MADISON, Wis. – Susie and Matt Younkle, who have launched companies and mentored scores of startups separately and together as husband and wife, will accept the “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education” award Nov. 8 at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.
Registration is open by clicking here.
Also known as the “Triple E” award, the designation was launched by the Wisconsin Technology Council to highlight the importance of teaching and mentoring entrepreneurs. The selection of the Younkles by the 2023 conference steering committee was based on:
- Delivering outstanding quality in teaching entrepreneurship and/or mentoring entrepreneurs, in or out of the classroom
- Stimulating innovative methods for teaching or mentoring entrepreneurs
- Promoting entrepreneurial education and mentorship among scholars, policymakers, practitioners and others
- Providing a significant contribution to the development of best practices in the field
This award ceremony is sponsored by Madison Development Corp.
Previous winners of the “Triple E” award are Tim Keane, an investor and entrepreneur who was one of the first college-level educators in Wisconsin to design courses around entrepreneurial studies; Thomas “Rock” Mackie, a scientist, entrepreneur and educator who has helped build an entrepreneurial culture on the UW-Madison campus; Jan Eddy, tech company founder and a tireless mentor of startups through her work on and off campus; Allen Dines, who has mentored entrepreneurs and helped instill a startup spirit in UW-Madison students and faculty; Terry Sivesind, a co-founder of MERLIN Mentors; Anne Smith, who launched the UW-Madison Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic; Lorrie Keating Heinemann, whose career has spanned a quarter-century of support for the startup and investing sectors in Wisconsin; Joe Boucher, who has worked with hundreds of young companies, taught at the UW-Madison and pioneered Wisconsin’s limited liability company; and co-founders of gener8tor Joe Kirgues and Troy Vosseller, one of the nation’s leading accelerator programs for young companies.
Matt has been the co-founder and part of many companies, including Pythonic Corp., murfie.com and TurboTap. He is also co-founder of both the Forward Festival and the Wisconsin Innovation Awards. Also a part of startups over time, especially in the finance arena, Susie is the program director for MERLIN Mentors and runs Madworks Accelerator by StartingBlock.
“Matt and Susie Younkle have touched scores of young companies over time, providing mentorship while drawing on their own diverse experience in starting and running companies,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council.
The conference will also feature:
- A Nov. 8 morning plenary panel on video gaming growth in Wisconsin with an opportunity to test video games in the exhibit hall throughout the day.
- A Nov. 8 lunch keynote from economist, ex-White House advisor Michael Knetter before the Triple E awards ceremony.
- Targeted panel discussions featuring leading entrepreneurs, investors and others tied to the state, regional and national tech sectors.
- 30-plus investor groups from in and out of Wisconsin.
- The Tech Council Investor Networks five-minute pitches and Elevator Pitch Olympics 90-second pitches on Nov. 8 and 9th.
- Exhibit hall showcasing innovative Wisconsin companies.
- A Nov. 8 conference reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking opportunities, including an investors-only dinner.
The Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors thus far include: 100state, Aberdean Consulting, Advocate Aurora Health, Amazon, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, ATC, AT&T, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, City of Fitchburg, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Customers Bank, DeWitt, EUA, Exact Sciences, Findorff, First Business Bank, Foley & Lardner, Godfrey & Kahn, HealthX Ventures, Husch Blackwell, Idea Fund of La Crosse, In Business Magazine, Insperity, Isthmus Project, KW2, Lost Boys Interactive, Madison Development Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Makin’ Hey! Communications, Marquette University, Michael Best, Microsoft, Morgridge Institute for Research, N29 Capital Partners, Neider & Boucher, One City Schools, ORIN Technologies, Quarles & Brady, Raven Software, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, RSM US, Ruder Ware, Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, SustainableHR PEO, TDS, Tech Council board member Susan Healy, Technology Entrepreneurship Office at UW-Madison, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, UMOS One Workforce – TechStars, University Research Park, UWM Research Foundation, UW-Madison Computer Sciences, UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement, Venture Investors, Versiti, Virent, von Briesen & Roper, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity, Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., WIPFLi, Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions, Wisconsin Historical Society, Yahara Software, and Ziegler Alternative Investments.
To learn more about sponsorship information, please reach out to Angela Schlobohm at angela@
