MKE
TECH News
Issue 21 - July 9, 2020
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The Tech Hub Coalition was formed to accelerate collaboration in the community towards the goal of doubling our tech talent in the region. In my quick video message, you’ll hear how we're collaborating with other regional nonprofits to move with speed and at scale.
Collaboration also occurs across our membership who continue to help us shape and prioritize our collective work. This month, we’re proud to announce that Baird Capital and GE Healthcare have joined the Coalition.
With this growth, we're also happy to announce that our Bronze membership held an election to add a representative to the Board.
Rashi Khosla
,
Founder and CEO
of Mars
Solutions Group will be joining the Board of Directors. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
We welcome all of your organizations to join us in this critical mission.
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Bold Vision
Showcasing Milwaukee as a Tech Hub
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Summerfest Tech
A new format for 2020! Mark your calendar for
Tuesday, September 2
for this FREE, all-virtual event featuring a variety of speakers, networking and a virtual happy hour. In its third year, Summerfest Tech will explore diversity and inclusion within the tech space, hiring non-traditional talent, the capabilities of 5G and much more. This year, start-ups again may enter the Summerfest Tech pitch competition with a cash prize. Please visit our
website
to see the full programming lineup, register for the event and apply for the pitch competition.
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K-20
Developing and retaining the next generation of tech talent
This program was developed by
The Commons
in partnership with the
Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition
in response to so many students losing internships due to COVID-19. Many thanks to those who stepped forward as a speaker for last week’s
Bit by Bit Virtual Learning Conference
.
The 120 interns have formed 23 teams and have been charged with creating a technical solution for industry/community-focused challenges across a broad range of topics: digital equity, mental healthcare, corporate mentorship, talent development, startup community, digital transformation, gendered innovation, assistive technology, civil rights, affordable housing, food distribution and higher education. Those who have supported the program in any capacity are invited to
register
for a Virtual Demo Day on July 31.
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MKE Hour of Code - December 7-13 - Virtual or In-person Events
You’re invited to participate in MKE Hour of Code, an initiative presented by the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition and powered by NEWaukee designed to demonstrate a regional commitment to local tech talent development. Anyone can participate virtually or in person – companies, schools, nonprofit organizations and more! In 2020, we also are looking for K-12 districts willing to share their ‘technological literacy’ Academic and Career Planning lessons and/or organizations who might like to create a branded ‘Uniquely MKE’ Hour of Code activity. Visit
MKE Hour of Code
for additional information, resources and to register your organization as a participant. Questions can be directed to
HoC@mketech.org
.
The Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition is sponsoring a CSforALL workshop this summer for select districts to develop a strategic plan to create an inclusive culture for computer science. We are proud to join forces with some of our strongest regional STEM champions as part of a newly formed Greater MKE K-12 Computing Alliance to support participating districts in the development and execution of their plans. Please refer to the
full announcement
for details.
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Re/Upskilling
Developing new sources of talent that match our employers needs and demonstrate a value for diversity
Dev10 - Application Window for MKE Cohort 2 Closes on 7/15!
Genesis10’s Dev10 program expands Milwaukee’s tech talent ecosystem by creating a new pool of software development talent from new or not-so-new college grads who would like to transition to a career in tech. Standard curriculum focuses on full-stack Java with an ability to customize to client tech stacks. Genesis10 is
accepting applications
through July 15 for the 2nd MKE cohort to start at the end of August. Those who are accepted into the program are paid beginning with the first day of training and are offered a full-time 2-year contract. For more information, contact Jennifer Turnquist at
jturnquist@genesis10.com
.
i.c.stars Call for Applicants
i.c.stars, a not-for-profit foundation, offers adults an opportunity to learn business, leadership and technology skills that enable them to land a sustainable tech career. No technology experience required. We’re hiring for our 6th cohort, which starts in late July. Applicants must be:
- Age 18 or older
- A high school graduate or have a GED (No bachelor degrees accepted at this time)
- Available to attend programming 8AM–8PM, Monday–Friday for 16 weeks
- Working or have 6 months previous full-time work experience
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Startup
Leveraging cross-industry partnerships to accelerate local start up growth and drive innovation
FOR|M Announces Ongoing Support for Initial and September Cohorts
Based on feedback from our pilot cohort, the MKE Tech Hub Coalition is sponsoring a series of virtual happy hours and open office hours to continue peer and mentor support to help these organizations succeed. We’re also opening office hours to other regional startups. The program will be facilitated by WePivots and The Commons. Sign up
here
Also plan on another cohort starting in September. Registration details coming soon!
Milwaukee Entrepreneur Wants to End Unproductive Company Meetings
A FOR|M alumni, Milwaukee entrepreneur Marko Knezic is
developing a digital platform
that could add efficiency to the 11 million meetings that happen everyday, on average, in corporate America.
FOR|M alumni, Forest Richter and Uncrowd.io, Recognized as a Social Impact Hero
The goal of Uncrowd.io is to connect investors with underrepresented startup founders. Read about their solution and also Forest’s approach to life and business
here
.
Another FOR|M alumni, Deepak Babu’s Milwaukee-area information technology services company was featured in Wisconsin Inno. Sabhya Technologies is looking to find its niche by providing modern technology to small manufacturing companies still using laborious paper-based documentation systems.
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News
ELITE Virtual Webinar Series
Chirag Malkan, Sr. Global Advanced Engineering Manager at Rockwell Automation will be speaking about
Innovating Product Management
on July 16 and Jake Gaitan, Director of IT at Gordon Flesch will be presenting on
Leadership
on July 30 as part of the
ELITE
tech webinar series. The ELITE webinar series gives IT leaders an opportunity to discuss different topics within the industry. Speakers include IT leadership from Foot Locker, GE Healthcare, Rockwell, ULINE and others. If you have questions or would like to present, contact
Josh Cherry
or
Dana Moyano
.
Last Call to Apply for the Northwestern Mutual Venture Studio
Do you have an idea for a new startup in the fintech or health and wellness space? Let’s build something together! By partnering with the Northwestern Mutual Venture Studio, you’ll co-develop your venture with our team of entrepreneurs, engineers, designers and growth marketers, with free work space in Cream City Labs. We’ll also connect you with potential venture capital opportunities, including Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures.
Apply today
– submissions close July 19!
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Trends on Tech Talent Attraction
Wondering what some of the tech talent trends will be post-COVID 19? No one can predict the future, but we can learn from the past. Listen to this NVSIA webcast given by CEO, Kathy Henrich, last month. You can access it
here
.
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Founder and CEO Rashi Khosla Highlighted on Leadership Podcast
Lead That Thing!
is a podcast by Aruna Krishnan that features leaders in the community and focuses on topics that are pertinent and essential for both aspiring and current leaders. Episode number four is a spotlight on MARS Founder and CEO Rashi Khosla speaking about being an accidental entrepreneur and how she ended up founding a thriving and rapidly-expanding company. This program is committed to helping women in tech with an employment gap successfully reenter the workforce. Listen on
Apple Podcasts
or
PodBean
.
We Energies and Rockwell Automation Launch New STEM Center in Partnership with American Family
Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) will open a new STEM education center this fall in partnership with We Energies, Rockwell Automation and American Family Insurance. Rockwell Automation was the original driver behind the project and first to pledge support. We Energies will act as the title sponsor. The We Energies STEM Center at MSOE will be the hub for the school’s K-12 community STEM programming for area students, including those who may not otherwise have access to hands-on, one-of-a-kind STEM experiences. Rockwell is supporting a dedicated space for the FIRST Robotics teams, including a 1,500-square-foot area where teams can test designs and practice for competitions. American Family will provide expertise and support to programs ranging from artificial intelligence to coding. More information renderings and a virtual fly-through are available at
MSOE to open 10,000-square-foot STEM education center this fall
.
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GE Creating Digital Fabrication Labs for MPS Students
The philanthropic arm of manufacturing and tech company GE is creating six digital fabrication labs for Milwaukee middle school students.
The labs will be equipped with tools and software to help develop students as adaptive problem solvers for jobs that haven’t yet been created. Construction is expected to be done by the time all Milwaukee Public School students can return to school buildings. Local businesses will be invited to share product challenges for students to solve.
Learn more
.
Kohl’s Interns to Work Remotely this Summer
According to
research
from the career website Glassdoor, internship programs at companies across the country were canceled and internship hiring was cut in half across the U.S. this summer. Kohl's is bucking the trend by bringing 280 corporate interns onto its team virtually.
Learn more
.
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Collaborative Minds Bring “Tech for Good” to Life at Northwestern Mutual
Learn how our employees are coming together to help the community solve problems in new ways through
“
Tech for Good
”
projects. The company has a long-standing commitment to supporting employees’ desire to engage in our communities and now they’re putting their technology minds to work for multiple innovative projects. See how they are bringing “Tech for Good” to life. Also, take a listen to this
podcast
features James Hischke, Northwestern Mutual’s Senior Director of Tech Advancement and Outreach, who talks you through getting the best from and for your team.
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News
Microsoft Digital Skills Initiative
Microsoft is launching a global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year. The
program
i
s designed to provide easier access to digital skills for people hardest hit by job losses, including those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities. Components include free access to training in skills most in demand in the tech industry, an opportunity to practice those skills through GitHub exercises and LinkedIn job search tools including AI-driven feedback on a practice interview. Additional information at
opportunity.linkedin.com
.
What’s the Big Idea?
Seven teams of student entrepreneurs competed for cash prizes and recognition in the
Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament
.
The business idea competition was designed to help participants identify and test business assumptions early in order to quickly identify customers and market potential.
Winners
included:
- First: Lamah Bility/Anaa Jibicho, UW-River Falls - Didómi, a business focused on combating the water crisis in developing countries by selling fashionable, reusable water bottles.
- Second: Loren Nelson/Jonathan Brown, UW-Milwaukee - Lëvor, an organic haircare company intended to help desegregate that industry by providing options for all hair types.
ARDUINO Course with Gearbox Labs Now Available!
MSOE is partnering with
Gearbox Labs
to offer a discounted Engineering and Coding with ARDUINO course and kit as a summertime hands-on, tech option at home. The project work is designed to take rising high school students from having no experience with ARDUINO to working with a scientific sensor. Participants also will receive a classroom lesson book, starter kit and access to online coursework. Register
here
!
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Have Fun Supporting STEM Student Scholarships
Join us for STEM Forward’s
15th Annual Scholarship Program Fundraiser Golf Outing
to raise money for a great cause - scholarships for local students pursuing a STEM career. Please help address the lack of future-ready STEM resources and allow students to fulfill their dreams! The event will be held on August 13 at Morningstar Golfer's Club in Waukesha. Given the COVID 19 situation, we’ve made accommodations to allow for social distancing and safety for participants. We also have "virtual" golfer and sponsorship options available. Please consider becoming a sponsor and help us get the word out.
Learn more
.
Announcing the 2020-21 Board of Directors for NCWIT-WI
The National Center for Women in IT (NCWIT) provides a long-term community for female technologists, from K-12 through higher education and beyond, encouraging persistence in computing through continuous engagement and ongoing encouragement at each pivotal stage of their educational and professional development. The Wisconsin Affiliate of NCWIT is based in SE Wisconsin and has
announced its 2020-21 Board of Directors
. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact
Cheryl Nowak
, V
ice Chair.
Iowa Latest State to Pass Computer Sciences Education Act
Wisconsin neighbor Iowa has become the latest state to pass sweeping K-12 computer science education initiatives.
HF 2629
requires all schools in the state to offer computer science by 2023 and creates a state planning commission to ensure all districts are able to provide it. This underscores the importance of Wisconsin moving forward with similar legislative action to remain regionally and nationally competitive.
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Events
Talent Matters Mini-Series: Reskilling and Upskilling
Join the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce this summer to improve your organization’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing business conditions and build a competitive workforce for tomorrow. We’ll dive into the key elements for implementing successful skills development initiatives with expert content, interviews with leading-edge employers and dedicated discussion time with peer professionals. The next session is on July 15. For more information, visit the
website
.
Physical Data Centers? But it’s a Virtual World!
Join the Wisconsin Technology Association on July 16 for a conversation on aspects of our data centers in a remote world. There are changes being made in data centers however they ramped up with the pandemic and explosion in the remote workforce. Our moderator and panelists will answer questions about the data center, including power, security access, DCIM, etc. Attendees will benefit from our guests’ experiences and perspectives in this critical slice of our industry! Register
here
.
Healthcare Economics Summit
Sponsored by Concordia University and Rx Think Tank, this virtual
event
(limited in-person attendance also offered) on July 31 is your chance to hear about healthcare policy from book coauthors and other thought leaders who are nationally recognized experts in the field. If you’re interested in healthcare innovation, be sure to attend the free afternoon sessions focused on digital health/telehealth – register
here
.
WIoT Quarterly Symposium
The Wisconsin IoT Council will be hosting its Quarterly Symposium online this year. The seminar on August 12 – 13 will feature a panel discussion covering a variety of topics. Look for more details on the
website
as the event gets closer.
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iOpener Innovation conference
Save the date for i.c.stars' first-ever national event -
2020 iOpener Innovation Conference
on August 20-21.
The theme will be
"Reimagine the Future"
featuring panels, CXO sessions led by tech leaders and i.c.stars grads from across our locations with a focus on the future of diverse tech talent, entrepreneurship and innovation. The virtual event also includes breakout sessions for networking and learning. Mark your calendars today!
Business Best Practices & Emerging Technologies Conference
You won’t want to miss this virtual conference on September 24-25. In addition to inspiring keynotes, the annual UW E-Business Consortium event brings together an impressive lineup of thought leaders and industry experts throughout four customized tracks in
Customer Service
,
Information Technology
,
Marketing
and
Supply Chain Management
. The conference also features Strategic Briefings, in-depth interviews with track speakers and bonus afternoon mini Master Class sessions.
Learn more
.
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Women’s Entrepreneurship Week
Women’s Entrepreneurship Week
is returning virtually November 16-21! The goal is to spark business and economic growth by showcasing, educating and connecting women entrepreneurs and
professionals in Milwaukee and beyond. It’s the perfect setting to grow your networks, learn something new and be part of a community for change. S
upport women entrepreneurs and drive collaboration across Milwaukee by sponsoring the week. As a sponsor, you’ll
gain valuable exposure to female decision-makers and help keep the event FREE for more local women to participate. There are a variety of sponsorship levels and customizable options available. To host an event,
apply here
.
For sponsorship details, email
info@wewmke.com
.
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Headlines
Georgia-based software company
Aptean
has acquired
WorkWise, LLC
, an enterprise resource planning software company located in Menomonee Falls.
Through its social impact arm The Milky Way Tech Hub, Milwaukee-based software company Jet Constellations is launching a $50 million fund for investing in tech companies founded by Blacks and other underrepresented demographics. The fund is being launched in partnership with IP Zone Co., a New York-based information technology and services company formed out of American Express.
The
MKE Tech Hub Coalition
is searching for a new board member that would represent Milwaukee’s diverse community following weeks of protests around the country about racial inequality and incidents of police brutality in America.
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T
here are many ways to get involved in the #mketech movement:
- Stay informed through our newsletter and reach out to people to explore opportunities to collaborate.
- Become a Coalition member and/or provide subject matter expertise to the Coalition.
- Share the newsletter with others in your network. You also can submit content for a future newsletter by emailing contact@mketech.org. Please note, content is limited to 100 words and is always due by 8 am on the first Friday of each month.
- Stay connected with the MKE tech community through MKEtech.org or #MKEtech.
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