CONTACT: Jessica Lovejoy
(608-318-3065; jessica@50p1.com)
SHEBOYGAN — Businessman and technology entrepreneur Kurt Kober filed necessary paperwork today to officially explore a campaign for Wisconsin Governor.
Kober is a native of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and self-proclaimed son of Wisconsin values with deep roots. His parents worked hard and benefitted from good union jobs and sent their children to great public schools and universities. Over the past decade, his career has taken him to cities across the country working with large and small companies to embrace innovation and technology across industries.
Kober has spent much of the past year meeting with business and community leaders across the state talking about what is and isn’t working for Wisconsinites. He said, “No matter where I’ve been—Green Bay or Eau Claire, Milwaukee or Wausau—what I’ve heard is how much people are looking for a new vision for Wisconsin. They are ready to move forward— beyond outdated ideas and beyond the divisiveness in our politics.”
Kober has filed initial paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor. “Before making a final or formal decision to run, I want to take more time talking and listening to people across the state,” he said. “I want to talk to people from every industry and every background to hear what matters most to them. And I want to listen, really listen — because when you listen to Wisconsinites, you will hear world-changing ideas.”
“To move Wisconsin forward we have to take the opportunity to lead in the new economy,” Kober said. “In order to do so, we’ll need to educate every student to pursue their passion, enable businesses to innovate faster, and engage every citizen in the conversation about how their government can work better for them.”
Finally Kober added, “From my years in business, both in leadership roles and as a startup co-founder, I know we have the opportunity to relaunch Wisconsin. Together, we need to answer some key questions: how do we enable Wisconsinites to thrive as lifelong learners; how can small and large businesses grow and create the next generation of jobs; and finally, how can we make our government work better for all of us? We need to start asking how we can leap forward in this period of major social and technological change. That’s the conversation I want to have with voters across the state.”
Kober lives in his hometown of Sheboygan with his wife, Abigail Kiefer, and their beloved labradoodle, Bucky. He’s a retail strategy director for The Clorox Company and a graduate of both UW-Madison and UW-Green Bay.
For more information on Kober’s background and vision, visit his website at www.kurtjkober.com.
