WERCBench Labs to expand program offerings

Milwaukee – The Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) announced today that it has expanded the WERCBench Labs program to a year-round cycle of programs and events focused on supporting new engineering-based business start-ups.

Under the direction of Greg Meier, co-founder of the Global Entrepreneurship Collective, WERCBench labs is excited to announce a series of quarterly programs open to engineering-based startups and early-stage companies. These events will provide an introduction to the Lean Start-Up Curriculum and overview of WERCBench Labs for entrepreneurs and business leaders seeking support.

“We are building on the success we had this summer and announcing the next phases of WERCBench Labs rolling out over the next few months to create an annual and ongoing cycle of programs and events,” noted Jeff Anthony, co-leader of the WERCBench Labs initiative for M-WERC with Greg Meier.

“Our underlying theme for these efforts is to restore Milwaukee as ‘The Machine Shop of the World’ and work closely with our partner organizations; Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee  to collaboratively produce programs that foster entrepreneurial activities and innovation in general,” said Greg Meier. “To create a culture aligned with advanced manufacturing and building products.”

M-WERC will be holding a workshop on November 13th to lay out the upcoming events and workshops on a year-round cycle focused on re-establishing the engineering community in SE Wisconsin, including:

– A quarterly open-innovationintroduction to the Lean Start-Up Curriculum and overview of WERCBench Labs and underlying/key principles, as an entry point and foundational learning introduction to WERCBench Labs.

– A new advanced business model program that will launch soon and convene in early 2016, focusing on investment and financial aspects of new start-up businesses.  Look for an application period and announcement very soon.

– A repeat of the early-stage technology-immersive program in 2016, again to occur in the summer months, with applications being sought in early 2016.

– Events and workshops on a year-round cycle to tie the elements above together and to provide the “glue” that keeps all activities and program focused on re-establishing the engineering community in SE Wisconsin.

In addition, WERCBench Labs is looking forward to its second annual class of start-ups through the intensive, technology-driven program in which nine teams graduated. Applications can be submitted in January, 2015 at WERBenchLabs.com. “Based on the interest generated during our first class, we were convinced to expand our offering of events and workshops on a year-round cycle,” said M-WERC Executive Director and CEO Alan Perlstein.

To learn more about the November 13thevent and the rollout of WERCBench Labs activities, send a note toWERCBench@m-werc.org for more information.