Joe Kirgues

Joe Kirgues is an entrepreneur and cofounder of gener8tor – a national and international network of startup accelerators, based in Madison, WI, which he manages along with his business partner Troy Vosseller.

gener8tor runs 105 startup accelerators – including its newest Skills Accelerator – across 47 communities in 28 states and Puerto Rico, supported by a full-time staff of 120.  The company also recently expanded into Luxembourg, India, and Saudi Arabia.  To make these programs successful, gener8tor partners with a range of investors, universities, cities, states, and corporate partners.  gener8tor also maintains a 54-member corporate network with flagship conferences in Insurtech, Medtech, Manufacturing Tech, Agtech, Edtech, and Corporate Impact.

Graduates of the gener8tor and gBETA accelerators have raised over $2.3 billion in follow-on financing and created more than 13,000 jobs.

Prior to founding gener8tor, Joe served as a clerk in the chambers of the Honorable William E. Callahan, Jr. in the federal Eastern District Court of Wisconsin.  Joe earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a B.A. from Marquette University.