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Issue 39 - January 21st, 2022 |
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The start of the year is always a great time to step back to celebrate the past and commit to the future. Every non-profit needs to do the same.
Reflecting on the past, we are extremely proud of the collective impact made by the Coalition’s members, partners, and staff. Our 2021 Impact Report serves to showcase this collective work in SE Wisconsin to advance our mission of inclusively doubling tech talent in order to drive enduring economic prosperity and create life changing opportunities.
The new year also serves as the opportunity to reflect on the remaining gaps and our desire to go even faster in 2022. In the spirit of continual improvement, our committees and board have provided feedback on those areas where they’ve seen the most value and our collective opportunities for improvement. Opportunities in the new year include exciting opportunities to recruit talent to the region, leveraging the new choosemketech.org website, develop talent through apprenticeship programs like the one referenced below, and to continue to grow the startup ecosystem through successful programs like FOR-M which is now open for registrations.
Together, we can make a tremendous impact. We’re excited for the growth of new members and board members who are committed to the mission. We hope you will join us in this work which results in benefits for our community, our members and all organizations in the region.
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Welcome to our New Bronze Members: We are excited to kick off the year by announcing that Badger Meter and PWC have joined the MKE Tech Hub Coalition as Bronze members. Welcome!
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New Board member: Mara Lord
We’re honored to welcome our third Bronze member board representative to join the MKE Tech Hub Coalition’s Board. Mara Lord is the Senior Vice President of University Engagement and Strategic Planning at Medical College of Wisconsin. Mara’s extensive background in university relations, fundraising, communications, and strategic planning will enable the board to advance these priorities. We are excited to have her expertise on the Board!
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Thank you to Expedient for sponsoring our Q4 member happy hour
The opportunity to convene our members has been a tremendous opportunity to build relationships and share ideas, leading to new collaborations across the region. We want to thank Expedient for their sponsorship of both our 3Q and 4Q member events. We look forward to continuing this best practice in 2022 through sponsorships. Reach out to contact@mketech.org if you’re interested in sponsoring a future member event.
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Bold Vision
Showcasing Milwaukee as a Tech Hub
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In their yearly report of growth cities, Milwaukee and Madison were the only Midwestern cities in the Top Growth Cities Reports. Others are learning what we all know – it is a great place to live, work and play, especially in Tech!
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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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State Launches Computer Science State Plan, Expands CSforALL Services to Districts
In an effort to expand access to Computer Science education in K-12, the MKE Tech Coalition partnered with CSforALL both locally and nationally to pilot the SCRIPT process in August of 2020. We sponsored 7 districts to participate and have been meeting with them quarterly to monitor their progress and provide additional supports along the way. As part of the NEW WI Computer Science Education Plan launched in December of 2021, DPI is providing financial support to local education service agencies (CESAs) to deliver SCRIPT training state wide. CESA1 launched the CSforALL SCRIPT Network this week at NO COST to districts/schools. Districts who are serviced by CESA1 who believe that computer science education is important for ALL students to success in a digital economy are strongly encouraged to form a DISTRICT led team to participate. The districts who were previously sponsored by the MKE Tech Coalition have been invited to serve as peer mentors to support others along the way! See the flyer here
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Greater MKE Hour of Tech
Thanks to the collective effort of area schools, teachers, organizations and volunteers, we tripled our original goal and logged over 34,000 hours of regional tech mentorship during Hour of Tech. See Hour of Tech in action this year at the Milwaukee Academy of Science and Discovery World in our new video, produced by Newaukee.
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Midwest Instructional Computing Symposium (MICS) – April 1 and 2
The MKE Tech Coalition is proud to act as a sponsor MICS 2022 hosted by MSOE. This event is designed to attract college/university students and professors from computing and related disciplines from across the Midwest. The event features a keynote address by Samrat Saha (Google Cloud), technical sessions, a robotics competition, programming competition, NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute Workshop, and other great activities. Students who identify with a demographic that is traditionally underrepresented in tech will be able to attend at no charge thanks to the generosity of a grant from Northwestern Mutual. Students will receive career services and have the opportunity to submit a resume for consideration by area employers who act as a sponsor of the event. Registration is OPEN! Sponsorship levels can be found HERE. Please reach out to Riley@MSOE.edu for additional information.
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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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NEW Software Analyst/Developer Apprenticeship Positions Opening in MKE
We are actively recruiting candidates for the 3rd cohort of Software Analyst / Developer Tech Apprentices who will be selected in time to start paid training in March. For more information, please see the related press release. Apprenticeship candidates should register their interest and take their assessments now at www.apprenticareers.org. If you would like additional information, please consider attending the next national Q&A session on 2/8/21 or reach out to the Apprenti manager supporting the MKE market (Emma MacLean, emaclean@apprenticareers.org).
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MARS Returnship now offers tracks in full stack development, project management, test engineering, data analysis, and cyber security. Next application deadline 1/31.
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Employ Milwaukee’s Tech Hire has rebranded as Fresh Coast Tech Up and prepares adult learners from diverse backgrounds for entry level positions across a wide range of occupations and industries.
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Startup
Leveraging cross-industry partnerships to accelerate start up growth and innovation
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In the last two years, over 200 founders have participated in the FOR-M program In 2021, our FOR-M grant recipients reported 69 jobs. Come be part of the tech startup scene in Milwaukee! The community based program provides instruction and mentorship to help you build a plan for YOUR idea to become successful new startup. Hear from other founders about the program and sign up here.
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13 firms were selected to pitch their ideas to our four corporate sponsors in February. These organizations are currently getting mentorship from their sponsoring organizations. We look forward to seeing the results in February.
And, if you have a high schooler interested in entrepreneurship, watch this space in February. We will be announcing 2022 Reverse Pitch High School!
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Attraction & Retention
Attracting and growing tech jobs in the region
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Our new, regional tech talent attraction site is starting to gain traction. If you are interested in learning more about how your company can be featured, please email contact@mketech.org.
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Coalition Members in Action |
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Northwestern Mutual a lead investor in $13M VC fund for Black tech founders
Black Ops Ventures will invest in Black-led technology ventures across the U.S. and Canada after closing a $13 million seed fund led by Bank of America) and Northwestern Mutual. The Miami-based venture capital firm will address the funding disparities that exist among Black-led startups moving from seed funding to series A capital rounds. Northwestern Mutual’s investment in Black Ops Ventures came from the company's Impact Investing Fund, a $100 million commitment to invest in Black communities on both a national and local level, with the goal of addressing inequality and the racial wealth gap. Read more.
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New SHARP Literacy Out of School Program
SHARP Literacy has partnered with Light the Hoan to launch a one-of-a-kind afterschool and summer program, Beyond the Classroom - Code the Hoan: STEAM Scholars! Scheduled to pilot in February 2022, our innovative curriculum provides students the opportunity to learn about the technology behind Milwaukee Hoan Bridge’s lighting system and develop essential skills to prepare for future tech careers. Through a series of STEAM-based learning modules, participants will engage with LED lights and Virtual Reality (VR) software as a platform to grasp key principles of coding and critical thinking.
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Northwestern Mutual Advances Data Science Education at Middle Schools in MKE
Northwestern Mutual’s hi, Tech program is providing program grants to scale the Milky Way Tech Hub’s Data Science Program in targeted Milwaukee middle schools Northwestern Mutual has invested in through its’ philanthropic education strategy.
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Employ Milwaukee’s Tech Hire IT Training Bootcamp Rebranded
Employ Milwaukee started its most recent IT training cohort on January 18th, 2022 under the new brand Fresh Coast Tech Up. The Fresh Coast Tech Up IT Bootcamp (formerly Tech Hire) is a 16-week, 12 credit online training program in partnership with MATC leading to an IT Service Center Technician Certificate. Employ Milwaukee has expanded eligibility to include unemployed, underemployed, part-time, and full-time workers. This is the 13th cohort of the program and the first under the new identity of Fresh Coast Tech Up.
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ELITE powered by nvisia: Engaging Leaders in Technology (Learn More)
ELITE is an exclusive, member-driven community of local technology leaders brought together to solve critical leadership and technology challenges. We invite all technology leaders to participate and attend our variety of events in 2022. Visit our website for more information and to register!
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Johnson Controls’ George Oliver Named 2022 “IoT Company CEO of the Year” in 2022 IoT Breakthrough Awards Program (Read More)
Under Mr. Oliver’s leadership, Johnson Controls is a leading force in making buildings safer, more comfortable, more efficient, and ultimately, more sustainable. Congratulations to Mr. Oliver for being our 2022 ‘IoT Company CEO of the Year.’
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Caravela IoT partners with Proc9 on Emerging Recycling Tech (Learn More)
Milwaukee-based IoT network company, Caravela (caravelaiot.com) and dev partner Proc9 (proc9.com) are producing tracking data for Milwaukee-based solid waste recycling pioneer Compost Crusader. Using long-range, low-power wireless sensor technology, Caravela monitors core temperatures of aerated static composting piles (ASP) for DNR compliance and process optimization, and Proc9 creates management software tools. Keeping municipal organic waste (MOW) out of landfills by safely recycling food waste and yard trimmings reduces greenhouse gases, groundwater pollution and need for new landfill sites.
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Researchers at UWM and the (German) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron have created a distinctive machine-learning tool to track the way in which a photoactive protein undergoes changes in its structure in a fraction of a second after being excited by light. The method will help scientists understand how proteins do their jobs. The research was published in the journal Nature and in Wired magazine.
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Resources & Opportunities |
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Sessions begin on Saturday, February 5, 2022! The BDPA HSCC Program continues every Saturday until August 13, 2022. Each session is approximately 3-hours (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, lunch provided, with an additional 1 hour virtual session on Wednesdays) hosted by MSOE at the WE Energies STEM Center at MSOE. Parent Orientation will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM at MSOE. Registration HERE. Flyer Here.
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gBETA Social Impact Accelerator, Sponsored by American Family Institute, Begins Recruitment
gBETA is a program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. gBETA Social Impact is a free accelerator for early-stage companies in the edtech space. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Participating companies receive individualized coaching, connections with mentors and investors, and more. Link to register: https://www.gbetasocialimpact.com/
Program is virtual and runs from March 11 – April 28.
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Brew 2.0 for Late-stage water tech start-ups looking to build connections and scale up.
If that sounds like your company, apply now for BREW 2.0. The 2022 deadline is Jan. 15. BREW 2.0 offers a practical, growth-oriented program tailored for water tech businesses with sessions focused on sales, marketing, strategy, company culture and more! The pitch day attracts attention from customers, investors and corporates from around the world.
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New Year, New Offerings from MARS Returnship
With the New Year comes new offerings from MARS Returnship! In 2022 we will be offering tracks in full stack development, project management, test engineering, data analysis, and cyber security. The deadline to apply is January 31st, and we will begin our next cohort on February 8th. Visit our website and apply today!
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John Limbach from River Run shares 22 cybersecurity stats as we start 2022 with links to the source material. A great deal of data in a single article for you to share and utilize as we all to work protect each other, our communities, and organizations from security threats.
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Women in Tech, Upcoming February Events
Please join us for our upcoming February events. All are welcome to register.
- Adafruit Circuit Board: Train the Trainer Event: Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 7:30AM - Virtual Format
- Own your Upskilling: Friday, February 25, 2022 at 7:30AM - Virtual Format
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UW-Milwaukee Spring 2022 Engineering & Computer Science Industry Expo
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STEM Forward to Honor STEM Outreach and Engineering Excellence at the 69th Annual Celebration of STEM Virtual Event on February 16, 2022
Join STEMForward as we honor some of the best and brightest STEM leaders in southeastern Wisconsin at the 69th Annual Celebration of STEM. Learn more HERE.
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Tech United CIO Form, February 18 from 8:30-11:30 AM
You're invited! This half-day experience includes panel discussions with CIOs and CISOs about key technology trends and strategies as well as the opportunity to make valuable connections during the networking session. Learn more.
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Designing for Humans and Space Aliens: Discover User Experience
This program is perfect for high school students interested in the intersection of technical and digital innovations with psychology and design! Learn more about the User Experience program at MSOE through a full day design challenge. You'll learn about the latest tools of the trade and rely on techniques and games that UX professionals at technology companies like Google and Facebook, use on a daily basis. Will be held on 3/19 at MSOE STEM Center; 8:30-2:30 p.m.; $10. Register HERE.
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Resources and Opportunities |
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