SBIR/STTR conference coming to Milwaukee next month

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ annual SBIR/STTR conference will be held next month for the first time in Milwaukee, helping entrepreneurs in the biohealth space learn how to take advantage of federal grant funding.

The conference runs Nov. 7 – 9 at the Clinical Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin, headquartered at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The 19th annual conference is expected to draw around 600 people to Milwaukee, where it’s being held for the first time.

“We are excited to showcase our strengths and opportunities, hear the ideas of other inventors and spark productive collaborations to deliver cutting-edge health care solutions,” said Kalpa Vithalani, licensing manager of the MCW’s Office of Technology Development and local conference chair.

Attendees will be able to meet with SBIR/STTR program managers and chat with others who have experience with getting seed funding from this program.

“One-on-one meetings, critical information sessions and networking opportunities greatly optimize the chances to secure seed funding,” said Dave Linz, client services director for the Center for Technology Commercialization, one of the event’s sponsors.

Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will be the keynote speaker Nov. 7, and former HHS secretary and Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson will give a keynote speech Nov. 8. Some 100 representatives from federal groups like the NIH, the CDC, the FDA, the SBA and others will be there to give talks and share their expertise.

See more: http://wisbusiness.com/1008/171016Wisconsin_Economic_Development_Corporation.pdf