Crawford & Vernon County Regional Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club

Do you have an idea for an invention or new product? Would you like to start your own business?  The Crawford / Vernon County Regional Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) club can help you explore your idea and turn it into a product or business. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come early to meet other creative people, and browse the resource table. Bring your ideas!

Meetings held the second Tuesday of each month
Gays Mills Community Building, Gays Mills (Click for map)
Doors open at 6:00 pm. Program starts at 6:30 pm

About the Club * Upcoming Meetings * Resources

Upcoming Meetings * Past Meeting Archives

Download the 2008 Speaker Schedule

Tuesday, August 12
Using Innovation to Grow Your Business
Dave Franchino, President,
Design Concepts, Madison

Tuesday, September 9
Keys to Success & Resources to Get You There
Greg Wise, Community Development Specialist
Center for Community & Economic Development

Tuesday, October 14
Licensing & Marketing:
Getting Your Invention Sold
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney
Dewitt, Ross, & Stevens, Madison

Tuesday, November 11
NO MEETING IN NOVEMBER!

Tuesday, December 9
Business Etiquette for
Entrepreneurs
Sue Marino, Director
The Etiquette Center, Richland Center

Past Meeting Archives

Tuesday, April 8 - “ The Serial Entrepreneur” with Al Waller, Out of the Box Publishing

Learn how Waller, President and co-founder of Dodgeville based Out of the Box Publishing (and a self proclaimed “Serial Entrepreneur”) turns simple ideas into the county’s leading companies.  Out of the Box developed and published the game Apples to Apples, which was sold to Mattel last year.  http://www.otb-games.com/

Tuesday, May 13 - “Making the Right Connections for Your Invention or Business” with Julann Jatczak, Vice President, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation

Julann will share her perspectives on how to make a plan for networking based on your strengths and weaknesses, tools of the networking trade, business resources, and strategies to make networking easy and fun.  

Tuesday, June 10 – “How to Survive as a New Business” with Bob Starks, Vernon Vineyard-

Learn how Bob Starks took his idea to fruition as vineyard specializing in cold climate grapes and became Vernon County’s first winery. http://www.vernonvineyards.com/

Tuesday, July 8- "What Makes A Good Business Idea?" with Jan Gallagher- Director, La Crosse Small Business Development Center

Jan Gallagher talks about what evidence you can use to decide whether to take your idea to the next level.  Prior to directing the SBDC, Jan was a co-founder of the La Crosse area business magazine “Commerce Now”, and served as the interim director of the Coulee Region Business Center, a small business incubator.

Tuesday, February 12-“Star Valley Flowers…Sharing Their Story” with John Zeher and Phil Mueller

Learn how John Zeher and Phil Mueller turned a small 2 acre farm into the largest field-grown cut flower producer in the Midwest.  Located in rural Soldiers Grove, the 165 acre agri-business has been often featured on Martha Stewart Living and ships products to customers as far as Chicago, Boston and Honolulu.  http://www.starvalleyflowers.com/

Tuesday, March 11- “Growing your Online Business”  with Ivan Davis

Download Ivan's E-Bay book here!

Whether you’d like to improve your web presence or get started with a new business website Roger Peck will provide tips and inspiration.  Roger’s successful business supplies software for small business owners to develop a presence on the internet and affordably manage their own websites.  http://superiorlighthouse.com/

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