Marquette to host Wisconsin's first conference on blockchain technology

October 18, 2017

November 9 event will explore revolutionary new data sharing applications

MILWAUKEE — Marquette University on Thursday, Nov. 9, will host the state's first conference devoted to exploring applications of blockchain, a nascent technology predicted to revolutionize the way data is recorded and shared across industries.

The Milwaukee Blockchain Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to noon in the Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave. Open to the public, the conference is $35 per person; registration is required and available online.

Speakers will include:

  • Lamont Black, assistant professor of finance, DePaul University
  • Jennifer O'Rourke, Illinois blockchain business liaison and deputy director of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, State of Illinois
  • Marc West, chief technology officer, Fiserv

Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion on the potential impact of blockchain. The panel, moderated by Dr. David Krause, director of Marquette's Applied Investment Management program, will include:

  • Michael Adam, chief executive officer, BankMyBiz and founder of DocLaunch
  • Bill Caraher, chief information officer, von Briesen & Roper
  • Bob Cornell, lead emerging technology analyst, Northwestern Mutual
  • Will Pangman, founder, Bitcoin Milwaukee, and partner, Taurus Vision
  • Girish Ramachandra, senior manager for market and solutions, WIPFLI
  • Derek Urben, chief financial officer, Coinigy

Blockchain, sometimes referred to as distributed ledger technology, or DLT, is the technical undergirding of the anonymous cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Conceived in 2009, the technology is now being harnessed by startups and Fortune 500 companies alike to solve problems related to trust and information security. Blockchain technology is poised to disrupt many industries, from finance to supply chain management, law, accounting and more, by enabling the sharing of immutable contracts and records via trustless, transparent systems that remove intermediaries.

The Milwaukee Blockchain Conference, co-hosted by Marquette's College of Business Administration and Center for Cyber Security Awareness and Cyber Defense, is an event of Startup Milwaukee Week.