LocknCharge Blog

Supporting Madison’s Innovation, It’s a Win-Win

It’s Forward Fest time, and LocknCharge is ready! We’re returning to the scene of our win on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at the Overture Center – this year as a Hub sponsor of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce neXXpo event.

Now, before we go Forward, let’s back up. Last year LocknCharge and our sister brand, TechDen™ competed at neXXpo. Through two rounds and a pool of 30+ other amazing companies we prevailed, earning the title of Madison’s Most Innovative Company. Pretty cool, right? We think so. In fact, to quote our own words, “We are humbled by this award and will continue to work hard to drive innovation into Madison and around the world.”

We’re holding ourselves to that. Not just through our own work, but in our support of other local innovators, too. It’s important to us to promote and engage with fellow businesses that are making a difference in our community. Which brings us back to The Forward Festival.

Now in its 10^th year, Forward Fest is an 8-day celebration made up of more than 40 events and 5,000 attendees. The whole idea is to bring tech and startup communities together to learn, share, have fun and promote Madison and the Midwest as a leading region in innovation and entrepreneurship.

neXXpo is one of those events. Attendees walk through seven “innovation hubs” made up of five creative, cutting-edge businesses competing for their votes. Seven finalists are selected to present at the Chamber’s nex7 Stage event later in the year, where one will earn the Most Innovative Company award.

Here’s a sneak peek at the exhibitors in our Hub:

	Imbed Biosciences: a medical device company emerging as a leader in the development of advanced therapies for the treatment of burns, chronic ulcers, gastro-intestinal defects, and soft-tissue repair.
	Pasture and Plenty: a meal kit service and farm-to-table deli and catering company committed to making high quality, all natural, plant-based or pasture-raised foods.
	PegEx: the only platform to eliminate the complex risk of hazardous waste removal and offer a turnkey solution to generators, haulers and disposal sites.
	Trinity GunShot Alarm Systems LLC: designer of proprietary gunshot-detection systems with multiple applications, including schools, municipal buildings, business, warehouses, medical facilities, houses of worship, and more.
	Ian’s Pizza: a Madison pizza institution since 2001. Serving up unique pizza by the slice is just the beginning. One of the company’s main goals was to create an environment where his workers could become business owners. One of the proudest achievements to date is the work they have done to make Ian’s United an environmentally friendly entity.