Venture Track

Venture Track is designed to support existing and future high-growth, innovative companies in Southeast Wisconsin to facilitate and accelerate the launch of their business, including preparation for and access to investors.

Do You Qualify for Venture Track?

  • Are you starting a high-growth, innovative business in information technology, financial services, water technology, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, life sciences or other technology fields.
  • Do you have a fast-growing, innovative business and want to take your business to the next stage?
  • High growth companies typically:
    • have or will have customers located outside the immediate region.
    • have a sustainable competitive advantage such as a patent and/or a unique process, product or service that can be the intellectual basis for a high-growth business.
    • will grow at a scalable pace to provide a significant return on investment to investors.

If you fit the above criteria, we encourage you to apply for acceptance to the Venture Track program.

Background

Venture Track provides strategic connections and information for fast growth companies to help them start, grow and prepare to raise capital or other sources of funding. Venture Track does not make financial investments in companies.

The Venture Track program consists of a suite of hands-on mentoring, training programs, and events that assist entrepreneurs at different stages of their company, from the idea stage through early stages of funding, by providing mentors and instruction. The programs provide entrepreneurs with tools to evaluate their ideas, refine their business concepts, develop business plans, make strategic connections, and raise capital. BizStarts Milwaukee helps each entrepreneur identify those elements of the program that will uniquely suit their business needs.

Testimonials

“In 5 minutes I got a referral to 2 key people that could play giant roles in our company's success.”
Andy Reuland, Credit Coach Plus

“The education, mentors, tools and resources that are provided are priceless and are sure to help spring board an entrepreneur forward.”
Gabriel Wahhab, The Savvy Group

"They were able to get our product line in front of two retailers which a professional marketing team could not do. Chelsea and BizStarts are very professional and successful."  Paul Mayer and Steven Smith, Summit Wired

"I contacted BizStarts to find a business mentor and what I got was much more, a group of folks who really want to help speechtails.com succeed." Speech Tails

 

Components of the Venture Track Program

1. Innovative Programming

  • FastTrac TechVenture® is a comprehensive entrepreneurial training program run by successful entrepreneurs and service providers for entrepreneurs starting or growing innovation-based businesses. FastTrac TechVenture® develops critical entrepreneurial skills and networks for innovators whose ideas and market opportunities will demand significant external financing from investors, strategic partners and/or other external sources. In Tech Venture, entrepreneurs will create and/or refine their business plans in a peer to peer, experiential learning environment.
  • Innovative Workshops are open to entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs who meet the Venture Track criteria and are accepted into the Venture Track program. Workshops are lead by accomplished entrepreneurs, service providers and investors through panels, discussions and small break-out workshops that provide introductions to key players in the entrepreneurial network.
  • Ugly Baby Panel is a program designed to give entrepreneurs in the business development stage the opportunity to pitch their business concept in front of a group of participants that come from the coaching and mentoring program. The panel provides feedback for business improvements and presentation feedback.

2. Team Development

Entrepreneurs who qualify for this program will be assigned a 'mini board of advisors to assist the entrepreneurs in keeping on track and reaching milestones. For more information on the Mentor and Coaching program, check out the BizStarts Guide for Entrepreneurs, Mentors and Coaching Program

  • BizStarts Mentors are volunteers who want to share their skills and knowledge they have gained in creating and guiding successful new ventures. Mentors typically are serial entrepreneurs or senior level leaders of successful corporations or partnerships who can provide overall business strategy.

  • Interested in becoming a mentor? apply here

  • BizStarts Coaches are volunteers who are 'experts' in a particular field and who want to share their skills and knowledge. Coaches come from a variety of disciplines such as, but not limited to: legal, sales and marketing, finance, prototype development, FDA, software development, and public relations.

  • Interested in becoming a coach? apply here

Disclaimer: All Venture Track programs are educational in nature. Entrepreneurs are responsible for making all decisions. 

Thanks for becoming part of Venture Track and helping entrepreneurs build successful companies and create jobs!

For more information on the Venture Track program, contact the Venture Track team