Guest column: Take action to secure your email and the cloud technology you use!

By Jim Blair, Aberdean Consulting

In February 2020, the Tech Council Current published our guest column headlined, "If you think your email is secure, think again." Here is an update with more actions for businesses and individuals to take.

The pandemic and the social distancing that require remote work is further aggravating the existing security vulnerabilities that organizations face. Compromising users via email remains the top threat and can be prevented. In the last 90 days, Aberdean Consulting has seen an increase in the 200-300% range for phishing and spoofing messages.

Click here to read the full guest column.

The Tech Council is one of about two-dozen groups taking part in the “Stop the 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. Please watch a video by Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and federal Health and Human Services secretary.

The Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers recently joined the coalition as well. Watch a video featuring Packer players here.  On Wisconsin!

New "WisBusiness: The Show" coming soon!

Sponsors include Exact Sciences, UW-Milwaukee and BDO.

View our full show archives here.

The 2020 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium: Registration now open!

Registration is now open for our annual Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium #ESSWI, to be held Nov. 9-11 on a virtual platform. We hope you’ll join us!

The conference will focus on increased opportunities for emerging companies and startups to meet with investors 1:1, pitch and present their companies. Our virtual exhibitor booths will be enhanced time to meet with sponsors and others. Nearly 50 investor groups have already signed on (see hyperlinked list here).

vFairs to power interactive virtual platform for November Wisconsin Early Stage event
Can Wisconsin lead bio-industrial surge? Find out at 2020 Early Stage Symposium
Vets, students get discounted entry to November Early Stage event
Epic Health Research Network to be featured at 2020 Early Stage Symposium
Long-time angel capital leader to receive ‘Triple E’ award at Early Stage Symposium
Midwest Investors to discuss potential in Wisconsin, region at Early Stage event
Wisconsin ‘Creative Destruction Lab’ to be featured at 2020 Early Stage Symposium
Viral marketing pro, entrepreneur Jacques joins 2020 Early Stage Symposium line-up

Watch for more information to come via the Tech Council Current, press releases and social media!

ECONOMY

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Smaller turkeys, higher wages and big numbers forecast as grocers prepare for a busy, pandemic-flavored holiday season
• Dairy Reporter: Irish Dairy Cooperative plans $10 million investment in Wisconsin facility
• CNBC: World Economic Forum says machines will create jobs but warns of pandemic disruption
• NPR: How social distancing can destroy the global economy
• Wisconsin State Journal: Candy maker Haribo to begin construction on Wisconsin facility later this year 
• Milwaukee Business Journal: In midst of controversy, mounting questions, see construction progress on Foxconn site from above
• FDL Reporter: Mercury Marine has earned a 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award
• WalletHub: The most and least financial distressed cities during COVID-19
• Wisconsin State Journal: Xcel Energy pursuing $100 million solar farm in western Wisconsin; Alliant adds 115 megawatts
• JSOnline: TikTok Ocean Spray challenge good for Wisconsin cranberry growers
• Wausau Pilot & Review: Facing challenges, honeybees’ production has dropped in the U.S.
• Fortune: No, offices aren’t going away—but they won’t be the same

ENTREPRENEURS + INNOVATION

• CapTimes: Q&A: Jasmine Banks to find permanent home for beauty business in Madison Public Market
• Crunchbase: Sustainable food supply chain begins with startups on the farm
• WBAY: Appleton International Airport starts growing its own greens in hydroponic garden from Fork Farms
• Forbes: Women are underrepresented in the music industry – Wisconsin’s LÜM is trying to change that
• Visual Capitalist: Mapped: The top female founder in each country
• WeAreGreenBay: UW-Green Bay grad launches clothing line despite obstacles
• Crunchbase: Some startups thriving in volatile times, here’s what they’re doing

INVESTING

• WisBusiness: Newly restructured fund, Gateway Capital Fund, seeks to be the first venture capital investment in startup companies that are not yet generating revenue
• NVNG Investment Advisors: [Webinar recording] Attracting Venture Capital to the Midwest
• WisconsinINNO: Weather tech company Understory looks to fuel growth with $4.1M capital raise
• Great North Labs: Tech Sector’s growth has accelerated
• Milwaukee Business Journal: [Podcast] Nettles talks diverse management, his next private equity fund
• Times of Entrepreneurship: A $100 million Fund of Funds for venture capitalists of color
• Crunchbase: Unequal access to capital worsens COVID’s economic toll
• Reuters: Wall Street rebounds ahead of tech earnings, upbeat U.S. data helps
• ImpactAlpha: How impact investors are using donor-advised funds to shift power to the people and communities
• Release: Impact America’s $55 million second fund is hunting for unicorns in the disruption of systemic racism
• Technical.ly: What can investors learn from entrepreneurs?

COVID-19

• CapTimes: As cold sets in, state's top infectious disease official Westergaard warns of 'nightmare scenario'
• Spectrum News: 'Doctors have a hard time differentiating it without a test': What to know about coronavirus vs. flu
• World Economic Forum: 10 most discussed tech topics during COVID-19 so far
• Spectrum News: UW-Oshkosh bet on antigen tests. Now, it’s helping the CDC evaluate them
• WKOW: [Video] CDC director Redfield visits UW-Madison testing lab
• CNN: American Academy of Pediatrics sees 14% increase in child COVID-19 cases with close to 800,000 U.S. kids infected

HEALTH

• Release: Exact Sciences makes acquisition to become a leader in blood-based, multi-cancer screening
• CapTimes: Q&A with Jonathan Baran, CEO and Co-founder, Carebot Health
• Harvard Business Review: To handle increased stress, build your resilience
• CNN: Some doctors in U.S. fighting the pandemic now have another thing to worry about – losing their visas
• LinkedIn: Why managing your work-life is harder but more important during COVID
• Wisconsin State Journal: Exact Sciences stock soars with acquisitions of 2 blood-based cancer screening firms for $2.56B
• NYTimes: Some U.S. hospitals are reaching their limits
• UW Health: Developing a COVID-19 winter resilience toolkit is important for mental health
• CNET: How to boost happiness hormones in everyday life
• Thrive Global: 15 ways to redefine productivity in our next normal

EDUCATION

• Morgridge Institute: National Science Foundation establishes a partnership with UW-Madison to advance throughput computing
• CapTimes: UW to start second round of furloughs, increase minimum wage in January
• UW-Eau Claire: New documentary features international research project in Lithuania that includes Blugolds
• Wisconsin Energy Institute: Advancing Wisconsin’s rural bio-economy video series
• Madison Startups: WARF gives $88.5 million in grants to UW
• Release: UW-Milwaukee commits to ‘Moon Shot for Equity’ to end equity gaps in higher ed
• Black Enterprise: Robert F. Smith donates $50 million to assist STEM students at HBCUs
• MKE Neighborhood News: This Milwaukee charter school is more than quadrupling the number of Wisconsin Black students taking the AP computer science exam
• STAT: COVID-19 researcher fights back against a different kind of virus: sexism and power imbalances in science
• Foundation for Economic Education: New report shows stunning success of apprenticeship program as college alternative
• NYTimes: Colleges slash budgets in the pandemic, with ‘nothing off-limits’
• Badger Herald: Mental health workers, students work to manage mental health during COVID-19 pandemic
• Spectrum News: Parents are split over state of schooling in a pandemic
• Wisconsin State Journal: MATC meat cutting program sees record enrollment thanks to interest in local foods

Please send your upcoming virtual events for consideration to laura@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

UW–Madison’s Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership will present a virtual debate on antitrust policy in the digital age on Friday, Oct. 30.  Topics will include growth of big tech, the ongoing regulation and oversight activities of national governments, and how this might play out in the years ahead.

Madison College presents Dr Ibram X. Kendi discusses antiracism and racial justice on Wednesday, Nov. 4

The Tech Council’s annual Early Stage Symposium will be virtual for the first time from Monday Nov. 9 – Wednesday, Nov. 11

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is hosting their first-ever virtual Big Night Out with the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Nov. 11

WARF Innovation Day has opened registration! This 60-minute event will include four quick pitches, glimpses of cherished UW-Madison places, people and traditions and a moderated Q&A session on Nov. 18

Women’s Entrepreneurship Week presents To Bootstrap or to Raise?  Considerations in a COVID-19 World on Friday, Nov. 20

• WI Health Connect: Think you may have COVID-19? Free, confidential over-the-phone screening now available.
• Live dashboard with QUICK NUMBERS and FACTS on the IMPACT of COVID-19
• Michael Best has formed a COVID-19 Task Force to address business and legal implications.
• Reinhart’s Coronavirus Resource Center includes the impact of HR 6201 on employees.
• BDO monitors the latest COVID-19 business impacts and regulatory updates.
• Learn more about Epic tools that can help you and your organization treat and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• WIPLFi: Information to help businesses and individuals weather the coronavirus.
• Quarles & Brady has created a resource of COVID-19 articles that impact clients and businesses.
• Wisconsin Department of Tourism is actively planning for Wisconsin’s economic COVID-19 recovery.
• Click here to sign up for the WisPolitics/WisBusiness daily healthcare report.
• Husch Blackwell explores issues at the intersection of law and public health emergencies.
• TASC is making its expertise and emergency benefit accounts available for free to Dane County employers in 2020.
• Neider & Boucher provides their clients with the necessary focus to help define and reach their goals during COVID-19.
• UW-Madison’s CROWE researchers track and analyze the economic impact of COVID-19 in Wisconsin and beyond.
• WMC launched a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Business Resource Center and Employer Toolkit.
• Godfrey & Kahn’s COVID-19 Resource Center provides timely insights on the unique legal challenges and business implications created by the pandemic
• Baker Tilly’s Coronavirus Resource Center: how an unplanned event such as the COVID-19 outbreak can affect your organization, employees, customers and suppliers.
• The Burish Group: UBS Business Owner Resiliency Center
• The Creative Company is offering a free crisis white paper download: How to communicate with clarity during COVID-19
• Aberdean Consulting has an updated Remote Office/Home Office Security Survey  
• MKE Tech Hub has a new outgoing newsletter for the tech community to stay informed and engaged. Click here to subscribe.
• UW-Madison launched a new COVID-19 dashboard for faculty, staff and students