MKE Tech Hub Coalition

Upskilling is no longer a choice but a necessity in the rapidly evolving world of AI. Israel Squires, CEO and Co-Founder of Midpoint Consulting, is passionate about helping individuals align with AI's transformative power. From his journey as an M&A lawyer to an AI entrepreneur, Israel's mission has been centered around innovation and ensuring our region is equipped with the skills necessary for the transformative change that comes with the rise of AI.   At Midpoint Consulting, Israel and his team are bridging the education and talent gap in AI, ensuring that companies and individuals are prepared for the future. As AI continues to integrate into our daily lives, the workforce must keep pace with this trend. We must embrace the change, invest in upskilling, and stay ahead.     🎧 Listen to the full episode of Israel from the In The Lab podcast: https://lnkd.in/eKJ4aHGD   The MKE Tech Hub Coalition sponsors this podcast to foster dialogue and share valuable insights. Our goal is to promote collaboration and growth in our community. This sponsorship does not aim to endorse one organization over another.

As AI shapes our future, it’s important to account for our rising youths. Hour of Tech and Northwestern Mutual’s hi, Tech programs do just this, providing students with hands on experiences with AI (programming robotic hands to play "Rock, Paper, Scissors"), ML (Google's "Quick, Draw!") and data science (Code.org's "AI for Oceans" computer game). It’s safe to say the students learned it takes A LOT of data to train an AI model!     To all our region-wide volunteers, we greatly appreciate your time and effort in making this year’s initiative possible. Last, but not least, thank you to Quentin Prince and Stacy Zaja for your continued leadership!  Pictured at Milwaukee School of Engineering's STEM Center are students from Notre Dame School of Milwaukee, representing one of this year's many participating schools.

Energized by yesterday's virtual AI Forum where our #AICommunity came together to discuss their favorite tools from 2024, and in true holiday spirit, share what’s on their wishlist for 2025.   A few tools stood out: 💡 Google Notebook LM impressed everyone with its ability to transform up to 50 resources into engaging podcasts, complete with FAQs and comprehensive outlines. Think of it as your personal podcast production studio powered by AI! 💡 Cursor Composer was praised by many. It's revolutionizing development workflows by running build scripts, fixing errors, and handling dev tests autonomously. The result? 10x faster development cycles and seamless open-source integration. 💡 Agent.AI emerged as a game-changer for businesses looking to scale. This professional marketplace connects you with specialized AI agents, making it easier than ever to find the right AI solution for your specific needs. 💡 Opentools.ai was highlighted as a comprehensive directory that helps you discover and compare the latest tools, connecting you with the AI tools that fit your needs.   Want to join the conversation? Join the AI Community! https://lnkd.in/dXpEhV4E   What AI tools were your favorite in 2024? Let's continue the conversation!

It's belief. It's engagement and investment. It's collaboration that will shape our region's future. As Mark Muro, of The Brookings Institution, shared — "regions can become accelerators through collaboration, and collaboration is central to a vibrant tech ecosystem." With the inspiration from our 5-Year Anniversary, let's leverage into more action. On our path of creating an innovation economy, we hope you have a greater sense of purpose, stronger affinity with our region and state, as well as a deeper desire to compete, forming a more vibrant and inclusive #MKETech. To our foundation, from our leader Kathy Henrich, board, members and community, our gratitude runs deep like Lake Michigan. Here's to the next five years of innovation! 🎊

Clare H. is a data scientist at Northwestern Mutual, working in its AI department and focusing on projects that use predictive models to support the financial futures of its clients. Alongside her projects, she also enjoys sharing her knowledge and love for tech with Milwaukee’s rising youths, including during the MKE Tech Hub Coalition’s Hour of Tech program. Whether you want to do a hackathon, career panel, or a simple Q&A with a class of students, we welcome you to share your experiences and knowledge with Milwaukee’s future tech leaders. Sign up to be a volunteer today (registration closes Nov. 30):https://lnkd.in/gd4qDjbC  

Golden like the No. 10 (🤩) ... FOR-M celebrates its 10th cohort! After a 12-week journey, we're thrilled to add a new cohort to our alumni network. In signature fashion, we celebrated by hearing pitches from our founders and awarded $10K to each of these founders in support of their startup: 1️⃣ Marcus Wright, of Artist Collective, a growth processing website designed to help artists achieve success on their art journey. 2️⃣ Jasmine Mercado, MBA + Luz Mercado, of Financial Blueprint, a platform that revolutionizes the technical assistance process for small businesses seeking to purchase commercial real estate by automating the creation of comprehensive financial packages. 3️⃣ Terrance Thomas, of Forbidden Plates, a lively and spontaneous tech-enabled card game designed to test players' quickness and creativity. 4️⃣ Eric Tallmadge, of Geddit Local, a digital community bulletin board showing users nearby events and activities based on posts from local businesses and residents. 5️⃣ Peter Smith, of Neon Labs, tech that transforms live events by synchronizing audience smartphones into visual displays that pulse with the music, creating immersive experiences without requiring app downloads. FOR-M is a great showing of the #MKETech startup community, and we want to thank those who have been alongside us in reaching this milestone, including advisors, coaches, judges and founders. CHEERS!

It’s been five years since our organization was ignited by founding companies: Northwestern Mutual, Advocate Health, Froedtert Health, We Energies, Kohl's, Johnson Controls and Rockwell Automation. With a great belief in Milwaukee’s potential, a movement was born to prove the criticality of collaboration to grow tech talent in #MKETech. Led by our leader Kathy Henrich, we set out to build partnerships to close market gaps. This is our origin to which we proudly pay homage.  As our founding companies believed, Milwaukee is a great place to live and work, and we want to see it thrive. On this journey of transformational change, we’re proving collaboration creates the power to innovate. This is why we invite you to be a part of our 5-Year Anniversary, as we commemorate our progress and envision our future. Register by Wednesday, Nov. 20:https://lnkd.in/gVh4ey6S

With a great deal of gratitude and respect, we announce the retirement of our CEO, Kathy Henrich, effective spring 2025. It's been an honor to have Kathy as the captain of our ship for the last five years. With her belief in #MKETech and infectious drive, she has achieved great things: 🏆 Refined our mission into strategies for growth (1. 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 2. 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 3. 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢) 🏆 Grew our organization to 135 members 🏆 Consulted on big federal grant wins for the region 🏆 Served on Sen. Bradley's Legislative Council Study Committee, focused on AI in Wisconsin 🏆 Designated 2x TITAN 100 awardee Often, Kathy shares her role is greater than any one leader, but it's important to note her legacy. A true Titan! https://lnkd.in/gxaAKCKh

For our 5-year Anniversary, we will feature a conversation with Mark Muro, Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution. In 2019, Mark was one of the original writers who made the case for the U.S. Congress to assemble growth centers to spread tech innovation across America. Now, more formally known as tech hubs.  As we prepare to welcome Mark to #MKETech, here are some takeaways to expect: ➟ The power of collaboration in a tech hub region (creating a balance of innovation across America) ➟ The case for the Power Framework (a guide in organizing and governing complex place-based economic strategies and coalitions) ➟ The progress and the future of southeast Wisconsin’s tech hub (momentum through collaboration) Let's celebrate the region’s progress as a tech hub: 🕘 + 🗓️: 9-11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22 📍 Northwestern Mutual 🔗 https://bit.ly/4ezYkXz

Pleased to welcome Sanjay Mohan to the MKE Tech Hub Coalition as our Executive Director of AI! With over 30 years of experience in consulting and technology services across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and his experience of building a predictive health-tech business right here in #MKETech, Sanjay brings a truly global and unique perspective to this role.   In his new capacity, Sanjay will focus on helping companies in our region understand and strategically adopt AI technologies to unlock new growth opportunities. This role is more than just about technology — it’s about building a stronger, more vibrant community where innovation flourishes. We look forward to the impact Sanjay will make in supporting businesses of all sizes in the region. Welcome to the team, Sanjay!