Valuation of New Technology: connecting development decisions and market value  - Lisa Cribben, Director – Business Valuation and Transaction Support Services,Wiplfi LLP. Before you set a budget for invention development, learn how to determine its revenue potential. The question inventors and R&D departments need to answer isn't whether it CAN be built, but whether it SHOULD be built. Take a hard look at the financial considerations that go into making that decision. 

IP 101: What Every Entrepreneur and Inventor Should Know about IP - Joe Miotke, Attorney, DeWitt Ross & Stevens law firm. This seasoned adviser and speaker on IP monetization presents complex information in an easy-to-understand manner sure to inform and transform your thinking about IP. This workshop on the "must know" aspects of IP protection covers the essentials on patent, trademark and copyright law. 

IP Disclosure: what it is and when and how to practice it - Anne Smith, Co-director, Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic, University of Wisconsin Law School. Untimely, inappropriate disclosure of IP can kill patent rights. Yet, inventors need to be able to talk about their IP to solicit investors and partners. Learn how, when and why to disclose and what you can do to ensure that you retain your patent rights in the process. 

Working with Federal Labs: how collaboration grants inventors access to top notch resources for new product commercialization - Jack Heinemann, Director, Wisconsin Security Research Consortium (WSRC). In his role with WSRC, Heinemann collaborates with Federal Labs to develop new technology to deliver world-class science and technology solutions in response to our nation's homeland security requirements. Learn how inventors in a variety of technologies gain access to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), world-class chemists, Defense National Labs, and countless other resources they would not otherwise have when developing a product that would benefit the country. 

Licensing Strategies - Barry Grossman, Attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP. 
A successful license provides benefits to both the licensor and the licensee. Expectations of the parties identified during the negotiation of the license can help avoid disputes and ensure a successful agreement. This session will explore a number of common license terms, structures and strategies for establishing a mutually beneficial agreement including ownership of intellectual property, product development, and setting a royalty rate.

Prototyping Panel Discussion: the role of prototype development as part of an overall commercialization strategy - moderator Kurt Waldheutter, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network regional director, panelists from Fox Valley Technical College FAB LAB, EIGERlab, and the Stout Technology Transfer Institute Discovery Center. For companies and inventors considering getting a prototype, hear from experts who work with inventors about all the considerations before prototyping, the process, and what steps to take after you have a prototype.