INSIDE WISCONSIN by TOM STILL

View Tom Still’s full InsideWis archives by clicking here.

Registration now open for our ‘virtual’ Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference!

We recently announced that Brian Pinkerton, Apple’s chief architect for Siri and a graduate of the UW-Madison Department of Computer Sciences, will speak June 4 during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference on a virtual platform that will offer plenty of interaction with attendees.

Click here to read the conference press releases: (* NEW)
* Tech Council's virtual event platform launched for June 4 Entrepreneurs' Conference *
Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy to receive the 2020 'Seize the Day' award June 4 at 'treps conference
Five interactive workshops to target post-COVID strategies at June 4 Entrepreneurs' Conference
Panels at virtual Entrepreneurs’ Conference will focus on COVID-19 economic recovery 
‘Virtual’ Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference will offer plenty of ways for attendees to engage
‘Siri, did you know your boss will speak June 4 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference?’

We’ll announce more conference highlights soon, including engaging ways for attendees to network among themselves and presenters. Nothing beats live, but this will come close! Among the features of the conference over time have been the Governor’s Business Plan Contest (see more below) and a presentation by the winner of the Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs in Science, or YES!, contest. A full release on the young people advancing in that competition is linked here, as well.

Please stay tuned for more about panel discussions, workshops and special networking activities.                                                                    Register here!

GUEST COLUMN: COVID-19 has only intensified the broadband gap

We are living in a new world, a world racing online as social distancing forces many of us to work, communicate and connect in new ways. In the United States alone, state and local directives have urged 316 million Americans to stay in and, when possible, work from home. As communities around the world adapt to a world with COVID-19, broadband connectivity and access are more critical to our lives and livelihoods than ever before.

Broadband already powers much of our modern lives, but COVID-19 has acted as an accelerant, a fuel of sorts that has driven many essential activities online. All learning, services, commerce, most workplaces and daily interactions online require a high-speed connection to the internet. Click here to read Smith’s full column.

The BPC class of 2020: Finalist profiles

The Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest began in late January and will culminate June 4 during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference. Some contest finalists were profiled by senior and graduate students in a UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication capstone class. Visit WisBusiness.com, our “Student Stories” and our BPC website to see more stories about these young companies. Today’s feature story is about “Last Lock.”

What happens when you mix tradition with technology? You lock up success! 
By Brianna Van Matre

It’s hard to believe that during a time of technological innovation, people sometimes forget to incorporate tradition in their ideas.

For Jack Ryan, his idea began by looking at a traditional gated entryway and wondering how it could become better.

Ryan has developed a “smart lock” that is able to give people a more secure and advanced lock, while keeping the traditional look and function of a normal deadbolt. Ryan, founder of Last Lock, has designed a lock with “smart” software features as well as functions for a variety of uses.  Click here to read the full story.

WPR: Where stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 restrictions are in effect in Wisconsin
WISN: Counties, municipalities that reopened & remain closed
TMJ4: Dane County issues its own order, continues Safer At Home measures
City of Milwaukee Health Department: COVID-19 Public Health Plan for the City of Milwaukee
Wisconsin State Journal: 13 of 72 Wisconsin counties and the city of Racine have extended stay-at-home orders
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's which Wisconsin counties and cities have continued or started new stay-at-home orders
Urban Milwaukee: Cities respond to pandemic with public space experiments
The Journal Times: After the coronavirus: Your next road trip may look like this
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we've learned about how to protect yourself from coronavirus in reopened Wisconsin
Milwaukee Business Journal: Employers need to weigh legal and health ramifications when reopening, experts say
Madison.com: As Memorial Day tempts people outdoors, precautions advised *

• Gov. Evers’ office has launched a statewide COVID-19 website that aggregates information and resources throughout state government.
• COVID-19 Volunteer Program
• Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health
• Religious Gatherings and Services
• DVA Assistance to Needy Veterans Program
• Call 1-800-WIS-VETS for Veterans Benefits Information
• Relief and recovery resources for your business: Reopen guidelines
• Gov. Evers Announces Badger Bounce Back Plan
• Helping minority-owned micro-businesses weather the storm: Ethnic Minority Emergency Grant
  
• The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development produced this helpful Frequently Asked Questions document.
• The Wisconsin Department of Revenue offers these information sources:
•       Business Development and Government Relations (BDGR)
•       COVID-19 Information and Announcements
• WEDC has compiled a comprehensive overview of their resources along with state and federal resources to assist Wisconsin citizens aimed at maintaining the viability of the companies upon which our economy depends.
• Report any scams or price gouging to Wisconsin Department of Justice: If you suspect fraud or a scam, Attorney General Kaul suggests filing a complaint online at datcp.wi.gov.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) has guidance for businesses, Pending congressional and presidential approval, the SBA may offer another round of low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses and non-profits impacted by coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control: Coronavirus latest updates
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: COVID-19 Outbreaks in Wisconsin
• The FDIC has provided guidance to banking institutions and consumers affected by COVID-19 and encouraged financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers and customers in affected communities.
• The Department of Labor has issued guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements.
• NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers are providing services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers such as connecting businesses that are pivoting their production in response to the coronavirus to new supply chains, connecting firms with state resources, advising companies on new operational issues, and providing workforce support.
• “Wisconsin COVID-19 Startup Talent” is a new project to help those displaced from jobs and employers now hiring
• The Department of the Defense has established the Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) for COVID-19 to assess and rapidly respond to challenges presented by this pandemic. They are collecting information from both government and non-government personnel who are interested in getting involved. All resources and solutions are welcome from industry, academia, venture capital firms, individual contributors and more. Request information here.
• Wisconsin Hospital Association releases a COVID-19 dynamic Situational Awareness Update
• View an interactive map of public wi-fi “hot spots” in Wisconsin