This afternoon I'll be joining a group of Prairie All-Stars for a panel discussion during Techweek 2012 in Chicago.

The session takes place at 3 p.m. at The Merchandise Mart and is titled "Stories from the Silicon Prairie: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Outside of the Valley."

The panel includes representatives from each of the Silicon Prairie's three hub cities. Greg Kratofil, an attorney with Polsinelli Shughart, Naithan Jones the co-founder of AgLocal, and Thad Langford, an entrepreneur, mentor and investor, will represent Kansas City. Ben Milne, the co-founder of Dwolla, will provide a Des Moines presence, and I'll be on hand from Omaha.

The panel will feature discussion about building an entrepreneurial ecosystem outside of Silicon Valley. We'll cover subjects that include the shift in the development of technology startups within the Silicon Prairie, the benefits and challenges of starting and growing a technology company in the Midwest and raising early stage capital in the region.

Stay tuned later in the week for some takeaways from today's discussion. 

If you're at the event, come and say hello. You can also keep tabs on the action by following @thetechweek or using the hashtag #techweekchi.