Laura Gallagher to Speak at Wisconsin Technology Council’s Early Stage Symposium

Panel will explore how founders and business owners often serve as their company’s “chief rainmaker”

MADISON, Wis. (Oct. 27, 2025) — Laura Gallagher, President of The Creative Company and one of Wisconsin’s most recognized entrepreneurs, will be a featured panelist at the Early Stage Symposium, hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council, taking place November 5–6, 2025, in Madison at the Monona Terrace Convention Center

The program will highlight Wisconsin’s “Next Hot Ventures.”

Gallagher will join fellow leaders for a dynamic discussion on the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face when they find themselves serving as the chief rainmaker—the person responsible for driving growth, cultivating relationships, and shaping the company’s future.

“Many business owners discover that leading growth is as much about creativity and storytelling as it is about sales,” Gallagher said. “This panel is an opportunity to explore that balance and the lessons that come from being both visionary and rainmaker.”

The Early Stage Symposium will feature this panel during its two-day event that also includes startup pitches, investor panels, and networking opportunities that bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors to advance Wisconsin’s innovation economy. Attendees will also experience the event’s signature “Open Mic” sessions—“Shark Tank”-style sessions that allow investors to meet creators and fund the next generation of Wisconsin businesses.

Gallagher’s business was recognized as Dane County’s Small Business of the Year (2022), and she was recognized as SBA’s Women in Business Champion of the Year, and a Wisconsin Trailblazer. She is a 2017 alumna of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program and will bring the story of her company’s success at the program’s Summit on Oct. 29 and 30 in Washington, D.C. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Summit will feature notable keynote speakers, including “Shark Tank’s” Daymond John and AG1’s Kat Cole.

Gallagher is also the winner of the 2021 Governor’s Business Plan competition sponsored by the Wisconsin Technology Council for her company, Mathetria Press, LLC, a publishing company.

As the founder and president of The Creative Company, a Madison-based PR and marketing firm established in 1989, Gallagher leads a team representing leading nonprofits, cooperatives, and businesses throughout the Midwest. The firm specializes in brand strategy, public relations, and content marketing.

Tickets for the Early Stage Symposium are available at https://wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/early-stage-symposium.