BizTimes Milwaukee | February 26, 2024

presents the 16th annual:

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Registration & Networking

2:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Program & Networking Reception Brookfield Conference Center

No matter the market, the cream rises to the top

What you need to know to best position your business for sale – or look for in your next acquisition.

If a potential business sale is in your future – regardless of which side of the deal you will be on – the 2024 M&A Forum is a must-attend event. The world is full of uncertainty, but whether the market is up or down, a quality business is always in demand. This event is a chance to better understand how to prepare a business for sale and spot opportunities for value.

Keynote conversation:

• Sharad Chadha, CEO, Sprecher Brewing Co.

Chadha and a group of investors acquired Sprecher in 2020. In the past four years, the company has acquired eight beverage brands and a packaging manufacturer across four transactions.

Panel discussion:

• Dan Erschen, Founder, Wisconsin Metal Parts (1)

• Jacob Erschen, President, Lean Manufacturing Products (2)

• David Wage, former CEO/Owner, Formrite Companies Inc. (3)

• Blake Knickelbein, Shareholder, Corporate Law Practice, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. (4)

• Paul Stewart, Co-Founder, PS Capital Partners (5)

• Moderator: Ann Hanna, managing director, founder, Taureau Group LLC (6)

Sponsors:

Breakout Sessions to Follow Presentations

• Through the Legal Lens: Factors impacting the sale or purchase of a business.

• Quality Ingredients Drive Value

• Discerning Value beyond Worth

1. Rendering of one of the three industrial buildings planned at the LogistiCenter, where WestRock plans to open a manufacturing facility.

2. An existing building at the Lake View Corporate Center will house Concept Labratories new headquarters.

Two manufacturers will move operations from Chicago area to Pleasant Prairie

By Ashley Smart, staff writer

Kenosha County continues to attract businesses from Illinois. Two manufacturers recently announced plans to move operations from the Chicago area to Pleasant Prairie.

Atlanta-based WestRock Co., a manufacturer and distributor of paper and packaging solutions, said it will close a plant in North

Chicago and open a new $140 million corrugated box plant in Pleasant Prairie.

In addition, Chicago-based Concept Laboratories, a manufacturer of skin care, body care, hair care and home care products for big-name beauty brands, plans to relocate its headquarters and

operations to Pleasant Prairie.

WestRock’s new box plant will be located at 9423 Koessl Court at the LogistiCenter in Pleasant Prairie. The location is the former site of a We Energies power plant.

BY THE NUMBERS

We Energies plans to spend $2 BILLION

to build natural gas power facilities in Oak Creek and Kenosha County.

In July, an affiliate of Nevada-based Dermody Properties purchased the land to move forward with an industrial redevelopment of the site, called the LogistiCenter. Once completed, the redevelopment will consist of three industrial buildings with 550,000, 620,000 and 1.1 million square feet of space.

“Dermody Properties is actively preparing the site for this development, representing a significant investment in the community that will drive economic growth and create new employment opportunities for southeastern Wisconsin,” said Eric Rindfleisch, village administrator for Pleasant Prairie.

WestRock selected Pleasant Prairie for its new box plant to support growing demand from customers in the Great Lakes region, according to a press release. Construction will start this year and be completed in 2025.

“Investing in a new state-ofthe-art corrugated converting facility elevates our production capabilities and better supports our end-market strategy and margin improvement targets,” said David Sewell, chief executive officer of WestRock. “We are pleased to expand our presence in an area of critical demand like the Great Lakes and are confident that by implementing production initiatives such as these, we will continue to solidify WestRock’s position as the supplier of choice.”

Concept Labs plans to occupy approximately 146,900 square feet within an existing 196,300-squarefoot industrial building at 10550 86th Ave. The facility will be home to 45 full-time workers and 100 part-time workers, according to plan commission documents.

Products that will be manufactured at the Pleasant Prairie facility include water-based lotions, creams, serums and body washes. Concept Labs not only manufactures beauty products, but also markets and distributes them.

“This facility will accommodate (Concept Labs’) increasing manufacturing needs and provide a platform for further innovation and efficiency. Their clientele ranges from globally recognized prestige brands to emerging niche players,” according to a submitted staff report. 

VILLAGE OF PLEASANT PRAIRIE

LOOPNET.COM

the FRANCHISEE

MAMA’S RESTAURANT GROUP NAF NAF GRILL

“Having always been an entrepreneur that started something from scratch … the idea in a franchise that somebody gives you the business model, tells you what to do and you need to execute it was really interesting to me.”

THE FRANCHISE: Naf Naf Grill is a national chain of Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurants based in Chicago. Founded in 2009 by the late Sahar Sander, the company has grown from a single location in Naperville to now nearly 40 company-owned and franchised locations across 12 states.

2021: Entrepreneur Danny Madanes was living in Utah figuring out his next career move when he heard about an opportunity to take over an existing corporate-owned Naf Naf Grill location in Brookfield. The Chicago-area native was well familiar with the brand.

JANUARY 2022: With no prior experience operating restaurants, Madanes teamed up with Dustin Gasper – who had spent the past 16 years climbing the management ranks at Chuck E. Cheese – to launch Mama’s Restaurant Group.

APRIL 2022: Mama’s Restaurant Group acquired Naf Naf’s Brookfield location and signed a separate seven-unit franchise agreement for the southern Wisconsin territory. Three months later, the group reopened Naf Naf Madison, another previously corporate-owned location, that had closed during the pandemic.

JANUARY 2024 : Mama’s opened its newest location in Greenfield, following a six-month interior buildout project. Targeting spring of 2025, the group is now looking at Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Whitefish Bay and Oak Creek for its next openings.

THE FRANCHISE FEE: $30,000

Naf Naf serves bowls, salads, pitas and plates, with a menu of staples like fresh pita, house-made falafel, chicken shawarma, hummus and baba ghanoush.

“(Gasper) has so much operational experience. … He knows structures. He knows training programs. He came in with a lot of institutional knowledge that another franchisee would have had to develop along the road.”

“We’re really focusing on developing our brand presence in the state of Wisconsin, so we feel like having more locations around the same area can really help us strengthen that brand and let people become familiar. A lot of Wisconsinites aren’t exactly familiar with what it is, but we know that when they get in there, they’ll love the food.”

Danny Madanes and Dustin Gasper, coowners of Mama’s Restaurant Group.

Naf Naf Greenfield is located at 5003 S. 76th St., near Southridge Mall.

Leading Edge

MEET THE

This Q&A is an extended profile from Wisconsin 275, a special publication from BizTimes Media highlighting the most influential business leaders in the state. Visit: biztimes.com/wisconsin275 for more.

Education:

Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?

“I grew up on a dairy and ginseng farm, which I count as my first job. I learned not only the value of hard work and humility, but also taking pride in doing a job well, building resiliency and the love of nature.”

What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career?

“Never stop learning, being curious and growing – and that growth happens fastest when you take some risks and step outside your comfort zone.”

If you could have dinner with any two business leaders, who would you choose and why?

“Warren Buffett, to hear his wisdom on leadership, economics and charitable giving with his commitment to the giving pledge. Jamie Dimon, since I'd like to learn his thoughts on risk tolerance and leadership. Both of these leaders have led through ups and downs that seem to have promoted long-term thinking and proactivity.”

What are some of your favorite destinations or places to visit?

“While I enjoy the Phoenix area in the winter and exploring international cities, I really love the beauty of our state and especially national parks.”

What is one book you think everyone should read and why?

“‘Leadership and Self Deception’ by the Arbinger Institute. It reflects the foundational mindset at Wipfli essential for how to approach relationships and solve problems with and for our team members and clients.”

What’s your hobby or passion?

“Nature and I get along. Whether it’s hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, boating, golfing – I love spending time outdoors.”

What is your favorite Wisconsin restaurant and what do you order there?

“Chives Restaurant in Suamico – angus filet.”

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

“I have 29 brothers- and sisters-in-law, so holiday gatherings are quite interesting (and hard to plan).”

What was your first car? How long did you drive it for?

“1981 Plymouth Horizon. I drove it for a year in high school before ‘it got in an accident.’”

If you could take a one-year sabbatical, what would you do?

“In addition to family time, I would travel internationally for a combination of history, pleasure and mission work.”

What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome?

“When the pandemic first hit, it was a challenge navigating the fear and uncertainty it created for all of us, the shift to remote work and the resulting evolution of our culture and the way we work from its permanency.”

What advice would you give to a young professional? “Never stop learning, find great mentors, build internal/ external networks and embrace change. Then, bring a positive attitude, integrity and intellectual curiosity to your career every day.”

What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?

“Well, I think Wisconsin is a great place to live and work and build a life today, but we can always be looking for ways to improve. We need to be focused on creating an environment that fosters creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. We can do that by ensuring our education system is

up to the challenge, our cities are safe, and that Wisconsin is a place young people want to call home. If we can do that, Wisconsin has an advantage on the competition because it is already in a good position, and we'll prosper as a state.”

As you enter your office, what would you choose to be your walk-up or theme song and why?

“‘Eye of the Tiger’ - Survivor. Overcome adversity, stay hungry, be confident.”

Is there a nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you?

“Golden House Green Bay provides hope and healing for victims of domestic violence. Having served on the board of directors and seen the impact that the cycle of abuse can have on families, sometimes for generations, this organization is working every day to help the one in three women and one in 10 men affected. This nonprofit provides the counseling and support needed to gain self-sufficiency and be prepared for better futures.”

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

“A visit to Normandy. I’m a World War II buff in part due to the sacrifices made for the benefit of the greater good. Seeing the beaches, cemetery and region I would expect to be an emotional experience considering the magnitude of those sacrifices.”

What has you most excited about the future?

“I’m excited for the next generations of youth behind my generation. While sometimes chastised, I’ve seen so many members of our younger workforce operate with passion, purpose and a desire for responsible balance in their lives. They are technologically savvy and, considering the demographic realities in our country where advancements in automation and use of technology will be critical, I'm excited for what our younger generation will innovate around and embrace to create a better future.” 

The latest area economic data.

Passenger traffic at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in 2023 was up 10.6% to 6,015,731.

Wisconsin’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.3%.

Home sales in the four-county metro Milwaukee area fell 18.6% to 16,586 in 2023.

The Milwaukee area’s office space vacancy rate has risen to 17.7% up from about 16.6% in the second quarter of 2023.

There are now 205,000 workers in Wisconsin who are union members up 9.6% from 2022.

on my nightstand...

JEFF JOHNSON

COO, Potawatomi Business Development Corp.’s commercial group

“Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days”

By Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz

AFTER MEETING JAKE KNAPP, the developer of the “sprint” method for testing ideas within organizations, Jeff Johnson was immediately impressed with Knapp’s process and wanted to learn more.

While working for Google, Knapp created a five-day process in which sprints were used on everything from Google Search to Google X. He joined Braden Kowitz and John Zeratsky at Google Ventures, and together they completed more than 200 sprints with startups in enterprise, e-commerce, health care, finance, climate, artificial intelligence and more.

“Sprint is a practical guide to answering critical business questions for teams of all sizes,” said Johnson. “The correlation between this book and PBDC is reflected in the company’s diversified investment strategy, from construction management, real estate development, technology, electric vehicles, the many federal contracting businesses engaged in selling products and services to the government and our variety of passive investments. I appreciate how the book acknowledges that entrepreneurs and leaders face big questions every day.” 

BIZ POLL A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

How do you feel about the current state of the U.S. economy?

POSITIVE: 35.3%

NEUTRAL: 15.7%

NEGATIVE: 49%

Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.

THRIVE ARCHITECTS 259 South St., Waukesha

NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown Waukesha

FOUNDED: 2015

OWNER: Jeremy Bartlett

SERVICE: Architectural design

How long have you been in downtown Waukesha?

Jeremy Bartlett, principal owner: “I was at a commercial architecture firm for about 16 years before I started the business. When I started, I was a sole practitioner, and when I hired my first employee about seven years ago, I really wanted to get a space to conduct business more professionally. I had a good friend, Ryan O’Neil, who owns Shiny Side Up Creative. They’re right next door and he owned the building, and the storefront was vacant at the time and he offered to lease it. We bought the building a few years later.”

Who are your clients?

“We do senior care, religious, animal wellness and health care, which includes dental and recreational projects. Those are our main sectors. We’re working on Evin Senior Living in Oconomowoc and Castle Senior Living in New Berlin, for instance.”

How has downtown Waukesha changed since you’ve been there?

“For a lot of years, downtown really struggled to gain momentum. But especially in the last five years it’s really started to take off. If you walk around, there’s

barely any empty storefronts. And when I first moved there, I’d say one in every three or one in every four was vacant. Businesses have also been putting resources into fixing up their properties.”

What’s it like to work at Thrive Architects?

“We have 13 employees. We opened a second office in Appleton two years ago, and a Madison office earlier this. Collaboration is really important for us. People always ask, ‘Oh, who did that design?’ It’s truly a team effort.” ■

MICROFIBER TOWELS

OFFICE TRASH CANS

CAFÉ TABLES

BROOMS

BOOT-BOY® BOOT CLEANER

Central Standard partners with The DeLong Co. to make distilling more sustainable

SUSTAINABILITY isn’t just a trend for Milwaukee-based Central Standard Craft Distillery, it’s essential to what the company stands for.

All Central Standard spirits are made through small-batch, quality-controlled distillation processes, with local ingredients. To enhance its distillation process even more, Central Standard is partnering with Clinton-based The DeLong Co. Inc. to source sustainable, local grains.

Last May, The DeLong Co. received a $40 million USDA grant to develop its Grown Climate Smart program, which aims to track greenhouse gas reductions resulting from growers implementing climate-smart practices. The program incentivizes sustainable practices such as cover crops, reduced- or no-till farming, nutrient management plans, and windbreak establishment and renovation.

Central Standard signed on to partner with the Grown Climate Smart brand last fall. Through the program, one of DeLong’s 170 enrolled growers is providing Central Standard with sustainably sourced grains. The Grown Climate Smart brand is currently working with growers in 11 states.

“For us, it’s always been important to be as local as possible and sustainable at the same time,” said Pat McQuillan, co-owner of Central Standard. “Our challenge over the years has been finding people who can repeatedly get us what we need.”

McQuillan said taking advantage of the Grown Climate Smart program means if for some reason a grower can’t get the distillery the grains it needs, there will always be another verified grower waiting in the wings.

This guaranteed supply of grains will help Central Standard as it continues to increase its manufacturing capacity. Now in its 10th year of business, Central Standard has grown into the largest craft distillery in the state, selling thousands of cases of product a year. McQuillan is supported by co-founder Evan Hughes and chief commercial officer Jim Kanter.

“We’ve been growing between 100% to 150% on a year-over-year basis over the last several years,” said McQuillan.

Central Standard sources its grains from a verified grower in East Troy. Corn, rye or barley – or a combination of the three grains –are made into a mash, cooked at a high temperature and then cooled. The mixture is then placed into fermentation tanks for an extended period of time and later bottled.

Central Standard products that were manufactured through the support of the Grown Climate Smart program are marked with a sticker so consumers can easily identify them.

Since the start of the partnership last September, Central Standard has been receiving between 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of sustainably sourced grains each month.

“The first part of our program

CENTRAL STANDARD CRAFT DISTILLERY

2330 W. Clybourn St., Milwaukee

INDUSTRY: Spirits manufacturing

EMPLOYEES: 46 thecentralstandard.com

is solely enrolling growers, but the second part is working with businesses like Central Standard that have products out there that consumers can purchase with their moral compass,” said Dylan Vaca, brand and marketing manager for DeLong’s Grown Climate Smart brand. “Over the last several years, sustainability has risen in prominence. Consumers care about it.”

Once Central Standard uses the sustainably sourced grains, the distillery tries to keep the reuse process going by ensuring the grains are passed on for use as feed or to be spread on parcels of farmland.

McQuillan said there isn’t a secret sauce to Central Standard’s distilling process, only a deep-rooted desire to work with the highest-quality ingredients possible. Using the grains sourced through the Grown Climate Smart program makes a noticeable difference in that process, he

explained.

“The quality is there, you can definitely tell,” said McQuillan. “When we do our distilling, the yields are better, the product smells better as it’s fermenting, and you can tell as it’s being bottled.” n

Pat McQuillan, co-owner of Central Standard, in the company’s distillery along Clybourn Street. ASHLEY

Adding new partner is part

of

the entrepreneurial journey for Granular

FOR ANY ENTREPRENEUR, letting go of part of the business can be tricky. You know your operations and your customers, handing things over to someone else is hard. Letting go of some of your ownership in the business can be even harder.

Jordon Meyer, founder of Milwaukee-based digital marketing firm Granular, has done just that as the company’s president, Steve Kroll, became an equity partner in the business a little over a year ago.

“It’s a reality that something that I built basically from scratch, it’s hard not to be really possessive of that and want it all to yourself,” Meyer said.

Today, the business has grown to 25 employees, but before

Granular became a company, it was a side gig for Meyer. He was working 50- to 60-hour weeks at his corporate job and then spending all of his free time working on his consulting business.

Meyer started his career in Milwaukee working in digital marketing, e-commerce, pay-per-click and search engine optimization. He worked at a few agencies before he was recruited to join Best Buy in Minneapolis.

The chance to work with big budgets – think eight figures a month – and establish a presence on new things like Google Shopping was interesting work, but Meyer didn’t love the red tape of a big corporation. He moved on to roles in higher education that still

By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

were in a corporate setting, albeit a smaller one than Best Buy.

“Once I left the agency in Milwaukee and went to Minneapolis, I kind of kept growing my brand presence, my personal brand, and started answering emails of people asking for help and figuring out how to make money from that,” Meyer said.

In 2013, the work started to reach a point where it was too much for just Meyer. He started paying a former colleague from Best Buy for part-time help. Meyer also came up with the Granular brand and built out a website for it.

Around that time, a client in Milwaukee was asking for even more of Meyer’s time.

“I said, ‘Literally, I don’t have

any more time, I’m maxed out,’” he recalled.

As it happened, the clients were entrepreneurs and had an interest in getting into another business. Their investment and support offered just enough of a safety net for Meyer to make a go of it with the Granular brand. He moved back to Milwaukee and launched the business full time, working from his client’s office for the first six to 10 months.

Around the same time, Kroll was on an entrepreneurial journey of his own. After leaving his role as president of Rocket Clicks in late 2013, Kroll wanted to launch a venture-backed startup. He ended up at startup accelerator gener8tor as an entrepreneur-in-residence, helping others with digital marketing.

“I had my own software startup that I wanted to build,” Kroll said. “I was like, I don’t want to be an employee and I don’t want to just be in a service business. I want to be in a software business that scales through server space, not through headcount.”

Kroll launched the company, Dibbr, with a business partner. The company’s software aimed to help customers generate lead lists and do cold outreach.

“It was great,” Kroll said. “The problem is we just didn’t make any money. Any money we had, we had to use to pay our developers.”

Meyer and Kroll did not know each other at this point, although they were connected on LinkedIn.

“I would connect with anyone on LinkedIn who did anything with Google Ads in Wisconsin,” Kroll said.

When he saw a notification that Meyer had started a new role as president and CEO of Granular, Kroll clicked through to the company’s website and felt a connection to Meyer’s work.

“This is a person who really knows this stuff,” Kroll recalled thinking after seeing Granular’s website. “He’s very certain about the things he’s certain about. He has a willingness to be misunderstood, and he’s got a very clear

Steve Kroll and Jordon Meyer at Granular’s offices in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.

position, and he’s willing to go against conventional wisdom. But it totally made sense to me.”

He reached out to Meyer to get to know him better and to pitch him Dibbr’s product.

“Bought him a really bad meal at a barbecue place that no longer exists,” Kroll said.

The two stayed in touch and before long, Meyer had a need for help with paid search. Kroll’s business partner was on board with the idea of joining Granular, but Kroll wasn’t.

“I was like, ‘absolutely not,’” Kroll said. “I didn’t want to be an employee somewhere. I had the entrepreneur bug, and I didn’t want to be involved in an agency again.”

In late 2015, they ended up reaching a deal in which Kroll would rent a desk at Granular’s office. He could help Meyer out on some work but keep his dream of building his own company alive.

But Kroll acknowledged he isn’t one to do things halfway and he found it difficult to have each foot in a different area. He also found Meyer to be someone who did not need to hoard all the credit, who was willing to trust and to delegate. By March 2016, Kroll had joined Granular full time.

As Granular has grown so too has Kroll’s role at the company. In 2021, he was named president and became an operating partner in the business at the start of 2023.

“Steve’s had Granular’s back and my interests in mind along every step of that journey,” Meyer said. “It made a lot of sense to put even more trust, more faith, more reward on Steve and make him an official partner in the business, which I think is a massive deal.”

Kroll said money is important as a tool for recognizing someone’s contribution, but added it is not a driving force for him.

“For me, I have always made it clear, having ownership is important to me. I don’t ever want to think of myself as an employee,” Kroll said.

The advice Meyer received from other business owners was against adding another partner, whether it was Kroll or someone else.

“I’m still young, the company’s still young,” Meyer said. “I’m not going anywhere. I think this is unusual because this isn’t an exit strategy. This is a growth strategy to get somebody else like-minded marching forward together.”

The duo got a dry run of sorts in 2018 when they launched a separate business, an SEO firm called Momentic, but bringing Kroll into the ownership of the business Meyer built from scratch was a different story.

One of the benefits comes in the form of peace of mind. Kroll said even as a committed employ-

ee looking out for the company’s long-term interests, it is hard to rule out the possibilities of other opportunities.

“That closes once I’m a partner,” he said.

Another benefit for the company is the additional focus it garners from Kroll. Even if just 1% of his energy each month was spent on his compensation or job security, that’s time not spent on clients or the business, Kroll and Meyer said.

Now, Kroll sees Granular not only as Meyer’s company but something that belongs to both of them.

“I still have to get comfortable with that,” Kroll said, nearly a year after the change was made official. “I still do look at it as it’s his company and brainchild, but that’s been a big orientation shift for me is thinking about us, our company. … I had the mindset, but there is a psychological shift.” 

find the highest and best use for the 58-acre property at North 76th Street and Brown Deer Road. There is no shortage of ideas.

JON ELLIOT OF MKE DRONES LLC

As demolition commences, future use of former Northridge Mall site could require ‘fine-grained thinking’

WITH BULLET HOLES in the skylights, profanity graffitied on nearly every surface and fire damage throughout, the derelict former Northridge Mall has been a growing blight on Milwaukee’s far northwest side since the shopping mall closed in 2003.

In January, the City of Milwaukee was awarded its long-sought ownership of the property from previous owner U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group, a Chinese investment group, after the company stopped paying its property taxes, on top of failing to secure

the property and being held in contempt of court.

“Finally, we can exhale,” alderwoman Larresa Taylor said after the foreclosure hearing. Her district includes the Northridge Mall site.

Now, the public and private sectors have the opportunity to

“I’ve seen everything floated there from another retail development to an office development to turning it back into a farm,” said Jim Barry, president of Milwaukee-based commercial real estate firm The Barry Company.

Amid a strong industrial market and a significant need for housing, local real estate professionals are split on how to best use the property, but one local developer says figuring out how to connect future development to the area’s existing stock of housing and industry is paramount to set the site up for future success.

The City of Milwaukee, which has said it does not have a grand plan for the site, is beginning demolition and environmental remediation work, aiming to have it ready for new development by the end of 2025.

BUILD ON EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BASE

Across Brown Deer Road from Northridge is the Bradley Woods Industrial Park, sometimes called the Milwaukee Land Bank, which has several hundred acres of in-

FEATURED DEAL: NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL, VAN BUREN MANAGEMENT TRADE

Northwestern Mutual and Milwaukee-based real estate firm Van Buren Management recently traded two downtown properties to settle an ongoing lawsuit.

In 2021, Northwestern Mutual sued Van Buren over control of a parking lot at 795 N. Van Buren St., which is adjacent to an office building that Van Buren is converting into a hotel. Northwestern Mutual owned the lot and was leasing it to Van Buren.

In court, Northwestern Mutual said the lease for the parking lot should be terminated because the hotel project didn’t meet its completion deadline. Van Buren argued it had met the conditions of the lease and that the project was substantially complete. The hotel has not yet opened.

To settle the lawsuit, Northwestern Mutual sold the 0.37-acre parking lot to Van Buren for $1.3 million, while acquiring an 81,000-square-foot office building at 732 N. Jackson St. from Van Buren for $2.2 million.

ADDRESS: 795 N. Van Buren St.; 732 N. Jackson St.

SIZE: 0.37 acre; 81,000 square feet

PRICE: $3.5 million (total)

BUYER/SELLER: Northwestern Mutual, Van Buren Management

Northridge Mall looking southeast.

dustrial development already.

“There are a lot of very good companies, very good employers in that area,” Barry said. “But it’s pretty much built out. If you were to develop Northridge (as an industrial park), you could really create an expansion of Bradley Woods with modern facilities for expanding companies.”

Barry isn’t referring to the 1 million-plus-square-foot distribution centers that are popping up in Kenosha and Germantown, he said. Industrial development at the Northridge Mall site could provide space for local and regional manufacturers.

With metro Milwaukee’s industrial vacancy rate less than 5.5%, according to the most recent report from Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin, adding more industrial supply is welcome, according to Barry.

Further, as already-developed land, the Northridge property has an existing road system as well as sewer and water lines that would only need to be modernized to support new development.

“To me, that’s not only the highest and best use, but the most obvious use,” Barry said.

ADDING RESIDENTS AND DENSITY

However, the far northwest side of Milwaukee also has a significant base of housing, which could make it prime for more.

There are other sites on the northwest side that have better access to freeways, such as sites available closer to I-41, that make them more attractive for industrial development, said Jeff Hoffman, an industrial real estate broker and principal at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke.

Given its size, the Northridge property could lend itself ideally to a large corporate headquarters, according to Hoffman, but those deals don’t come around often. Thus, Hoffman said the quickest and most beneficial use for the land would be a comprehensive mixed-use workforce housing project that drives density and residents to the area.

“If you’re populating that particular area, it’s just going to help the existing industrial base,” Hoffman said. “More importantly, having more people in that area reactivates that retail corridor on Brown Deer Road.”

CREATING A COMMUNITY IMPACT

Despite the economic drain that an abandoned Northridge has been on the area, there have been a few new housing proposals to come forward in the area recently. Two separate developments just southeast of Northridge could bring 298 market-rate apartment units to the area and, just west of Northridge, Milwaukee-based Royal Capital has proposed more than 1,100 affordable housing units at a “healthy living campus.”

“If Royal Capital’s got this huge commitment up there, you’ve got to look at that for cues as to what you should consider doing,” said Bob Monnat, senior partner at Milwaukee-based multi-family development firm Mandel Group.

Monnat said any development at Northridge should consider how to create a sense of community for the surrounding area.

“You look at what the major deficiencies are, and right now you have this series of umbilical cord developments, but nothing that ties it all together,” Monnat said. “Regardless of what is done with it, how can you use Northridge to help everybody feel like they’re in the same community? That requires some fine-grained thinking.” 

HUNTER TURPIN Reporter

P / 414-336-7121

E / hunter.turpin@biztimes.com

T / @HunterDTurpin

UGLY BUILDING

6311 S. 27TH ST., FRANKLIN

Situated at one of busiest intersections and along one of the longest retail corridors in Milwaukee County, this empty corner property is surrounded by a Kwik Trip, Walgreens and Qdoba as well as several strip malls and auto dealerships.

The half-acre site southwest of South 27th Street and College Avenue in Franklin used to be home to a KFC, but the restaurant has been closed for several years.

The property is owned by a Pewaukee-based entity called TS Collins College Avenue LLC and is assessed at $550,900, according to Milwaukee County records. Attempts to reach the LLC’s registered agent for comment were unsuccessful.

VALERIE HILL

PLAYMAKERS:

How Bars & Rec is redefining Milwaukee’s entertainment landscape

BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer

Marla Poytinger had the feeling that something good was about to happen.

It was fall 2023 and things were looking up for her company, Milwaukee-based Bars & Recreation Inc., the operator of several immersive activity bars in the area. It had taken up until then for the dust to settle from the COVID-19 pandemic – which had left the business without revenue for months, forcing it to dip into its reserves to cover mounting expenses – and a subsequent recovery effort that resulted in the onboarding of almost an entirely new team. The pieces were all falling into place.

Then, in late October, Poytinger saw the news that national chain Punch Bowl Social would close its entertainment bar and restaurant in downtown Milwaukee’s Deer District, vacating a prime 25,000-square-foot venue in the heart of one of the city’s hottest areas. She saw opportunity written all over it.

“And then the (Milwaukee) Bucks called, and it all made sense,” said Poytinger.

The Milwaukee Bucks, who own the property as part of the Entertainment Block development across the public plaza from Fiserv Forum, were interested in having Bars & Rec take over the venue.

Three months later, Poytinger stood next to Bucks president Peter Feigin at a joint press conference on the upper floor of the former Punch Bowl space to unveil the details of how Bars & Rec would transform the venue into a new immersive entertainment destination, dubbed The New Fashioned, celebrating the favorite food, drinks and pastimes

that have long defined Milwaukee and Wisconsin culture.

Each Bars & Rec concept is designed with its own unique look, feel and themed activity, but the brand has honed a consistent selling point in the type of experience it offers its customers – an experience that has grown all the more elusive in today’s digitally connected world. The New Fashioned will be no different.

“People are looking for ways to engage, to turn off their screens and to come and do something together and build team. The experience is about what you’re doing together with the humans in the room,” said Poytinger.

The New Fashioned – with its high-profile location opening just in time for the 2024 Republican National Convention – marks the next iteration of growth for Bars & Rec. From a single paint-and-sip bar to now six different immersive entertainment concepts across four locations in Milwaukee, the business is redefining entertainment in southeastern Wisconsin while playing the long game of growth.

ON TO SOMETHING

The company that’s now known as Bars & Recreation includes axe-throwing bar AXE MKE and build-your-own mini golf bar Nine Below, both located on Milwaukee’s East Side; private-suite karaoke bar Amped and live-hosted game show experience Game Show MKE, which share one location in downtown’s Brewery District; axe-throwing

‘Team Bars & Rec’: Company leadership, including (front row, left to right) Kevin Muscott, director of facilities, logistics and technology; Steve Davis, director of experiences; Lauren Upson, director of food and beverage; Ruth Lawson, director of marketing; Marla Poytinger, chief executive officer; David Poytinger, chief innovation officer; and Erin Hochevar, vice president, with a group of sales, marketing and operations employees.

and giant shuffleboard bar NorthSouth Club in the city’s Walker’s Point neighborhood; and Splash Studio, a now-virtual take on the company’s flagship paint-and-sip concept.

And as what will be Bars & Rec’s first move outside the city, a fifth location will open later this year in West Allis.

Marla Poytinger co-founded the company in 2012 with her husband, David Poytinger. They now lead a team of more than 70 employees (and growing) as chief executive officer and chief innovation officer, respectively.

Their idea to open an artist-led painting bar sprouted from a dream of combining Marla’s love for art with David’s love for beer and doing something to make their “mark on Milwaukee.” Splash Studio was the first concept to emerge from that original vision.

The couple met at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and both went on to earn MBAs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before they moved to Milwaukee in 2010 for Marla’s role as managing director of the Bel Canto Chorus. David worked as a packaging analyst for corporate procurement at MillerCoors.

The Poytingers opened Splash Studio in March 2012 on North Broadway in the Historic Third Ward, just a couple blocks from the apartment they were leasing at the time. Those early days balancing full-time jobs with a new business were certainly memorable.

pass out, and then we’d wake up early in the morning and do it all over again,” said Marla Poytinger.

The Splash Studio concept quickly caught on with the local clientele – whether it was a group of co-workers for happy hour, couples on date night or a bachelorette party – and before long, Splash expanded into the adjacent storefront to keep up with demand.

At this point, the Poytingers found themselves at a crossroads: Do they ride the wave of early success to open additional Splash Studios in other parts of the state? Or do they commit to their original intention of putting down roots in Milwaukee and find other ways to grow their business locally?

In 2013, Marla left her job at Bel Canto Chorus to run Splash Studio full time; their first son was born later that year. David followed in 2014, leav-

“We would literally go straight from work to open Splash Studio and then work there all evening into the middle of the night and then close it up, go home and just

ing his job at MillerCoors – and all of the perks that came with it.

“He had benefits, a 401(k), he had the whole corporate package,” said Poytinger. “And it was like, are we really going to walk away from all of that and believe in ourselves? I remember we had so many difficult conversations about that. I’m very riskaverse actually, so I was really scared.”

But as the visionary, David had faith in Marla as the leader of the business. He reminded her of all she had accomplished at Bel Canto and reassured her that going all in on their entrepreneurial venture was the right move. And in hindsight, it was the best decision they ever made, she said.

The couple has maintained synergy while their working relationship has evolved with the growth of both their business and their family; they now have three children, ages 10, 6 and 3. Establishing a separation of duties has been key. As CIO, David is the creative mind who envisions and develops the concepts and Marla – as the sole owner, CEO and CFO – is the force behind bringing the concepts to life.

WHAT’S IN AN EXPERIENCE?

Digging deeper into what made the Splash Studio concept so popular, the Poytingers saw it wasn’t just the guided painting sessions and wine that had brought customers through the door; it was bigger than that.

“People were craving this artistic expression and a place for adults to come and express themselves and have fun,” said Poytinger.

The New Fashioned will replace Punch Bowl Social in downtown Milwaukee’s Deer District.

A self-serve pour wall at The New Fashioned will have 50 beverages on tap, including Sprecher Root Beer.

Marla and David Poytinger stand behind the bar at Amped. VALERIE HILL

1. Nine Below

Opened: October 2016

1905 E. North Ave., Milwaukee

2. AXE MKE

Opened: June 2018

1924 E. Kenilworth Place, Milwaukee

3. NorthSouth Club

Opened: August 2019

230 E. Pittsburgh Ave., Milwaukee

4. Amped | Game Show MK E

Opened: January 2023 | November 2023

910 W. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee

5. The New Fashioned

Coming April 2023

1122 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee

6. Yet-to-be-named concept

Coming September 2023

6325 W. National Ave., West Allis

They distilled it down to a few core attributes they figured they could replicate, and that became the blueprint to build out their immersive entertainment empire over the next few years, starting with Nine Below in 2016, followed by AXE MKE in 2018, NorthSouth Club in 2019, Head Space Trivia, which was a pandemic-era virtual game experience in 2020, and then both Amped and Game Show MKE in 2023.

So, what are these so-called “pillars of success” that set the Bars & Rec experience apart?

“It’s a little bit of a secret sauce,” said Poytinger. She later added that the company tries to emulate best practices from the likes of Universal Studios and major cruise ship operators.

One of the main ingredients of that secret sauce is what Poytinger calls “blow-your-mind” customer service.

“We actually use the words ‘taken care of,’ not just waited on, so you really feel like you are 100% loved,” she said.

It’s a practice that came out of Splash. Whenever a customer seemed hesitant to tap into their artistic abilities – or lack thereof – David would bring them a drink and offer some words of encouragement for stepping outside their comfort zone and trying it anyway.

“It was a little bit cheesy, but also it resonated with people,” said Marla Poytinger. “And when we saw that, how important that was, it was sort of like, OK, there’s something that we can do that’s different than just traditional service.”

Another key ingredient is accessibility. Generally, Bars & Rec concepts are geared toward adults, with corporate groups currently responsible for generating 70% of total revenue. With its audience in mind, team building is a central offering at all Bars & Rec locations, meaning all activities are able to be done wearing business attire.

Milwaukee

On top of that, Bars & Rec upholds very specific criteria for what fits the “immersive entertainment” bill. Virtual reality, for example, would not pass the test.

“That’s interacting through a screen. … We want people to have true authentic social engagement,” said Poytinger.

A MAJOR TURNING POINT

Like many businesses that were mandated to shut down at the outset of the pandemic, Bars & Rec harnessed what it saw as a silver lining in a time of crisis. With nearly all operations and revenue halted for months, the business was forced to look inwards at the systems and processes that were working – and those that needed improvement.

“There’s that wonderful Winston Churchill quote, ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste,’ and I think looking back, that’s really how we were able to survive,” said Poytinger. “We saw the potential future if we fixed the company for the better. We had this unique possibility of building going forward in a way that we couldn’t have done if COVID hadn’t happened.”

Prior to the pandemic, Bars & Rec was scaling at such a rate that hiring became somewhat haphazard. The opening of NorthSouth Club – just seven months before COVID hit –was an exciting milestone and huge investment for the company at the time.

“We were growing, growing, growing, just sort of plotting along and putting people into positions because we needed them to work. But it wasn’t necessarily their highest and best use,” she said.

Plus, the company’s previous structure – which separated each location into an individual enterprise, with its own employees and general manager – had become inefficient.

For instance, a Nine Below employee who also picked up shifts at AXE MKE and NorthSouth Club would receive a separate paycheck from each entity – paychecks that Poytinger would have to spend extra time printing and signing. In addition, GMs were given a range of responsibilities that were far too wide for one person, said Poytinger. On top of managing operations and staff, they were also expected to handle inventory, place orders and ensure the facility was clean and well-maintained. This left limited capacity for relationship and culture building across teams – much less across the company at large.

It was clear there were cracks in the foundation that needed repair.

In 2019, Splash Studio Inc., Nine Below Inc., Axe MKE Inc., and The NorthSouth Club Inc. all incor-

Groups playing games of deck shuffleboard at NorthSouth Club.

porated under the newly formed parent company, Bars & Recreation Inc. Under this structure, each unit remains its own business entity, but all staff is employed by Bars & Recreation through a management services agreement.

With the framing of a new internal structure already in place and the worst of the pandemic in the rear view, Bars & Rec set out to rebuild a team that would carry the company forward onto stabler ground.

Here’s where Steve Davis, director of experiences, enters the picture. The Waukesha native joined Bars & Rec in early 2021 after spending the prior decade working as cruise and activities director for Royal Caribbean, a role that placed him both as the “face of the ship” – on stage hosting shows and on screen for the morning television program –and behind the scenes managing a crew of as many as 250 entertainers, producers and other activity staffers.

That all came to an abrupt halt in 2020 as the pandemic decimated the cruise industry, resulting in thousands of furloughed workers, including Da-

vis. Out of work for about a year, he came across an Indeed job posting for Bars & Rec and was later hired. Today, Davis oversees 55 crew members, including each location’s general managers, hosts and bartenders, in his role of maintaining a consistent, top-notch customer experience across the Bars & Rec footprint.

THE RIGHT PIECES TO THE PUZZLE

As part of its rebuild strategy – led by key corporate personnel like Davis and vice president Erin Hochevar – Bars & Rec reoriented its organizational structure, increasing the size of its executive team in order to lighten the load for its frontline crew members, those who interface directly with customers.

“We took a lot off of the plate of a general manager so they could focus on on-site operations, so they could focus on the customer experience, focus on what we consider the real important stuff to help the company grow,” said Davis.

Now with more support staff working behind the scenes, the operations team is smaller in scale compared to pre-COVID. While it may be more efficient, said Poytinger, it’s not necessarily better for

the bottom line – at least in the short term.

“In some ways, I think it’s more expensive because we have these higher-level people who are more experienced,” she said. “But that’s OK because they get so much more done. And they can carry a really heavy workload without getting burned out.”

With an eye on elevating the customer experience, Bars & Rec also adopted a new mindset around what it looks for in a job candidate. Instead of prioritizing bartending experience as it had in the past, the company started recruiting people with backgrounds as camp counselors, cruise ship employees and theater kids – those who possess that “joie de vivre (French for joy of living) and can give guests that blow-your-mind experience,” said Poytinger.

New hires can be trained in skills like bartending and catering – and at a high level thanks to the recent addition of Lauren Upson as director of food and beverage – but personality is innate.

And as far as entertainment goes, it holds a lot of weight.

“The people on my team on the cruise ship were the ones that could make or break a customer’s experience,” said Davis. “They’re the entertainers.

BARS & REC

A look at some of Bars & Rec's immersive entertainment experiences: (top) Karaoke at Amped, axe throwing at NorthSouth Club, (bottom) mini golf at Nine Below and axe throwing at AXE MKE.

They’re the ones that have that personality that makes you feel like you’re their friend by the end of the cruise. That’s really what we’re trying to harness here with our team.”

The new approach has guided Bars & Rec in hiring almost all new operations employees since 2021, said Poytinger.

But as much as it’s about hiring the right people, it’s also about keeping them.

Along with a suite of employee benefits – including health, dental and vision insurance coverage, a 401(k) match, and paid time off for all – Bars & Rec offers an internal incentive program that Davis came up with in 2021, known as Steve’s Bar Bucks. On an employee’s birthday or work anniversary, or if they publicly receive positive feedback – either from customers or peers through the company’s online portal – they are rewarded $5 in gift card credit for uniforms, merchandise, food, snacks and activities at any Bars & Rec location. Last year, the company gave back nearly $3,000 dollars in gift card credit to employees.

“We talk about taking care of our customers, and we expect (employees) to take care of our customers. But they can only do that if they are taking care of themselves,” said Poytinger. “We’ve got to fill up their cup before they can then go and give that energy to our guests.”

GETTING THERE

Bars & Rec has been profitable since “day one,” according to Poytinger, who claims reinvesting that profit back into the company is part of what’s kept it on a slow-and-steady growth trajectory for the past decade. However, the pandemic called attention to just how vulnerable the company could be by – up until then – leasing, rather than owning, all of its locations, said Poytinger.

In 2022, Bars & Rec made a series of three real estate purchases in the span of about four months, starting in February with the southern portion of a commercial building in downtown’s Brewery District – now home to Amped and Game Show MKE – followed by a warehouse in Walker’s Point, utilized for storage and as a makeshift research and development facility for testing and refining new concept ideas, and lastly, the former CasTech Inc. building in West Allis for Bars & Rec’s next yet-tobe-announced concept.

Transforming the vacant factory has so far been a massive undertaking for Bars & Rec, which

last year secured state grant funding and hired Brown Deer-based LF Green Development to carry out a complete environmental cleanup of the property, including in-ground hoist removal and water and soil testing.

The West Allis building is now ready for buildout but, given the timing with The New Fashioned and 2024 RNC this summer, the concept won’t open until September.

“It was a huge project for us, but also I felt like I was ready to do more – not just the interior of the building, but to take a whole building from the ground up and learn what it’s like to be a developer,” said Poytinger.

She said the West Allis project is a test for what could someday be a future arm of the business, taking troubled or blighted properties and turning them into entertainment destinations that add vibrancy to the surrounding community.

The New Fashioned site offers a similar trial, largely thanks to the shortcomings of its previous operator, and not without its own set of operational challenges.

“People are skeptical of that space, and I get it. It was not good. (Punch Bowl Social) just didn’t have a pulse on the community,” said Poytinger.

Offering activities such as bowling, dartball and all-season street curling as well as a menu featuring old-fashioned flights, custard and butter burgers – led by Benson’s Restaurant Group as the venue’s exclusive restaurant and catering partner –it’s now up to The New Fashioned and its local operator to change the minds of skeptics, and stand out in the minds of visitors.

“We have to really show that we’re different and that we’re making better decisions and that we’re local, which is not an easy task,” Poytinger said. The goal is being the “number one stop on your itinerary anytime you have people in town.”

That’s exactly the kind of operation the Bucks had in mind for the site.

“We were really looking for someone who could not only utilize and take over the space but really activate it, and the difference is they’re local, which we love,” said Michael Belot, senior vice president of Bucks Ventures and Development. “Their track record of success is unparalleled in Milwaukee but also in this segment of ‘eatertainment’ and entertainment, so it just seemed like the perfect fit.”

The two organizations had connected in the past over other potential Deer District opportunities, but things never lined up and then the pandemic interfered. This time was different.

“Before COVID, we knew who we were,” said Poytinger. “After COVID, we knew where we wanted to go as a company, and now with The New Fashioned, we know how to get there. And I’m so excited that we have that path laid out for us, and we just have to go get it.”

Bowling lanes at The New Fashioned.

BARS & REC

Amped and Game Show MKE are located in The Brewery District.

BARS & REC

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““As the only Wisconsin-based contestant on this season, I take a lot of pride in representing our incredible culinary community that has inspired me to be where I am today.”

– Dan Jacobs, chef and co-owner, Dan Dan and EsterEv

Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ to highlight Wisconsin as top culinary destination

BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer

FOODIES AROUND THE WORLD will get a taste of Wisconsin’s culinary prowess when the upcoming season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” airs next month.

The hit TV series, now in its 21st season, is set to premiere March 20, showcasing rising star chefs who travelled to Wisconsin from across the country last summer to contend for the highly coveted Top Chef title. Episodes will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and will be available to stream on Peacock the next day.

Filmed over a span of six weeks, mostly in Milwaukee and Madison, “Top Chef” will shine the national spotlight on Wisconsin as a top-tier dining destination while honoring its rich history of dairy farming and agricultural production.

The group of 15 “cheftestants” will participate in various cooking challenges featuring local staples such as artisan cheeses, Wisconsin-grown cranberries and Door County cherries. They’ll even be tasked with cooking and elevating five different types of sausages as part of a challenge filmed at American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, according to a news release.

“We know culinary television – and television in general – will continue to inspire travel in 2024, and that’s why we’re so proud that our community will be highlighted in such a prestigious television show,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and chief executive officer of VISIT

Milwaukee, which was one of several industry groups involved in the show’s production, along with Travel Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Destination Madison.

“If they didn’t know it already, the world will soon see that Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s restaurants, chefs and foodmakers are world class,” she added.

Among this season’s competitors is Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs, co-owner of Dan Dan and EsterEv in the Third Ward. Jacobs and his partner, chef Dan Van Rite, are together nominated as semifinalists for Best Chef Midwest for the 2024 James Beard Awards. This is the fifth consecutive year Jacobs and Van Rite have made the list.

Competing as the only chef from Wisconsin this season, Jacobs said he’d always dreamed of being on “Top Chef.”

“When they announced that season 21 was taking place in Wisconsin, it felt like fate. What an honor to represent our region,” he said. “… I take a lot of pride in representing our incredible culinary community that has inspired me to be where I am today.”

But the opportunity holds even greater meaning for Jacobs, who has a rare and progressive neuromuscular disorder known as Kennedy’s Disease.

“I hope this platform allows me to inspire people

who are differently abled to pursue their passions, especially in the culinary world where physical constraints can be a big barrier,” he said.

The city’s award-winning dining scene will be further represented in the slate of guest judges appearing on the show this season, including three of Milwaukee’s four James Beard Award winners: Dane Baldwin, chef and owner of The Diplomat; Paul Bartolotta, chef and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants, and Adam Siegel, chef and co-owner of Lupi & Iris. Other big names in the mix are Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens, former Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun, celebrity chef Carla Hall, actress Brittany Snow and chef Matty Matheson from FX’s The Bear.

A trailer for the 21st season of “Top Chef,” unveiled by Bravo earlier this month, features clips of several familiar Milwaukee and Wisconsin sites, including the Milwaukee skyline, the downtown lakefront and riverfront, American Family Field, the Historic Miller Caves, Bradford Beach and Whole Foods on the East Side. There was also a teaser for a challenge revolving around what the show’s new host Kristen Kish described as “something Wisconsinites can’t live without” — cheese, of course.

“Watching Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ is just the amusebouche to the real thing,” said Anne Sayers, Wisconsin Secretary of Tourism. “Top Chef will show why Wisconsin is one of America’s hottest foodie destinations right now. Undoubtedly, this season will change perceptions of Wisconsin and demonstrate that we are an unexpected, must-taste culinary destination. We are ready to help viewers travel Wisconsin by fork.” ■

Aerial view of a cheese festival challenge filmed for “Top Chef” Wisconsin.

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Cybersecurity experts say AI is making it easier for criminals to carry out attacks

BY ASHLEY SMART, staff writer

IN THE WAKE of headline-grabbing cyberattacks at several well-known companies in recent months, business owners in southeastern Wisconsin may be wondering if they are becoming more prevalent or harder to prevent.

In October, La Crosse-based Kwik Trip announced it was working through a “network incident” that caused a disruption to some of its systems, including its production facilities in La Crosse, internal communications system and customer loyalty program, according to a statement.

Then, in November, Johnson Controls, which has its operating headquarters in Glendale, reported experiencing “disruptions” to portions of its IT infrastructure and applications. The three-week cyberattack involved the use of ransomware by a third party to access the company’s internal IT structure, according to an SEC filing, resulting in a $60 million impact on the company’s fourth quarter sales.

The Medical College of Wisconsin is yet another local organization dealing with the aftermath of a cyberattack, carried out in May by Russian cybergang Clop, which stole the private health and

personal data of thousands of customers. MCW and its software provider are now facing a class action lawsuit alleging at least $5 million in monetary damages.

The most recent cyberattack incident to make national news was earlier this month at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, which shut down its computer systems for a week after its network was accessed by a “known criminal threat actor.” The hospital remained operational, with limited access to communication systems and medical records for several days following the incident.

Over the past year, there has been a “larger rise” in the number of cyberattacks – specifically ransomware attacks, said Keegan Bolstad, sales manager at Milwaukee-based Ontech Systems.

What’s driving the uptick in ransomware attacks is an emerging underground busi-

ness model known in the cybersecurity world as “ransomware as a service,” or RaaS. With the rise of artificial intelligence, Bolstad explained, cybergangs are now shifting away from executing cyberattacks themselves to instead supplying their ransomware know-how to other less-sophisticated hackers.

“They sold their toolset, they sold their knowledge as a service to others,” he said.

In the past, only highly trained individuals were equipped to carry out cyberattacks, but now it’s easier than ever for the average cybercriminal to go online and purchase hacking tools, along with step-by-step directions.

“You can basically buy kits to do all of this and they’re very inexpensive. There are kits for less than $1,000. If you trip up one person, one company, you can make your money back tenfold,” said Jared Olson, security team lead at Ontech.

Another factor driving the trend is ransom payment. Even though many cybersecurity firms advise against paying ransom to cybercriminals, companies – often at the guidance of outside counsel, such as insurers – continue to pay ransoms, in turn providing a financial incentive for criminals

Bolstad

Olson

to continue carrying out attacks.

Artificial intelligence is also making it easier to automate cyberattacks, meaning criminals can hit several organizations at once with ease.

U.S. companies reported 3,122 data breaches in 2023 – up 75% from 2022 – impacting a total of 349,221,481 individuals, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s Annual Data Breach Report. The vast majority of the data breaches were linked to cyberattacks, with health care, financial services, professional services, manufacturing and education as the top industries impacted.

“AI can be used for a lot of awesome things to make our lives easier,” said Amanda Knutson, supervisory special agent at the FBI’s Milwaukee field office. “It’s also going to make (criminals’) lives easier.”

She explained that most cyberattacks attempted today rely on social engineering, basically psychological and/or emotional manipulation, and AI will make it harder to parse out these attacks.

For example, phishing email schemes that have traditionally looked suspicious – with obvious spelling or syntax errors, usually because the sender is a non-English speaker – won’t be so easy to spot now with the use of AI.

The same thing could happen with voice messages created using AI, Knutson said. Adding yet another layer of deception to cyberattacks, voice cloning technology that uses artificial intelligence to create fake audio recordings have become so prevalent, the Federal Trade Commission recently placed a ban on robocalls that use AI-generated voices. The FCC made this decision after a fake rob-

Cybersecurity tips for companies

ocall imitating President Joe Biden was sent out to voters in New Hampshire, according to a Reuters article.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

There is some good news for business owners amid heightened risk of cyberattack threats. You likely won’t have to completely change your cybersecurity system to contend with some of these modern threats. You just need to make sure you’re doing the basics well.

“It really starts with making sure an organization understands their own risk tolerance,” said Brad Lutgen, partner at Madison-based Ghostscale. “We don’t see enough organizations formalizing a risk assessment and risk register process.”

This would involve a company focusing its cybersecurity budget on the areas that impact the business the most. Through a risk assessment, a business can find out what cyberattacks it is most at risk for and which threats could cause the greatest financial and reputational harm. Once a business knows those risks, it can prioritize them by cost.

Ghostscale also uses something called a stack attack as a preventative measure. The company takes data remnants from data breaches it’s helped investigate and works with its client to put that data on their network. Then, Ghostscale can test the tools a client has bought from various security vendors to make sure they are configured properly.

A strong incident response plan could be the difference between losing access to your internal

• Check ic3.gov regularly for cybersecurity alerts and advice from the FBI.

• Don’t use the “remember me” option when logging into personal accounts online. This makes it easier for criminals to hack into your accounts as the credentials are saved in a web browser.

• Put in place an incident response plan, including data backups. Start by having a professional assess what cyberattacks your company is most at risk for and what impact those attacks could have on your company’s finances and reputation.

• Make sure all devices that house company information are encrypted. This includes secondary devices such as tablets and phones.

• Per the advice of cybersecurity professionals, don’t pay out ransom to cybercriminals. Paying out ransoms gives criminals an incentive to continue carrying out attacks and there is no guarantee the bad actors will keep their promise.

• Make sure your company has a risk register in place. This form organizes potential risks and information relevant to each risk. That information can be used for prioritizing and decision-making if your company is impacted by a cyberattack. Having a risk register also provides legal coverage in the event of a cyberattack.

• Implement a security awareness training program for employees that changes your company’s culture. For example, instead of sending out a fake phishing email once a year, continually test small batches of employees throughout the year. Employees who don’t click on the email can then be entered into a drawing for a prize like a gift card.

• When introducing new software, think about security from the beginning. Consider who needs access to what information and structure user roles accordingly.

systems for just a couple of days, as opposed to several weeks, said Lutgen.

“Everyone has a limited budget, and you need to focus your budget on the areas that impact the business the most,” he said.

Ontech helps clients implement several preventative measures, including dark web research and mobile device security.

With the rise of remote work, and usage of multiple electronic devices, securing company data through encryption is key. Businesses should also have policies in place for devices, including how long they can be accessed after a period of sitting idle. If devices aren’t protected with strong passwords, it’s easier for criminals to access data, which could eventually end up on the dark web.

Bolstad said the FBI recently informed Ontech of several clients who may have their personal data listed on the dark web.

“That gives other threat actors the ability to log into the system remotely and those users have everything they would need to be able to carry out an attack,” he said.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE ATTACKED

Once your personal information is put on the dark web, there isn’t too much you can do to remove it, according to Knutson. There are several free websites, including haveibeenpwned.com, where people can check to see if their personal information has been listed.

The FBI takes no official stance on whether a company should pay out a ransom, but generally does not advocate for payment.

“It’s a business decision, we’re not going to tell organizations what they should do,” said Knutson.

Ontech cautions against negotiating with cybercriminals. It makes even less sense to negotiate if an organization already has a valid data backup in place and its data exists safely elsewhere.

“Often times, they can’t prove that they really have anything, but their demands for some of these ransom requests to get the data back is significant,” said Olson.

Being in constant communication with a local FBI office can help companies that have been impacted by a cyberattack. The FBI can help businesses regain control of their systems after an attack and may have further insight for business owners. FBI offices across the country work collectively to solve cybercrimes, giving them greater insights into national trends.

“There is potential that we have certain pieces of intelligence that we could share with them that could help their decision makers in determining what they should do next,” said Knutson.

The FBI also issues cybersecurity advisories that highlight current trends and give businesses guidance on how to protect their systems and prevent attacks. n

Knutson

Lutgen

PRESENTS:

2:00 PM: Registration & Networking 2:30-4:45 PM: Program 4:45-6:30 PM: Networking Reception

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. As a mutual company, its commitment to doing good extends beyond making a positive impact on the financial wellbeing of its clients and into the community.

Northwestern Mutual has a longstanding history of investing in high-quality education in Milwaukee—having invested more than $60 million in Milwaukee-area schools to address educational disparities and increase access to high-quality seats for disadvantaged students.

The company is proud to partner with nearly 30 choice, charter, and public schools in Milwaukee to sustain and grow their capacity so more students can receive the resources they need in a high-quality learning environment, and to collaborate with higher education partners to help more students graduate from college, contribute to the growing diverse workforce, and make a generational impact on the trajectory of Milwaukee and its youth.

To learn more, visit northwesternmutual-foundation.com/education

We know you have high expectations when it comes to managing your risk. With a long history of serving the public sector, Brown & Brown provides extensive market knowledge and risk management program services to complement your needs. We develop comprehensive benefit programs that help recruit and retain talent, manage health care costs, elevate communications, and align strategies to support your organizational goals. We are honored to support the future workforce of Wisconsin.

Jim Mueller

Vice President

Jim.Mueller@bbrown.com | (262) 391-4011

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

Catholic Financial Life protects the financial future of our members’ loved ones and gives back to the community. We partner with local schools through scholarships, work-study, and donations designed to help students gain professional skills and successful careers. Serving God through serving others and enhancing quality of life has been part of Catholic Financial Life’s mission for more than 155 years—supporting schools is just one way we fulfill our mission.

Learn more at cfl.org.

At We Energies, we believe an investment in education is an investment in our community’s future. We support efforts that motivate and inspire students as well as educators. We partner with organizations that create and support inclusive, collaborative and innovative environments — with a goal of cultivating the next generation of leaders.

Beth Straka

Vice President — Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

•BUSINESS CARES•

Bridging the Gap for our Future Workforce

ESTABLISHING STRONG partnerships between employers and schools is vital for preparing students for successful careers. By aligning education with industry needs, we can equip students with skills and knowledge required to excel in the workforce.

Our second annual Milwaukee Education Spotlight event on Feb. 29 provides a platform for businesses to engage with schools and explore opportunities for collaboration. By sharing insights and best practices, we can build bridges between the classroom and the workplace, ultimately benefiting both students and employers.

We would like to thank our table captain supporters as well as our sponsor, Northwestern Mutual, and supporting sponsors, Brown & Brown, Catholic Financial Life and We Energies, for making this event possible.

Investing in partnerships between employers and schools not only bene-

SUPPORTED SCHOOLS:

All Hands Boatworks

Brown Deer High School

Center for Urban Teaching

Cross Trainers Academy

Downtown Montessori Academy

Howard Fuller Academy

Lake Country Classical Academy

Marquette University High School

fits students but also strengthens our community and bolsters regional economic growth. Through collaborative efforts, we can ensure that students graduate with the practical skills and experience necessary to thrive in their chosen careers.

Are you ready to join forces, contribute, volunteer, mentor and support these initiatives? Your involvement in fostering employer-school partnerships is crucial for shaping the future workforce and driving collective prosperity. Let’s work together to empower students and build a stronger, more resilient community.

Dan and Kate Meyer Co-owners, BizTimes Media

Milwaukee Academy of Science

Milwaukee College Prep

Nativity Jesuit Academy

Notre Dame School of Milwaukee

Seeds of Health

Seton Catholic Schools

St. Augustine Prep Academy

St. Joseph Academy

St. Marcus School

SOMEDAY STARTS TODAY.

Northwestern Mutual is proud to invest in high-quality education in the city of Milwaukee. It’s in collaboration with leading schools and key community partners that we’ll make a generational impact on the trajectory of Milwaukee, its youth, and its future workforce, together.

Bridging business and classrooms at the Milwaukee Education Spotlight

BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer

REGARDLESS OF INDUSTRY, finding and developing a strong workforce is one of the top concerns for most businesses. Employees serve as the backbone for many companies. Their performance dictates how customers feel about a company, how well the company grows and whether it is a profitable endeavor.

Education serves many purposes for the region, but chief among them is producing graduates who are ready to enter the workforce. Universities and technical colleges play a big role in that work, but increasingly schools in the K-12 education system have engaged with the business world. Students are getting exposure to the world of work by visiting businesses, participating in mock interviews or mentorship programs and even internships. A growing number of businesses and business leaders also seek to engage with educators from either a philanthropic or a talent development perspective.

While relationships between business and ed-

ucation can start with the best of intentions, it is easy for things to get off track. Business leaders and educators both have plenty going on outside their relationship and the two worlds can almost seem to speak a different language.

BizTimes Media’s Milwaukee Education Spotlight seeks to bridge some of those gaps by providing insights and best practices for building relationships between businesses and educators, plus dedicated time for networking and connection.

The Feb. 29 event, starting at 2 p.m. at the Italian Community Center, is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual with additional support from supporting sponsors Brown & Brown, Catholic Financial Life and We Energies.

The program will start with a Milwaukee education overview by Dale Kooyenga, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, and Allison Wagner, executive director of All-In Milwaukee.

All-In Milwaukee is a college completion program that provides financial aid, advising and program and career support to high-potential, limited-income students in Milwaukee with the goal of helping them build meaningful careers in Milwaukee. The program currently serves around 400 students and plans to grow to 1,000 over the next five years.

In a conversation with BizTimes managing editor Arthur Thomas, Kooyenga and Wagner will discuss the current state of education in Milwaukee, the work each organization does and ideas for breaking down silos.

Following the education overview, two panel discussions will dive deeper into best practices and lessons learned from relationships between business and education.

The first panel will feature Hank Kohl, president and CEO of medical device manufacturer MPE Inc.; Amy Levek, principal of Whitefish Bay High School; Danny McCormick, director of career programs and partnerships at Carmen Schools of Science & Technology; and Kari Conradt, president of Amplify Graphics & Branding.

Kohl currently works with Levek to implement the GPS Education Partners program at MPE. The

program offers work-based learning for students. In addition to discussing how they work together, Kohl and Levek will touch on some of the cultural changes needed in their respective organizations to make the partnership successful.

Carmen Schools, which has six locations around the city, has a range of business partnerships from site visits up to an internship program. McCormick’s prior experience includes involvement in work-based learning efforts in Arizona and Colorado before he joined Carmen in 2021.

Amplify is a West Allis-based large-format printing company in its second generation of family ownership. Conradt will discuss keys for smaller employers to work with education institutions and how the company’s working relationship with McCormick and Carmen Schools has evolved.

The second panel discussion will feature Andy Stith, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School; Angie Sandoval, community involvement analyst at Johnson Controls; Blanca Gonzales, executive director of i.c.stars; and Sarah Dollhausen-Clark, assistant director of talent partnerships and pipelines at Northwestern Mutual.

i.c.stars is a technology-based leadership training program for young adults. Participants are

at least 18 years old and are part of an intensive, 12-hour per day, 16-week training and internship program. Gonzales has led the program since 2021. Dollhausen-Clark led i.c.stars prior to joining Northwestern Mutual.

Cristo Rey in Milwaukee is part of a 39-school national network. Students participate in work study programs starting their freshman year at one of dozens of corporate partners. Stith was the founding president of Cristo Rey in Milwaukee and was also part of the founding leadership team of a Cristo Rey school in Kansas City.

Sandoval serves as the point person for Cristo Rey students at Johnson Controls, but she is also a Cristo Rey graduate herself.

The second panel will dive deeper into relation-

ships between business and education, including the importance of a point person not just for the organization but also for students. It will also address some of the trickier areas in support between talent development and philanthropy, the importance of businesses thinking differently about talent and ways to ultimately keep more talent in Milwaukee.

After the panels, the program will continue with roundtable networking featuring more than 20 schools and their business partners. Attendees will have a chance to learn about the schools and leave with a clear idea of how they can get involved.

The program will conclude with a networking reception. ■

Learn more and register at biztimes.com/mkeedu

HOW

EDUCATION EXCELLENCE LOOKS

We foster partnerships between the district and local and underrepresented workforces to improve learning facilities and create spaces that uplift communities and support our future leaders. As your trusted building partner, we strive to build a better tomorrow, together.

Hank Kohl Amy Levek

Danny McCormick Kari Conradt

Andy Stith Angie Sandoval Blanca Gonzales Sarah Dollhausen-Clark

BUSINESS CARES: EDUCATION

Get to know the Milwaukee education landscape

FOR BUSINESSES LOOKING to get more involved in the world of education, it can be a challenge to understand the ins and outs of the education ecosystem in Milwaukee or other parts of the region. To ease the entry, here’s a quick glimpse at trends in enrollment and school performance in Milwaukee:

WHERE DO MILWAUKEE STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL?

There are generally three types of publicly funded schools that Milwaukee students attend. Most still attend a traditional school in the Milwaukee Public Schools district. In 2022-‘23, these students accounted for around 52% of more than 110,000 students.

The second largest group is around 26% of students who attend private schools through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Both in percentage and absolute terms, this group has been growing over the past decade. Students receive publicly funded tuition vouchers to attend schools governed by an independent entity that can be secular or faith based. Since the schools are not public, they are not bound to the same state and federal laws as MPS or other districts. Supporters argue this freedom allows for more tailored education for students.

The third largest group is charter schools. These are public schools governed by an independent board and operated under a charter contract with an authorizing entity, which could be MPS, the city of Milwaukee or the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Charters can be exempted from some of the laws governing MPS, providing more freedom for different approaches to education.

Finally, around 5% of students transfer out of MPS to other public school districts in the surrounding area.

HOW ARE MILWAUKEE SCHOOLS PERFORMING?

In business, it is common to hear that what gets measured gets managed. There is no shortage of data in education, from enrollment figures to test scores to graduation rates and much more. But boiling all of that info down into a single metric of how a school or district is performing isn’t necessarily as easy at it may seem. Consider a very basic example: One teacher has a class with many high-performing students and on their annual exams, the students again get high marks. Another teacher has more students who just scraped by the prior year with below-average scores. Over the course of the year, she manages to help them reach a point where their scores are average. Who did a better job? The teacher who showed growth? Or the one

WHERE DO MILWAUKEE STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL?

Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction data

HOW ARE MILWAUKEE SCHOOLS PERFORMING?

Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction data

with high achievement?

At a school or district level, this comparison only gets more complex with more students and more teachers. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction attempts to quantify all of this data with its annual report cards that rate schools and districts on a range from failing to meeting expectations to significantly exceeding expectations. One metric that education advocates in the region have sought to improve is the number of high-quality seats available in Milwaukee, where high-quality means a school exceeds or significantly exceeds expectations.

HOW ARE MILWAUKEE STUDENTS PERFORMING?

The report cards provide an easy, high-level look at schools and districts but critics contend that, especially in Milwaukee, the report cards rely too much on growth and not enough on achievement. City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee organization

that provides policy and analysis with a focus on ensuring all students have an opportunity to attend a high-quality school, points to student performance on annual exams as evidence the report cards provide a distorted picture.

Regardless of educational sector – public, charter or choice – the percentage of Milwaukee students rated proficient or advanced on English and math tests is far lower than compared to the rest of the state. Here’s a look at the data, which CFC notes remains below pre-pandemic levels:

% of students rated proficient or advanced on annual statewide exams. ■

WCTC: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR STUDENTS, BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Within the last six months, Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) has been laser focused on bringing artificial intelligence to the forefront.

In fall 2023, WCTC launched three new certificates in artificial intelligence/data analytics. Additionally, the College was granted state approval to offer the AI Data Specialist program – which will begin in fall 2024 and is the first AI associate degree in Wisconsin.

Now, the College is creating the WCTC Applied AI Lab: Wisconsin Center for AI Development and Implementation. The lab is designed to help small and midsized businesses embrace the emerging technology and incorporate it into their

own companies, allowing them to stay competitive and thrive. The lab will give businesses and entrepreneurs access to AI experts, receive support in starting or expanding AI solutions and provide access to additional resources.

The AI lab will be housed in Building Q on WCTC’s Pewaukee campus, in a fully renovated 5,000-square-foot space on the building’s first floor -- with plans for a large future expansion.

Slated to open later this year, the renovated facility will include state-ofthe-art offices, conference rooms, huddle spaces, open workstations, collaboration and incubation space, and a dedicated entrance.

As a service of the forthcoming AI lab,

the College is offering daylong AI seminars through the WCTC Corporate Training Center (CTC). The first seminar – AI and the 21st Century Worker – will be March 21 and focus on key concepts, practical application, future trends and personal upward mobility strategies. Additional AI seminars are scheduled for summer and fall.

“We are the experts in AI, as it relates to business and industry,” said Rich Barnhouse, Ph.D., president of WCTC. “Where we really lead is putting the tire tread on AI and allowing it to hit the road. We’re not just teaching in labs and lecture halls; we’re going to be educating the entire workforce and creating new businesses and industries.”

Increased pay, expanded curriculum top spending priorities for choice and charter schools following per-pupil funding increase

BY CARA SPOTO, staff writer

IT’S BEEN ABOUT 35 years since the state Legislature created the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, granting tuition aid to private schools in the city for students of low-income families.

In the decades that followed, school choice programs were also approved in Racine and Kenosha counties and eventually statewide, leading to an explosion of private choice schools that almost exclusively serve voucher students.

In January 1999, there were 83 private schools participating in the Milwaukee school choice program, with a total enrollment of 6,047 students. Today, there are 130 private schools, with a total enrollment of 29,003 students, participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Statewide, the total number of private choice schools has grown to 383. Another 11 schools have submitted applications to participate in the program next year, according to the state Department of Public Instruction, which could grow the number to 394 schools.

A FUNDING WIN

Given the continued growth of voucher schools – especially those serving students in lower-income communities like Milwaukee and Racine – school choice advocates had long rallied for an increase in the per-pupil funding aid they receive from the state to give them equal footing with public schools, which can levy property taxes to help pay for operations and capital expenses.

With the passage of legislation in June that

boosted per-pupil funding – from $8,336 to $9,874 in the current school year and to $10,271 in 2024‘25 for private K-8 choice schools and from $9,045 to $12,368 and then to $12,765 for private choice high schools – leaders of area choice schools say they are eager to use the extra revenue to better support staff and students.

The same goes for independent charter schools, which saw their per-pupil aid increase from $9,264 to $11,366 this year and to $11,763 next year.

PLANNING AND EXPANDING

Although independent choice and charter schools are still not funded at the same level as their public counterparts – public schools in 2021‘22 received an average of $16,589 per student, including $7,728 from the state, $6,488 from local property taxes, and $1,996 from the federal government – school leaders who spoke to BizTimes Milwaukee said the increase in reliable annual funding is something choice and charter schools can use to better plan for the future.

In some cases, that means added funding to support expansions, such as the Ramirez Family Foundation’s effort to convert the former Cardinal Stritch University campus in Glendale and Fox Point into a second St. Augustine Preparatory Academy campus, and Milwaukee Academy of Science’s plans to open a second campus at the former Penfield Montessori School at 2433 W. Cherry St. on the city’s west side.

Leaders involved in both projects have said that

the increase in per-pupil funding played a role in decisions to pursue the expansions.

“We would not have gone forward had we not had the new funding by the state,” said Gus Ramirez, co-chair of the Ramirez Family Foundation, which bought the Cardinal Stritch campus for $24 million last year. “There are very few choice and charter schools today that can do major expansions under the old funding formula.”

INCREASING TEACHER PAY

For other schools, the increased funding will provide enough added revenue to boost salaries for teachers and other staff members.

“First and foremost, it will be to provide funding for competitive, attractive compensation for teachers,” said Jim Piatt, president of Messmer Catholic Schools. “Every school’s long-term fulfillment of its vision, and providing quality outcomes, depends first and foremost on high-quality educators. So, our first priority by a long shot is to solidify teacher compensation and provide training and resources for teachers to be as effective as possible.”

Messmer’s board had previously committed to improving and closing their teachers’ pay gap over the past five or six years, Piatt said, and with the funding increase they expect to make even more progress.

“Our board’s goal is to compensate staff at 90% of the market. And historically, Catholic schools have struggled to even be at 70% or 75% of the market,” he said.

For Evergreen Academy, a K-8 choice school in Mount Pleasant serving around 420 students –99.5% of whom receive vouchers – the increased per-pupil funding is helping to boost wages as well as provide more extracurricular activities.

“The increase in per-pupil funding was such a blessing for our school,” said Michael Meier, directing principal at Evergreen. “We are the only

Rendering of Milwaukee Academy of Sciences’ second elementary and middle school campus planned on the city’s west side.

MILWAUKEE

voucher school in the Racine program that doesn’t have any backing from a religious organization. It helped us better compensate teachers, which was a great morale boost, and it has helped us rely less on fundraising to fund our extracurricular activities. This year, we added flag football and cheer and continued on with basketball, soccer, volleyball and track.”

STUDENT SUPPORTS

At Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Milwaukee, a lot of the increased funding will be put toward driving academic achievement, said school president Andrew Stith.

“Some of that is centered around working with the teachers, providing teachers more professional development to leverage better instructional practices in the classroom,” Stith said. “But it also includes building some more learning supports, like extra tutoring, for students. We all know coming out of the pandemic that students struggled in many different ways, and we know that there are certain learning supports that have to be in place in order to help (address those learning gaps).”

Cristo Rey was also able to invest in its space at the Northwestern Mutual Innovation Center, pur-

chasing more equipment and supplies and hiring someone to support students.

“We want to make sure that we’re cultivating great ideas in the building and letting students run with them. And part of that is giving students the tools to be able to bring their ideas – at least prototypes of their ideas – to life,” Stith said.

Additionally, the high school is hiring a staff member to manage its corporate work study program, which includes working with the school’s 115 corporate work study partners, while also providing students in that program with the technology and training they need to be successful in their internships.

At Messmer, leaders also plan to hire more teachers to help boost STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) offerings as well as the music program.

“We have some excellent visual arts programming here,” Piatt said, “But we want to improve our music and performance opportunities, which I think like a lot of schools took a little bit of a hit during the pandemic.”

At Kenosha School of Technology Enhanced Curriculum, the increased funding will enable the STEM-focused school to hire more staff while also

expanding access to technology for more students and increasing student-led initiatives, said Stacey Duchrow, principal and director of workforce solutions at KTEC.

CONTEMPLATING PLANS

While Messmer, Cristo Rey, KTEC and Evergreen Academy already have clear plans for the added funding, other choice and charter schools in the region are still studying how to best utilize the money.

That makes sense to Stith, who noted the Cristo Rey Network had happened to implement a new strategic plan just before the per-pupil funding increase was passed.

“Schools knew they needed more funding and it’s probably filled some gaps that they are grateful not to have to find other sources to help fill,” he said. “But I also think that schools want to spend those dollars in meaningful ways, so it takes some thought. We were fortunate to have some ideas right on the front burner. But I think there’s something to be said about really talking about where we want to make these investments. I think that’s probably part of what schools are going through. We have a gift in this funding, and we want to use it wisely.” ■

N OTA BLE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ATTORNEYS

BizTimes Milwaukee is proud to present its inaugural showcase of Notable Intellectual Property Attorneys, recognizing the legal professionals who protect the ideas and innovations of Milwaukee’s businesses and entrepreneurs. The individuals profiled on the following pages were nominated by their peers and highlight the talent in the region.

METHODOLOGY: The honorees did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must practice in the southeastern Wisconsin area and show a measurable, specific impact on the cases they’ve handled and the clients they’ve served.

ADRAEA BROWN ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL - TRADEMARKS HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO.

Adraea Brown, assistant general counsel - trademarks at Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson leads the team responsible for overseeing the company’s global trademark portfolio and brand protection. She also manages trademark litigation and provides legal support for the company’s international apparel and licensing business.

Brown’s work includes managing the company’s trademark clearance and registration process in more than 100 countries, negotiating licensing deals and protecting the valuable trademark portfolio through strategic enforcement efforts.

She was recently appointed as chair of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Public Advisory Committee, which advises the agency on law and policy issues relating to the interests of U.S. brands, entrepreneurs and innovators. Brown also serves on the board of directors for the International Trademark Association.

“A tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion, Adraea’s work and vision in this space extends far beyond Wisconsin’s intellectual property community. She has spearheaded innovative collaborations in the legal industry to promote diversity and inclusion and is a frequent speaker and mentor on these important issues,” said Jennifer Gregor, shareholder of Godfrey & Kahn.

JOHN MANION

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING SHAREHOLDER

RYAN KROMHOLZ & MANION S.C.

John Manion has led Pewaukee-based Ryan Kromholz & Manion for nearly three decades as a founding shareholder, managing partner and head of the patent, trademark and IP transaction law team.

“His extensive practice in patent prosecution, trademark matters, litigation, licensing, and transactions showcases a breadth of expertise,” said Joseph Kromholz, vice president and founding shareholder of Ryan Kromholz & Manion.

Manion is also involved at the Marquette Law School, serving on the dean’s advisory board and others. In addition, he has held roles on boards at the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association and Milwaukee Bar Association.

“John’s commitment to education is noteworthy, demonstrated through his lectures on patent law topics at Marquette University’s College of Engineering and local high schools,” said Kromholz. “His dedication to knowledge-sharing underscores a belief in nurturing the next generation of legal professionals.”

JOSEPH KROMHOLZ

VICE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING SHAREHOLDER

RYAN KROMHOLZ & MANION S.C.

Joseph Kromholz, vice president and founding shareholder at Brookfield-based Ryan Kromholz & Manion, is a luminary in the field of intellectual property law for his outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to community service, according to colleagues.

“Joe’s career now spans over three decades and has become a beacon of excellence in intellectual property litigation,” said John Manion, president and founding shareholder of Ryan Kromholz & Manion. “His diverse expertise, ranging from refrigerants to the anti-carcinogenic features of certain plants, reflects his profound impact on the field.”

Kromholz has litigated cases nationwide, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

“His memberships – coupled with registrations to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – underscore the depth of his legal expertise,” Manion said. “Beyond his professional achievements, Joe’s commitment to community service is commendable. Serving as a commissioner on the Community Development Authority in Whitewater and contributing to the board of the Whitewater University Technology Park, he exemplifies a commendable dedication to local community growth and wellbeing.”

DANIEL KATTMAN

SHAREHOLDER REINHART BOERNER VAN DEUREN S.C.

Over the past 23 years, Daniel Kattman has cultivated a legal practice counseling clients in complex areas of software technology development and licensing, the modern digital media and entertainment industry, trademark and intellectual property issues, sponsorship and endorsement deals, advertising and entertainment law.

Kattman is a shareholder at Milwaukee-based Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren and a member of the firm’s intellectual property practice. He also serves as chair of the firm’s trademark portfolio management and prosecution group and the advertising, media and entertainment law group.

For more than 15 years, Kattman has led Reinhart’s pro bono work for Milwaukee Film Festival’s Forward Fund, a pool of funds and resources, such as legal services, awarded to selected recipients.

“He has also bridged the gap for emerging creators through MFF’s Focus Finder program, fostering mentorship and elevating underrepresented voices in the industry, often on stories involving pressing social justice issues,” said Albert Orr, chief executive officer of Reinhart.

KEVIN MORAN PARTNER

MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP

As partner in Michael Best’s Waukesha office, Kevin Moran focuses on protecting clients’ intellectual property, including acquisition of, enforcement of, and defense against U.S. and international patents.

Moran is a former member of the firm’s elected management committee and the incoming intellectual property practice group chair.

“Kevin’s strong track record in these areas, paired with a technical background as a product engineer, gives him a unique perspective on the challenges facing developers of mechanical, electro-mechanical and biomedical technologies,” said Rich Kaiser, managing partner of Michael Best’s Waukesha office.

Moran’s experience covers the areas of fitness equipment, motorcycles, vehicle braking systems, bicycles, hydraulic suspensions, theatrical lifts and lighting, window coverings and digital cameras.

“His focus includes counseling clients in challenging the validity and enforceability of competitors’ patents,” Kaiser added.

Moran has maintained an “AV Preeminent” rating from MartindaleHubbell and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in the intellectual property and patent law areas for 15 years and 10 years, respectively.

JOSEPH HEINO ATTORNEY AMUNDSEN DAVIS

As chair of the Intellectual Property Service Group at Amundsen Davis in Milwaukee, Joseph Heino assists clients with several focus areas including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret law as well as licensing and franchising. He provides mentorship and technical support to attorneys, paralegals and other colleagues.

“Throughout his 40-plus year career, Joe has helped hundreds of inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, health care providers, business owners, software developers and manufacturers identify and protect their intellectual property,” said Shannon Daniels, marketing manager at Amundsen Davis.

Heino has won numerous domain name misappropriation cases, resulting in transfer of domain names – foreign and domestic – to trademark or service mark owners, including one New York City celebrity. He has also won several patent appeals to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

In addition, Heino is an active member of the American Intellectual Property Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, Chambers and Partners, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

GREGORY HARTWIG PARTNER | MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER

MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP

Greg Hartwig is a partner in Michael Best & Friedrich’s Milwaukee office. He focuses his practice on the protection of intellectual property assets in the U.S. and abroad.

Hartwig works extensively with universities and companies in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, health care and chemical industries.

“His track record is built on successful outcomes in high-profile and high-value life sciences and chemical patent matters,” said Rich Kaiser, managing partner of Michael Best’s Waukesha office. “Greg’s extensive background encompasses patent preparation and prosecution, enforcement, and technology dispute resolution, as well as licensing and opinion work in the technical areas of drug discovery (small molecule) and pharmaceutical formulations, diagnostics, specialty chemicals and polymers, material science and medical devices. He is also adept at conducting IP due diligence on significant commercial transactions.”

Hartwig also serves on the firm’s Management Committee, helps lead the firm’s Higher Education industry group and has been recognized as a “Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer” by Chambers USA.

BRADLEY JUBBER IP PATENT ATTORNEY TAYLOR ENGLISH DUMA LLP

Brad Jubber, an IP patent attorney for Taylor English Duma in Milwaukee, focuses his practice on patent prosecution and intellectual property litigation. He has extensive experience helping clients obtain patents in a wide range of engineering industries, including mechanical, medical, electrical, aviation and aerospace.

“Brad works closely with clients to protect their most valuable assets,” said Molly Metz, senior marketing manager at Taylor English Duma. “He recently helped, pro bono, a Wisconsin company file a patent application for a bio-mechanical device that provides Alzheimer’s patients with symptomatic relief by filtering proteins that cause Alzheimer’s symptoms.”

Jubber also assists other members of the patent team in standardizing and streamlining processes and assists on cases that have been financed by litigation funders.

In May 2023, Jubber was elected village trustee for the Village of Menomonee Falls.

DANIEL JONES PARTNER | MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP

Dan Jones is a partner and management committee member in Michael Best’s intellectual property practice group in the Milwaukee office. He is ranked as a “Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer” by Chambers USA and has been named one of “The Best Lawyers in America in Patent Law” by U.S. News.

“As a 25-plus-year practitioner at the firm, Dan leverages his knowledge of the firm’s legal and consulting services to align the team to achieve each client’s objectives,” said Rich Kaiser, managing partner of Michael Best’s Waukesha office. “A pragmatic problem solver, Dan focuses on understanding each client’s unique business needs and trajectory.”

In his IP practice, Jones focuses on high-value patent matters. In addition to managing a robust prosecution practice, he regularly drafts and negotiates licenses, IP provisions of asset purchase agreements, design and development agreements, among other IP-related agreements. Jones also counsels clients on enforcement and dispute avoidance and provides technical and strategic support in litigated matters.

JOE KUBORN PARTNER

ANDRUS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW LLP

Joseph Kuborn is a registered patent attorney and partner at Milwaukee-based Andrus Intellectual Property Law. He focuses his practice on domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution and strategic analysis related to product development and discoveries.

He is experienced in the areas of intellectual property enforcement and infringement studies and has worked with a variety of technologies, including medical devices, medical monitoring technologies and equipment, RF technology, wireless communication devices and process equipment.

“Since 2001, Joe has been our invaluable intellectual property attorney, collaborating on over two dozen patents,” said Jim Zaiser, president and chief executive officer of Waukeshabased Hydro-Thermal Corp. “His expertise has been pivotal in defining prior art, ensuring uniqueness, and successfully filing patents globally. Joe’s clear communication, friendly approach and partnership with Andrus Law underscore his exceptional contribution. His legal acumen and collaborative spirit have added immeasurable value to Hydro-Thermal.”

Kuborn is a member of the American Bar Association’s intellectual property law section, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association and the Milwaukee Bar Association.

Gregory Hartwig, Daniel Jones, and Kevin Moran

Your perspectives, expertise & tenacity sets you apart from others. We applaud each of you and all the attorneys recognized!

THOMAS MILLER PARTNER HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP

For 31 years, Thomas Miller, an equity partner at Husch Blackwell LLP in Milwaukee, has played a significant role in helping companies protect intellectual property assets and has also played a role in leading and mentoring younger attorneys, according to colleagues.

“Throughout his career he has demonstrated effective leadership abilities by serving as chair of a large intellectual property practice group as well as serving on the management committee of a law firm with nearly 300 attorneys,” said Rebecca Mitich, managing partner at Husch Blackwell’s Milwaukee office.

“He brings a business-centered approach to his work, which has led him to work on numerous M&A transactions,” Mitich added.

“One notable deal in which Tom’s experience of building and managing large IP portfolios played a significant role was Oracle’s acquisition of Textura Corp.”

Miller currently serves on the board of directors of J.J. Keller & Associates and from 2020-2021 served on the board of directors of Lex Mundi, a global network of independent law firms.

JAMES BOYLE SHAREHOLDER

BOYLE FREDRICKSON S.C.

James Boyle is a shareholder and founding partner of Milwaukee-based Boyle Fredrickson, which specializes in intellectual property law.

Boyle graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Marquette University and continued onto Marquette Law School. He graduated as a third-generation lawyer in his family.

Specializing in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and related licensing and litigation, Boyle has handled numerous intellectual property litigation cases in many states, countries and throughout the federal district courts and courts of appeal.

“Jim handles a full range of IP law and related disputes and clients regularly praise his ‘no ego and reasonable and intelligent work he provides,’” said Colleen Matter, underwriting manager and counsel at First American Title Insurance Co. “When it comes to patent prosecution, trademark and licensing work, you can always count on Jim for superior case management and work.”

MICHAEL GRATZ

SHAREHOLDER

BOYLE FREDRICKSON S.C.

Michael Gratz, shareholder and founding member of Milwaukee-based Boyle Fredrickson, provides counsel to a range of clients, from billion-dollar international corporations to startup entrepreneurs.

Gratz recently guided one family-owned business through an acquisition process, providing assistance to the business in cataloging and providing a valuation for their intellectual property portfolio with more than 1,300 global patent, trademark and copyright assets. The business sold in October 2023 for $303 million.

He also recently served as lead intellectual property and software licensing counsel for a client in the health care industry merging with another health care provider. The combined organization will be one of the largest health care providers in Wisconsin.

In 2023, Gratz helped negotiate software and data analytics development and license agreements for a client. In this effort, he also developed a strategy for the client to deal with its expanded data centers and ever-evolving cybersecurity threats.

As vice president of the Boyle Fredrickson board of directors, Gratz established the firm’s formal associate mentoring program. He currently provides work for and mentors three of the firm’s junior attorneys.

Keep up with

At companies across southeast Wisconsin, notable executives are running businesses, navigating company restructurings, serving on boards, running marketing departments, and investing in growth throughout the region. The notable individuals profiled in these categories are nominated by their peers at work and in the community.

N OTA BLE LEADERS IN CONSTRUCTION, REAL ESTATE & DESIGN

Celebrating those who have designed and built Milwaukee’s business foundation – and much more.

- Nomination Deadline: March 8th, 2024 -

Issue Date: April 15th, 2024

Look for these Notable and Rising Stars nominations in 2024!

Notable SBA Lenders

Nomination deadline: March 29, 2024

Issue date: May 6, 2024

Notable Leaders in Law

Nomination deadline: April 12, 2024

Issue date: May 20, 2024

Notable Leaders in Arts & Entertainment

Nomination deadline: May 3, 2023

Issue date: June 10, 2024

Notable Women in Technology

Nomination deadline: May 17, 2024

Issue date: June 24, 2024

Notable Women in Sports

Nomination deadline: June 21, 2024

Issue date: July 29, 2024

Notable Marketing Executives

Nomination deadline: July 12, 2024

Issue date: August 19, 2024

Notable Women in Wealth Management

Nomination deadline: August 2, 2024

Issue date: September 9, 2024

Notable Women in Manufacturing

Nomination deadline: August 30, 2024

Issue date: October 7, 2024

Veterans Executives

Nomination deadline: October 4, 2024

Issue date: November 11, 2024

Notable Health Care Leaders

Nomination deadline: November 1, 2024

Issue date: December 9, 2024

An exercise to prepare your exit strategy

The power of Red, Gold, Green thinking

A “FOCUSING ILLUSION” is a psychological concept that refers to the tendency of people to place too much importance on one aspect of an event, leading to an overestimation of its impact on their lives.

When it comes to exiting a business, I see the focusing illusion in play with business owners way too often. “It’ll work out great, I just know it,” they say.

Unfortunately, chances are, it won’t. At least not without some deep thinking and planning to level up the illusion.

It’s funny, no one believes that a professional athlete can skip training, practice, team meetings and even the game and still end up with the championship ring, just because they’d like that to happen. And yet, successful business owners and entrepreneurs do this all the time when they decide to sell their business, without having done any of the training.

They put on their focusing-illusion glasses and put their faith blindly into the belief that they can wing it, figure it out on the fly, talk their way into it or otherwise imagine it into existence.

On the other hand, forward-thinking entrepreneurs and business owners focus on reality, not illusion, when it comes to their exit-planning strategy. They don’t subscribe to the illusion of chasing the “happily-ever-after” rainbow dream.

Instead, they spend the time and resources developing a plan that has the dream chasing them.

How do they do it?

RED, GOLD, GREEN

One way is to do a simple thinking exercise I call “Red, Gold, Green” that you can accomplish alone or with someone who cares about you in less than 30 minutes.

RED = THE REALITY CHECK. This is what I call a + 1 exercise.

Step 1 is a quick, gut-check 1-5 rating – where 1 is floundering and 5 is phenomenal – of the seven key value-creation components in your business: Leadership, Operations, Administration, Sales, Marketing, Technology and Management.

Step 2 is the + 1. What is the first thing you can do to improve every rating that is less than 5 and maintain every rating that is at 5?

GOLD = THE FUTURE CHECK. It makes you answer a simple question that too few business owners ever ask themselves, “What do I want by (specific future date)?” Its power comes from taking you out of the present, today, and into a specific date in the future that you’ve chosen as your ‘I-want-tobe-ready-for-a-transition’ date and helps you get clear about where you want your business value and your personal meaning to be on the day you sell or transition away from your business (which, keep in mind, is inevitable).

GREEN = THE ACTION CHECK. It starts with another simple question. “What is the first action I need to take to bridge the gap between my Red and Gold?” Is it the +1 you identified with your Red – Reality Check – or has the time you’ve spent in the Gold of your future, getting clear about what you want by a future specific date, caused you to re-think your +1?

What I find most valuable about the Red, Gold, Green exercise is not its simplicity and speed, although those are important. What’s most valuable, though, is the powerful focusing and action insights. It transforms your thinking process around the complex topic of exits, transitions and preparation into the start of a simple and clear playbook for identifying and mining your future value and meaning.

By making the complex simple, Red, Gold,

Green does two additional things. First, it makes getting started easy. What business owner doesn’t have 30 minutes to invest in focusing on the most valuable personal and professional event of their life? Second, it disrupts focusing illusion. While others continue to ‘kick that thinking-can down the road,’ business owners using the Red, Gold, Green thinking pick up that can and deal with it. They abandon focusing illusions and instead just focus. They know that few things in life just happen and that the best results aren’t achieved by wishing and hoping, but by knowing and doing.

There is nothing more rewarding than watching business owners take the Red, Gold, Green thinking journey. While their peers are mistakenly fixated on the illusion of what chasing their dream will be like, these savvy owners are on the road to creating a playbook that has their dream chasing them. 

MIKE MALATESTA

Mike Malatesta, founder of Advanced Waste Services, is The Dream Exit expert, host of the How’d it Happen podcast, and author of “Owner Shift: How Getting Selfish Got Me Unstuck.” He can be reached at thedreamexit@gmail.com

Summit Credit Union

800-236-5560

The stronger people are financially, the stronger we are as a community. That’s the driving principle behind every credit union. At Summit Credit Union, we live that commitment by offering free, nationally recognized financial education to Summit members and non-members including your employees.

Invest in your team, at no cost. That leads us to something you don’t get from a financial every day our complimentary Financial Wellness for Employees by Summit program! We invite employers to partner with us to help make sure everyone is as good with their own money as they would be with anyone else’s.

Help employees be happier and healthier.

A wellness survey showed 72% of employees are stressed about their finances,* which also impacts their

mental and physical health and their work. Financial Wellness for Employees by Summit helps people face their financial realities with confidence. And that pays off for both the employer and the employee, who is happier, healthier and more productive, at work and overall!

Lead the way in employee benefits with this easy, custom program. In fitting the program to your company’s needs, we might include on-site education events to address your employees’ overall areas of interest. At the same time, we offer online, on-demand education that’s tailored to each unique individual. That flexibility to deliver top-notch financial education to your employees at home or in the workplace at no cost is empowering.

And empowerment is what financial wellness is all about.

Let’s Connect!

How companies set their marketing up to fail

Collaboration with sales is crucial

WHAT IS THE SOLE PURPOSE of marketing? Some would say it’s to improve brand awareness. Others would say its purpose is to get people interested in a company’s products and services.

Many would agree its purpose is also to retain existing customers.

While all answers are textbook correct, in application, the sole purpose of marketing is to drive sales. Because nothing, absolutely nothing, happens until a sale is made, as sales are the lifeblood of a company.

So, how do companies set their marketing up to fail? By not having their marketing team regularly collaborate with their sales team.

NOT TOP OF MIND

I’ve worked with organizations confessing that their marketing and sales teams operate on their own islands and rarely, if ever, collaborate on what they need from each other to succeed. When sales are down, one team blames the other; when sales are up, neither is shy about taking credit.

But the problem extends far beyond the marketing and sales functions. In general, all departments – engineering, manufacturing, new product development, service, production and even technical support, etc. – should be regularly communicating with both sales and marketing. If a company identifies itself as a team, it must operate as one.

EGO

Some internal marketing departments and agencies operate with the “we’ve got this” mindset, believing they, on their own, know how to build strong brand awareness and attract prospective customers. After all, salespeople are not marketing professionals, right?

Let’s hold that thought for a moment… We do need to hand it to the “good” marketers – they are intelligent and creative, they know how to put together a winning strategy, and they stay current with the latest marketing trends and best practices. After all, marketing today is worlds apart from the olden days – you know, pre-2005.

But marketing effectiveness is only as good as the input received from salespeople – the people directly responsible for bringing in new business. Marketing needs to listen.

FRUSTRATION STIFLES COLLABORATION

It’s not uncommon for salespeople to throw up their hands in frustration and create their own damn email campaigns, flyers, off-the-Epson-printer brochures, sales presentations, line cards, etc., because either marketing takes too long to get things done, or the work they produce is lacking.

As you can imagine or may have even experienced, this creates an even larger issue – inconsistent marketing and messaging that confuse customers.

If salespeople are spending time to produce their own marketing instead of finding new customers, the marketing department needs to reassess and re-evaluate its strategy.

When sales and marketing work together as one unit, companies see substantial improvements in important performance metrics: Sales cycles are shorter, market-entry costs go down, and the cost of sales is lower.

The fact is, if your sales and marketing teams aren’t communicating at least twice per month, your marketing is off course and not producing your desired ROI.

If we can agree that the fundamental purpose of marketing is to drive sales, your marketing team absolutely must acquire insights and intelligence from your salespeople to help them produce the

types of marketing materials and messages that will facilitate and support the sales process.

Better yet, have people on your marketing team join in on sales calls to hear firsthand what prospective customers are saying – their pain points, objections, and why they are or are not interested in doing business with your company.

Have your salespeople do sales meeting and sales call debriefs with marketing so that they have a deeper understanding of what’s been working and what’s been lacking. This insight will help your marketing team dial things in a bit tighter to improve marketing performance and metrics.

You can also have marketing sit in on meetings with vendor partners, suppliers, etc., so they are aware of what is happening at the company, giving them marketing ideas they would not have thought of otherwise.

And what about arranging customer visits to see your products at work in different applications and environments? Let your marketing team ask questions about how things are going with the company and what led them to their decision to buy from you versus from your competitors.

Strongly consider opening up the doors of communication with other departments within your company. The more everyone knows about what everyone else is doing, the more your company will benefit. 

SCOTT SEROKA

Scott Seroka, the president of Brookfieldbased Seroka Industrial Branding, is an entrepreneur, consultant, trainer, and mentor. He can be reached at (414) 628-4547.

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UWM

What Wisconsin entrepreneurs are up to Trends in tech startups can be spotted in Biz Plan Contest entries

I COULD CALL the Governor’s Business Plan Contest a canary in the coal mine of entrepreneurship in Wisconsin, but coal mines are out of favor these days so perhaps the more apt analogy is a canary in a gold mine.

That’s certainly true for the competition’s firstround contestants, most of whom are hoping to strike gold some day with their plans for business success.

Launched in 2004 and conducted annually ever since with the help of prize sponsors, mentors and judges, the contest is a path for young companies – or simply people with ideas – to submit a brief business outline and expand its scope over the course of four months.

Many BPC finalists over time have turned their ideas into the “gold” of business success, often because they’re on the leading edge of a trend or technology that escaped the attention of others. That could be the case again with the crop of 150 or so entries submitted at the end of January and now under review by judges and mentors recruited by the Wisconsin Technology Council.

There are four broad categories of submission – Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, Information Technology and Life Sciences – but a myriad of possibilities within each.

For example, about two-dozen plans spread among the four categories involve artificial intelli-

gence in creative ways that stretch the imagination of people who have come to think AI is just about deep fake images of Taylor Swift.

Workforce training and recruitment, personalized education and market analysis are among those AI plans, as are underground resource exploration, home improvement, wound management and other medical and health applications.

Leave it to Wisconsin entrepreneurs to figure out ways to use AI in restaurant management, logistics, soil sensor innovation and even the analysis of honey.

I brought up those examples earlier this month during a public hearing of the Assembly State Affairs Committee, which is considering artificial intelligence legislation produced through the Speaker’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence. That task force held four listening sessions statewide.

Wisconsin is one of the nation’s leading manufacturing states by per capita employment, so it’s no surprise plans in the Advanced Manufacturing category addressed innovation in battery technology, water filtration, sanitary sewer monitoring, repair of metal components, 3D metal printing and high-efficiency furnaces.

There’s even a plan for a “Pretty Good Light Armored Vehicle” (attention, budget-conscious Volodymyr Zelenskyy).

Business service plans included many examples of levering technology or process innovation to make traditional businesses more efficient and profitable. Those ideas ranged from wedding dresses and formal wear to the food and beverage sector, and from human services to music and the arts.

In addition to some of the AI and workforce management platforms, the Information Technology category was a place for plans involving cybersecurity, logistics and non-GPS navigation, threat detection and aspects of health care.

Life Sciences was a category that included innovation in agriculture, but mainly platforms and plans to improve medical diagnostic procedures –

from traumatic brain injuries to infectious disease, and from rare infant brain conditions to various cancers.

Diversity was also reflected in where the plans originated – and from whom. While a plurality hail from Dane County, 25 of 72 counties had at least one submission and 56 cities are in the mix. More than a third of the entries are from people who self-identified as something other than white, and nearly a third are women.

Conducted in stages, the contest will conclude in early June in Milwaukee. Among the main prize sponsors is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

At a time when almost everyone who wants a job has one, it wouldn’t be surprising if fewer people were interested in making their own jobs through a startup. But that’s why the Governor’s Business Plan Contest exists – to provide an outlet for people who want to test their own innovative market.

TOM STILL

Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin

Presented by:

May 22, 2024 |

10:30am - 5:30pm | Brookfield Conference Center

•

•

LEARN NETWORK CONNECT

Join Milwaukee-area professionals on May 22nd for a daylong event focused on connecting business executives to information and resources crucial for business growth.

The day will kick off with Elevate Your Leadership, a keynote presentation where attendees will learn to lead with intention, purpose and skill. Following the keynote, the exhibit hall opens and the business strategy seminars begin. BizExpo brings together local business decision-makers to learn, network and connect with service providers and suppliers from throughout Wisconsin. Plan now to be part of BizExpo, southeast Wisconsin’s largest business-to-business experience.

10:30am - 4:30pm | EXHIBIT HALL | 11:15am - 4:30pm | BUSINESS STRATEGY SEMINARS

10:00am - 11:15am | KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Build a Legendary Brand by Creating Raving Fans

What turns otherwise reserved people into raving fans of a chicken sandwich chain like Chick-fil-A or a computer company like Apple? It’s not magic. It’s not a lucky product. And it’s not something reserved for consumer brands with luxury products.

Attend Elevate Your Leadership at BizExpo on May 22nd to learn the secret from keynote speaker Scott Wozniak, author of Make Your Brand Legendary with the Customer Experience Engine.

Wozniak will share strategies from more than two decades spent building legendary brands. Wozniak’s experience includes nearly a decade working with the founding family and executive team at Chick-fil-A headquarters to design and lead companywide upgrades. Scott and his team have also worked with a wide range of industries from manufacturing to professional services to enterprise software.

Tip Sheet

Being a manager means sometimes having to share bad news, even if you weren’t part of the decision-making process. A recent Harvard Business Review article by Ron Carucci, co-founder and managing partner of leadership consultancy Navalent, shared some tips on making the delivery of bad news a bit smoother.

GATHER AVAILABLE PERSPECTIVES

Sometimes you might need to represent a decision made by your boss – even if you don’t agree with that decision. Carucci said if you have the time, you should go back to your boss to ask for clarity on the decision, what criteria were used, what alternatives were considered and what broader factors were at play.

SHOW EMPATHY WITHOUT COLLUDING

Researching the facts behind a decision can help teams get through tough conversations, but that doesn’t mean emotional responses won’t happen. You need empathy and compassion for that, said Carucci. Don’t use data alone to deal with strong feelings and resist the temptation to throw management under the bus, even if you fear judgment from your team.

CHECK IN WITH YOUR TEAM

Everyone processes bad news differently. Some team members may need more time than others. If you’re seeing toxic or immature behavior from some people, Carucci said it’s important to balance grace with clear expectations. However, there are still some behaviors that should never be tolerated, no matter how disappointed someone feels. 

RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY!

This new statewide publication will raise awareness and act as a recruiting tool for Wisconsin companies like nothing before – going directly to high school and college students as well as job-seekers at workforce and economic development centers throughout the state.

INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES: A GUIDE TO CAREERS IN WISCONSIN IN YOUR MARKETING PLAN IF:

ƒ You want to be a part of workforce development in Wisconsin.

ƒ You are hiring or plan to hire.

ƒ You are targeting tomorrow’s workforce with classes, programs, and/or seminars for a degree, certification, or special skills training.

ƒ If you offer apprenticeship or internship opportunities to young workers.

ƒ You offer human resources services to help WI companies recruit, train, and retain their future workforce.

ACUITY CELEBRATES 22ND CONSECUTIVE A+ (SUPERIOR) AM BEST RATING

Acuity Insurance announced that AM Best has affirmed the insurer’s Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) with a Stable outlook, the 22nd consecutive year Acuity has earned an A+ Financial Strength Rating.

Acuity also has an A+ Financial Strength Rating from Standard & Poor’s (S&P), offering independent agents and customers the financial security of two superior ratings and ranking Acuity in the top 19 carriers nationally based on financial strength ratings.

EDUCATION

Dr. George Kroeninger is Executive Director of MSOE Center for Professional Education

Dr. George Kroeninger is launching the Center for Professional Education (CPE) at Milwaukee School of Engineering. He will expand industry-informed, need-based outreach education programs, leveraging MSOE’s expertise to support the business and engineering workforce. The CPE will ensure professionals have access to the high-quality continuing education and training they need to excel and advance in their careers, and will support the workforce development needs of industry partners. Kroeninger comes to MSOE from the University of Wisconsin System where he served as chief academic officer for the UW Extended Campus.

The affirmation of Acuity’s A+ Financial Strength Rating from AM Best follows a year in which Acuity achieved the strongest premium growth in its 98-year history, reached an all-time high in assets (GAAP), and grew policyholders’ surplus (GAAP) by over 12%.

In reaffirming Acuity’s A+ rating, AM Best noted the insurer’s strength across several areas of measurement, including its balance sheet, operating performance, business profile, and enterprise risk management.

CONSTRUCTION

Briohn Design Group is happy to promote Kevin Jankowski to Senior Structural Engineer

Briohn Design Group is pleased to promote Kevin Jankowski to Senior Structural Engineer. With 15 years of leadership, he’s been instrumental in successful projects across commercial, industrial, and residential sectors.

CONSTRUCTION

Nathan Schulze is promoted to Architect at Briohn Design Group

Nathan Schulze is now an Architect at Briohn Design Group. With two years of valuable contributions and recently passing his final architectural exam, we’re thrilled for his growth and future projects.

BIZ PEOPLE

BANKING

Ixonia Bank Promotes CFO to Executive Vice President

Ixonia Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Erika Nowak to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Erika joined Ixonia Bank in February 2023 as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. As Executive Vice President/CFO, she will continue to lead the overall financial operations of the bank. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made immeasurable contributions to improving income, eliminating expenses, and overall expanded the role of CFO.

A certified public accountant, she possesses over 25 years of progressively challenging accounting experience with local financial institutions.

CONSTRUCTION

CJ Richards has been promoted to Technical Architectural Lead at Briohn Design Group

Exciting news! CJ Richards has been promoted to Technical Architectural Lead at Briohn Design Group. With expertise in construction documents, BIM, and Revit, CJ will drive technical initiatives, ensuring great work in architectural design.

CONSTRUCTION

Briohn has promoted Joe Zanotti to Project Manager and Director of Field Services

Briohn Building Corporation is pleased to promote Joe Zanotti to Project Manager and Director of Field Services. Joe’s exceptional leadership in projects and field operations has significantly impacted safety, quality, and communication initiatives.

SALES

The Wisconsin Center District Welcomes Account Manager, Nickie Rouleau

The Wisconsin Center District, owners and operators of the Baird Center, Miller High Life Theatre and UWM Panther Arena, is proud to welcome Nickie Rouleau to the sales team. With 10 years of sales experience and a love for Milwaukee, Nickie brings a wealth of expertise to the District. In her new role, Nickie will be embracing the corporate meetings market, from groups of 20 to over 2,000. Reach out to Nickie for your tour of the newly expanded Baird Center or to plan your company’s next high-impact event.

CONSTRUCTION

Briohn Building Corporation is proud to promote Kyle Roadt to Senior Project Manager

Briohn Building Corporation is pleased to promote Kyle Roadt to Senior Project Manager. With over 17 years of success in commercial and industrial construction, his outstanding contributions and versatility have earned him this promotion.

LEGAL SERVICES

von Briesen & Roper, s.c. welcomes Shareholder Jeff Van Winkle to its Chicago office

Jeff joins with more than three decades of experience representing businesses, investors and entrepreneurs in all phases of their businesses with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, international transactions, financing and securities.

BANKING

Congemi Promoted to Vice President

Waukesha State Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Heather Congemi, Retail Loan Administration Officer, to Vice President. Heather will continue to be responsible for managing the retail lending function of Waukesha State Bank.

NONPROFIT

IMPACT appoints

Kimberly Payne as new Board Chairperson

IMPACT is pleased to announce that Kimberly Payne has been appointed Chairperson of its Board of Directors. Kimberly joined IMPACT in 2019 and brings 30 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, government, educational and corporate settings.

EDUCATION

Michael Rogers

Joins MATC as Interim Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Rogers joined MATC as Interim VP of DEI. He will work on the continuing DEI Plan, oversee the DEI Committee, and supervise the Office of Bilingual Education, Multicultural Services, Office of the Ombudsperson and Student Accommodation Services.

ENVIRONMENT

Balestrieri is excited to welcome Justin Zoellner to the team as a Project Manager.

Justin has the ambition to take on challenging projects and displays a growth mindset in his new position. Justin’s knowledge and passion for the Environmental Construction industry will play an essential role in his success with the company.

BANKING

Ohlfs Promoted to Senior Vice President

Waukesha State Bank is proud to announce the promotion of Stephanie Ohlfs, Marketing Director, to Senior Vice President. Stephanie will continue to oversee the development and implementation of Waukesha State Bank’s marketing efforts.

BANKING

Waukesha State Bank Hires Rachel Priddy

Waukesha State Bank has hired Rachel Priddy as assistant vice president - commercial banking officer. With nearly 10 years of experience, Rachel will be responsible for prospecting, developing and managing commercial banking relationships.

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What will Waukesha County look like in 2050?

Will your business be ready?

Plan to join BizTimes Media and business leaders from around the county on April 17 for a closer look at how Waukesha County will evolve in the coming decades in areas like housing, commercial development, workforce training, manufacturing and much more.

Relationships nurture Heather Deaton’s dedication to Fondy Food Center

By Cara Spoto, staff writer

IT WAS ABOUT a dozen years ago when a staff member from Fondy Food Center came to Heather Deaton’s Wauwatosa church to give a presentation on the nonprofit’s mission to provide fresh, locally grown produce to underserved Milwaukee neighborhoods.

A wealth advisor at Pewaukee-based Ellenbecker Investment Group, Deaton was just beginning to get more interested in sustainable food systems – at least on the micro level. She had recently joined a community-supported agriculture program and was exploring starting her own vegetable garden.

“They said you can go to the (Fondy Farmers Market) and get a bag of greens – like a trash can-size bag of greens – for $3,” Deaton recalls, still with an air of wonder in her voice. “This was in like 2011, so that bag of greens might cost about $6 or $8 today, but I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to

check this out.’”

Visiting the market soon after, she felt an almost instant pull to become part of Fondy’s mission to not only increase access to healthy, fresh foods, but also support Black, brown and immigrant farmers.

“I just remember feeling this sense of hope and community that the vendors and farmers have amongst each other and with the shoppers,” Deaton said.

In those early days, Deaton did a lot of what she still does today as board president: help out in any way she can.

She started off volunteering at the weekly farmers market but soon began working on committees and helping with the nonprofit’s annual fundraising gala, the Fondy Farm Feast, a farm-totable dinner at the Fondy Farm at the Mequon Nature Preserve. A 40-acre patchwork of small farms, the Fondy Farm provides land to

growers who sell their produce at the Fondy Farmers Market.

But it’s clear from talking to Deaton that her main passion is the farmers market.

Some days you’ll find her setting up before the market or sweeping up after it, or working the EBT booth, which allows customers receiving food assistance to cash in a portion of their food benefit dollars for tokens they can spend at the market. The farmers can then redeem those tokens for money.

By volunteering, Deaton says she gets to see the market in action but also help speed up those transactions.

“When I see that line backed up, my first thought is, ‘The strawberries are all going to be gone.’ I don’t want somebody missing out on these great farm products just because they’re standing in line,” Deaton says. “There’s a lot to running a market, and the Fondy

staff is a small but mighty team so being able to help with time and talent is a really important part of volunteering. And that speaks to my core values of service, too, which is doing what you can to help out, removing obstacles.”

And in the end, it’s the relationships that keep Deaton tied to the work, especially the connections she has made with the farmers.

“When I buy something and I know the farmer who grew it, tended to it, watered it, harvested it, cleaned it and packaged it, I feel much more tied to the success of that piece of produce,” she said. “If I have strawberries that go bad in the refrigerator, and I got them from a farmer I know and they know my name, it feels different. … When it rains and rains and rains, or it’s cold, cold, cold, I think of my farmer friends. I didn’t do that before Fondy.” ■

Heather

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More restoration work planned at Soldiers Home

This historic photo shows the Ward Memorial Theater (built in 1881) at the Milwaukee Soldiers Home complex near American Family Field. The theater, along with the Soldiers Home Chapel and the Governor’s Residence are part of a $25 million rehabilitation plan recently announced by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and Madison-based developer The Alexander Co. The large square on the building’s exterior is a stained-glass portrait of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on horseback. It was removed in 2011 for safekeeping and will be returned as part of the restoration process.

— Submitted photo

COMMENTARY

Redevelopment of Northridge site must attract jobs

NOW THAT IT APPEARS the former Northridge Mall, which closed in 2003, will finally be demolished, it’s time to start thinking about what should take its place.

In January, the City of Milwaukee was awarded ownership of the property, which it has sought for years. The Chinese investment group that had owned it stopped paying its property taxes, opening the door for the city to obtain the property. City officials are now moving forward with plans to tear down the former mall.

There is no shortage of ideas from Milwaukee residents and local business leaders about what should be done with the 58-acre site, located northwest of Brown Deer Road and North 76th Street on the city’s far northwest side.

City officials have already shot down one redevelopment idea. Milwaukee-based real estate firm Phoenix Investors had an agreement to pur-

chase the former mall and wanted to redevelop it into an industrial building that it would lease to tenants. City officials objected to those plans saying the tenants would have been able to use their space for storage, which would produce few jobs. That led to Phoenix Investors dropping its plans last year.

Some criticized city officials for blocking a proposed redevelopment for the long-vacant Northridge site. But they were right to do so and instead pursue a development that would yield a significant number of family-supporting jobs. That’s what the city needs most.

Other ideas that have been suggested for the former Northridge site, once demolition is complete, run the gamut. It could support housing development, but there is plenty of other housing nearby and more under development in the area.

Retail in the area has declined significantly since the mall closed, but a small amount of retail could be appropriate.

It’s not an attractive office building location either. A mostly vacant office building nearby was recently acquired by its lender in a deed in lieu of foreclosure action.

Green space has also been suggested by

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some but that doesn’t provide the needed economic benefit and could be accomplished in other locations in the area. See our report on page 14 about what some real estate industry experts think could be done with the site.

An industrial space development makes the most sense for the former Northridge site. Southeastern Wisconsin has an industrial space vacancy rate of only 5.4% and appropriate sites for new industrial real estate development in the region are difficult for developers to find. But the space needs to be occupied by a tenant that will provide a large number of family-supporting jobs. A warehouse will not do.

Other uses like retail and residential could be part of the mix, but a manufacturer or industrial space user – with a significant number of employees – needs to be the anchor of the Northridge Mall site redevelopment. ■

SAM KEENE

Chief marketing officer

Sprecher Brewing Co.

Industry: Beverage manufacturing sprecherbrewery.com

Employees: 150

"An important moment for me was when I read a book called 'True North.' It focused on what people are looking for from leaders today. The crux of the argument is that people are looking for leaders they believe in and trust. That trust is developed by sharing oneself. It seems so simple, but if you think back to the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, that wasn't really the case. You didn't get to know who the leaders were. You just heard them give a TED Talk.

"My professional life has been punctuated by the people who work for me – or with me – and the communities that I’ve helped build. They know who I am. They know if they're asking me a question, I'm going to give them an honest answer. If you look on Twitter (now known as X), which has been one of the primary platforms for Juvee, there are 12,400 replies on my personal account. That may seem like a very silly use of time to some executives, but to the community of people who has bought Juvee products, that's everything because they feel like there's a person behind the brand that cares about them."

AGE: 38

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Keene co-founded Los Angeles-based energy drink company Juvee in 2022 and served as its chief executive officer until earlier this year, when the brand was acquired by Sprecher. Prior to that, he served as vice president of marketing and interim head of marketing at Los Angeles-based Xperi Corp. Keene also spent roughly a decade at Red Bull, where he helped launch the brand’s gaming and esports program and led digital marketing for its gaming, motorsports and aviation division.

IN THE NEWS: Keene joined Specher in January following its acquisition of Juvee from Los Angeles-based global gaming and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves. The move marks Sprecher’s entry into the energy drink category as part of its ongoing growth strategy. Prior to Juvee’s acquisition, Keene, alongside 100 Thieves CEO and longtime friend Matthew Haag, led the brand to grow revenues by 400% in roughly two years. Now as Sprecher’s chief marketing officer, Keene will work to drive national awareness of the Sprecher brand and its ever-growing line of beverages. 