Chamber Accepting Applications for 2017 Pressure Chamber Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 14, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today it is accepting applications for this year’s Pressure Chamber pitch event to be held during the Forward Festival, a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Madison taking place Aug. 17-24. In its three years, participating Pressure Chamber companies have gone on to raise more than $100 million from investors.

“Pressure Chamber is a window into what’s next in Greater Madison’s economy,” said Chamber Vice President Kevin Little. “Whether your company is currently raising or planning to raise investment capital in the future, Pressure Chamber is a valuable platform to tell your story and make new connections across the country.”

Applicants for Pressure Chamber go through a screening process that may include presentations with prominent Wisconsin investors. From there, a select number of companies will be chosen to pitch in front of a panel of out-of-state investors, business executives and a live audience during Forward Fest. The winning company is decided based on a combination of judges scoring and audience votes. In addition to receiving the coveted “golden suitcase,” the winning company will also receive an all-expenses paid spot on the Chamber’s exclusive Madison-area startup delegation to San Francisco this October for meetings with top Silicon Valley investment firms.

In its first three years, each Pressure Chamber winner – Fishidy, bluDiagnostics and POLCO – has credited the initiative for helping their company close successful funding rounds. Additionally, Pressure Chamber has been recognized by both the International Economic Development Council and Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Summit as an entrepreneurship and economic development best practice.

“With each year, the national awareness for this initiative and the number of investment partners has grown, yielding a positive return for both participating companies and Greater Madison,” said Little. “We’re excited to see what this year has to offer.”

Pressure Chamber is open to any industry, as long as the company meets the following requirements:

• Must be a member of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
• Must be located in Dane County or plan to locate to Dane County by August 21, 2017
• Must have raised at least $25,000, excluding personal investment by company founders
• Application must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The full application can be accessed at bit.ly/PressureChamber2017

Pressure Chamber is presented by Michael Best & Friedrich, with support from the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, American Family Ventures, Baird Capital, 4490 Ventures, HealthX Ventures, Lindsay Stone & Briggs and Rock River Capital Partners.

For more information about Forward Fest, please visit http://www.forwardfest.org/

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 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.

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45 WI Charities Awarded $1,000 each from Old National Bank

Old National Contact:

Media Relations, Andrea Finck: 608-354-0893

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 12, 2017

Old National Bank awards $45,000 to Wisconsin Non-Profits as part of the recent Choose Your Charity Giveaway

• Community members voted for favorite charities to receive donations
• $1,000 is awarded to the non-profit with the most votes at each Wisconsin branch
• Complete listing of the winning charities included

Madison, Wisc. (June 12, 2017) – Thanks to the community voting, 45 Wisconsin-based charitable organizations will each receive $1,000 from Old National Bank. Over a six-week period, individuals could vote online or in a Wisconsin Old National Bank branch for their favorite charity. The non-profit with the most votes at each Wisconsin banking center is receiving $1,000 as the winner of the Choose Your Charity Giveaway.

“Giving back to the community is at the heart of all we do at Old National,” said Len Devaisher, Wisconsin Region CEO. “The Choose Your Charity Giveaway provides a mechanism to support many local organizations within the Greater Wisconsin community and is just one way we put our values into action. Besides providing financial support, Old National associates provided more than 100,000 hours of volunteer service to more than 2,000 community organizations in 2016. Every associate is provided paid time off to volunteer in the community and we taught financial education programs that reached over 17,000 people last year.”

Winners by banking center are listed below.

About Old National

Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB), the holding company of Old National Bank, is the largest financial services holding company headquartered in Indiana. With $14.9 billion in assets, it ranks among the top 100 banking companies in the U.S. and has been recognized as a World’s Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute for six consecutive years. Since its founding in Evansville in 1834, Old National Bank has focused on community banking by building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients. Today, Old National’s footprint includes Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. In addition to providing extensive services in retail and commercial banking, Old National offers comprehensive wealth management, investments and brokerage services. For more information and financial data, please visit Investor Relations at oldnational.com.

AM Solutions Hires New Account Executive

AM Solutions announced today the addition of Brian Conkle to their expanding sales team as an Account Executive.  Brian brings an extensive sales and customer service experience to the company.  Having previously worked for PG Display as a Sales Manager, Kelvyn Press as an Account Manager and Daily Herald Media Group as a Territory Account Manager, Brian has been assessing customer needs while providing print and marketing solutions for a variety of customers from multiple Fortune 500 companies and regional organizations to local clients.

“I’m very excited about the addition of Brian to our sales team.” States Fred Schulze, VP of Sales and Customer Care. “His professionalism, excellent communication skills and strong commitment to customer care will certainly benefit our customers.”

Justin Johnson Joins CG Schmidt as a Project Manager

Justin Johnson of Lodi, Wisconsin joins the CG Schmidt team as a Project Manager. Justin is joining the company with an extensive background in construction management.

Park Bank Makes Donation to Second Harvest Foodbank

Park Bank has donated $10,206 to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin as part of the financial institution’s credit card program. This contribution was made today to Dan Stein, President/CEO, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, a nonprofit hunger-relief charity that provides food to partner agencies and helps raise awareness on the issue. The donation was part of Second Harvest’s $2 million capital fundraising effort that will enable the organization to provide healthier food options for individuals and families.

“Second Harvest’s mission is to end hunger via community partnerships. As a community bank, Park Bank understands the positive impact we can make right here in Dane County to help our neighbors,” said Jim Hegenbarth, Park Bank’s President/CEO. Hegenbarth continued, “Park Bank’s history of providing support to Dane County organizations goes beyond monetary donations to local not-for-profit groups. Park Bank also encourages its employees to be involved in the community through tutoring at local schools, assisting the elderly, volunteering at local food pantries and working with Junior Achievement to name a few.”

“Our Food.Health.Hope. building campaign relied on many community partners, like Park Bank, to create an updated and expanded facility to store fresh and nutritious food,” said Dan Stein, Second Harvest president/CEO. “We are grateful to Park Bank for supporting this effort to provide fresh food to people and reduce the health consequences that result from poor diet and nutrition.”