Economic development groups aim to launch a new multi-region alliance early next year, timed to coincide with the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.
Barb LaMue, president and CEO of the New North, discussed the plan yesterday during the Wisconsin Technology Council’s Early Stage Symposium in Madison. The group she leads seeks to advance economic growth and business development in the 18-county northeastern Wisconsin region.
“We have a team of consultants that are looking at, how do we better connect the three larger hubs in our state?” she said, referring to the New North, the greater Madison area and Milwaukee 7, an economic development partnership spanning seven counties in southeastern Wisconsin. “We’re calling it, for now, the innovation triangle.”
The project aims to identify and double down on the most impactful programs spurring technology and early-stage business growth, aligning regional efforts to provide support for entrepreneurs, according to LaMue.
“Once that gets established, we’ll launch that out across all nine regions of the state, not just the three,” she said. “Our intent is to do the debut of this and highlight fifteen high-tech, high-growth entrepreneurs two days before the NFL Draft … the audience will be national media that will be here.”
The 2025 NFL Draft is being held April 24-26 at Lambeau Field and the nearby Titletown District in Green Bay.
Also during yesterday’s event, WiSys Innovation Ventures Association Wilson Fay said Wisconsin lacks “on-ramps” for startup founders outside of the state’s main hubs for such activity, Madison and Milwaukee.
“Outside of those areas, it’s not as easy to find that point of contact to get into the network and get access to all these great service providers that are around the state,” he said. “So how do we create those easy access points within their community?”
Kelly Armstrong, president of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, also spoke to the need for more on-ramps for those looking to launch a business. While nearby Milwaukee has an array of resources and related groups less than an hour away, she questioned “why are we sending them away? We need that connectivity here.”
She said her organization aims to “be that point of connection” between Chicago and Milwaukee, making it easier for entrepreneurs to develop their network and connect with venture capital investors. The nonprofit KIN was created by the city to redevelop a 107-acre site that was used for automotive manufacturing for decades.
Two buildings are under construction there: the new home for the LakeView Technology Academy, a STEM-focused high school; and an innovation center that Armstrong calls “our front door to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and creating that connectivity and starting point for businesses.”
LaMue underlined the need for greater broadband internet access to enable regional economic growth, noting each of the 18 counties in the New North has its own broadband implementation plan.
“Our 18 counties, each are using their individual plans that have been highly successful as they compete to the Public Service Commission … To date, we’ve received about $30 million in PSC grants that’s been leveraged by about $50 million from the private sector,” she said. “So our goal is to get broadband to every home, every entrepreneur in our region.”
The two-day Early Stage Symposium continues today with a keynote speech detailing Microsoft’s footprint in Wisconsin. See the agenda.
