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April 6, 2020
Dear readers, |
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As part of the Tech Council’s continuing series, “Crossing the coronavirus chasm,” we’ll hear from key Wisconsin officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration during a 10 a.m. Thursday, April 9th webinar.
Individual and corporate members of the Wisconsin Technology Council may register now to learn how the SBA is working with small businesses through its relief programs. There are limited “seats” in the Zoom meeting. Members of the Tech Council and its programs, the Tech Council Innovation Network and the Tech Council Investor Networks, may email julie@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com to reserve a spot. Meeting log-in credentials and other guidelines for the hour-long session will be sent by prior to the event.
The Tech Council is pleased to produce this seminar for its members in Wisconsin and beyond. To join the Tech Council, click here or contact Angela Schlobohm at angela@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com. We’ll follow with more details on this informative webinar as we draw closer!
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Stay tuned for announcements about virtual Tech Council webinars on COVID-19 issues of interest to our members and others.
Do you have news or best practices to contribute to a future edition of Tech Council Current?
Contact Laura@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com
Sincerely,
Tom Still, president
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- WEDC Small Business 2020 Program: Assistance will be available to Wisconsin-based Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) List of All 23 CDFIs in Wisconsin to provide grants to their existing loan clients to help mitigate business-related cash flow issues in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Approved CDFIs will make program grants (up to $20,000) available to for-profit businesses meeting the following: criteria: Current loan recipient in good standing as of 3/1/20 with the approved CDFI (or its collaborating CDFIs);20 or fewer PT/FT employees; Greater than $0 but less than $2 million in annual revenues; and, preference should be given to service and retail businesses
- Gov. Evers’ office has launched a statewide COVID-19 website that aggregates information and resources throughout state government.
- The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development produced this helpful Frequently Asked Questions document.
- 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, and is offering low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) 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.
- COMPTIA offers eight cybersecurity tips for working remotely
- (new) Wisconsin COVID-19 Startup Talent project to help those displaced from jobs and employers now hiring
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Guest column: COVID-19: Weathering the storm using technology, creativity, and agility
There’s no denying we are living in unprecedented times. The last month is both a testament and an eye-opener to how quickly life and the status quo can be disrupted. The United States left the 2010s and entered the 2020s amidst a decade-long period of exponential economic growth that appeared to be never ending; the national unemployment rate was at a 50-year low; and the country was gearing up for a decisive presidential election.
Enter SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19. A global pandemic emerges. Flash forward to April 2020. The world is now living in what feels like a dystopian future that only fiction authors such as George Orwell and Stephen King could have imagined.
Nick Myers is the founder and CEO of RedFox AI and wrote this piece for the Tech Council Current.
Click here to read his full column in our newsroom.
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Move to online schools offers students chance to enter ‘Wisconsin YES!’ business plan contest
The
closing of schools across Wisconsin due to the COVID-19 epidemic means
teachers and students will pursue instruction opportunities online in
the coming weeks. One useful tool readily available for middle- and
high-school students is the Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs in Science, or
Wisconsin YES!, contest. Public, private and home-schooled students
across Wisconsin are eligible to turn their science- and tech-related
ideas into business plans and compete for cash and prizes. This
free, statewide youth business plan contest is modeled after the
successful Governor’s Business Plan Contest. It is open for online
entries from Wisconsin middle- and high-school students through 5 p.m.
April 13, 2020.
The contest begins with a 250-word summary submitted through WisconsinYES.com.
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