Category: Archived Chamber Updates
Photo by Richard Hurd
Welcome New Members — June 2014
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members. Please keep these companies in mind when doing business. View the complete directory listing of all Chamber members.
- 3 Cats Media
- Broyles & Company CPA’s LLC
- Calliope Ice Cream
- Full Potential Associates
- Healthfinch
- ITT Technical Institute
- Majestic Theatre
- THINKLimo
- Uber Technologies
- Villard & Associates, CPA
- Wisconsin Financial Services LLC
Photo by Richard Hurd
BIMvid Recap: Intuit’s Kaaren Hanson
Intuit’s Kaaren Hanson was all that and a bag of tips! If you missed our June 23 event with the vice president for design innovation, watch it here, compliments of BIMvid.
Kaaren spoke to a packed house at the Majestic for our first Accelerate Madison-branded event. The Madison native gave examples of how to move decision-making to those employees closest to the customer. Kaaren outlined a culture where experimentation is encouraged and failure is an accepted part of the process. Learn how to make a company full of innovators.
This event was presented by American Family Insurance.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Chamber Announces Early-Stage Companies Joining Summer Delegation to Pitch Investors in Silicon Valley
MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced the remaining early-stage companies joining the summer delegation to pitch in front of prominent venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. The four fast-growing businesses were selected by partner organizations and join Brian Jensen, president of Fishidy and winner of the inaugural Pressure Chamber, which debuted at neXXpo: Business in Fast Forward.
Trip participants include:
- Catalyze – Customized healthcare apps with built in HIPPA security and data requirements
Travis Good, MD, CEO and Co-founder - EatStreet – Mobile platform that aggregates a variety of local restaurants into a single source for delivery or takeout orders
Matt Howard, CEO and Co-Founder - Fishidy – Map-based social platform for fishing aficionados of all levels
Brian Jensen, President - MdotLabs – Mobile platform that analyzes big data to detect and block fraud of online advertising
Paul Barford, Chief Scientist and Co-founder - Propeller Health – Wireless sensor that attaches to rescue inhalers and syncs with smart phones to track usage of inhaled medications for respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD
Mark Gehring, Co-Founder
“We are confident these five companies will leave a positive, lasting impression on Silicon Valley while gaining key connections and exposure at a critical time in the growth of their business.” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “We are proud to be connecting the coast to a small sampling of the high-caliber innovation happening throughout Greater Madison.”
The delegation kicks off June 24 with a tour of the Facebook campus. Following the June 25 investor meetings, the Chamber will host a reception, sponsored by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), which will include attendees from other Bay-area investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders including organizations that have ties to Greater Madison such as Google, Zendesk and The Badger Entrepreneurship Forum.
“There is a remarkable story unfolding in Greater Madison and we are looking forward to sharing it in Silicon Valley just as we have in Austin at SXSW, the White House Business Roundtables and the Quebec City Conference to name a few,” said Brandon. “As with any great novel, our story keeps getting better knowing that the best is yet to come.”
The Chamber’s summer delegation is supported locally by Michael Best & Friedrich, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, 4490 Ventures, Kegonsa Capital Partners, Venture Investors, Lindsay Stone & Briggs, Accelerate Madison, Capital Entrepreneurs, Great Oaks Venture Capital and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 7,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
Contact: Jo-ell Carson, Communications Director, at 608-443-1952 or 608-213-1799
Click here for a pdf version of the press release.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Chamber Statement Re: Federal Ruling that Wisconsin’s Gay Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional
MADISON – As one of the first business organizations to publicly oppose Wisconsin’s same-sex marriage ban in early 2006, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce released the following statement by President Zach Brandon:
“Any barrier to the recruitment and retention of talent is a headwind in our efforts to build a greater Madison. This decision puts this barrier behind us and the wind at our backs.”
The Chamber board of directors opposed the Wisconsin constitutional amendment in 2006 citing economic development impacts that would hinder the region’s ability to compete for growth opportunities and talent.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 7,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
Contact: Jo-ell Carson, Communications Director, at 608-443-1952 or 608-213-1799
Click here for a pdf version of the press release.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Acquires Accelerate Madison
MADISON – Effective May 5, 2014, Accelerate Madison Inc. became a program of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. Combining the two organizations creates more efficient and effective collaboration focused on identifying, accelerating and celebrating business in Greater Madison while retaining a separate voice to advance the strategic role of technology.
“One of the roles of the Chamber is to identify and support the business trends and clusters growing and developing in our ecosystem,” said David Wittwer, Chamber board chair, Accelerate Madison member and president and CEO of TDS. “With Dane County ranking in the top 10 in the U.S. for information technology job growth, it is clear that technology is a booming sector that needs our additional attention.”
Effective immediately, Accelerate Madison members become members of the Chamber. The Accelerate Madison brand will remain intact with separate communications, events and networking for those Chamber members with a higher-level interest in the tech sector.
“We created Accelerate Madison in 2001 because we saw a unique opportunity to advance the strategic role of digital technology in business growth, economic expansion and job creation,” said James Jackson, co-founder of Accelerate Madison and CEO of GoStrive. “The organization was critical to increasing the success and national visibility of Madison’s then-emerging tech sector. We’re proud to be part of the next phase of uniting technology and business leaders as Accelerate Madison takes an even larger role in the business community.”
A significant membership and events overlap currently exists with both organizations.
“This consolidation does not change the focus of the Chamber’s mission of Building a Greater Madison, it actually formalizes what was already happening in the business ecosystem,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “Existing Chamber members will now receive the additional opportunity to network and collaborate with tech entrepreneurs and learn firsthand how businesses of all sizes and sectors can benefit from each other.”
Brandon said the tech sector feeds new and existing businesses, create new jobs, grows new talent and develops community wealth in our region.
“A perfect example of innovation converging with talent, technology and tradition is the Constellation recently built on East Washington,” said Accelerate Madison Inc. Executive Director Mark Clear who will help guide the transition through 2014. “The Constellation – designed to house the talent being attracted by the tech sector – also secured Google to its second floor and provided opportunity for two respected and proven local entrepreneurs to open a novel coffee shop and Madison’s newest casual Asian restaurant.”
The Accelerate Madison board will remain intact and remain an important part of setting strategic direction as an advisory board to the Greater Madison Chamber board of directors.
“This consolidation takes two great organizations and makes them stronger and more unified in their mission to advance Greater Madison and showcase our innovative businesses to the rest of the world,” said Anne Ross, Accelerate Madison board member, managing partner at Foley & Lardner and Chamber member. “In today’s world, the distinctions between ‘technology companies’ and traditional businesses are becoming less relevant with every day that passes. Manufacturers, health care providers, insurance companies, and other major business sectors are heavily reliant on digital technology. This consolidation is just another step in our evolution as a business community.”
To celebrate the history of Accelerate Madison and its future with the Chamber, June 23, 2014 will be the first consolidated event. Watch for details about our event featuring Kaaren Hanson, Intuit’s vice president of design innovation. Hanson speaks nationally on Creating a Culture of Rapid Experimentation, and how businesses of all sizes and sectors should fall in love with problems, not solutions.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 7,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
Click here for pdf version of the press release.
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