Forward Festival is Wisconsin’s largest technology and entrepreneurship festival, featuring local events to connect and inspire innovation in all aspects of entrepreneurship. The event, held from August 19 to 23, brings technology and startup communities together to learn and share, providing the opportunity to interact with professionals across a wide range of disciplines.
Among the more than 50 festival events are these from UW–Madison Innovate Network members and partners:
Demystifying the Pro Forma
Wednesday, August 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
The money part of business planning is often what causes anxiety, confusion, and challenges for current and would-be business owners. Yet the numbers don’t have to scare you! Understanding a clear financial path will give you confidence to make educated decisions, access needed capital, and actively manage cash flow. This live virtual session—designed for new and prospective business owners in any industry—will help you understand the purpose (and power!) of a pro forma in business planning, management and accessing capital.
Hosted by: Small Business Development Center (SBCD) at UW–Madison
Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Business
Wednesday, August 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This National Science Foundation I-Corps Pathways to Impact workshop covers the basic organizational tasks needed to launch a business—the nuts and bolts of getting your business off the ground. Learn about the types of legal business entities, the need for licenses and permits, become familiar with basic legal and financial requirements, and leave with an action plan for next steps for your business.
Hosted by: Technology Entrepreneurship Office and Discovery to Product (D2P) at UW–Madison, and the NSF I-Corps Great Lakes Hub
Welcoming and Belonging in Open Source
Thursday, August 22 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:25 a.m.
2024’s event is organized by a women and POC team comprising members of Google Developer Group Madison, Codecinella, Madison Women in Tech, and volunteers from the local tech community. DevFest WI is an inclusivity-themed conference for all folks in tech. Now in our sixth year, we’re returning to the beautiful UW Memorial Union for a day filled with a wide variety of talks on topics related to building inclusive and accessible products, teams, and environments.
Hosted by: Open Source Program Office at UW–Madison as part of DevFest WI 2024
Is it the Real World? Or is it AI? An Entrepreneur’s Introduction
Thursday, August 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
You’ve heard plenty about Artificial Intelligence being a game changer across industries—but what does that mean for your day-to-day work? We asked ourselves this question—and how AI could level the playing field for small businesses—and did some investigating.
We know that as a small business owner, manager, or employee, there’s so much you need to keep up on—so when do you have time to learn how to use AI? Today is the day! In this beginner-focused session, join us as “AI Explorers” as we discuss the basics of Artificial Intelligence. You will leave this session with sample prompts to try, tools and resources to explore, and the confidence to embrace being an AI Explorer—starting today!
Hosted by: Small Business Development Center (SBCD) at UW–Madison
From Side Hustle to Small Business
Friday, August 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Have you been thinking about turning your hobby into a business, but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have a side hustle that’s grown, and you want to explore next steps? Are you interested in learning more about how to explore a business idea you have? This session will teach you how to use a visual business planning tool called the Business Model Canvas. This tool will help you understand how 9 functional areas of business work together to create a model of operation. The class will also give you information about resources and next steps.
Hosted by: Small Business Development Center (SBCD) at UW–Madison
For more information about Forward Fest, see: https://forwardfest.org/
For more information about the UW Innovate Network, visit: https://innovate.wisc.edu/