Please join us October 27th and 28th for the 7th Annual Cleantech Open Midwest Innovation Showcase, hosted by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St Thomas.

The Cleantech Open is the world's largest clean technology business accelerator, drawing the most innovative ideas for sustainable solutions from around the world. The Cleantech Open Midwest has a thirteen state footprint covering the 13-state Midwest region. As the capstone event for the 2016 Cleantech Open Midwest clean technologies accelerator program, we have an exciting agenda planned for this two-day conference.

This is a valuable opportunity to meet industry and academic leaders and get an inside look at emerging technologies. You will gain insights from panel discussions with leaders from across the clean technologies sectors as well as brief pitches from alumni companies.

Cleantech start-up company founders, investors, resource partners and our sponsors will also participate in a networking lunch and poster session and there will be meeting spaces available for more in depth conversations.

The October 27th activities will close with a VIP reception, including elevator pitches from each of the start-up company founders and participants voting for the People’s Choice Award.

October 28th will start with Investor & Partner Connect (INVITE ONLY); followed by Networking with Teams at their tables - Investors and partners stroll among seated business teams (Open to registered attendees); the Innovation Showcase will end with a Lunch program and 2016 Cleantech Open Midwest start-up ‘winners’ announced and closing remarks (Open to registered attendees).

A detailed schedule of the two day event follows:

DAY 1 - October 27th

Judging (Private)

8-9:00 Team & Mentor Breakfast

8-9:00 Judges Briefing & Breakfast

9-3:00 30min/Team. Business Plan and “Pitch” Scoring

11:30-1:00 Lunch buffet

3:15-4:45 Judges Deliberations

5-7:30 VIP Reception/Networking (Atrium & Auditorium, Schulze), Food/Beverage and Table-top displays, Open to all registered attendees.

* 5:30-6:15 Sponsors, Keynote Speakers - Dean of Opus College of Business, Ian Foraker, Justin Erickson, New Alumni Program Reveal

* 6:15-6:30 2016 Team Elevator Pitch’s

* 6:30-6:45 Voting for 2016 People's Choice Award!

DAY 1 - October 27th, continued - Breakout Sessions - Open to registered attendees (Schulze Hall Auditorium)

12:00-1:00 RAIN: Radical Acceleration Innovation Network: Mission Summaries and Game Changing Strategic Partners

1:00-2:00 Innovation: Tim Nolan - Eco-Innovation and Corporate Intra-preneurship, Ryan Rogers (Strategy and Business Development Manager at 3M), Bill Shadid (Marketing and Product Development, Infinity Division Marvin Windows), Lev Buslovich (Chief Operating Officer Noble Conservation Solutions).

2:00-3:00 Investing: Steve Webster - Hypothesis/Concept Investing, Doug Cameron (Principle, First Green Partners).

3:00-4:00 Leadership: Garrick Villaume - Success Factors for Company Viability in Tech Startups, Brian Abraham (Associate Dean Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, Minneapolis), Doug White (Business Development, Dow Chemical - Midland, MI), Mark Brown (Founder at QuadROI, COO at Accelerated Innovations).

4:00-5:00 Marketing and Sales: Steve Webster - Gore-Tex Case Study: Success Through Engaging Every Stage in the Supply-Chain.

DAY 2 - October 28th

7:30-8:30 Investor Network Breakfast, private.

7:30-8:30 CTO-M Alumni and 2016 Teams Network Breakfast, private.

8:45-10:15 Investor and Partner Connect (alumni and 2016 teams), private.

10:30-11:40 Networking with teams at their tables, Open to the Public.

12:00-2:00 Lunch, Program, and "Winners:" Stephanie Lenway (Dean), Steve Webster moderates while strategic partners give "Elevator Pitches," Sue Marshall (Cleantech Open National Chair of Judging) - CTO-M category awards announced and closing remarks.

2:30-4:30 (Optional participation for investors and partners only) Meeting space availability for investor/partner meetings.