Wisconsin YES! (Youth Entrepreneurs in Science) is a statewide youth business plan contest modeled after the successful Governor’s Business Plan Contest. The mission of the contest is to help young people learn how science and technology innovations can be developed into solid business plans.

Building a more entrepreneurial and tech-savvy workforce is a challenge not only for Wisconsin, but the United States as a whole as the nation struggles to produce a globally competitive pool of workers.  One example is the emerging gap between jobs in the IT sector and the number of anticipated graduates in that field. By 2021, according to the Be Bold 2 report, there will be a deficit of nearly 12,000 unfilled IT jobs in Wisconsin.

This contest will help middle- and/or high-school students to better envision careers in science and technology, and especially where those disciplines intersect with the creation and growth of businesses.

Public, private and home-schooled students across Wisconsin are eligible to turn their science- and tech-related ideas into business plans and compete for cash and prizes. The contest begins with a 250-word summary submitted through the website. Entries that advance to Phase 2 of the competition will expand their idea into a 1,000-word executive summary.

The contest is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council, with major sponsorship from IBM and WEA Trust.

Learn more and email our team at info@wisconsinyes.com with questions.

The Leadership Summit series will begin in 2014 by focusing on mid-sized companies across the nation that are seeking to better understand the business landscape in China and how they can successfully develop and execute a viable import or export strategy. The Opening China Summit will bring together business leaders, academics, and policy makers to discuss and better understand the opportunities in China for our nation’s businesses and examine how carefully crafted import and export strategies are essential to long-term growth.

To frame these discussions, attendees will engage in a range of presentations, including an economic overview of China’s economy and what it means to US businesses, a procedural overview of how to manage a Chinese customer base, and relevant case studies from some key businesses in the region. It is our hope that attendees will gain valuable insight into the opportunities available for American business in China and actionable knowledge from case studies to guide their future strategic planning.

Who Should Attend?

• Presidents, VPs and business owners
• General Managers and sales leadership
• Trade association leadership
• State and Federal policy makers
• Academics
• Legal professionals focused on international trade

Why Attend?

Join senior business professionals to discuss the challenges facing SME’s looking to export to China and how to overcome those obstacles. 

Participate in genuine debate, based on actionable knowledge, to help guide your decision making process. There will be interactive panel discussions, presentations and case-studies that draw on the views of peers, and board leaders. 

Gain insight from the only event that is not afraid to offer a broad perspective while covering pertinent issues facing exporters to China. 

Meet other forward looking business, political, and academic minds who are on top of their respective industries.

Learn more and register online.

 

In partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and University Research Park, BioFoward is offering Wisconsin bioscience companies the opportunity to apply for scholarships to attend and participate in BIO 2014, the largest biotechnology conference in the world. Companies will receive access to one-on-one partnersing with internationally recognized companies in the bioscience industry. The 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago boasted representation from 65 countires, 25,537 partnering meetings, and about 16,000 attendees.

Having a presence at BIO provides a great visibility and a unique opportunity for Wisconsin businesses to represent the state on an international scale. The BIO International Convention offers two ways to participate in the BIO’s One-on-One Partnering System: the BIO Business Forum and BIO Exhibitor Booth Partnering, designed to help companies achieve strategic business goals in a time- and cost- effective way. BIO’s One-on-One Partnering System is one of the most efficient and economical ways to find a business partner. With proper planning, in just four critical days, businesses can set up a full year of business connections, partnering possibilities and exposure to many innovations for the future of biotechnology.

Eligibility and Award Requirements:

• Company must have operations in Wisconsin
• Application should be submitted by a company executive
• The scholarship (if approved) would come in the form of a pre-purchased BIO One-on-One Partnering System pass code
• There is a 25% match requirement. Your travel and hotel expenses qualify as match.
• Company must complete registration requirements and participate in BIO’s One-on-One Partnering System.

Find detailed critera and the application on the BioForward website. Contact Brian Moeller with questions, and submit your application by March 17.

The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin invites high-level executives and human resource professionals to attend Responding to a Maturing Workforce: An Employer Summit.

As the labor supply continues to age and change, a strategic approach to workforce planning is more important than ever.

Participants will work with a systems framework to consider workforce-planning strategies to retain, recruit, and reposition members of the workforce as those workers age. These concepts can help leaders retain, recruit, and reposition older workers as near-term solutions. They can also be used to redefine the way work is structured to alleviate the worker shortage, design succession plans, and create a healthier and more productive work system overall.

Subject-matter experts will show how the entire work system (job, technology, physical and social environment, and organizational policies, procedures and culture) impacts employees, and how leaders can make thoughtful, conscious choices for their own organizations. Specifically, the summit will address healthcare benefits, legal guidelines, what people need from work, ergonomics and safety, and education/skill development, all of which impact employers’ ability to attract and retain talent.

Online registration ends April 17, 2014. Contact Erin Bechen at 608.249.9001 for more information.

Join Madison International Trade Association, Foley & Lardner, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for the next program in the 2013 Eye on China Roundtable Series, Commercializing Technology in China: Navigating Pitfalls and Seizing Opportunity.

The program will address the latest trends and developments related to cross-border technology transfers to China, particularly those of interest to manufacturers. As part of Foley & Lardner’s recently launched initiative, the Legal Innovation Hub for NextGen Manufacturers, the firm has taken a comprehensive look at the issues impacting manufacturers looking to expand abroad, and will share those insights during the program.

Specific topics to be covered include:

• Application of import-export control regulations
• Mandatory provisions in any technology license agreement
• Key elements of a technology license, development, and transfer agreements
• Registration requirements in China
• U.S. and Chinese tax aspects of technology transfers
• IP protection and enforcement issues
• Repatriation of profits, payment methods, currency issues, and hedging strategies

Register online for this free event. For more information, contact Jennifer Conley at 312.832.4325.