The eighth annual Forward Festival, taking place Aug. 17-24 at various locations in Madison, features more than 50 events to bring together entrepreneurs and innovators from all industries.
Event categories include tech, family, social good and music.
“Forward Festival’s inclusivity has grown to now include a wider range of industries and people, and it’s become more community focused,” Laura Strong, festival committee member and president of Propagate Health, said in a statement. “With a record number of events this year, the festival truly gives the entrepreneurial ecosystem opportunities to make connections, share advice and collaborate.”
The event kicks off with the Badger Startup Summit Thursday at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Now in its fifth year, the interactive event connects entrepreneurs with ties to the state. This event is followed by High Tech Happy Hour at the Memorial Union.
The centerpiece event, the Forward Technology Conference, is now joined by other events to form the new Forward Summit on Aug. 22 at the Memorial Union. BigData Wisconsin, Healthcare Innovation and the Startup Showcase are among the other events of the summit.
Now on a separate day from the Forward Technology Conference, Pressure Chamber will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Overture Center. Emerging companies will have the opportunity to pitch in front of out-of-state investors, business executives and a live audience with the winning prize being an all-expenses paid trip to San Francisco to meet with Silicon Valley investors. Past winners are POLCO, bluDiagnostics and Fishidy.
Forward Festival will host Madison’s only family-focused, all-ages networking event, Parentpreneur Networking, on Aug. 19. The ice cream social event is an opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking a work/life balance to connect with other startup families and raise awareness about family involvement in the entrepreneurial world.
New events include gener8tor’s Immigrant Entrepreneurship (Aug. 18), Dolphin Tank (Aug. 23) and Bunker Labs #DroneAround (Aug. 24).
Photo courtesy of Forward Festival
