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Startup Wisconsin is organized by Headway, a digital product agency based in Green Bay, WI.
Powered by our state sponsors, Nicolet National Bank and gener8tor.
Hey folks! Jacob Miller here.
Coming up fast, October is Wisconsin Tech Month. Launch Wisconsin on the 6th, +Venture North on the 8th, HackGB in Green Bay mid-month, and then October 21 alone has six things happening: +Venture Health, the Biohealth Summit, Founder/Fest, Code + Brews, the Madison devs meetup, and a ghost tour. Pick early.
Both months are below, in order.
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New on the blog
The Job Is Fine. Idea Fund of La Crosse Thinks That's the Problem.
A friend cut him off mid-conversation to say "please, find me a job." Travis Erath on the bakery shift that started it, the prototype he built before he had the role, and why a job board was the first thing worth building.
A Year In, Reliable Residence Is Glad It Didn't Go Nationwide
Twenty listings to twelve locations in 365 days. Christina Henderson on why she is glad she did not go nationwide, what stopped scaling, and the repeat rate nobody expected.
Six Wisconsin Startups Building the State's Frontier Tech Future
Quantum error correction, semiconductors, wireless power, and medical devices. All six companies in the inaugural gBETA Frontier Technology cohort are based here, and they pitch publicly on September 2.
→ See All Posts
New on the podcast
EP 22
How CuroNow Brings Family Caregiving Into One Shared Place
Rukmini Banerjee, Co-Founder and CEO, CuroNow
Rukmini read an article about what years of caregiving does to the person doing it and realized her sister in Melbourne was that person. We got into leaving the C-suite at 50, the feature families loved that they almost cut, and what Creative Destruction Lab feels like from a founder's seat.
→ See All Episodes
Upcoming Events
Filter these events by city and topic on our events page and see what's coming up.
September 2026 Events
VC Office Hours
September 2, 10:00 AM [Madison]
Mastercraft Ventures hosts VC Office Hours at StartingBlock Madison, right after 1MC. Founders can meet investors, get feedback on their startup, and ask questions. No formal presentations or speed rotations, just in-person conversations to help move your startup forward.
gBETA Wisconsin Frontier Technology Accelerator Showcase
September 2, 4:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Six startups from the gBETA Wisconsin Frontier Technology Accelerator give polished five-minute pitches, then stick around to talk with the community. The cohort works in advanced materials, AI, robotics, energy storage, and quantum computing. Held at WCTC in Pewaukee as part of the Wisconsin Frontier Technology Roundtable.
gBETA Milwaukee Summer 2026 Showcase
September 3, 5:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Five startups from the gBETA Milwaukee summer cohort give polished five minute pitches, then stay to talk with the community about the progress they made during the program. The showcase closes out the cohort and doubles as a celebration of it. Held at Ward4 Coworking Space in downtown Milwaukee.
September Code & Coffee
September 5, 9:00 AM [Milwaukee]
A relaxed Milwaukee coding meetup for developers of every level, from dev-curious to professional. Bring a laptop and work on your own project, team up on something collaborative, or just talk shop over coffee with a friendly local tech community. Drop in for a bit or stay the whole morning.
Sip & Sync in Verona
September 9, 8:00 AM [Madison]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in Madison area tech. Held at Grace Coffee in Verona.
Global AI Milwaukee September Meetup
September 9, 5:15 PM [Milwaukee]
Matt Achachlouei on moving past LLM-as-a-judge evaluation, pairing generative models with deterministic verifiers and evidence graphs so agent claims trace back to authoritative sources instead of plausible guesses. The chapter meets monthly at WCTC in Pewaukee, with networking and food first.
September Code + Brews
September 9, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee]
An evening Milwaukee coding meetup for developers of every level, from dev-curious to professional. Bring a laptop to work on your own project, collaborate on something new, or just talk shop over drinks with a friendly local tech community. All skill levels welcome.
EO x YPO Mixer
September 10, 2:00 PM [Milwaukee]
An EO Wisconsin afternoon at Third Space Brewing, opening with an interactive workshop from Dan Gramann on growing enterprise value as a business owner, useful whether an exit is years off or not on the table at all. The workshop rolls into an Oktoberfest social with local beer and light bites for EO and YPO members.
2026 WOMEN Reception
September 10, 5:30 PM [Madison]
An annual evening celebrating the women shaping Wisconsin's innovation economy. W.O.M.E.N. stands for Women, Opportunities, Mentors, Entrepreneurs, and Networking, and the reception is built around all five. Expect networking, refreshments, and remarks. Open to everyone, not just women.
Founder Credit Club
September 10, 6:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Join the Midwest Founders Community for a night of rapid-fire pitches, meaningful connections, and community support. Whether you're looking for introductions, investors, partnerships, or something else, this is your chance to put your ask in the room.
Sip & Sync in Kenosha
September 11, 8:30 AM [Kenosha]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in southeast Wisconsin tech. Held at Anna's on the Lake in Kenosha.
Madison's Geek Lunch
September 15, 11:45 AM [Madison]
A monthly lunch conversation for Madison area developers at The Thirsty Goat in Fitchburg, where the topic bounces wherever the table takes it. Think Algonquin Round Table with a tech emphasis. All are welcome regardless of where you land on any imaginary geek scale. Third Tuesday, 11:45 to 1:00.
StartingBlock: Tactical Skills Series featuring Alicia Greer
September 15, 12:00 PM [Madison]
Part of StartingBlock's Tactical Skills Lunch & Learn series. Alicia Greer of Berndt CPA breaks down the numbers that run your business, the financial fundamentals every founder should understand to make confident decisions. Bring your lunch and leave with practical takeaways for your bottom line.
Sip & Sync in Appleton
September 16, 8:00 AM [Appleton]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in northeast Wisconsin tech. Held at Copper Rock in Appleton.
Campus Sip & Sync
September 16, 8:30 AM [Oshkosh]
A student focused Sip & Sync at the Reeve Union Coffee House on the UW Oshkosh campus. Grab a complimentary coffee and learn about free student membership and the WiT Mentorship Program. Non-students get a complimentary parking pass emailed ahead of the event.
CONNECT: Meet the Buyers & Ask the Experts
September 16, 2:30 PM [Green Bay]
Procurement leaders from Michels, Schreiber Foods, the Packers, and others break down how to become a vendor, what buyers actually look for, and where businesses go wrong. Then rotate through small group huddles with experts on tax, legal, marketing, insurance, banking, and government contracting.
Madison Area Software Developers Meetup Group Monthly Meetup
September 16, 6:00 PM [Madison]
A monthly gathering for Madison-area software developers to swap experiences and keep up with fast-moving tech. Conversation ranges across scripting and compiled languages, big data and microservices, mobile and IoT, web, and developer tooling. All levels welcome.
Sip & Sync in Green Bay: After Hours
September 17, 4:30 PM [Green Bay]
An evening edition of Women in Technology Wisconsin's casual networking meetup, held at TitletownTech in Green Bay. Drop in after work for relaxed conversation with WiT members and others working in northeast Wisconsin tech.
2026 Tech Council Golf Outing
September 21, 10:00 AM [Madison]
The Tech Council's annual scramble golf outing at The Oaks in Cottage Grove, bringing together members and friends of Wisconsin's tech and startup community for a day on the course and an end-of-day reception.
Quantum at Scale: Supply Chains & Advanced Industry Adoption
September 24, 1:00 PM [Kenosha]
A practical introduction to quantum for manufacturers, technology companies, corporate innovation teams, and supply chain leaders. Speakers from the Chicago Quantum Exchange, Deloitte, AbbVie, and UW-Stout cover what quantum is, why it matters now, and how Kenosha's advanced manufacturing and logistics strengths fit in.
State of Energy in Wisconsin: Tech Council Luncheon
September 29, 11:30 AM [Madison]
Wisconsin's energy landscape keeps shifting. Leaders from across the industry gather at this Tech Council luncheon in Madison to talk through the challenges and opportunities shaping the state's energy future.
Establish Your Business: Entity Creation Clinic
September 29, 4:00 PM [Kenosha]
Forming a legal entity trips up a lot of technical founders. Founder Factory's consortium of experts walks through entity types, registration, equity, and legal documentation, with an SBIR and SBDC overview up front and networking after. Hosted with Carthage College, Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, and the SBDC Network.
Sip & Sync: Waupaca
September 29, 4:30 PM [Appleton]
The first Sip & Sync in the Waupaca area, bringing technology and tech adjacent professionals to Grand National Lounge for lightly facilitated networking and a drink on WiT. Open to everyone, with an open discussion to shape future programming across Central and Northwest Wisconsin.
Founder Day: AI Meetup
September 30, 3:00 PM [Milwaukee]
An afternoon meetup for Milwaukee founders and mentors focused on vibecoding: building real software with AI tools. Kevin Ziegler compares popular options like Replit, Claude, Lovable, and Codex, and demos a fully functional app he built without writing a line of code, so you can pick the right tool for your goals.
October 2026 Events
October Code & Coffee
October 3, 9:00 AM [Milwaukee]
A relaxed Milwaukee coding meetup for developers of every level, from dev-curious to professional. Bring a laptop and work on your own project, team up on something collaborative, or just talk shop over coffee with a friendly local tech community. Drop in for a bit or stay the whole morning.
AI Code Jam: October 2026
October 3, 10:00 AM [Madison]
A six hour working session for building with AI instead of reading about it. Bring a laptop and a project, then use tools like Claude Code, Copilot, and local LLMs to push it forward. Drop in for an hour or stay all day, with an optional demo at the end. Space is limited to 50 people.
2026 Launch Wisconsin
October 6, 8:30 AM [Milwaukee]
The Early Stage Symposium is now Launch Wisconsin, a unified statewide brand uniting Wisconsin's leading startup competition, educational programming, investor engagement, and entrepreneurial community. Expect a full day of breakout sessions, an Elevator Pitch Olympics, investor intros, the Launch Wisconsin pitch finals, and plenty of networking.
Data Day 2026: The Power of Local Data
October 7, 8:00 AM [Milwaukee]
Milwaukee's annual local data conference, now in its 12th year, at Discovery World. Workshops cover using local data in grant proposals, communicating data visually, and navigating the Data You Can Use Hub, plus Ignite talks, a national keynote panel, and the Data Dream and Data Hero awards. Registration closes September 18.
Introduction to Esports Industry of Wisconsin
October 7, 12:30 PM [Milwaukee]
A one hour introduction to Wisconsin's esports industry at the Magik4Gaming Hub in Milwaukee. Tour the venue, see where competitive gaming happens, and learn how esports is creating opportunities across the state, from careers and college programs to local business and community. Open to gamers, newcomers, and curious professionals.
NVNG Community Happy Hour
October 7, 5:00 PM [Milwaukee]
A happy hour at Pilot Project Brewing that opens Venture North, bringing together founders, venture investors, corporate innovation leaders, and ecosystem partners from Wisconsin and out of state. Local food, drinks, and introductions to new companies and allocators.
Advanced AI usage for Software Engineers
October 7, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee]
Engineers from local consulting firms and startups share how they are actually using LLMs and ML in their work, followed by open discussion among software engineers with one to ten years of experience. Topics include Claude Code skills and rules, cloud and managed agents, Cursor, and working LLMs into team workflows.
+Venture North 2026
October 8, 8:00 AM [Milwaukee]
Milwaukee's leading gathering at the intersection of venture capital, innovation, and Midwest industry. Presented by NVNG, it convenes investors, corporate leaders, founders, and operators to explore the technologies reshaping energy, manufacturing, logistics, and AI, and to spark new partnerships across the region.
Wisconsin Tech Advocacy Day: Building Wisconsin's Tech Future
October 8, 8:30 AM [Madison]
Tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and community partners gather at the State Capitol in Madison to connect with policymakers and push a statewide policy agenda for Wisconsin's tech economy. Topics span innovation, infrastructure, talent, investment, and access. Part of Wisconsin Tech Month.
AI & Rap: Bars Meet Bots
October 8, 1:00 PM [Milwaukee]
A session on using AI across the creative process for music without handing the writing itself over to it. Where the line gets drawn, and the reasoning behind it. Held at Canni MKE in Milwaukee as part of Wisconsin Tech Month.
Sip & Sync in Milwaukee
October 9, 8:30 AM [Milwaukee]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in Milwaukee area tech. Held at Colectivo Coffee in Wauwatosa.
AI for Small Businesses: Practical Strategies for Growth
October 14, 7:45 AM [Milwaukee]
A morning session on AI tools small businesses can actually put to work, covering ways to save time, streamline operations, improve service, and grow faster. Hosted at MalamaDoe in Milwaukee as part of Wisconsin Tech Month.
Sip & Sync in De Pere
October 14, 8:00 AM [Green Bay]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in northeast Wisconsin tech. Held at The Exchange in De Pere.
Founder Factory: Idea to Enterprise Pitch Night
October 14, 5:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Eleven university technologies from Marquette, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Versiti, and UW Milwaukee, each waiting for a founder to build a company around it, spanning a Lyme disease vaccine, AI-enabled drug discovery, and secure AI for edge devices. Aspiring founders, operators, researchers, and investors in one room.
Global AI Milwaukee October Meetup (GitHub Dev Days)
October 14, 5:15 PM [Milwaukee]
The chapter's October slot is given over to GitHub Copilot Dev Days, part of a global series running through October. Two to three hours of hands-on work on real Copilot workflows in the app and the CLI, open to all developers, at WCTC in Pewaukee. Registration goes through Luma and space is limited.
Experience Milwaukee Bourbon Club
October 14, 6:00 PM [Milwaukee]
A bi-monthly gathering of regional business and technology leaders over cocktails and conversation. Membership is required to attend, with details on joining at the club's site. Venue to be announced.
The Extra Step: How To Prompt
October 15, 1:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Most people get generic work out of AI because they ask for output before building context, then conclude the tools do not work for them. This one is about the step before the prompt. Held at Canni MKE in Milwaukee as part of Wisconsin Tech Month.
Inspire 2026
October 16, 8:00 AM [Kenosha]
A premier one-day leadership experience in Kenosha, built to bring out the best in your work, your team, and your community. Spend a morning with national and regional speakers sharing practical, inspiring lessons on leading with courage and intention, and leave with new connections and fresh motivation for your leadership journey.
HackGB 2026: Day 1
October 17, 8:00 AM [Green Bay]
Day one of HackGB 2026, a 24-hour collegiate hackathon at UW-Green Bay's STEM Innovation Center. Check-in opens at 8:00 AM, the opening ceremony runs at 11:00 AM, and hacking starts at noon. Students form teams, pick a track, and start building alongside mentors and industry sponsors.
HackGB 2026: Day 2
October 18, 12:00 PM [Green Bay]
Day two of HackGB 2026 at UW-Green Bay's STEM Innovation Center. Hacking wraps at noon, followed by the judging and project expo, the closing ceremony, and prize announcements across every track. Open to university students and recent grads within 12 months.
Female Founders Meetup
October 19, 4:00 PM [Green Bay]
A meetup for female startup founders in and around Green Bay. The local startup scene is small and the women in startups scene is smaller, so this is a chance to connect and build the network. Held at The Nest Cowork + Club.
Madison's Geek Lunch
October 20, 11:45 AM [Madison]
A monthly lunch conversation for Madison area developers at The Thirsty Goat in Fitchburg, where the topic bounces wherever the table takes it. Think Algonquin Round Table with a tech emphasis. All are welcome regardless of where you land on any imaginary geek scale. Third Tuesday, 11:45 to 1:00.
The Osthelder Experiment: Rural Innovation in Action
October 20, 4:30 PM [Sheboygan]
A 148 year old rural bar brings its real operating challenges to the Wisconsin ecosystem in a reverse pitch format. Capital providers, ESOs, hospitality and startup operators, founders, and entrepreneurs work onsite to identify problems and build solutions together. Held in Sheboygan Falls.
Sip & Sync in Cottage Grove
October 21, 8:00 AM [Madison]
A casual morning networking meetup from Women in Technology Wisconsin, with coffee on them. Drop in for relaxed conversation with WiT members and friends, or just to meet other people working in Madison area tech. Held at Grace Coffee in Cottage Grove.
+Venture Health 2026
October 21, 9:00 AM [Milwaukee]
Wisconsin's premier venture and innovation event for healthcare, life sciences, biohealth, and medical technology. Hosted by NVNG in partnership with BioForward, it convenes venture capitalists, health systems, corporations, founders, and university researchers for a curated day of dealmaking, discovery, and connection.
2026 Wisconsin Biohealth Summit - Day 1
October 21, 2:00 PM [Milwaukee]
Day one of BioForward Wisconsin's flagship biohealth summit opens in the afternoon with a startup showcase, a pharma keynote, and an evening networking reception, connecting scientists, investors, and industry leaders. An optional NVNG pre-summit experience runs earlier in the day for a deeper look at biohealth investment and commercialization.
October Code + Brews
October 21, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee]
An evening Milwaukee coding meetup for developers of every level, from dev-curious to professional. Bring a laptop to work on your own project, collaborate on something new, or just talk shop over drinks with a friendly local tech community. All skill levels welcome.
Synergy Ghost Tour Event
October 21, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee]
An evening at Shaker's Cigar Bar in Milwaukee pairing a first look at Synergy's AI-native business system with a guided Hangman's Tour through the building's history. Cigars, cocktails, and dinner included.
Madison Area Software Developers Meetup Group Monthly Meetup
October 21, 6:00 PM [Madison]
A monthly gathering for Madison-area software developers to swap experiences and keep up with fast-moving tech. Conversation ranges across scripting and compiled languages, big data and microservices, mobile and IoT, web, and developer tooling. All levels welcome.
Founder/Fest
October 21, 6:00 PM [Milwaukee]
The Midwest Founders Community's signature social gathering for regional founders, at Penrod in Milwaukee. No panels or pitches, just founder stories from Ivan Rahman, Jorge Reyna, Stephen Pounds, and Anu Hoysniemi, plus food, drinks, and time with people who know what building is like. Free and open to founders.
2026 Wisconsin Biohealth Summit - Day 2
October 22, 8:30 AM [Milwaukee]
Day two of BioForward Wisconsin's flagship biohealth summit is a full day of programming, from a cancer-treatment keynote to curated science, business, and tech hub sessions spanning organoids, clinical trials, quantum computing, and biohealth beyond borders. The day wraps with a closing keynote and reception.
Create AI Agents with Claude to Grow Your Small Business
October 26, 6:30 PM [Milwaukee]
An evening workshop on the three disciplines that move AI from demo to deployed: prompt, context, and harness engineering. Aimed at small business owners who want agents doing real work. Hosted at MalamaDoe in Milwaukee.
Startup Accelerator Programs & Pitch Contests
Programs
Level Set by StartingBlock
Open Enrollment for 2026
StartingBlock's Level Set program is a free, intense 6 week program designed to help you build and validate a business model. Offered 6x per year, we help you explore the pros and cons of different business models, model revenue, and get real world feedback on your ideas.
FOR-M Incubator by MKE Tech
Application Deadline: Rolling Applications
FOR-M is your first step to creating a tech startup company in Milwaukee. Solidify the startup idea that's been bouncing around in your head and understand your next steps. The six week program is free, hybrid, and built to fit around a day job. Spots are limited and filled on a rolling basis.
gBETA Madison
Application Deadline: Rolling Applications
gBETA is a free, seven week pre-accelerator for companies looking to achieve rapid growth or raise venture capital. No cost and no equity, with five companies per cohort getting one-on-one attention. Run by gener8tor.
Wisconsin Tech News
See the latest here
Have questions?
We've got you. Ask away!
jacob@startupwi.org
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