The Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition’s latest annual report shows the group’s membership swelled to more than 110 last year.
Coalition CEO Kathy Henrich highlighted the group’s updated priorities in an introductory message. These include attracting talent and businesses — with Henrich noting that acquisition is “faster than organic growth” — building a diverse talent pipeline to supply the region with skilled workers, and continuing to scale the “innovation ecosystem” at large.
“As we look back in our efforts, 2021 will be considered a pivotal year in the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition’s and the region’s journey,” Henrich wrote in her message. “Base systems were created that will enable scale for the future. We look forward to the thrill of the acceleration!”
The report shows the coalition saw nearly 200 percent growth in its membership last year as more businesses and other groups committed to the organization’s goals. Launched in October 2019, the coalition has set a broad goal of doubling the amount of available technology talent in the Milwaukee region. As it currently stands, the region currently has over 2,300 tech businesses and more than 80,000 tech employees, based on figures from CompTIA.
The report highlights the impact of many different programs aligned with the coalition’s goals, including tech expos, internship and apprenticeship programs, coding competitions, tech startup incubators, pitch competitions and more.
It also emphasizes the influence of the pandemic on how companies operate, noting many tech jobs are “no longer tied to location.” Report authors point out that workers had more freedom to “choose community first, job second” last year.
“This presents a unique opportunity to sell tech workers on the high quality of life that Milwaukee affords,” they wrote. “And it requires us to work together to showcase the best of Milwaukee tech.”
See the full report:
http://www.mketech.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MKETech-2021-Impact-Report_FINAL.pdf
