Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club
Do you have an idea for an invention or new product? Would you like to start your own business? The Inventors and Entrepreneurs (I&E) Club can help you explore your idea and turn it into a product or business. At our meetings you can share your ideas, network with other creative people and find resources to help you. New ideas are just a spark away!
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month at the Food Enterprise Center, 1201 North Main Street in Viroqua. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m., the program begins at 6:00 p.m. The meetings are free and no reservations are required. Everyone is welcome!
We have created a LinkedIn group for our I&E club. Join Us to network with other creative people.
Wednesday January 8, 2025
“Growing Your Business through Exports"
The next meeting of the Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at the Food Enterprise Center, 1201 North Main Street in Viroqua.
Start out the new year with a new way of finding new markets to grow your business! With the topic of “Growing Your Business Through Exports,” attendees will hear about Exporting 101, if and/or when a business should get into exporting, the benefits of working with foreign markets, resources available that are offered through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and grants that are available to help your business participate in export markets. Learn how you can grow your business around the world selling to large retailers, tier one manufacturers, small businesses and developing distributors and dealers.
Speaker Mark Rhoda-Reis is the Director of the Economic Development and Innovation Center at DATCP. He has more than thirty years of private sector, international and US domestic experience in sales, marketing, and business development along with public sector experience in economic development and foreign direct investment. His experience includes manufacturing, consumer products, medical devices, agricultural and food products in a broad range of companies from small businesses to multinational companies.
Speaker Jacob Leum is an International Economic Development Consultant at DATCP’s International Agribusiness Center. He has 10 years of private sector business management experience where he worked in the dairy genetics industry and has consulted on dairy genetics projects on all six continents. Leum brings skills in global marketing, product launches, product management, meta data management information technology and human resource management to the field of export marketing.
Networking starts at 5:30, the program begins at 6:00 p.m. The I&E club is organized jointly by Vernon Economic Development Association and UW- Madison Division of Extension and meets the second Wednesday of every month. For more information, contact Sue Noble at snoble@veda-wi.org or 638-8332, or Hannah Altimus at hannah.altimus@wisc.edu or 637-5281.
The meetings are free and no reservations are required. Plan to attend to share your ideas, network with other creative people and find resources to help you. Everyone is welcome!
Past Topics and Speakers
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
“Growing Specialty Crops”
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
“Funding Sources”
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
“Content Marketing and Social Media”
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
“Planning for Succession: Small Business or Farm”
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
“Successful Failures”
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
“Financial Basics for You and Your Business”
Trish and Eric Evenstad, owners of Evenstad Tax &
Financial Services, Inc.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
“Clean Energy: The Vernon County-scape”
Wednesday May 8, 2024
“Building Your Brand”
Hannah Altimus, UW-Madison Extension Community Development Educator for Vernon County
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
“Articulating Your Company’s Purpose”
Jessica Spayde, Food Entrepreneurship Specialist at UW-Madison Extension
Wednesday March 13, 2024
“Building Your Business out of an Invention”
Mike Breckel, owner of Ocooch Mountain Elderberries
January 8, 2020
How small business owners can save for retirement
Allison Mendoza, Independent Advisor Representative, LPL Financial
December 11, 2019
Show and Tell Your Invention or Service
Sharing with Club Members
November 13, 2019
Creative Storytelling with the power of 3D animation
Dave Myers, professional animator and illustrator
October 9, 2019
How to get your product on the store shelf
Jonah Curley, Grocery Manager at the Viroqua Food Co-op
September 11, 2019
QuickBooks 101
Cathy Kulig, Certified Public Accountant at Johnson Block and Company in Viroqua
August 14, 2019
Developing the Driftless Brewing Company
Cynthia Olmstead, Business Operations Director, and Scott Noe, Production & Cellar Manager at Driftless Brewing
July 10, 2019
Marketing, Advertising, Branding and Design
Tony Roberts, President of The BLU Group – Advertising & Marketing in La Crosse
June 12, 2019
The Viroqua Area Maker Movement
Peter Bergquist, Co-founder at Shade Haven
May 8, 2019
Identifying Costs and What They Mean
Aaron Reimler, Business and Income Developer for Couleecap Inc.
April 10, 2019 cancelled due to weather
March 13, 2019
Writing Grants, Getting Funded
Sue Noble, Executive Director, Vernon Economic Development Association
February 13, 2019
Food and Business from Scratch
Justin Johnson, CEO/Founder of Sustainable Kitchens
January 9, 2019
Opportunities with HempScience
Luke Zigovits, CEO and Co-Founder of HempScience
December 12, 2018
SeedLinked…a data sharing platform for plant breeders, growers and gardeners
Dr. Nicolas Enjalbert, Co-Founder and CEO of SeedLinked
November 14, 2018
Beyond your Shoebox…Getting ready for your accountant
Cathy Kulig, CPA and Tax Manager with Johnson Block and Company, Inc.
October 10, 2018
Learning from a Hazelnut Company
Brad Niemcek, Director of the Kickapoo Culinary Center in Gays Mills, and general manager of the American Hazelnut Company
10 Elements of Good Product Label Design
Abby Voye and Rich Rice, Prizm Print and Label in La Crosse
August 8, 2018
Sales Opportunities in the Government Market
Kim Garber, from the Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 11, 2018
Small Business and Social Media
Carolyn Zick, owner of Bad Axe Enterprises and Director of Communications at Bank of Cashton
June 13, 2018
Owning and Operating a Bed and Breakfast Inn
Marie Cimino, Co-owner of the Westby House Inn, Westby Wisconsin
May 9, 2018
Go Nuts! Opportunities with Hickory Nuts
Sam Thayer, author and organic fruit/nut grower and harvester of wild food products
April 11, 2018
Information Technology…If it's geeky, we do it
Laura and Rodney Holum, co-owners of Coulee Tech, Inc.
March 14, 2018
Branches Winery - What we've learned in five years
Therese Bergholz, co-owner of Branches Winery
January 10, 2018 (February 2018 meeting cancelled)
New opportunities in Ag with Industrial Hemp
Ken Anderson, Founder and President of Legacy Hemp
December 13, 2017
Product/Service Show and Tell
Showcasing ideas, inventions and services of club members
November 8, 2017
Composting Beyond Your Backyard
Angie Lemar, Program Director at Recycling Connections and
Mary Christenson and Stephanie Brown, “Growing For Good” program
October 11, 2017
How to take an Outside-In Approach to Marketing
Kevin Carlson, owner of Innovative Marketing Strategies in West Salem
September 13, 2017
Social Media Marketing: Do's and Don'ts
Sarah Arendt-Beyer, Marketing Director for DigiSage in La Crosse, WI
August 9, 2017
Start, Manage, Grow
Terri Urbanek, Business Counselor and Outreach Specialist at the Wisconsin SBDC at UW-La Crosse.
July 12, 2017
Legal Tools to Protect Your Ideas and Inventions
Nick Brannen, Patent Attorney and Owner of Brannen Law Office, LLC
June 14, 2017
Building Success in a Direct Sales Business
Rebecca Eby, Small business owner and serial entrepreneur
May 10, 2017
Bootstrap your marketing by being authentically "you"
Rachel Wolf, owner and founder of LuSa Organics
April 12, 2017
Getting financing for your business
Julie Emslie, Rural Small Business Consultant for the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
March 8, 2017
Before you hire a website developer
Sarah Bratnober, marketing consultant at the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-La Crosse and owner of Whereabouts Marketing LLC in Viroqua
February 8, 2017
Nurturing Creativity
Gregory Splinter, architect and mindfulness facilitator
January 11, 2017
Solar Energy for Your Home, Farm and Small Business
Jim Bassett PE, entrepreneur and beef cattle farmer
December 14, 2016
Product/Service Show and Tell
Inventors and Entrepreneurs showcasing their ideas
November 9, 2016
How to 3D Print Your Idea
Ben Eby, Serial Inventor and founder of E.B. Tool Company
October 12, 2016
The 3 R's for Revitalizing your Business
Thomas White, serial entrepreneur
September 14, 2016
Identity Theft and Privacy Protection
Laura Fay, Agency Liaison for the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
August 10, 2016
Valuing a Patent
Attorney Jeremy Laabs
July 13, 2016
The Wisco Pop Story
Austin Ashley, Co-owner and Co-founder of Wisco Pop
June 8, 2016
A Kickstarter Crash Course
Dennis Glover, K-Kat Innovative Pet Products
May 11, 2016
Focus group feedback on member inventions
April 13, 2016
Money Matters in your Business
Colin Fleming and Carol Ostrem, Small Business Advisors at State Bank
La Crosse
March 9, 2016
Do what you say, Say what you do
Carolyn and Brian Austin, owners of “Austin’s Rush Creek Farm”
February 10, 2016
Writing Grants, Getting Funded
Sue Noble, Executive Director of Vernon Economic Development Association
January 13, 2016
Learning From the Past--Living in the Present--Planning for the Future
Daniel Gilbertson, Inventor and Entrepreneur, Retired business counselor
December 9, 2015
Product/Service Show and Tell
Inventors and Entrepreneurs showcasing their ideas
November 11, 2015
A simple approach to successfully growing your business
Thomas White, serial entrepreneur and leadership teacher
October 14, 2015
Successful Growth Strategies in the Government Marketplace
Kim Garber from the Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 9, 2015
Essentials of Effective Selling
Jon Fields, Business Growth Coach
August 12, 2015
Shipping, Logistics and Packaging
Tony Saarem, Operations Manager at GoMacro in Viola
July 8, 2015
UW-Stout’s new "Idea to Prototype" program
Renee Surdick and Terese Wentworth from UW-Stout’s Center for Innovation and Development
June 10, 2015
Clues for Marketing and Branding
Rachel Jovi, Rural Small Business Consultant for WWBIC
May 13, 2015
Insurance Topics and Tips
David Wright, Independent Insurance agent
A Kickstarter Crash Course
Dennis Glover, K-Kat Innovative Pet Products
March 11, 2015
“Financial opportunities through WPI, SBA, DATCP and FSA”
Patrick M. Dardis, Mary Trimmier, Kim Garber, Kathy Lewison, and Ginger Jacobs
February 11, 2015
“Why the Dance - and Working through the Relationship Details - Really Does Matter”
Anne Hlavacka, Director of the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at the UW-La Crosse
January 14, 2015
“Meeting with your business banker”
Scot Wall, President of the Bank of Cashton
December 10, 2014
“Product/Service Show and Tell”
November 11, 2014
“Where did the money go?”
Al Lorr, owner of Lorr Computer Solutions, Viroqua
October 8, 2014
“Diversifying Your Sales Pipeline”
Kim Garber and Dave Olson, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
Mary Trimmer, U.S. Small Business Administration
September 10, 2014
“Creating a Business by Solving a Problem”
Vince Hundt, Guthrie Knapp and Peter Burquist, co-owners of Shade Haven
August 13, 2014
“Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights”
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney with Dewitt Ross & Stevens Law Firm
July 9, 2014
“Turning an Idea into a Business”
Cecil Wright, farmer member and owner of Maple Valley Cooperative
June 11, 2014
“When do you need market research and How to access it”
Bud Gayhart, Director of the Center for Innovation & Business Development at UW-Whitewater
May 14, 2014
“What Not to do! as learned by a successful inventor”
Ben Eby, inventor and founder of E.B. Tool Company
April 9, 2014
“Great Broadband for Great Communities”
Rod Olson, CEO & General Manager of Vernon Telephone Cooperative
March 12, 2014
Lessons from My Backyard Business
Joyce Quarnstrom, owner of Kvarnstrom’s Bakery
February 12, 2014
“Lean Startup Method”
Andrew Londre, Business and Income Developer for Couleecap,Inc
January 8, 2014
“5 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success”
Thomas White, Inventor, serial entrepreneur, author and radio program producer
December 11, 2013
“Product Show and Tell”
Inventors and Entrepreneurs showcased their ideas for roundtable feedback
November 13, 2013
“Finding Opportunities for your Business”
Kim Garber, Small Business Programs Manager for the Wisconsin Procurement Institute in Milwaukee
October 14, 2013
“Expanding and Marketing your New Product Line”
Donna Bauer, owner of The Bauer Group Inc. which manufactures and distributes “Smile on a Stick®”
September 11, 2013
“Compensation Management – The Journey Matters”
Deborah Schultz, Director of Strategic Human Resource Services and Business Solutions for MRA, The Management Association
August 14, 2013
“Business Execution: Let's Grow Your Business, Not Kill It!”
Kelton Greenway, Greenway Consulting, business improvement services
July 10, 2013
“Using Innovation resources to nurture your ideas”
Paul Easterday, UW Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center
June 12, 2013
“Do you know how to sell? Or are you just talking?”
Frank Kroncke, highly successful salesman and sales manager
May 8, 2013
“Managing Small Business Cash Flow”
Brock Waterman, entrepreneur, consultant and founder of Fundunity LLC
April 10, 2013
“Business Basics – Thinking Tactically about your Business”
Carol Roth, Rural Outreach Specialist at Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)
March 13, 2013
“Online Marketing and E-Commerce”
Melissa Pahl, Executive Director of Platteville Area Industrial Development Corp and owner of Twenty Marketing
February 13, 2013
“Naming your product or business”
Dennis Treu, Entrepreneur and marketing consultant
January 9, 2013
“Creative…Wherever you are”
Anne O’Connor, founder of Tending the Fire Within
December 12, 2012
“Regional Approaches to Innovation”
Jim Bowman, Regional Account Manager for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Michael Gay, Director of the Center for New Ventures at UW Platteville
November 14, 2012
"Building A Business Web Site & Getting It Found"
John Wells, owner of WebWise Design & Marketing
October 10, 2012
“Cooperatives and the Mondragon Business Model”
Anne Reynolds, Director of the Center for Cooperatives at UW-Madison
September 12, 2012
“Keys to Sustainable Business Success”
Driftless Integrity Fund faculty: Steve Tippins, Thomas White, David Banner, and Sarah Bratnober
August 8, 2012
“Entrepreneurship in Tourism Panel Discussion”
Patrick Reinsma, Wisconsin Department of Tourism
Jennifer Kuderer, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
Pete Knapik, Inn at Lonesome Hollow in Soldiers Grove
July 11, 2012
“Sales Made Simple”
Todd Ihrcke, Business coach with ActionCOACH
June 13, 2012
“Branding and Marketing Your Business”
Ruth Rohlich, Center Director for WWBIC in Madison
May 9, 2012
“Emerging Opportunities in the Food Processing Industry”
Wade Nolte, VP of Operations at Century Foods International
April 11, 2012
“Need Cash: Tap Federal Dollars, Crowdfunding and other Initiatives to Fund Your Project”
Anne M. Hlavacka, Director of the Small Business Development Center, UW-La Crosse
March 14, 2012
“Lessons on inventing from Wile E. Coyote”
Herb Goetz & Mark Payne, product development experts from the Fab Lab at Fox Valley Technical College
February 8, 2012
“Teaching a New Dog Old Tricks”
Joel Gordon, retired businessman from New York's Madison Avenue
January 11, 2012
Cancelled due to weather
December 12, 2011
Holiday Party at Dave’s Pizza in Viroqua
Featuring Dave Goss. Owner and Serial Entrepreneur
November 9, 2011
Selling to the Federal Government
Kim Garber, Small Business Programs Manager for the Wisconsin Procurement Institute in Milwaukee
October 12, 2011
“The Story of Bluedog Cycles”
Pete Taylor, Owner of Bluedog Cycles in Viroqua
September 14, 2011
“Does your idea need research and resource help”
Sandra Beccue, Market Research Manager for the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) at UW-Whitewater
August 10, 2011
“What You Need to Finance Your Venture”
Terri Urbanek, Internal Financial and Operations Auditor at Community Credit Union in La Crosse
July 13, 2011
Meeting cancelled due to schedule conflict
June 8, 2011
“Business Planning Based on Reality”
Rick Terrien, Executive Director of the Iowa County Area Economic Development Corp.
May 11, 2011
“The Kickapoo Coffee Story”
TJ Semanchin and Caleb Nicholes, Co-owners of Kickapoo Coffee in Viroqua
April 13, 2011
“Managing your Intellectual Property”
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney with Dewitt Ross & Stevens Law Firm
March 9, 2011
Cancelled due to weather
February 9, 2011
“Think Funded! Grant Writing 101”
Sue Noble, Director of Vernon Economic Development Association
January 12, 2011
“How to Use Social Networking to Increase Your Sales”
Stephen Woessner, UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center
December 8, 2010
Holiday Party and Networking at Optimo Café in Viroqua
November 10, 2010
“From Idea to LLC”
Roald Gundersen, co-owner Whole Trees Architecture and Construction
October 13, 2010
“Making Your Dream Profitable”
Jim Gage, business consultant and grant writer
September 8, 2010
The Wedding Barn
Diane Hunter, owner of Huntington Farm near Viroqua
August 11, 2010
Powering Vehicles with Cow Pies
Chris Schneider, owner/founder of Honda Motorwerks and Greendrinks in La Crosse
July 14, 2010
A Legal Smorgasbord
Jason Sytsma, Attorney at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
June 9, 2010
Building a Year Round Sustainable Tourist Destination
Donna Justin, Owner of Justin Trails
May 12, 2010
Guerilla Marketing
Sarah Arendt, Marketing Director for AVS Marketing Group, La Crosse.
April 14, 2010
Growing a Grassroots Organization from the Ground Up
Tamara Dean, President of Driftless Community Radio, WDRT 91.9FM
March 10, 2010
Approaching investors and more
David Banner, an engineer, professor and entrepreneur
February 10, 2010
Getting Your Business Web Site Online
Stephen Woessner, UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center
January 13, 2010
Building a Business on Your Values
Richard de Wilde, owner of Harmony Valley Farm
November 11, 2009
What Makes an Idea POP
Brad Biddick, owner of Rural Route 1 Popcorn
October 14, 2009
Cooperatives as a Business Model
Margaret Bau, USDA Rural Development Cooperative Development Specialist
September 9, 2009
Branding your Business or Product
Lois Federman, Marketing consultant for Something Special from Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
August 12, 2009
Managing Intellectual Property, Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks.
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney with Dewitt Ross & Stevens Law Firm
July 8, 2009
Social Networking Tools and Tricks
Tim Puyleart, Business Development Manager for IEA, Inc
June 10, 2009
Turning a Product into a Business
Peter Weber, Potter's Crackers in Madison
May 13, 2009
Turning Opportunity into Success
Ivan Davis, Marketing Specialist with Output Generation
April 14, 2009
Business Etiquette for Entrepreneurs
Sue Marino, Director
The Etiquette Center, Richland Center
March 10, 2008
Step by Step Guide to Developing Your Marketing Plan
Mark Thorne
Marketing Consultant at La Crosse Sign
February 10, 2009
Understanding Taxes and Finances
Mary McEvoy, CPA, CFP in Viroqua
January 13, 2009
How to Survive as a New Business
Bob Starks and Loren Cade
Vernon Vineyards, Viroqua
December 9 and November 11, 2008
Meetings were cancelled due to weather
October 14, 2008
Licensing & Marketing: Getting Your Invention Sold
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney
Dewitt, Ross, & Stevens in Madison
September 9, 2008
Keys to Success & Resources to Get You There
Greg Wise, UW-Extension Community Development Specialist, Madison
August 12, 2008
Using Innovation to Grow Your Business
Dave Franchino, President, Design Concepts, Madison
July 8, 2008
What Makes A Good Business Idea?
Jan Gallagher, Director
La Crosse Small Business Development Center
June 10, 2008
Meeting cancelled due to weather
May 13, 2008
Making the Right Connections for your Invention or Business
Julann Jatczak, Vice President
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Serial Entrepreneur
Al Waller, Out of the Box Publishing
March 11, 2008
Growing your Online Business
Ivan Davis, Marketing Specialist with Output Generation
February 12, 2008
Star Valley Flowers…Sharing Their Story
John Zehrer and Phil Mueller
Star Valley Flowers, Soldiers Grove
January 8, 2008
Managing Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks
Chuck Sara, Patent Attorney
Dewitt, Ross, & Stevens in Madison
December 11, 2007
Meeting cancelled due to weather
November 13, 2007
Creating a Culture of Innovation and Networking
Terry Whipple, Executive Director
Juneau County Economic Development Corporation
October 9, 2007
Taking Risks…How to Get to Success
Jan Rasikas, General Manager of the Viroqua Food Co-op
September 11, 2007
First Meeting Kick-off
Innovation in our Economy
Greg Wise, UW-Extension Community Development Specialist, Madison
and Ten Steps to Marketing Your Product
Ivan Davis,Marketing Specialist with Output Generation