Altruize excited to increase volunteerism in 2021 and beyond

Volunteer tracker Altruize survived last year during the pandemic through organic growth, but now hopes to increase volunteerism as Wisconsin returns to normal. Beloit-based Altruize is a for-profit organization that allows volunteer workers to track their lifetime volunteer activity on

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Distillers find opportunity, innovation in pandemic

Wisconsin distilleries Driftless Glen and Wollersheim see opportunity and innovation amid the global pandemic.  Baraboo’s Driftless Glen made a conscious effort about four years ago to push its bourbon to off-premise consumption, such as in liquor stores. When the pandemic

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Wisconsin becoming a leader in ‘fintech’

Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, New York and now, Wisconsin.  “When people think about fintech in the United States, they don’t automatically think of Wisconsin, but many very well-known fintech companies and new entrants call Wisconsin home,” said Fiserv Inc. Chief

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Hospitality open to increasing minimum wage, but not now

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association chief says now is not the time to raise wages in restaurants.  Association President and CEO Kristine Hillmer was a panelist on the latest WisBusiness.com virtual luncheon “Hospitality industry stirs after year of COVID.” Yesterday’s lunch

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VC experts advocate for state investment fund

Talent retention should be the state’s main focus in its effort to create a Wisconsin fund of funds, according to a panel of venture capital and investment experts. MadREP President and CEO Jason Fields, Rep. Mike Kuglitsch, eCourt Reporters Founder

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WEDC trade ventures go virtual during pandemic

The old governor-led foreign trade mission has been transformed. Now WEDC’s trade ventures connect Wisconsin exporters virtually with potential international buyers, distributors and other partners. “With a virtual trade venture, Wisconsin companies can continue their exporting efforts even as COVID

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Assembly passes cocktail-to-go bill

— The Assembly via voice vote backed allowing bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks in to-go cups to be consumed off the premises. AB 32 also would allow wineries to sell wine in to-go containers for consumption elsewhere. Under

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BioForward CEO discusses state’s workforce shortage

The COVID-19 pandemic put the spotlight on Wisconsin’s biohealth industry as companies came together to play a key role in fighting the disease. Lisa Johnson is CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, which represents the state’s biohealth cluster of more than 220

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Altruize excited to increase volunteerism in 2021 and beyond

Volunteer tracker Altruize survived last year during the pandemic through organic growth, but now hopes to increase volunteerism as Wisconsin returns to normal. Beloit-based Altruize is a for-profit organization that allows volunteer workers to track their lifetime volunteer activity on an app. It acts as a “Fitbit” for volunteer data,

Read More »

Distillers find opportunity, innovation in pandemic

Wisconsin distilleries Driftless Glen and Wollersheim see opportunity and innovation amid the global pandemic.  Baraboo’s Driftless Glen made a conscious effort about four years ago to push its bourbon to off-premise consumption, such as in liquor stores. When the pandemic hit, that decision paid off with 2020 wholesales surpassing those

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Union rep urges state Legislature to tackle payroll fraud

Labor representative Andy Buck is urging the Legislature to take up measures to tackle worker misclassification and payroll fraud.  The Joint Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification submitted its 2021 annual report to Gov. Tony Evers last month. Worker misclassification is illegally labeling employees as independent contractors in

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Chancellors advocate for R&D investment, Endless Frontier Act

The chancellors of Wisconsin’s top two research universities are pushing for investment in more R&D. “The only way that we stay at the front end of the world economy is by being on the front end in innovation,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said, adding that other countries in key tech

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Wisconsin becoming a leader in ‘fintech’

Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, New York and now, Wisconsin.  “When people think about fintech in the United States, they don’t automatically think of Wisconsin, but many very well-known fintech companies and new entrants call Wisconsin home,” said Fiserv Inc. Chief Digital and Data Officer Byron Vielehr.  Vielehr opened up the

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Cocktails-to-go should have come a year ago, Tavern League says

— The hospitality industry notched a win with Gov. Tony Evers signing a bill allowing restaurants, bars and brewpubs to sell cocktails-to-go after bipartisan passage in the Legislature. During a WisBusiness.com event ahead of Friday’s action, Tavern League of Wisconsin President Chris Marsicano, a supper club owner from Delavan, urged

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Hospitality open to increasing minimum wage, but not now

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association chief says now is not the time to raise wages in restaurants.  Association President and CEO Kristine Hillmer was a panelist on the latest WisBusiness.com virtual luncheon “Hospitality industry stirs after year of COVID.” Yesterday’s lunch hour event featured Wisconsin’s eatery and alehouse leaders a year

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VC experts advocate for state investment fund

Talent retention should be the state’s main focus in its effort to create a Wisconsin fund of funds, according to a panel of venture capital and investment experts. MadREP President and CEO Jason Fields, Rep. Mike Kuglitsch, eCourt Reporters Founder Karen Renee and WEDC Deputy Secretary Sam Rikkers joined the

Read More »

WEDC trade ventures go virtual during pandemic

The old governor-led foreign trade mission has been transformed. Now WEDC’s trade ventures connect Wisconsin exporters virtually with potential international buyers, distributors and other partners. “With a virtual trade venture, Wisconsin companies can continue their exporting efforts even as COVID makes it impossible to meet face-to-face,” said Katy Sinnott, Wisconsin

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February home sales continue record trends in state housing market

Strong February housing sales pushed what are typically the three slowest months of the year into record territory, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association. In its most recent analysis, WRA found February sales jumped 5.5 percent compared to February 2020 — the last month before the recession began.  WRA Board

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DWD to use federal grant to start modernizing UI system

DWD says it will use a $2.4 million federal grant to begin the process of modernizing the unemployment insurance computer system. That includes an upgrade that will allow access to a 24-7 call center. Gov. Tony Evers earlier this year called on the Legislature to approve a special session bill

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Experts want telemedicine use to continue after rise in 2020

A panel of health experts from across Wisconsin said they expect digital telemedicine trends in health care to continue. The group expects telehealth to be integrated into a hybridized virtual and in-person health care system moving forward. Wrapping up the 2021 Wisconsin Technology Summit this week, the experts took part

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Assembly passes cocktail-to-go bill

— The Assembly via voice vote backed allowing bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks in to-go cups to be consumed off the premises. AB 32 also would allow wineries to sell wine in to-go containers for consumption elsewhere. Under the bill, the establishments would have to put the drinks

Read More »

BioForward CEO discusses state’s workforce shortage

The COVID-19 pandemic put the spotlight on Wisconsin’s biohealth industry as companies came together to play a key role in fighting the disease. Lisa Johnson is CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, which represents the state’s biohealth cluster of more than 220 member organizations. In an interview this week with WisBusiness.com, she

Read More »