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Issue 40 - March 11th, 2022 |
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How should we define Innovation? My personal favorite:
“Innovation is the creation, development and implementation of a new product, process or service, with the aim of improving efficiency, effectiveness or competitive advantage.” - Government of New Zealand
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Innovation in our startups, corporations, and research institutions is key to scaling a tech ecosystem. This month’s newsletter has multiple examples of programs and processes intended to spur innovation including:
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Reverse Pitch: Winners are announced and are starting to work with their pitch sponsors to develop implementable solutions. Come join us on 3/18 to hear how the winners and/or strong contenders addressed their Reverse Pitch challenges.
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Reverse Pitch High School: Leveraging these same challenges, high schoolers are learning to innovate. We’re so excited to see how they address Froedtert and Northwestern Mutual’s challenges in unique ways. If you know a high schooler who may be interested, get more information here. Thank you to Young Enterprising Society who is our program partner.
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i.c.stars Milwaukee developing Tech Event Community Calendar: Last week, the “Cloud 9” cohort presented their prototypes. Thank you to Accenture for sponsoring the cohort and for engaging the MKE Tech Hub Coalition to identify a community need. We wish them well with commencement on March 31st.
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FOR-M: We are launching our 5th cohort of this very successful program to help startups advance their concept. These founders will join a community of over 80 startup alums.
Innovation requires community to advance. New ideas are rare in isolation. And after two long years of virtual events, we are preparing to host more in-person events in the future including:
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Member events: Next one is on 3/23 and focused on 2022 Tech Trends. (If you have not seen your invite, reach out to contact@mketech.org)
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MKE Tech Week: Hold your calendars for October 3-7.
- Community Events
With a small team, we need help. We're forming a volunteer, community-based events team who will help in planning, outreach, promotion, and execution of community events. If you’re interested in volunteering, please fill in this form.
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Welcome to our new members who continue to help us extend the impact of our work! Ernst and Young has joined the Coalition as a bronze member and Alliant Energy has joined as a community member.
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Bold Vision
Showcasing Milwaukee as a Tech Hub
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MKE Tech Hub Coalition will represent our collective work to grow SE Wisconsin’s tech ecosystem including other panelists from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Tulsa.
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K-20
Developing and Retaining the Next Generation of Tech Talent
To stay up to date on K-20 subcommittee priorities and progress, please check out our web page.
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(Formally known as Summer Pre-Internship Program.) Our award-winning summer program is back and runs June-August. FUSE by MKE Tech Hub Coalition is a unique summer bootcamp experience designed to infuse and build tech skills that can apply to any tech or tech adjacent industry. This year’s program is open to college students and college ready high school students and will focus on the Ethics and Impact of Data & AI. The Coalition will be partnering with member organizations who comprise the program’s Industry Advisory Committee, the Higher Educational Regional Alliance (HERA), The Commons and Rex Academy. The application and all program dates are available HERE.
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FUSE: Opportunity to Sponsor for In-Person Events
If you are interested in sponsoring the launch event on June 16th at Ward4 or the student showcase event on August 8th at the Fiserv Forum to build your early talent brand, please email contact@mketech.org.
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Midwest Instructional Computing Symposium (MICS)- April 1 and 2
Student Registration is open to attend the MICS 2022 regional conference. The MKE Tech Hub Coalition is proud to act as a sponsor alongside Direct Supply, Northwestern Mutual, nvidia, Digi-Key Electronics, Epic, Associated Bank, Dedicated Computing, Kohl’s, and WEC Energy Group. Check out the lineup of sessions available to students and instructors at higher education institutions. Open to both college and high school students. Scholarships available. Please reach out to Riley@MSOE.edu for additional information.
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Reverse Pitch High School – Team Registration is OPEN through March 25
Reverse Pitch High School edition, powered by Young Enterprise Society (YES), shows students technology and entrepreneurial thinking to solve real world problems presented by Northwestern Mutual and Froedtert/MCW. Registration to participate is open now through March 25, 2022. Students will Pitch Back their Innovative solutions on April 29, 2022 for a chance to win cash prizes up to $2,500. A pre-recorded Informational Session will go live this Saturday, March 12th To learn more, visit our webpage.
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Re/Upskilling
Developing new sources of talent while demonstrating a value for diversity and upward mobility
To stay up to date on Re/Upskilling subcommittee priorities & progress, please check out our web page.
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SPOTLIGHT - Preferred Reskilling Provider Network:
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Tech Apprenticeship: The most recent cohort of Software Analyst/Developer Apprentices will be completing related instruction and transitioning to on-the-job training at Associated Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin, MARS Solutions Group and Concurrency later this month! Reach out to LauraS@mketech.org if you are interested in learning how you could expand and diversify your software development tech talent pipeline!
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MARS Returnship Launches New Cohort: DevOps Engineer (Learn More)
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Forward Careers Launches Cybersecurity and Web Development Training Programs (Learn More)
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Employ MKE Launches First Digital Literacy Lab (Learn More)
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MKE Tech Hub Coalition Presents: The Business Need for Reskilling on 4/22
The SE WI Chapter of the Association for Talent Development has invited the MKE Tech Hub to present at their member meeting on 4/22 at Summit Credit Union in Milwaukee. MKE Tech Hub Coalition members and partners are invited to attend for free by using the promo code TECHHUB: https://sewi-atd.org/event-4673614
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ICYMI: Upskilling Opportunity for YOUR team! AI Academy Q&A session held on 2/25
This program is designed to upskill your existing workforce in data science and AI competencies. The cost ($10K/participant) are being covered by a Department of Labor grant. Participating employers must submit letter of intent as soon as possible to hold your spots. All applicants from your company are encouraged to submit their application on or before 5/1/22. If you would like the slides/recording and/or have questions, please contact LauraS@mketech.org.
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Startup
Leveraging cross-industry partnerships to accelerate start up growth and innovation
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For those in Milwaukee’s startup ecosystem, there are a few of important dates for you all to be aware of:
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On March 18th, Reverse Pitch Milwaukee will have a virtual showcase to celebrate the challenge winners as well as award an additional cash prize to a presenting company. If you’re interested in learning more about the process as either a challenge sponsor or startup founder, RSVP here.
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The fifth FOR-M cohort will begin this coming Monday, March 14th. Watch for updates from the cohort and save the date of May 23rd to see the results of the cohort at our in-person Founder Showcase. To sign up to mentor or learn more.
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There will be a FOR-M community workshop March 21st with HubSpot for Startups developing and refining user/ customer personas for your startup. Sign up here.
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Attraction & Retention
Attracting and growing tech jobs in the region
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Are you Hiring? Join our April 26 MKE Virtual Hiring event
The MKE Tech Hub Coalition will be sponsoring a virtual hiring event, which is powered by Dice. If you are looking for a new candidate pool, join us! Reach out to contact@mketech.org by April 1st!
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Coalition Members in Action |
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In celebration of Women's History Month, Discovery World, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, hosted this day-long event to help spark new interests, make real-life connections, cultivate confidence, and fight stereotypes and obstacles facing young girls and women in Milwaukee. Northwestern Mutual’s hi, Tech STEM Outreach program participated with 20 employee volunteers engaging 1,500 attendees in fun, tech-related activities, including an augmented reality face tracking demo, coding and robotics. Our sponsorship provided 250 attendees with free admission, including NM partner school, Notre Dame Academy. Learn more.
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NCWIT-WI Aspirations Award HS and Educator Awardees
NCWIT-WI proudly announces the 2022 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Wisconsin Affiliate recipients, honoring 138 high school students who identify as women, genderqueer or non-binary from Wisconsin. Included in this group are five who have been awarded National Honorable Mention. They will be honored at our Aspirations Wisconsin Affiliate Award Event at MSOE on Sunday, May 1, 2022. Also at this event two area educators will be honored as NCWIT-WI Aspirations Educator Winners: Amy Fetherston, Wauwatosa West HS and Stacy Lesmeister, Cedarburg HS.
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Edge AI and OpenBlue: A Powerful Partnership (Learn More)
Recently, Johnson Controls Inc. acquired FogHorn, the leading developer of Edge AI software for the industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT), as part of our ongoing effort accelerate the pace toward smarter, healthier buildings. Listen to “Trends & Technology” Fireside Chat as Mike Ellis, EVP and Chief Customer & Digital Officer, talks with Vijay Sankaran, Chief Technology Officer, and Sastry Malladi, VP OpenBlue Artificial Intelligence, on the impact this acquisition will have on accelerating the healthy buildings movement in the journey toward sustainable, efficient, fully autonomous facilities of all types and sizes around the globe.
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Johnson Controls and the City of La Crosse Launch New Phase of Sustainability Initiative; Multi-phase Plan to Generate $11 Million in Cost Savings (Read More)
Building on the significant progress made through their initial sustainability investments, this next phase will deliver solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy efficiency installations throughout the City of Lacrosse fire stations, at community libraries and within several city parks as well as LED upgrades to the city's street lighting. The initial phases, begun in 2019, included infrastructure updates and the addition of solar arrays throughout four community facilities. The improvements will generate $7.98 million in total savings and reduce energy consumption by 35 percent in those buildings.
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Resources & Opportunities |
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Summerfest Tech: Pitch Competition for $50,000. Registrations due April 10
The Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition, produced by Young Enterprising Society and in partnership with Molson Coors, will be returning. This year, the prize competition money will be doubled to $50,000. Learn more.
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Middle School Students: Get Involved in Contrapt Wisconsin Competition
Contrapt Wisconsin Competition is STEM Forward’s machine design contest. This year’s theme challenge is to Cut a Ribbon in 8 or more steps. If you are a middle school educator, consider signing up a team. We also need judges for these competitions: April 22 at Waukesha Count Technical College and May 6 at MSOE Kern Center. Registration is $50 per school for up to 4 teams (3-5 students per team). To register, volunteer, go to https://www.stemforward.org/contrapt-wisconsin.
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Young Adult Learners: Forward Careers Launches Cybersecurity & Web Development Training Programs (Learn More)
Forward Careers has partnered with Rex Academy, a computer science training organization, to provide 16 week training programs in cybersecurity and web development. More than 80 applications were received for the training programs, which seek to provide skills-based career development for underserved young adults with barriers to employment pursuing opportunities for careers in IT. Classes start March 7 and end June 18, with extensive studies in cybersecurity and web development fundamentals, intro to python, computer networking, JavaScript, JQuery, angular fundamentals, and much more. The trainings are funded by the WIOA Youth program provided by the WOW Workforce Development Board.
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Adult Learners: Udacity Nanodegree Scholarships for Milwaukee African Americans (Apply Here)
Northwestern Mutual and the Blacks In Technology Foundation are partnering to offer 20 fully funded Udacity scholarships to train and empower members of the African American community of greater Milwaukee to reshape the tech industry. This ensures all have the opportunity to thrive in a tech career. Applications for scholarships to Udacity’s Introduction to Programming and Full Stack Web Development nanodegree programs are now open.
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Adult Learners: Milwaukee’s first digital literacy lab aims to teach adults critical computer skills (Learn More)
Employ Milwaukee launched the area’s first Digital Literacy Lab to promote digital equity by providing training and technology to community members in need. The Digital Literacy Lab is a partnership with EveryoneOn, Microsoft, Kohl’s, and PCs for People, and is welcoming new cohorts to lessen the digital divide.
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Returners: DevOps Engineer New Cohort (Learn More)
The MARS Returnship program is designed to pave a path for professionals in technology that are looking to restart their career. We are offering a new cohort that focuses on DevOps Engineering. You will learn to: design and implement cloud solutions to accelerate the business and support developers, support large multi-tenant, Kubernetes clusters, proactively learn emerging platforms and related technology, solve complex technical issues and enable/instruct peers to be self-sufficient, and establish and maintain best practices as it relates to compliance, security, privacy, and legal requirements.
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Ecosystem Builder Opportunity
MMAC is seeking a Manufacturing Talent Sector Specialist (Learn More)
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Beware - Cyber Criminals Posing As Charities To Aid/Support Ukraine - Here Is A List of 26 Legitimate Organizations (Read More)
River Run COO John Limbach writes "Cybercriminals are now scamming and spreading malware posing as charities to support Ukraine and refugees." Read tips on how to prevent this and a list of 26 legitimate organizations with contact information to share.
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Wisconsin Tech Summit by Wisconsin Tech Council March 14 (Learn More)
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Veterans In the Workforce Summit to Be Held on 3/22 (In person and Virtual options)
Whether you have established or emerging veteran employment initiatives, this event is for you! This is the largest single convening of veteran employers and employment resources in Wisconsin! The Veterans in the Workforce Summit features a day-long program including major employers with strong records in veteran employment. The conference is designed to offer attendees actionable tools and information to build and improve their veteran workforce initiative. Registration is here.
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First Look Forum: What new technologies are brewing in Milwaukee? (See for yourself!)
The First Look Forum showcases the innovative researchers and technologies from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University and University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
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Summerfest Tech Returns for its 5th Year! June 29 and 30
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) is excited to announce Summerfest Tech! Two days of events will take place across the city of Milwaukee and be accessible virtually. To register, visit Summerfest.com/Tech.
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Hold the Date: 8/22/22 SIM Annual Golf Fund Raiser
SIM WI will hold their annual golf fundraiser benefiting i.c. stars and other charitable organizations on 8/22. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to Bennett.Sherman@windstream.com.
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Resources and Opportunities |
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