Here in Milwaukee, we are growth-obsessed. From our vast number of corporate headquarters to our active entrepreneurship community, we are filled with talented people and companies – like the dozen ambitious businesses in our pilot Scalerator, an accelerated training program – who are hungry and primed for growth.
According to American Express OPEN research, 87 percent of Wisconsin entrepreneurs expect to grow over the next six months.
Scale Up Milwaukee was born out of that growth-driven desire and expectation, bringing together our public and private leaders, entrepreneurs, universities, banks, investors and institutions for the sole purpose of growth.
One strategy for growth is partnering with other businesses and ventures. It’s no surprise that entrepreneurs benefit from partnering with large companies – from getting access to bigger markets to getting feedback on product concepts and financial backing. At the same time, corporations can benefit from partnering with entrepreneurs – they can get access to innovative ideas or products as well as visibility into new technologies.
Next week, on Oct. 18, we invite entrepreneurs across the size spectrum and corporations to join us, our host American Express, GE Healthcare, IBM, Silicon Valley Bank Midwest, Manpower and others for a highly interactive dialogue on how partnerships might lead to joint development, market expansion, innovation and other opportunities for growth.
Hear from our keynote speaker, Jim McCann, Founder and CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS, who is growth-obsessed too. First, as a florist and then as the founder of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, McCann, a consummate entrepreneur, has shown a knack for making businesses grow and prosper.
The Corporate Venture Forum will also include panel discussions moderated by Dan Isenberg and workshops on a variety of topics — including:
* Prospects and Pitfalls of Entrepreneurial Partnering.
* Managing the Ins and Outs of Corporate-Entrepreneur Strategic Partnering – Lessons for All Sides.
* Strategic Corporate Investing: Do’s and Don’ts for Investors and Entrepreneurs.
* Strategic Partnering in the Supply Chain: Do’s and Don’ts for Both Supplier and Buyer.
This event is for anyone in Milwaukee who is growth-obsessed. To learn more or to register, visit http://scaleupmilwaukee.org/project/corporate-venture-forum.
Julia Taylor is the president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee which fosters public-private partnerships and is a catalyst for economic development, education and effective government
