Track news/developments on Gov. Tony Evers’ fund-of-funds proposal
- Read the Tech Council’s 2021 “white papers” report for background on the fund-of-funds proposal, which has been a part of our policy recommendations since 2012.
- Read a FAQ on the $100-million “Wisconsin Fund.”
- The “2021-23 Budget in Brief” is a summary of Gov. Tony Evers 2021-2023 budget proposal, which includes a $100-million venture capital “fund of funds” plan as well as other initiatives to spur economic growth. The document summarizes budget proposals across the board in state government and will be subject to legislative review and approval. The next fiscal year begins July 1. Read the 2021-23 Budget in Brief.
- Read news articles and Tom’s InsideWis columns that follow the progress of the $100-million fund.
Click here to access the page.
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Tech Council’s 2021 ‘white papers’ urge investing in workforce, capital and broadband
Improving access to investment capital for young Wisconsin companies, educating and training a strong workforce, making it easier to be an entrepreneur and building on the state’s tech infrastructure are four major themes of the Wisconsin Technology Council’s 2021 “white papers” report.
The report is timed for the start of a new session of the Wisconsin Legislature and the start of the 2021-23 state budget debate, which may focus in part on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to ideas in the four focus areas, the report also looks back on goals laid out in 2003 by the Tech Council in one of its earliest publications, “Vision 2020: A Model Wisconsin Economy.”
Click here to read and download the report.
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Wisconsin Tech Summit: General admission registration open!
>> NEW Former Google Ventures partner Tracie Rotter to headline virtual March 17 Tech Summit
The day-long event will be held Wednesday, March 17, 2021 virtually via Meeting Mojo and on vFairs.
More information and full agenda with speakers can be found at wistechsummit.com.
The Tech Summit will feature a series of brief meetings, or “speed dates,” to foster communication and partnership. It is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and the Wisconsin Healthcare Business Forum.
22 participating major firms thus far: 3M, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, American Family Insurance, AT&T, Dedicated Computing, EUA, Exact Sciences, Findorff, Froedtert Health, Georgia-Pacific, J.P. Morgan, Johnson Controls, Kimberly-Clark, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Mead & Hunt, Northwestern Mutual, PDS, Promega, Rockwell Automation, Schreiber Foods, Titletown Tech, and WIPFLi.
Click here to learn more and register!
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| Tracie Rotter |
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>> ICYMI "WisBusiness: The Show"
The latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show” spotlights Erin Clausen, investment manager for Irontek in Beloit. Clausen oversees Irontek and Grey Collar Ventures, which invests in Beloit-based startups.
Also, Tom Still presents “Tech Metrics,” which chart key indicators and events in the Wisconsin economy.
He’ll also preview upcoming Tech Council webinars and opportunities at the March 17, 2021 Tech Summit conference.
Sponsors include Exact Sciences, UW-Milwaukee and BDO.
View our full show archives here.
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Tech Council recognizes several prominent scientists who hail from Wisconsin
Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions of Black men and woman from all walks of life to American society. We start with just a few examples of people tied to Wisconsin who can be counted among those scientists who left a mark. Please read their stories and email Laura@wisconsintechnologyouncil.com with other Wisconsinites we can feature!
In this Spotify Black Oxygen podcast episode hosted by Angela Russell, Dr. Eric Wilcots, a Black astronomer and Dean of UW-Madison’s College of Letters and Science says, “2020 taught us some remarkably important things and if we are wise, we will listen to them." Give the podcast a listen.
- Hubert Mack Thaxton
- Etta Zuber Falconer
- Brian Nord
- Percy Lavon Julian
- Dr. Ivor Benjamin
Also, please read Amplified Digital: 7 ways we can all support Black History Month
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| Dr. Eric Wilcots |
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2021 Governor’s Business Plan update!
Thanks to everyone who entered the 2021 Governor’s Business Plan Contest! Judging is under way for 251 qualified entries with about 80 volunteers across the state. Some metrics of which we’re proud: 100 of the entries came from women, continuing the rise in the number of female entrepreneurs. About 25% came from people of color or diverse ethnic backgrounds. We’ll talk more about the breakdown of the entries in coming weeks.
How can you help? More offers of prizes, both cash and “service” prizes, are needed and welcome. You can help the finalists by chipping in; all cash goes directly to contestants who reach the final stages in June.
Contact Tammy Ehrmann: tammy@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com
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Department of Health Services update
To date, there have been more than 1 million doses of vaccine administered in Wisconsin.
>> NEW: DHS announces groups eligible for COVID-19 vaccine on March 1
Helpful links:
>> DHS’s vaccine registry launching March 1 (when and where you can get your vaccines)
The State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee’s (SDMAC) Vaccine Distribution Subcommittee is responsible for making distribution decisions. SDMAC holds public meetings and anyone can submit public comments. You can find information about the SDMAC here. To register for the DHS weekly newsletter, click here.
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>> The Tech Council is one of about 50 groups taking part in the “Stop the COVID Spread" coalition, which is a private-sector effort to do precisely what the name suggests: Encourage people to take common-sense steps to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Click here to watch the newest ad and please share with your networks.
“Given the current pace of vaccination in Wisconsin, it will take some time for the vaccine to take hold in the state,” said Wisconsin Hospital Association President and CEO Eric Borgerding. “Regardless of the political debates taking place in Madison, masks and other mitigation behaviors are critical factors in our COVID-19 fight.”
>> Click here for regularly updated metrics on the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
Please watch videos by Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and federal Health and Human Services secretary; Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan; Green Bay Packers players and healthcare workers from across Wisconsin. On Wisconsin!
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ECONOMY
- Rotary of Madison: Wisconsin’s tech industry beyond Dane County borders
- WisBusiness: Technology Council President says Wisconsin will “cross the COVID-19 chasm” through technology and existing resources
- Channel3000: Gov. Evers announces budget proposals to help Wisconsin farmers
- Brownfield AgNews: Cheesemakers benefit from broadband during the pandemic
- HNGNews: Year of the broadband will build Wisconsin's economy and improve access to justice
- MKE Business Journal: Foxconn's new partnership with Fisker could mean jobs in Wisconsin
- WEDC: Sussex IM expansion will create 84 jobs, draw $9.9 million capital investment
- Badger Herald: Gov. Evers invests $43 million in rural development, to aid contemporary economic depression
- Green Bay Press Gazette: Cheap solar helps Wisconsin utilities speed up green energy transition
- CapTimes: Wisconsin needs to address a coming crisis in retirement savings
ENTREPRENEURS + INNOVATION
- UW-Madison: Jignesh Patel’s DataChat democratizes data science
- WISN: Milwaukee native shares in success of NASA's Mars rover
- WisconsinINNO’s Nick Williams interviews Wes Schroll from Fetch Rewards on Wisconsin advantages as a startup
- TechHQ: Telehealth, edtech and the tech trends influencing startups in 2021
- BadgerHerald: Amigo app launched on UW campus to connect students
- WFRV: Green Bay Chamber says new business registrations up 26% in 2020
- UW-Whitewater: Entrepreneurship opportunities light a path for recent grad
- MKE Business Journal: Hispanic Collaborative's new MercadoMKE helps small businesses go digital
- CapTimes: Madison’s Yips Yogurt Chips reinvent Greek yogurt as a portable snack
- Entrepreneur: This is how you close the Black entrepreneurship gap
- Forbes: More youthful entrepreneurs with moxie emerging into the ecosystem
- UW-Madison: Friday, Feb. 26, is the deadline to apply for the Transcend Madison Innovation Competition
INVESTING
- Inside Wisconsin: Here’s how a planned $100-million state venture investment can help Wisconsin
- WisconsinINNO: Redox raises $45M to grow health data integration platform
- Reuters: For Black founders, venture funding remains elusive despite new funds
- WisBusiness: The Podcast features Jeanine Burmania, WARF
- BizWomen: Minneapolis-based WomenVenture's new CEO wants to support more women of color
- ChicagoINNO: With a new $5 million fund, P33 aims to support Chicago’s Black and Latinx founders
- Black Enterprise: Venture capital funding remains for Black founders elusive, despite new influx of finding
- Yahoo Finance: VC investment in ‘fintech’ more than doubles in second half of 2020
- AlleyWatch: Codecademy raises $40 million as the interest on coding education surges
- Forbes: Proposed changes to ‘carried interest’ would negatively impact diversity in venture capital
- Business Insider: VCs launching SPACs, raising billions to potentially buy startups they're invested in
- Valdosta Daily Times: Lightbank closes new venture capital fund, raising $180 million
COVID-19 + HEALTH
- AP News: Drug executive say big jump in vaccine supply is coming soon
- Morgridge Institute’s special webinar was recorded: "COVID-19: The science of vaccines."
- WSJ: Novavax nears COVID-19 vaccine game changer—after years of failure
- STAT: Experts worry screen time during COVID-19 could increase vision problems in kids
- The Atlantic: The most likely timeline for life to return to normal
- Pfizer says that their COVID-19 vaccine can now be stored in a standard freezer
- STAT: [Video] Please watch the recording of ‘The pandemic’s toll on mental health’
- CapTimes: College students and mental health counselors in Madison adapt to pandemic needs
- WashingtonPost: Can COVID herd immunity be reached without vaccinating kids? It’s complicated
- BadgerHerald: UHS, UW Housing, UWPD work in right direction addressing mental health crisis
EDUCATION
- EducationWeek: Pandemic is shaking up the world of work: Schools need to help students prepare
- WisStateFarmer: UW-Platteville to build state's largest solar array
- CapTimes: Thompson lauds Evers' $190 million hike for UW System
- WisBusiness: Panel says STEM is growing, but minorities still underrepresented
- MultiBriefs: Balancing edtech and digital equity during COVID-19 recovery
- UW-Oshkosh continues to lead fight against COVID-19, joins in regional vaccination effort
- Madison.com: Gov. Tony Evers wants $2.4 billion for state building projects, nearly half for UW System
- Herald Times: LTC's Workforce Solutions bridges gap between college resources, industry needs
- WisStateFarmer: Dairy Innovation Hub awards grants to researchers on UW campuses
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Current listings this week include opportunities at CHIME, WARF, WIPFLi, KW2, Tesla,
Affiliated Engineers, UW Health, Neugen, M3 Insurance, von Briesen & Roper and FIndorff.
Current members are encouraged to email their open opportunities to
laura@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com for inclusion. |
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Help us stay on top of events for our readers!
Please send your upcoming virtual events for consideration to laura@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com
WARF offers Your STEM Degree in Action: Careers in Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization on Wednesday, March 3. Hear from four young professionals who have followed their STEM pathways down very different roads in academia, industry, new ventures and law. These emerging experts will share their experiences working to advance innovations and will talk about ways to build your technology commercialization experience while pursuing your STEM degree.
Greater Green Bay Chamber presents Trends and Forecast: Talent webinar on Tuesday, March 16 featuring panelists from Emsi, LinkedIn and Breakthrough. This series deep dives into a specific influential topic in economic development and seeks to understand causality in current trends and then project forward what the economy can expect.
Milwaukee Business Journal is hosting their Virtual Power Breakfast featuring Bill Westrate, CEO-elect of American Family Insurance on Friday, March 12. American Family Insurance CEO-elect Bill Westrate will give an update on the impact of the pandemic on the company, along with his plans for the firm's growth as he succeeds current CEO Jack Salzwedel.
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