"Is Madison's TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY at a TIPPING POINT?" Best Practices and Solid Ideas for High-Growth Enterprises & Entrepreneurs. If you are responsible for helping bring together the resources to build an enterprise, refine a vision, set the goals and manage the milestones - or - if you're just curious about how others have successfully "been there, done that," then the Oct. 15th Accelerate Madison Event is for you and your team. Speaker Russ Smestad Accelerate Madison is honored to feature two of Madison's most successful serial entrepreneurs who will share their real-life experiences, knowledge and best practices important to any high-growth company. Speakers Ralph Kauten and Russ Smestad have rock-solid credentials earned over many years, including key involvement in the very recent acquisition of Mirus Bio (Madison, WI) by Roche (Basel, Switzerland) for $125 million. On Oct. 15th you will learn about: • Planning for & achieving milestones through a unique business life-cycle • Dealing in real-time with uncertainty & changing economic factors - What do you do when things don't go as you planned? • Recruiting, developing, managing key talent in Madison, WI • Financing strategies; the business valuation - How? When? • Engaging in and crafting the successful exit opportunity - Finding that perfect fit. 10/15/08 Event Sponsor Is Madison's high-tech sector reaching a critical "tipping point?" And, will the momentum gained over two decades now take our business community to new levels of achievement? Hear what Ralph Kauten and Russ Smestad have to say. The following start-up and high-growth companies in Madison have had either Ralph or Russ in a highly-acclaimed leadership role: Agracetus, Inc. Mirus Bio Corporation (acquired by Roche) PanVera Corporation (acquired by Invitrogen Corporation) Powderject Pharmaceuticals Promega Corporation Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. (Javascript is required to view Mediasite content)