Venture Track is designed to substantially increase the number of innovative, fast growing companies by offering a suite of mentoring, education and connections for Venture Track entrepreneurs.
Venture Track initiative was launched at a kick-off event featuring Sherwin Greenblatt of MIT, who gave an inspirational presentation to over 70 people on the experience of MIT’s Mentor program.
Components of the Venture Track Program
1. TechVenture
- The TechVenture© program is an comprehensive ten week class for entrepreneurs whose ideas and market opportunities will demand significant external financing from investors, strategic partners and/or other external sources.
- The classes are taught by successful entrepreneurs and service providers
- Develops critical entrepreneurial skills
- Opens a networks for entrepreneurs
- Create and/or refine their business plans in a peer to peer, experiential learning environment
The August 2009 graduates developed business plans on technologies, including medical devices, Internet travel, wireless advertising media, martial arts web media, Internet video service, aquaponics, bicycle design and manufacturing, and a Web-based medical treatment analysis tool company.
2. Human Capital Connections
After completing the TechVenture program, an entrepreneur can request follow-up assistance from the BizStarts Milwaukee Mentors and coaches.
BizStarts Milwaukee has recruited 25 successful CEOs willing to mentor one or more TechVenture entrepreneurs. As of September, 2009, five high impact companies have been matched with mentors. BizStarts Milwaukee Mentors is patterned after the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Mentor program.
3. Innovative & Experiential Events
Startup Accelerator
The first Startup Accelerator event took place on Sept. 26. This full-day event brought together 100 passionate people who wanted to build and create new projects, programs and companies. Subject experts were on hand to help facilitate and accelerate.
Innovation to Venture
Innovation to Venture, in conjunction with the NCIIA and participating sponsors such as UWM, CATI and BizStarts Milwaukee, was a full-day in April, 2009 at Discovery World to expose and educate over 60 interested entrepreneurs, students and faculty about the process of starting a company.
TechVenture© is a program of the Kauffman Foundation