Current/Featured Meetups and Organizations


POETRY OPEN MIC

POETRY OPEN MIC

Meeting on the second Tuesday of every month (7-8pm in the Idea Center Backstage).

All poets and poetry lovers are welcome in this inclusive open mic that happens the second Tuesday of every month. Bring your words, stop by to get inspired, or just listen. All people and styles of poetry are welcome. 

Please email Freesia McKee for more information

 

Artist Meetup

We’re hosting regular meetups at the Idea Center, come be socially creative with us (and feel free to come and go as you like)!

We’ve had a bit of everyone come out, so whatever your creative drive is, we’d be happy to hang out with you. Do drawings, knitting, beading, talk life/art, painting, write stories, digital renderings, WHATEVER! The Collaborate room is scheduled for our use.

Invite creatives to come hang out, and join the facebook group for meetup dates and other regular updates!

 

Ignite: Young Professionals

Ignite is a collaborative, energetic group dedicated to personal and professional development for all young adults connected to Portage County.

We provide the opportunity to develop leadership skills, connect with other young professionals, and learn about the people and places that make our community a great place to live, work, and play. 

Join the Facebook group to learn more about meetups in the Idea Center and across the wider community.

 

Break My Game

We Play Games. We Empower Designers. We Foster Community.

Break My Game provides a variety of playtesting opportunities in person (and virtually) on a monthly basis, ranging from early prototype games all the way to games ready-for-market. Our large community of designers is spread around the world!

This group meets every other month in the Idea Center. Check Create’s site/socials and Break My Game’s website for regular updates.

 

Co-Working With
UB Draws

Meeting regularly in the Idea Center’s Bridge, Collaborate Room and Backstage. Bring a project, sketch or doodle, or just come to be around other people. There will always be smooth music to set the tone and welcoming vibes to help you do whatever needs doing. We're also flexible - come and go as you please during co-working.

Check out UB's Site for dates/times and to sign up for regular updates.

 
DRAW Meetup

DRAW

DRAW brings live figure drawing to the IDEA Center on the first Thursday of each month. We welcome artists of all abilities, styles, and genres. Part class, part social experience, this meet-up lets artists practice their skills among friends. Artists should bring their own supplies and cash to cover the cost of the model (supplies and easels are available if needed).

Cost: Cash at the door, additional tips encouraged  $10 for adults, $5 with a valid student ID

Please email the event host for more information about this series and other DRAW opportunities.

 

Comedy Open Mic
& Workshop

Join a stand-up comedy workshop, hosted in the Idea Center Backstage.

Test out material in a judgment-free zone and collaborate with other comedians, record sketches and platform your work, or just come out to support the local comedy scene.

Visit Lewisbee.com for more info/updates and to contact the host.

 

Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater

Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater (cwACT) invites you to join them onstage, backstage or in the audience at their next performance.

Since 1973, the mission of cwACT is: To collaborate with the Central Wisconsin community in order to create a full theatrical experience that all can enjoy, and Final Fridays are their free monthly improv nights. Join in or just sit back for an evening of great fun and laughs!

Please explore their site or facebook group to find information on performance news, auditions, membership information, donation and volunteer opportunities.

 

Stevens Point Area Miniatures

A diverse community of miniature modelers, tabletop gaming experts and enthusiasts, hosting maker meetups, casual gameplay and regular tournaments.

This group intersects with pretty much everything wargaming-related, but focuses on the WARMACHINE game. Set in the Iron Kingdoms, it’s an environment that combines the richness of traditional fantasy with the excitement of steam power and gunpowder.

In this 30 mm tabletop miniatures battle game, each player controls an elite soldier-sorcerer who leads an army into battle to fight for king, country, or simply coin.

Join the Facebook group for regular updates and meetup dates.

 

Lego Club!

Join us for some brick building fun!

Designed for ages 5-12, Each session will include: individual building activities, group building challenges, building theme/techniques, and snacks.

Learn more and register for winter/spring sessions today!

 

Improv Auditions and Rehearsals

Our vision is to be a well-renowned troupe that is lauded for our improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up! 

We have a couple gigs in the works, but we need a group!  All folks of all ages are welcome, and we would be looking at rehearsing semi-regularly (once a month to once a week) while we work on scheduling improv, sketch, and/or stand-up shows.

If you want to get involved, have further questions, or want to share the invitation with people who you think might be interested,
please email the group here!

 

Steam Studio

Geared for ages 10 and up (other ages welcome), STEAM Studio will feature a variety of board games, puzzles, art supplies, tinker projects and more for an afternoon of creative exploration. Feel free to bring your favorites from home—or just bring your curiosity! Email for more information about upcoming meetups.

 

Portage County ARES & Central Sands Amateur Radio Club

Amateur radio open to anyone, meeting at the Idea Center the Second Thursday of each month.

We are a group of Ham Radio operators from Portage County, WI assisting with emergency communications; actively involved in ARES/RACES communications, promoting the hobby of amateur radio. And most of all - having fun doing it. Check out the Facebook Page or email the host for more information.

Have an Idea for a New Meetup or Want to Bring Your Organization Into Our Community?

 

Past MeetupS and Organizations


ARBRE TECHNOLOgIES + MATT VOLLMER

Arbré Technologies, a Wisconsin based tech startup, aims to revolutionize asset management for tree nurseries and other green asset companies by marrying state-of-the-art software with innovative hardware applications. The outcome is improved workflows that eliminate waste, reduce time, decrease costs and improve margins.

Arbré Nursery, which is also accessible via web application, is one of many innovative software solutions to be offered by the company. Arbré Tech is committed to creating the best systems for all types of growing operations, integrating with financial management systems, and customizing solutions that cater to unique nursery needs.


BARNARD STUDIO + JANE BARNARD

Jane Barnard is a professional artist and teacher, member of the Wisconsin Watercolor Society, the Door County Art League, and Wisconsin Visual Artists. She is represented by galleries in Stevens Point and Door County, Wisconsin. She teaches at the IDEA Center in Stevens Point, The Clearing in Door County, the Center for Visual Arts in Wausau, and other venues throughout the Midwest.


DESTINATION IMAGINATION + Jackie Paulson & TRINA BIERMAN

The Destination Imagination program is a fun, hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic Challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and service learning. Our participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the collaborative problem solving process. Teams may showcase their solutions at a tournament.


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ENHANCED DESIGNS + HEIDI POPE

Strengthen your company awareness with Enhanced Designs. We offer marketing and design services to enhance your brand. Creating a solution that best fits your marketing strategy through logo development, email campaigns, social media advertising, brochures, and corporate presentations.  


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FIELD NOTES FARM + Polly dalton & Oren Jakobson

Farming is never a perfected practice, and we’re willing to share our steps and developments along the way. Field Notes begins with our past 5 years growing together. Field Notes refers to the observations and reflections collected during scientific field study. Our website and our farm are just that — plans, data collections, trials, and reflections of the things we learn as part of building our farm community. We’ve set out to do this work for ourselves and for our community. We have many seasons ahead of us. The only certainty is that they will all be interesting.


4-H Robotics + Ryan Nelson

4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. Portage County 4-H clubs offer programs for anybody and everybody from five-year-old Kindergarten through one year post high school. Youth are empowered to discover and explore their passions through a variety of projects, including arts & crafts, creative writing, animal science, cooking & baking, gardening, woodworking, and so much more!

The Portage County 4-H Robotics program has found a home at the IDEA Center, teaching youth grades 5 & up the basics of programming logic by programming robots to navigate challenge courses.


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GREg Friese + Co-Worker

Greg is the responsible for oversight of original, authoritative content processes, products and systems for Corrections1.com, EMS1.com, Police1.com, and FireRescue1.com - the top digital media properties for public safety professionals.


LEAD TRANSFORMED + Tom Corcoran

LeadTransformed is a six-month mastermind process that helps leaders of all ages review common sense leadership principles and take consistent action steps to make them common practice.


MYSA + JEFF RICE

MYSA is an online platform that connects businesses with American freelancers, with the intent of providing high-quality, vetted, local talent that will support businesses in reaching their goals and support freelancers in living and working where they love, ultimately resulting in stronger communities throughout the US.

The IDEA center has provided MYSA with a place where our dispersed team can meet to plan out our business strategy, as well as giving us a platform (the Hatch competition) to promote our idea. We also look forward to connecting with other entrepreneurs and big-thinkers through IDEA center networking events. 


numbers & nature + cara brooke adams

Cara's creativity overflows at numbers & nature. Her business features Cara's Cannery & Cara's Kitchen using Wisconsin grown & made products, her Urban Nanofarm, and freelance graphic design services.

Most recently numbers & nature is pairing up with CREATE Portage County to produce a line of apparel featuring community-created art that celebrates our sense of place.


PYNPOINTS + Scott Gile

PynPoints is a free mobile application that connects you to local businesses and organizations offering time and location-relevant giveaways, deals, coupons, events, information and promotions saving you time and money.


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STAR B Works + Jesse & Ryan Haney

Star B Works, LLC offers professional consulting and creative design services, specializing in education administration, business management, environmental consulting, sustainability, and multi-media communication (e.g. photography, video, writing, etc.). 


TAPPED + Abi & Jeremy Solin

At the base of the glacial moraine north of Antigo, WI, where our family has been caring for the land for five generations, we make incredibly delicious maple syrup. Tapped specializes in infused syrups, selling our product to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, gift stores, and discerning consumers who are interested in both unique, amazing flavors and sustaining our working lands.


Thousand Lumens + Jade Arnold & Zach Strenger

Ever since they were kids, Zach and Jade have had a passion for film. They became friends at UW-Stevens Point and recognized one another's superior quality of work within their classes. Zach, a double major in English and Communication with emphasis on creative writing brings his skill set to the pre-production and writing side of the team. In post production, Jade's sense of rhythm and meticulousness in editing brings a refined and unique flow to the finished product. Together their love for cinema and their eye for detail allow them to capture beautiful cinematic footage and craft impeccable videos that draw both attention and emotion.


TOAST + Sarah Jo & MIchael More

A spin-off of The Main Grain Bakery, TOAST is Central Wisconsin's first take on the artisanal toast bar trend that started in San Francisco and is spreading across the country. TOAST provides foodies both set and seasonal menu options that pair toasted Main Grain breads with flavorful toppings in unique combinations.


TRANSCRIBING DANCE COMPANY + CHARYS HESS

Transcribing Dance Company, established in June of 2012, was set in place to collaboratively melt the art of writing and storytelling with the art of dance. TDC is a professional postmodern dance company which explores a journalistic approach on pedestrian movement. The choreography can be followed by a provided story line, narration, or appreciated in its most simple form, dance.


unpublished.io + Daniel Packard

A social network for researchers and research groups.


WISCONSIN RIVER WOODCARVERS

On February 1, 1995, a group of 18 carvers gathered in the basement of a fellow woodcarver. It was decided we could do it. Officers, by-laws, insurance, dues, incorporation and a meeting place were all discussed and decided upon. The Wisconsin River Woodcarvers, Inc. was created. On March 31, 2001, we had our very first woodcarving show and we have had one every year since. 

After many years of meeting in a local high school, we decided to meet year-round and not just during the school year. We now meet at a variety of times and locations, including Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 to noon at the IDEA Center.


WORKING CLASS PUBLISHING + BOB & KELLY BALLARD

Working Class Publishing is an independent publishing house established in 2012.

We are a publisher of high-quality books - looking to change the landscape of traditional publishing by investing in compelling manuscripts and innovative projects.

It's important to us - We print our books in the U.S. and we pay our authors.


ASSEMBLY + QUYEN HOM

Assembly is a clothing and small goods shop curated with the modern woman in mind. A brick + mortar shop based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, we believe in creating a beautiful space to become inspired in while you explore. Hand selected, transitional clothing pieces alongside small goods makes Assembly a shop that offers something for everyone.


PLOVER 9/11 MEMORIAL RESTORATION PROJECT + ART GRECO & BRANDI MAKUSKI

We are a group of elementary and junior high school students, chosen via an application process, in Whiting and Plover, Wis. Through community service and hands-on learning projects, our group will raise funding for needed repairs to the Plover 9/11 Memorial in time for a tentatively-planned re-dedication in September of 2017.


RED ARROW LABS + CENTRAL WI TEAM

Red Arrow Labs creates transformative technology to power a more efficient, effective and easy to use health experience. From laboratory testing to high-tough patient drug therapy support services, our software products positively impact millions of people’s health. Every piece of software, every mobile application we create blends human-centered design thinking and agile, iterative development to fuel progress for life science and health companies. A member of the Dohmen family of companies with more than 158 years of expertise, visit www.redarrowlabs.com to learn more.