

The launch comes shortly after President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on stem cell research, opening up opportunities for companies like Stemina, which also this month launched its second round of financing.

by Judy Newman, Wisconsin State Journal

When Stratford native Becky Splitt graduated from UW-Madison with a communications degree in 1985, she wanted to parlay her experience as a house fellow in the Lakeshore dorms into a career in academia.

Instead, after adding a master's degree in business from Wichita State University, Splitt stumbled into the heady, early days of the Internet boom. She signed on with Brite Voice Systems, a young Wichita company that became a pioneer in computer voice technology; later, Microsoft wooed Splitt, boosting her to the executive ranks as head of a international team that set up the first overseas connections for services such as Expedia.

So what is Splitt doing in Madison at StudyBlue, guiding an Internet startup with only a pittance of income and whose participants -- primarily college students -- create the Web site content they use?

By Heather Stanek, The Reporter

A handful of Eden businesses have banded together to boost economic growth in the village.

Operators and staff from Eden Meat Market and Catering, Eden Veterinary Village and Northwinds Supper Club and Banquets recently formed a partnership to offer personal development opportunities for workers, business leaders and future entrepreneurs.

Their first event was a visit by speaker Jim Schneider of Blue Chip Training and Marketing. He is meeting with participants this week to share advice for effective communication and customer service.

Post Crescent

Entering its 21st year of service to businesses and residents, Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC) is going strong.

The organization is creating a buzz both locally and throughout the state.

"I travel around to a lot of other communities throughout the state," said Bob Poch, design and project manager, Keller Inc. "There isn't the doom and gloom here that you hear in other communities. I attribute that to the staff of FCEDC. They have worked very hard to make things happen."

The confidential nature of much of the work done by FCEDC creates a challenge of communicating its successes, but FCEDC has made an effort over the last few years to market its services in a way that does not breach the trust clients have placed in the organization.

MADISON — Two entries from Brown County were among 21 that are competing in the finalist round of the sixth annual Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest.

They are: [WEN Client] C.J. Schmidt, Concrete Crack Reducer, De Pere, and Leanne Wick, The Fire Blaster, Green Bay.

Post Crescent

GRAND CHUTE — When U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen held a panel last month for small-business owners trying to understand loan programs under the economic stimulus plan, participation was high.

That meeting in Green Bay attracted more than 70 businesses.

Kagen, D-Appleton, plans to hold a similar forum Monday at the Fox Valley Technical College's D.J. Bordini Business & Industry Center. He will be joined by Eric Ness, district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Wisconsin, and representatives from three lending institutions.

By JUDY NEWMAN, Wisconsin State Journal

A landmark Near East Side factory building has come back to life as a high-tech business incubator aimed at brewing the big ideas of University of Wisconsin-Madison students and faculty.

The Metro Innovation Center is open for business — a sleek set of 10 suites equipped with the latest voice and data technology as well as two conference rooms and a small kitchen.

By Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

Cultivating entrepreneurship is the topic of a first-ever one-day summit hosted by the University of Wisconsin System Thursday in Stevens Point.

Faculty and staff from 14 of the 15 UW System institutions will share ideas for sparking an entrepreneurial climate on campuses, said Doug Bradley, a spokesman from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Corporate Relations. The event will include talks from experts and UW System students involved in entrepreneurship, he said.

By Rick Romell, Journal Sentinel, March 31, 2009

Laurie Benson, chief executive officer and co-founder of Madison-based Inacom Information Systems, has been named the 2009 National Women in Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Neenah woman goes from retailer to instructor
By Pete Bach, •Post-Crescent staff writer

GRAND CHUTE — Kathi Drake moved to Wisconsin with her family in 1988, her master's in business and accounting degree in hand.

Now, as an instructor at Fox Valley Technical College and its E-seed entrepreneur program to help budding entrepreneurs, she feels she's closed a vital loop.

"I always knew my career would culminate (and) I would take all my knowledge and experience and bring it to some aspect of business. Now I know where I'm supposed to be," she said.

Farm Market Kitchen satellite kitchen located at NWTC
By Pamela Parks, Post Crescent, March 25, 2009

The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Sturgeon Bay campus' kitchen has been cooking up classes and community meals and — within the last year — some new businesses as well.

Collaborating with the Farm Market Kitchen Incubator in Algoma, three local food processors have used NWTC's kitchen to develop and create products. Within the next few weeks, the number of processors using the satellite kitchen may double.

By Robert Mentzer, Wausau Daily Herald

It is not uncommon for small businesses to run on tight margins in good times; when times are tough, a tight margin can turn into a nonexistent one.

For those who are forced to shut down their businesses, it has meant not only re-entering the job market, but in many cases making a new transition from entrepreneur to employee. Special section: Surviving Hard Times

In every case, the transition isn't easy. For some entrepreneurs, it's almost like a death in the family.

"It is very tough," said Vicki Lobermeier, director of the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. "What makes it the toughest is, for entrepreneurs, you are the business. It's your dream, it's a part of you; it's a part of your life and a part of your being."

"I think there's always a great deal of loss and grieving," said Shawn

By John Torinus, Journal Sentinel

In eight years as master mentor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sherwin Greenblatt has learned a few things about creating a hotbed for start-up businesses.

"What's important is getting the whole community more entrepreneurial," Greenblatt told a group of potential mentors from southeastern Wisconsin. His Venture Mentoring Service is more concerned about creating entrepreneurs in larger numbers than in the deals themselves.

In short, if there are enough entrepreneurs around, they will find the deals and find a way to get into the marketplace. Greenblatt was in the region to help launch Venture Track, an initiative under BizStarts Milwaukee that includes a new mentor program, and to speak to the Wisconsin MIT Club.

TF System nets government contract 15 years after inception
By Kristen J. Kubisiakn 

Two Door County entrepreneurs who started their own business 15 years ago are having a blast.

Jerry Spude of Sturgeon Bay and Don Rudolph of Sevastopol are co-owners of TF System, a manufacturer and distributor of insulated concrete forms.

TF System was recently awarded a government contract to supply blast-mitigated buildings to protect government officials, military personnel, schools, federal buildings and police buildings.

Taking stock of the best places for entrepreneurs to learn.
By David Port, Entrepreneur Magazine, April 2009

Entrepreneurs are known for gaining inspiration from unexpected sources. Some even get it from a lump of Play-Doh.

The Entrepreneur for a Day program that Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts brings to local elementary schools is about hands-on experience at its most tactile--and juvenile. As part of the program, kids team up to build a business based on items they design with molding clay. It's the kind of experiential learning that so many entrepreneurship education programs are emphasizing to foster big ideas and big results.

Note: UW-Madison is recognized for its 4-year undergrad program. SCORE and SBDC centers also mentioned.

Recession Is Bleak, But Optimism Remains

MADISON, Wis. -- Despite a recent stock market rally last week, no one is yet calling the current recession over.

As countless large companies across the nation have suffered losses due to the economic downturn, some small locally-owned businesses are trying to avoid the same fate. Many of them are turning to the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Small Business Development Center for advice, WISC-TV reported.

For example, Chalet Ski and Patio in Fitchburg is gearing up for their 30th spring season and its owners said that they're hoping that it brings a ray of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy economy.

"Consumers are being careful," noted Chalet owner Tony Millonig. "Consumers are shopping hard."

Neil Lerner, director of the UW's Small Business Development Center, agrees.

Wisbusiness.com

MILWAUKEE – March 13, 2009 – Sherwin Greenblatt, Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Venture Mentoring Service and former President of Bose Corporation, will give the keynote address today at an event launching BizStarts Milwaukee’s Venture Track. Venture Track is aimed at creating a mechanism to enable high-growth, innovative companies to start-up in Southeast Wisconsin.

Leading local business leaders and emerging entrepreneurs will be on hand at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee at 3 p.m. to kick off BizStarts Milwaukee’s new mentoring program, which is patterned after MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service (VMS). VMS is recognized as one of the nation’s premiere volunteer mentoring organizations.

By kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel

Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton is the only school in the world that is combining a Massachusetts Institute of Technology prototype lab model with a center that helps entrepreneurs write business plans and get funding, as far as a group of MIT alumni can tell.

That unique trait helped the school's Fab Lab/Venture Center win one of four 2009 MIT Club of Wisconsin Technology Achievement Awards.

MADISON - Department of Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel and Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Secretary Lorrie T. Heinemann today congratulated 14 Wisconsin small businesses and small business advocates that earned recognition as small business champions from the US Small Business Administration (SBA).

"All the award winners deserve recognition for their entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and determination to succeed," said Secretary Leinenkugel. "Governor Jim Doyle strongly believes in promoting a positive entrepreneurial climate, and increasingly across our state entrepreneurs are turning their dreams and ideas into thriving businesses."

The Fond du Lac Reporter

Dr. Jessica Serwe-Rodriguez of Fond du Lac’s Ideal Chiropractic has won top honors — and $10,000 — in the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan competition.

She was among five finalists from the region who had 15 minutes to explain to a panel of judges why his or her plan would prove the most effective.

According to a press release, Serwe-Rodriguez’s successful strategy involved finding the root of the problem instead of merely managing the symptoms.

By Nick Halter, Wausau Daily Herald

Gutted hot water heaters, oil drums and scraps of stainless steel litter the floor of John Harrod and Robert Osowski's Mosinee garage. Old PVC piping and ball valves fill large cardboard boxes.

In the middle of the garage, a space heater blasts warm air toward the ceiling -- evidence that the idea Osowski and Harrod had a few years back wasn't harebrained.

by John Torninus, Journal Sentinel

Calling all entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs-in-the-making!

If you have a dream of starting a business someday, especially if it is a potentially high-growth business, new resources are coming on stream that will help you realize your goal.

BizStarts Milwaukee, a group I helped found and lead, is launching three initiatives that will offer tools and support to prepare you for pitching to investors about your venture. They are BizStarts Connect, BizStarts Learn and BizStarts Venture Track.

The first of these initiatives, Connect, was put into place when the organization came to life in September and turned on its Web site, www.BizStartsMilwaukee.com, that is chock-full of information about getting a business up and going. It covers everything from writing a business plan to protecting intellectual property; to how to go to market; to how to raise money.

Wisconsin State Journal

The U.S. Small Business Administration Friday announced Wisconsin regional winners of 2009 Small Business Champion awards, including four in the Madison area.

Appleton Post Crescent

Chad VanCaister of Qolos, a Brown County-based information technology company, was among 14 small business owners from around the state in the first quarter of 2009 to share in $43,000 of grants administered through the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network.

By Deborah Ziff, Wisconsin State Journal

With just $15 in their pockets and a time limit of 100 hours, University of Wisconsin-Madison students dreamed up and created such inventions as an egg-cracking machine and an isolation chamber for studying.

The winner of the 100-hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge will be announced Monday.

This year’s competition, the third annual, had the largest participation yet: in part because Jeanan Yasiri made entering a requirement for her Entrepreneurialism in Society course, and in part because it was open to students at all University of Wisconsin System institutions this year, not just UW-Madison.

By Eileen Alt Powell, Associated Press

NEW YORK — When Amy Sokoloff and John Powell were trying to start their art restoration business in New York City, they needed some working capital. But banks weren’t willing to take a chance on them.

“We didn’t own anything — no houses, no cars, we had no collateral,” Sokoloff said. Powell added, “No one wanted to talk to us. They were not interested, and they were not nice about it.”

Sokoloff and Powell ended up on the doorstep of ACCION USA, a not-for-profit group patterned after the Third World microfinance institutions best known for providing money to Moroccan farmers for breeding chickens or to Bangladeshi women for weaving supplies.

by charlie mathews, Gannett Wisconsin Media

MANITOWOC — At a recent meeting of budding entrepreneurs, Neal Verfuerth said, in the eyes of some stock analysts, "I've gone from rock star to town idiot."

Verfuerth is president, chief executive officer and co-founder of Orion Energy Systems, with worldwide headquarters on Mirro Drive. Shares of "OESX" opened last Friday on the NASDAQ at $3.86, down from a 52-week high of $13.35.

But he told a recent Lakeshore Entrepreneurs and Inventors Network meeting at Lakeshore Technical College, "We're on the way back up and are well positioned for the future."

By Marv Balousek, Wisconsin State Journal 

A Buy Black campaign was launched Friday to increase patronage of local businesses owned by African Americans.

The campaign, announced by the African American/Black Business Association of Madison, will focus on 20 black-owned restaurants and other food-related businesses. Patrons over the next six weeks will be eligible for a major prize, said Milele Chikasa Anana, public relations chairwoman and publisher of UMOJA Magazine.

WTN News

MADISON – Fifty entries from 26 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the sixth annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Wednesday.

The contestants were selected from a field of 326 first-round entries by an independent panel of judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is producing the contest in conjunction with its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin Innovation Network, the Wisconsin Angel Network and other statewide affiliates.

The semi-finalists reflect the diversity of Wisconsin’s economy and are spread among four categories: advanced manufacturing (15), business services (14), information technology (12) and life sciences (9). That proportion roughly reflects the mix of Phase 1 entries in the contest’s four categories. Entries range from alternative energy solutions to IT innovations to products as diverse as a small aircraft and a “talking bottlecap.”

Orion CEO: Entrepreneurs must be stubborn risk-takers
by Charlie Mathews, Herald Times , February 23, 2009

MANITOWOC — At a recent meeting of budding entrepreneurs, Neal Verfuerth said, in the eyes of some stock analysts, "I've gone from rock star to town idiot."
Verfuerth is president, chief executive officer and co-founder of Orion Energy Systems, with worldwide headquarters on Mirro Drive. Shares of "OESX" closed Friday on the
NASDAQ at $3.89, down from a 52-week high of $13.35.

But he told last Monday night's Lakeshore Entrepreneurs and Inventors Network meeting at Lakeshore Technical College, "We're on the way back up and are well positioned for the future."

WTN News

When National Entrepreneurship Week takes place next week (Feb. 21-28), Eau Claire Area schools will be doing their part.

The theme for the national celebration is “Entrepreneurship EMPOWERS Everyone” and nationally the week’s focus is on young innovators.

Students in Advanced Marketing at Altoona High School will be experiencing first hand the complexities of market research as they are the test market for a new product.

The Capital Times

A panel of experts will share information on funding and resources for young businesses at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Gilson Discovery event Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Panelists Aaron Olver, Wisconsin Commerce deputy secretary; Joe Kremer, Wisconsin Angel Network director; and Neil Lerner, UW-Madison Small Business Development Center director; will share information about how technology and business start-ups can tap into funding and resources to enhance business options and growth.

The Capital Times

The state Department of Commerce and the Department of Public Instruction named two Wisconsin high school seniors "Young Entrepreneurs of the Year."

Caleb Taplin of Ellsworth High School and Tanner Strunz of Brodhead High School will be recognized during National Entrepreneurship Week USA from Feb. 21 to Feb. 28.

wisbusiness.com

MADISON - Two Wisconsin high school seniors have been named "Young Entrepreneurs of the Year" by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Public Instruction. The pair, Caleb Taplin of Ellsworth High School and Tanner Strunz of Brodhead High School, will be recognized during National Entrepreneurship Week USA, February 21 – 28, 2009.

"I am delighted to announce the winners of this honor," said Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. "Caleb and Tanner are both great examples of Wisconsin's best and brightest young entrepreneurial spirit. Wisconsin's economic future depends on the discipline and desire that these young entrepreneurs possess."

"As Caleb and Tanner know, successful entrepreneurs use 21st century skills like self-direction, financial literacy, communication, and creativity," said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. "Congratulations to our 2009 Young Entrepreneurs for developing abilities that will continue to contribute to their own well-being and that of our society, for years to come."

International Herald Tribune

NEW YORK: When Amy Sokoloff and John Powell were trying to start their art restoration business in New York City, they needed some working capital. But banks weren't willing to take a chance on them.

Now, with the recession deepening, U.S.-based microlenders say they are seeing an increase in inquiries from would-be borrowers, including startup entrepreneurs seen as too risky by banks and other traditional lenders.

And the still-small U.S. microcredit sector hopes for a boost from the new administration of President Barack Obama.

"We're hoping for more funding" from government, said Wendy K. Baumann, vice chairman of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, an advocacy group for microfinance based in Arlington, Virginia.