A free, interactive business growth event designed to help entrepreneurs, small business owners and business leaders develop actionable strategies to grow, scale and strengthen their organizations is being held on Nov. 4 in Green Bay. “Growth Lab: Less Theory, More Doing” is part of the Cheese Wedge Consortium, a regional collaboration between New North Inc. and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
The Cheese Wedge Consortium, an entrepreneurship initiative supported by a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Ignite Wisconsin grant for Northeast Wisconsin, is designed to fuel strategies to build and accelerate high-growth startup density, expand innovation capacity and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the 18 counties of the New North region.
“One of New North’s priorities is helping to create the conditions for entrepreneurs, founders and small business owners to succeed,” says Barbara Koldos, interim president and CEO for New North Inc. “This free event provides access to resources, expertise and connections that can make an immediate impact for growing ventures across our region.”
Growth Lab combines expert-led education with hands-on working sessions, allowing participants to immediately apply what they learn to their own businesses. Attendees will leave with a foundation for their 2027 business plan, clearly identified priorities and practical tools to turn their goals into measurable results.
The initial event launches a four-part educational series developed through EO Wisconsin, the state chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global peer-to-peer network exclusively for business founders, co-founders and controlling shareholders. Business leaders at Cultivate and Lead Catalyst will be assisting.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. in Fort Howard Hall of the Weidner Center on the UW-Green Bay campus. Lunch will be provided and there will be a social happy hour after the event for networking. Event registration is available at https://www.eowisconsin.org/growth-lab#registration.
Dan Gramann, business growth leader with Cultivate, will take event participants through the strategic planning process, putting a focus on creating a clear vision for 2027, how to establish meaningful business objectives and how to identify the most important initiatives needed to achieve sustainable growth. The session will emphasize building a practical plan that aligns leadership, resources and execution priorities.
Attendees also will have the opportunity to complete a comprehensive business assessment that evaluates 24 key drivers of organizational performance, including leadership, sales, marketing and financial management. Participants will receive insights into their business’ strengths and opportunities for improvement, along with access to the Propel business planning platform to continue development and execution of their plan after the event.
Greg Crabtree, financial strategist and business author, will lead the financial education portion of Growth Lab, helping business owners to understand the financial fundamentals necessary to support their growth plans. The session will focus on cash flow, financial performance, capital management and the financial decisions that influence a company’s ability to grow and build long-term enterprise value.
Through interactive exercises, participants will begin to connect their strategic objectives to the financial resources and decisions required for successful execution.
Additional business growth topics, including sales, marketing, leadership and organizational development, will be discussed at upcoming series events.
The Cheese Wedge Consortium is building startup density through accelerator programming tailored to regional needs, pre-seed bootcamps and pitch events, corporate innovation and engagement, equity investments for startups, legal and housing stipends for relocating founders, and co-working space and community-based outreach.
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New North, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non-profit, regional economic development corporation fostering collaboration among private and public sector leaders throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Wisconsin, known as the New North region. The New North brand unites the region both internally and externally around talent development, brand promotion and business development, signifying the collective economic power behind the 18 counties. The counties include Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago. www.thenewnorth.com