Upcoming Startup and Tech Events in Wisconsin

Step into a live innovation lab and get hands-on with early-stage products from emerging startups. At this interactive showcase, founders bring their beta-level concepts directly to you—inviting you to test, explore, question, and shape what comes next.

Join us for Sip & Sync - your casual networking meetup where meaningful connections happen over complimentary coffee. Drop in for relaxed conversations, share insights, or simply enjoy meeting fellow WIT members and friends in a laid-back atmosphere.

Running a business means wearing a lot of hats -- and some of them fit better than others. StartingBlock's Lunch & Learn: Tactical Skills Series is designed to help you wear them all a little better.

Join us for Sip & Sync - your casual networking meetup where meaningful connections happen over complimentary coffee. Drop in for relaxed conversations, share insights, or simply enjoy meeting fellow WIT members and friends in a laid-back atmosphere.

This gathering is designed to foster connections within our local tech community. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a hobbyist, or just getting your feet wet in the world of coding, there's a place for you here.

Most MFC events are designed to help grow your company. This one is to celebrate it, all of the progress and growth that you’ve made in the last five years. Let us know how MFC has helped your company achieve any of its major milestones so we can celebrate them as one community.

The region's data and AI conference, now in its 10th year. A full day of practical sessions for data scientists, ML and software engineers, analytics leaders, and students from across Wisconsin and the northern Chicago suburbs, with time built in to connect.

An interactive Forward Fest session on rolling with the surprises that come with building something new.

A full-day summit bringing Wisconsin's startup community together for talks, workshops, and connections. A strong way to open Forward Fest for founders and the people who support them.

Kick off Forward Fest over coffee. A relaxed morning to meet other attendees, organizers, and founders before the week's sessions begin.

A hands-on workshop on the fundamentals of tech sales, from first outreach to closing. Practical tactics founders and early sales hires can put to work right away.

A session on presence and how the way we show up shapes our work, teams, and relationships. Grounded reflection for founders and leaders.

The official Forward Fest kickoff party. Grab a drink, celebrate the start of the festival, and connect with founders, investors, and the broader Madison tech community.

An unconventional founder happy hour built around the sauna at Saunaday. Unwind, recover, and network with other entrepreneurs in a relaxed wellness setting.

How to turn raw data into assets that drive real decisions. A look at making information work harder for your business through smarter analysis and AI.

A morning gathering for founders and early operators to connect over breakfast before the day's sessions. Casual conversation and community to start the day.

A hands-on design workshop on building a modern knowledge stack: how teams capture, organize, and put information to use. Methods you can apply to your own tools.

A session on accelerating growth and returns without burning out, using energy and focus as the levers. For entrepreneurs who want to move faster and stay sustainable.

Selling to the public sector as a growth channel. What it takes to win government as a customer, from procurement basics to the realities of the sales cycle.

A practical guide to meeting environmental requirements as a Wisconsin business, with the tools and state support available to help you stay compliant and move forward.

A technical session on engineering software with AI, hosted by the local MadAI and IEEE communities. For developers building AI into real products and workflows.

Pressure Chamber returns for its 13th year as the region's top emerging companies pitch a panel of national investors and a live audience for the golden suitcase, a reserved spot in the Chamber's fall meetings with Silicon Valley firms. Winner picked by judge scores and audience votes. Part of Forward Fest 2026.

An after-hours mixer for the people building with AI and open source around Madison. Trade ideas, find collaborators, and meet other engineers and founders.

An approachable introduction to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence: core concepts, what the technology can and cannot do, and how to think about applying it.

A step-by-step approach to judging whether a trend is worth chasing for your brand. How to assess relevance and fit before you invest time and budget.

A breakfast bringing Wisconsin founders and investors to the same table. A chance to make connections across the funding landscape over a relaxed morning.

Wisconsin's developer festival: a full day of technical talks and community for engineers and builders. Sessions span modern development, tools, and emerging tech.

A candid look at why deep tech startups stall between the lab and real revenue, and what it takes to get unstuck. Aimed at technical founders turning research into traction.

A job fair connecting women in tech with Madison-area employers who are hiring. Meet teams, explore roles, and grow your network in person.

A fireside conversation with WEDC Secretary John Miller and Maggie Brickerman on the state of Wisconsin's economy and what it means for founders and the startup ecosystem.

A working session on the build loop of ideate, prompt, prototype, repeat. How to move quickly from idea to working prototype using AI tools.

A clear walkthrough of building financial projections that hold up. How to construct a pro forma you understand and can defend to investors and partners.

A primer on patents for founders: what can be protected, when filing makes sense, and how to think about intellectual property as you build.

Why brand is more than a logo and how it shapes the way customers find, trust, and choose you. Practical thinking on building a brand that earns attention.

A community session built on the stone soup idea: everyone brings something and the group creates more together than anyone could alone.

A wellness-focused session for solo founders and small business owners on avoiding burnout. Practical habits to protect your energy while running a business.

An evening mixing live jazz with venture capital. A relaxed setting to meet investors and fellow founders away from the usual pitch pressure.

Part one of a pricing masterclass on turning how customers perceive value into revenue. The general session covers the core principles of pricing for growth.

A session on presence and how the way we show up shapes our work, teams, and relationships. Grounded reflection for founders and leaders.

Part two of the pricing masterclass, a smaller add-on session offering personalized guidance to apply pricing strategy directly to your own business.

Hands-on tools for launching a go-to-market motion. How to find your first customers, test channels, and build momentum without overcomplicating it.

A working lab to upgrade your LinkedIn presence. Sharpen your profile, posts, and positioning so the right people notice your work.

A session on turning bold ideas and voices into real strategy. Stories and lessons on moving from inspiration to action.

A casual coffee conversation featuring Oscar Aguilar, sharing his perspective and experience with the community.

A talk on using an entrepreneurial mindset to push past gender bias. Practical perspective for navigating barriers and building confidence as a founder.

A session connecting healing and purpose with the entrepreneurial journey. Reflection on building a business in a way that aligns with who you are.

How to lead teams that span generations through technology and change. Practical approaches to communication, expectations, and getting the best from a mixed-age workforce.

A look at the opportunity to bring agentic AI to UW-Madison and the broader region. What is possible, what is missing, and why it matters for local innovation.

A forward look at venture capital through the lens of digital assets and policy. How crypto, regulation, and capital are converging and what it means for founders and investors.

How to get certified organic in Wisconsin and use the new state online organic directories. Useful for food and ag businesses looking to grow and get discovered.

A pitch day where founders present to investors and the community. See emerging companies make their case and get a feel for the local deal flow.

The 25th anniversary celebration of High Tech Happy Hour, a long-running Madison tech networking tradition. Raise a glass and connect with the community.

A session reframing philanthropy as something you can start now, no fortune required. How to build a launchpad for the legacy and impact you want to leave.

How AI can strengthen community building and bring people together. A collaborative session on using new tools to grow and support communities.

You built an app with AI-assisted vibe coding. Now what? A practical session on taking a quick build toward something real, from cleanup to launch.

The basics of commercial real estate leasing for businesses. What to know before you sign, from lease terms to negotiating the space your company needs.

A reflective conversation on staying human as AI reshapes work and life. How to hold onto values, judgment, and connection in an automated age.

The path from side hustle to real small business. How to know when to commit, formalize, and grow something part-time into a company.

How defining your market sharpens everything downstream: awareness, messaging, and customer acquisition. A practical session on focusing your growth efforts.

A provocative take on how angel investors may be pricing themselves out of their own asset class by overweighting traction. Useful perspective for founders and investors alike.

The closing happy hour to wrap up Forward Fest. One last chance to celebrate the week and connect with the founders, builders, and investors you have met.

Join the Midwest Founder Community for a night of rapid-fire pitches, meaningful connections, and community support. Whether you’re looking for introductions, investors, partnerships, and more, this is your chance to put your ask in the room.