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)
* 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: Who cares about energy during COVID-19 crisis? We all should

Like many Americans, I’ve been struggling to adjust to the dramatic changes that have taken place over the last few months. It may sound cliché at this point, but it rings true nonetheless: COVID-19 and the worldwide effort to combat it have scrambled everything around us. Indeed, even energy markets have not been immune to sudden, dramatic and unprecedented changes.

Over this period, I’ve struggled with a central question: “Who cares about energy when tens of thousands of Americans are dying and millions are losing their livelihoods?”

Click here to read Coenen’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 “Pedal-Motive.”

Keeping bikes safe from the elements, and bikers active, is Pedal-Motive's motive
By Elizabeth Schreiber

Pedal Motive aims to keep people riding their bikes year-round with “Speedcase,” a fully enclosed bike transmission. 

Every day, people rely on bikes for recreation, training and commuting. Traditional bikes rely on exposed derailleurs to shift gears and provide an optimal riding experience with minimal pedaling effort.

Click here to read the full story.

UW-Madison Chancellor Blank: Planning for a safe return to campus

We recently ended a very strange semester and celebrated the achievements of more than 8,500 students who received degrees as part of the Class of 2020. No one could have anticipated the incredible change and challenges presented to us by the COVID-19 pandemic and I can’t tell you enough how impressed and proud I am of our campus’ response.

As we’ve emerged from dealing with the immediate issues of this crisis, we are now looking forward. I want to tell you how we are preparing for a phased reopening over the course of the summer and what we are doing to make decisions about the fall semester.

Click here to read Blank’s full letter.

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

• 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