This Week in Milwaukee Rising is a newsletter series published by Technical.ly and underwritten by the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact. Through articles and weekly newsletters, this series will highlight the social entrepreneurs, civic technologists and creative innovators who are most shaping the Midwest city, especially those focused on bringing a more just, equitable and dynamic Milwaukee economy.
Employ Milwaukee CEO Chytania Brown says employers need to upend the hiring status quo: “How can you grow the economy without understanding the business of people?”
Milwaukee's Reggie Moore says more investment is needed to stem the tide in violence: "The timing and the urgency is front and center," even if the results aren't immediate.
Sojourner Family Peace Center spotlights the economic impact of domestic violence in Milwaukee amid a global rise in incidents. Here's how resources can lead survivors to a new path of opportunity.
Ditch the status quo and focus on building equitable opportunities across the board, as Technical.ly heard at the This Week in Milwaukee Rising Summit.
And the questions we'll pose to roundtable participants during our This Week in Milwaukee Rising Summit, focused on how to better tell the story of the Wisconsin city's innovation progress.
"Whatever capacity anyone can support Black businesses, know that people are out here hustling": Here's the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin's new president and CEO, Nikki Purvis, on why the resources her org brings are needed.
With MKEsports Alliance, founder Brandon Tschacher envisions a future in which a more unified esports scene gaming can bring millions of dollars and equitable STEM opportunities to Milwaukee.
Acts Housing narrows Milwaukee’s homeownership gaps with a focus on community empowerment and wealth building. VP of Programs Deatra Kemp explains why the nonprofit's work is necessary.
Milwaukee's Havenwoods State Forest has become a breath of fresh air to the diverse neighborhood — and a bright spot of opportunity for residents looking for a fresh start.
As Milwaukee-based Foresight Studios' founders look to bring their ElectroSwing virtual reality game to the Oculus Quest Store, they're also looking to the future of the metaverse — which includes the next generation of its builders.
Following her "Dare to be" mantra, DJ Shawna Nicols talks NBA bubble and giving back to the community she loves.
Inspired by local racial justice movements from community members and basketball teams alike, nonprofit advocate and entrepreneur Quentin Prince aims to level the playing field for his hometown's young people.
"There’s a disconnection of culture": Like|Minded CEO Jeremy Fojut aims to combat loneliness in the workplace in the face of a hybrid future.
Milwaukee Parks Foundation ED Rebecca Stoner is building up the parks system by putting people first. Her work is a microcosm of national challenges.
Beloved frozen fruit pops startup Pete’s Pops is a positive force in Milwaukee. As it grew over the past nine years, founder Pete Cooney had to transition from goofy hustler to serious — yet still fun-loving — entrepreneur.
HouseCall Wisconsin founder and CEO Montrèal Cain discusses MERA, the startup's crisis intervention app giving families peace of mind amid mental health challenges.
In this Q&A, Frontdesk CEO Kyle Weatherly recounts his journey from nonprofit worker to entrepreneur who may just be Milwaukee's biggest startup success.
"Mental illness is closer than you think," Milwaukee-based Speak Wellness founder Tarsha Wiggins says.
Following numerous career pivots — including a "miserable" stint in corporate life — the Wisconsin-based founder of Foureva Media infuses positive energy to connect people and unlock businesses' full potential.
For growth after stagnation, the Midwest city must both invest in its most established founders and professionals, and develop in-roads for those who want to get there. Individual and organizational collaboration can help.
Former Tandem owner and chef Caitlin Cullen talks about her new role at Milwaukee's Kinship Community Food Center and the power of community: "We should choose helping our neighbors."
LaShawnda Wilkins highlights the power of partnerships and positivity with the launch of SpeakLife Studios, her new "opportunity space" offering room for business development resources, coworking and events in Milwaukee.
"We have to build more opportunities": The Commons and FOR-M Program Director Joe Poeschl on creating an open door to Milwaukee’s tech ecosystem.
Dean Amhaus leads The Water Council in Milwaukee. Here's why he thinks this tech sector is so exciting — and urgently needed.
The longtime higher ed leader wants Innovation Alley, the Marquette University-centered initiative that he now directs, to inspire reciprocal innovation and connection between the college and Milwaukee's business sector.
With an eye toward equity and awareness of the community value they bring, "we can all contribute to making sure more creatives are visible on the scene," Kennita Hickman says. Here's how she's doing it in Milwaukee.
Entrepreneur Christopher Perceptions sees his startup, PerceptForm, as an entry point to engage with the Web3 technology: "The ultimate vision is to make crypto real for people."
FUEL Milwaukee’s Corry Joe Biddle on the power of community dialogue and "showing up as you are" in an era of reckoning.
Amid an explosion of consumer interest in ESG funds, the VC is focusing her investing on reducing inequities in Milwaukee, starting with home ownership.
"We’ve been left out of the conversation": Amid the rise of remote work and need for more diversity in coworking, Ambition Center MKE CEO Marcell Jackson aims to connect underserved professionals with the new space on Milwaukee's North Side.
In 2018, Marikris Coryell stepped into her position as president of St. Joan Antida, a small high school in the heart of Milwaukee. She delves into the challenges of urban education and the realities of the achievement gap.
Milwaukee Public Museum’s new diversity and inclusion director sat down with Technical.ly to explain his plans for building a community bridge in the Midwest city. Watch the conversation here.
Nicole Miles of the Milwaukee's Birth Outcomes Made Better program is addressing disparities in healthcare and working to reduce infant mortality rates.
Adam Carr combines media, activism and storytelling to lead Milwaukeeans to common ground: "We lack imagination for what others can be."
Nyesha Stone launched Carvd N Stone because she knows representation in the media matters: "Journalism opened up what I can give to the world."
After getting sidelined amid a career shift, the PR pro started digging into why Black representation stagnates in the higher ranks of the white collar workforce. Then, she became an entrepreneur to tackle the challenge.
With Latinos in Tech, Carlos Vasquez and Ben Juarez want to bring more visibility to professionals like them in tech communities, starting with Milwaukee.
Leonard Novati has bootstrapped AfroCharts while working full time as a programmer analyst in Milwaukee. Despite a lifetime of barriers, he says: "I still think I can make it here."
The Ability Center founder and CEO Damian Buchman applies his experience as a childhood cancer survivor to the mission of adapting beaches, parks and other spaces for more people: "The things you desire don’t just change because you have a disability."
88Nine Radio Milwaukee's program director sat down with Technical.ly reporter Sorrina Beecher to talk access and collaboration in the Midwest city. Watch the conversation here.
The Milwaukee arts nonprofit sparks social change by asking whose stories aren't being told, and then convening a diverse community around them. "Stories allow us to see each other," its executive director says.
The Milwaukee entrepreneur is tackling environmental organizations' diversity gap by introducing young people of color to conservation work.
Here's how cofounder Lilo Allen says Bronzeville Collective is supporting equitable community development and fair pay for creatives in a changing neighborhood.
As the director of social impact at gBETA, an offshoot of national accelerator gener8tor, Ekong is demystifying the venture capital process for early-stage companies looking to make change.
Fiveable COO Tán Ho's early life and career were stuck in "survival mode." A chance encounter on Reddit led him to cofounding a nationally recognized venture — but he's still bullish on the Rust Belt city's startup community.
Entrepreneur Matt Cordio knows Milwaukee tech has momentum. But it needs more people fighting "a long-held resistance to new ideas" and "championing the growth of the ecosystem" to grow to its potential.
Here's Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition CEO Kathy Henrich's blueprint for getting the region out from under the shadows of bigger emerging markets.
Technical.ly asked DEI pro Beth Ridley, whose home state of Wisconsin has been dealing with the fallout from both the Rittenhouse verdict and tragedy at a public holiday event, how companies should respond when tragedy strikes.
Founded by Ruben Gaona and Eli Rivera, the Milwaukee startup offers an anti-bias job platform and services aimed at reducing barriers to hiring for the formerly justice-involved.
The Milwaukee hub's concierge startup services and accelerator have served as a launching pad for dozens of startups and awarded more than $100,000 in funding, with a focus on racial equity. "I didn’t want to see a 'Tale of Two Cities,'" Johnson told Technical.ly.
See who's building a more just, equitable and dynamic economy in the Wisconsin city with Technical.ly's new newsletter series.
In a building that formerly housed a bank set ablaze in civil unrest, the Sherman Phoenix is a center of Black-owned businesses. Its transformation offers lessons at the intersection of economic development and community.