ESSWI: Law Clinic’s co-founder Anne Smith to accept ‘Triple E’ award Nov. 6 at Early Stage event

Anne Smith, whose career has included launching the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic at the UW-Madison, will accept the “Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education” award at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison. Smith will be honored Nov. 6 during the “Triple E” luncheon, which will be held at Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center. Visit wisearlystage.com to register and see the full agenda. The “Triple E” award was launched by the Wisconsin Technology Council to highlight the importance of teaching and mentoring entrepreneurs. The selection of Smith by the 2019 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

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; and Terry Sivesind, a co-founder of MERLIN Mentors, an 11-year-old groups with about 100 mentors to help young companies. Smith is an attorney and small business owner who has worked for companies such as Winterthur U.S. Holdings and Promega. Smith is also a co-founder of Madison Seed Accelerator Inc. and helped to launch StartingBlock Madison, where she serves on the board of directors. “We’ll hear from Anne about the important work of the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic over time, as well as entrepreneurs who benefited by going through the process,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council. The conference will also feature:

• About 40 company presentations in two different segments and the “Investor Intros” speed-dating segment.
• Keynote speakers Marques Ogden, entrepreneurial former NFL player with a rags-to-riches-to-rags-and-back story, and UW-Eau Claire graduate Jeff Schumacher, who founded California-based BCG Digital Ventures and now leads 55 Foundry, which will invest in and incubate young decentralized technology companies.
• Panel discussions and educational seminars featuring leading entrepreneurs, investors and others tied to the tech sector.
• “Office Hours,” offering the opportunity to meet with subject experts on a variety of topics in small discussion groups or one-on-one.
• A Nov. 6 evening conference reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking opportunities, including an investors-only dinner.