BizTimes Milwaukee | June 23, 2025

The Innovation Issue

Wisconsin leads on fusion

The

Welcome to The Innovation Issue

THE TEAM at BizTimes Media knows there are a number of issues that are critical for nearly every company in our region. Things like innovation, talent and succession. This year, we are proud to debut magazine issues specifically dedicated to these topics, giving our editorial team the opportunity to go deeper and our advertisers the opportunity to share their message in relation to critical topics.

This Innovation Issue is the first of these special issues. Inside, things will look a little different than a regular issue of BizTimes Milwaukee. You won’t find some of our regular features. Instead, you’ll find chapters dedicated to research and development, emerging industries, customer experience and financing innovation. When we publish special issues focused on talent and succession later this fall, you will find relevant chapters in those publications.

Why did we choose to dedicate an entire issue of BizTimes Milwaukee to innovation?

The answer is simple: Innovation is critical to the future success of our region. Southeastern

Wisconsin needs companies and leaders who think differently, who find new ways to answer tough challenges and grow strong businesses. As a region, we cannot afford to be left behind as technologies evolve. Rather, our companies need to lead in their respective industries and help our entire region grow.

In our 30th anniversary issue in March, I shared my view on what artificial intelligence will mean for journalism. In short, I’m optimistic, but it also doesn’t matter what I think. The technology is here, and we need to find ways to leverage it to our advantage to be more efficient and create value. My hope is leaders in all sectors will find their own ways to leverage AI for their industry. To that end, we’ve included stories that offer operational insights into how AI impacts things like copyright and patent law, the implications of greater AI use throughout your company and using AI in customer service.

You will also find coverage on what federal funding changes could mean at the Medical

College of Wisconsin and other universities, how Wisconsin companies are leading the way on fusion, applying technology to improve customer experiences in the real world and the state of venture capital in Wisconsin.

As with all of our coverage, we hope you find it insightful and informative, providing ways for you to apply lessons learned in your business. Our region is better and stronger when companies are innovating, growing and creating jobs for the future. If you’d like to learn more about our talent and succession issues later this year or want to share thoughts on the Innovation Issue, please reach me at dan.meyer@biztimes.com.

Thank you for reading BizTimes.

DAN MEYER Publisher, BizTimes Media

The Innovation Issue

CHAPTER 3: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

VOLUME 31, NUMBER 4 | JUNE 23, 2025 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120

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Research & Development

Research & Development

Federal research funding cuts could force Medical College of Wisconsin to shrink research enterprise

Will need to take additional measures to survive if Trump’s NIH cut becomes reality, CEO says

By Samantha Dietel, staff writer

WHILE MANAGING RECENT cancellations of some federal research grants, the Medical College of Wisconsin is bracing for more substantial funding cuts.

In February, the National Institutes of Health issued guidance that capped the indirect cost reimbursement rate for all current and new NIH awards to 15% of grants effective Feb. 10, but a federal judge has since blocked that guidance. The NIH also began terminating research grants related to LGBTQ+ issues, diversity, equity and inclusion and other topics. MCW lost $6.6 million as a result of those grant terminations.

Most recently, President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 includes an approximate 40% reduction in funding for the NIH – indicating that significant funding cuts for MCW may be on the horizon, said Dr. John Raymond, president and CEO of MCW. In fiscal year 2024, MCW received $113 million in NIH funding.

To prepare for potential funding cuts, MCW has already closed programs, put its physician assistant program on hold, capped the number of graduate students admitted this year and initiated a soft hiring freeze that will be extended through September.

“We’re tightening our belts,” Raymond said. “The impact of a reduction in research funding isn’t just felt in our research enterprise. Everything that we do is going to be constrained because of that. Clinical care, education, the work we do in the community. All of our missions are intertwined, and so a challenge in one of the missions is going to rebound across all four of them.”

THREATS TO REDUCE INDIRECT COST REIMBURSEMENT RATE

At MCW, the current indirect cost reimbursement rate for NIH research grants stands at 56%.

This means the NIH can reimburse MCW for

institution’s reimbursement

three to four years and typically falls between 50% to 60%. It

indirect costs – also called facilities and administrative costs –incurred to cover administrative support, facility maintenance, utilities and other needs to support awarded projects. An institution’s reimbursement rate is negotiated with the federal government every three to four years and typically falls between 50% to 60%. It is essentially an add-on to the grant received for a project. NIH grants are administered in threeto five-year commitments.

The partnership between the NIH and universities “is the envy of the world,” Raymond said, and the NIH’s peer review

Dr. John Raymond

Research & Development

process for grants – which selects the most meritorious projects – is unique to the U.S.

For the NIH to precipitously reduce the indirect cost reimbursement rate without any consultation is troubling, Raymond said. If the 15% reimbursement rate was applied to all federal grants at MCW, the institution would lose $27 million annually.

“This has completely disrupted the model,” Raymond said. “We can’t absorb a $27 million hit and not shrink our research enterprise.”

MCW also receives federal research grants through the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Transportation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. In fiscal year 2024, the combination of NIH funding and

all other federal sources MCW received was about $162 million.

While the initial NIH guidance to lower the indirect cost reimbursement rate has been stopped in court, the future is uncertain.

“We are concerned that even if the executive order is deemed illegal – and there are actually good grounds to believe that it is not legal – we have a Congress that is friendly to the president, and they do have the authority to lower the indirect cost rate,” Raymond said.

Trump’s proposed budget would reduce federal NIH funding by nearly $18 billion, which is “absolutely unprecedented,” Raymond said.

“If you have a 40% reduction in the budget, it means even if you issued no grants at all for the next 12 months, you’d still have to cut somewhere,” Raymond said. “It could be that they would retroactively reduce the awards to scientists, or they could then again try to

impose that reduction in that (facilities and administrative) cost to try to comply with the budget that they have.

“These threats, even though they’re being tied up in court, are profound, and it is very likely that some significant reduction is going to occur,” Raymond said.

NIH GRANT CANCELLATIONS

MCW has seen a significant slowdown in the awarding of new NIH grants and non-competing renewals, and 14 research grants have been canceled so far. MCW expects more grants will be canceled in the coming months. Two of the grants have had some or all funding restored.

The canceled grants funded research on HIV, mental health issues with sexual minority stigma, transgender populations, Black populations, structural racism and climate health in-

NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (left) during his visit to MCW in May as part of speaker series hosted by Raymond (right). MCW

equities. Some of the grants had recently been awarded, while other projects were ongoing. The cutoff was immediate, Raymond said.

“All of these grants have undergone rigorous peer review by an objective group of scientists,” he said. “They’ve been deemed to be in the top 10% of all ideas and all projects. This has been really shattering for the morale of our scientists and the confidence they have in the work they’re doing.”

The rescission letters for the canceled NIH grants included language that Raymond described as “demoralizing and pejorative.”

Raymond recited the following passage from a rescission letter: “It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research programs related to DEI. Research programs based on artificial and non-scientific categories, including amorphous equity objectives, are antithetical to scientific inquiry. They do nothing to expand our knowledge of living systems and provide low returns on investment, and ultimately do not enhance health, lengthen life or reduce illness, and worse, so-called ‘diversity, equity and inclusion studies’ are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.”

“There are others that actually are worse, basically saying that the work has no merit,” Raymond said. “I want to emphasize, all of these grants have gone through a rigorous peer review process that has stood the test of time for decades, and it’s the envy of the world. You’re having an administrative policy-driven initiative to cancel these grants. Again, totally unprecedented in the history of the National Institutes of Health.”

MCW faculty members, especially those who are early in their careers, are questioning whether they can continue on as scientists and investigators, Raymond said.

“They’re concerned that the motivation for the cancelations is largely political and not truly scientific,” Raymond said. “They have had to fire staff. They’ve had to suspend work that is in process. On some occasions, there may be some safety concerns if human subjects are involved that they’re going to have to cover with institutional funds to make sure that we don’t have any loose ends.”

MCW is working to provide bridge funding for its researchers who have been affected by the grant terminations as well as help assess whether the work can be repurposed in a way that aligns with NIH priorities and submit

Research & Development

Federal funding cuts could threaten UWM’s research institution status

By Samantha Dietel, staff writer

Since 2016, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has established itself as a prestigious research institution. Federal research funding cuts could change that in the years to come.

In February, UW-Milwaukee announced it has maintained its R1 research status. The R1 designation is the highest rating for research from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which releases research ratings every three years. UW-Milwaukee was previously named an R1 institution in 2016, 2019 and 2022.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, UW-Milwaukee has seen grants terminated by multiple federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Institute of Museum and Library Services and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“We’re seeing kind of continuously over the last few weeks, terminations, some related to topics that relate to executive orders, others are unclear why they were terminated, or that they’ve just deleted entire agencies and are just terminating all the grants for that, so it’s been a mix of reasons,” said Kristian O’Connor, interim vice provost for research and graduate school dean at UW-Milwaukee.

In fiscal year 2024, UW-Milwaukee’s total research expenditures reached $66 million. Federal funding comprises a substantial portion of that sum, with just under $28 million coming in the form of federal grants. If federal funding for research continues to decline, UW-Milwaukee could have difficulty maintaining its research enterprise.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education ranks institutions into three categories, which are based on how many doctoral degrees the institutions award and their

amount of research expenditures. Institutions with “very high research spending and doctorate production” are considered R1 research institutions.

To receive the R1 designation, institutions must have research expenditures of at least $50 million annually. Federal research grants are included in total research expenditures.

“There would have to be very dramatic change in our research expenditures in fiscal year ‘26 to impact our January ‘28 status on that list,” O’Connor said. “I’m already able to say that we’re in a reasonable position for the next one in three years. After that, though, January 2031 is one that I actually think about. That’s the one I worry more about. If our overall research funding degrades, and they raise that threshold due to inflation, there might be a point where those cross in the next two, three years.”

Federal departments, including the NIH, have attempted to cap the indirect cost reimbursement rate for research grants at 15%. UW-Milwaukee’s indirect cost reimbursement rate is 54%.

“If that goes to 15%, our ability to support a research enterprise at all, really, for every university, is put into question,” O’Connor said. “Then this R1 designation – who knows what that means in a world where everything goes 15%, because the research world in this country will look very, very different.”

When it comes to its research efforts, UW-Milwaukee’s greatest challenge is grappling with more constrained resources, O’Connor said, and “what’s happening at the federal level certainly doesn’t help right now.”

“Certainly, we’re spending a lot of time thinking about what the impacts could be if different scenarios come into play,” O’Connor said. 

UWM graduate students working in a research lab.

Research & Development

appeals to the NIH for reconsideration. MCW is trying to prioritize support for learners and faculty who are in “vulnerable” stages of their careers, Raymond said.

“I fear that if this continues, we may lose a significant portion of the next generation of our scientists,” Raymond said. “A scientific career requires incredible commitment and focus. It requires an ability to be resilient and to be able to survive the ups and downs of funding. If someone believes that the work that they’re doing has been deemed fundamentally invaluable, they may not have the resilience to persevere.”

VISIT FROM NIH DIRECTOR

On May 2, MCW hosted NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for the seventh session of the President’s Speaker Series. Bhattacharya’s visit to the MCW was his first to an academic institution since assuming the NIH director role on April 1.

During his visit, Bhattacharya defended recent NIH grant cancellations, saying that researchers should avoid political ideology. Bhattacharya mentioned systemic racism and climate change as examples.

“My promise to you is that if you put your talents to the things that actually affect American health and avoid political ideology, you’re going to be very successful,” Bhattacharya said during his visit to MCW.

At a time when the NIH is restricting the research it funds, Bhattacharya said that academic freedom, such as providing space for disagreement in science, was a priority.

Bhattacharya’s willingness to listen and provide answers impressed Raymond, who said MCW is grateful to have been the NIH director’s first university visit.

MCW supports academic freedom and freedom of expression, Raymond said.

“The concern, though, by some people, is that those words are masquerading as a political agenda to actually silence voices,” Raymond said. “I understand why people are concerned about that. Work we’re doing on health equity is important. We’re here to help people that need us the most. If African American men in central city Milwaukee have a higher rate of prostate cancer and worse outcomes, we have an obligation to understand why that’s happening. If African American women have worse outcomes for them and their children in the perinatal period, we have an obligation to understand those things.”

‘WE MAY WELL HAVE TO SHRINK OUR RESEARCH ENTERPRISE’

MCW has been working on its physician assistant program for five years, but had to put it on hold due to the current funding climate.

“That was very painful, because we are here to serve the workforce needs of the state, and we were proud of that program, but we had to put it on hold,” Raymond said.

MCW also folded its Neuroscience Research Center, which had previously maintained some significant independence, into its Wisconsin Institute for Neuroscience to gain some administrative savings.

Typically, MCW admits 60 to 65 graduate students into its Ph.D. program. This year, in its “best recruiting year ever,” MCW capped it at 56 graduate students, Raymond said. The program could have admitted 80 if not for the threat of potential funding cuts.

“It just was so painful to have to turn away these bright young minds that could be our future,” Raymond said. “But we really had to do it.”

MCW’s Ph.D. students don’t pay tuition, so it’s a financial commitment to support those students through the duration of the program. Faculty and potential applicants were unhappy with the cap, “but it was one of the things that we really had to do to put ourselves in a position to survive some of these potential cuts,” Raymond said.

If Trump’s proposed cut to the NIH becomes a reality, MCW will need to take additional measures to survive.

“In the long term, we may well have to shrink our research enterprise,” Raymond said. “If the NIH funding is reduced by 40%, you can’t go to the private sector and make up $20 billion of a deficit, and you certainly can’t pivot quickly to be able to fill those gaps.”

MCW may shift its research focus to clinical research and clinical trials because there’s interest in the private sector to fund that type of work, Raymond said. Clinical trials are more closely aligned with new therapy developments.

While MCW has strong relationships with companies in health-related industries, those companies “have a limited capacity to absorb such a tremendous cut that is happening in such a short period of time with no warning whatsoever,” Raymond said.

Raymond said that shift in its research focus “would be a shame for the United States,” because NIH often funds discovery science, in which researchers are making discoveries that

“

We’re tightening our belts. The impact of a reduction in research funding isn’t just felt in our research enterprise. Everything that we do is going to be constrained because of that.”

− Dr. John Raymond

may not directly apply to health for 10 to 20 years. MCW is still committed to continuing discovery science even if the institution must shrink its research mission.

“It’s really important for us to find ways to conduct that basic research, not just for the value of the science itself or the potential applications down the road, but having that kind of opportunity here brings talent to our institution and to our region,” Raymond said. “It enriches our learning environment. It helps us to translate basic discoveries into better treatments and cures for disease much faster. It’s essential to the work that we do as an academic medical center.”

MCW will continue to invest in all of its missions amid today’s challenges.

“We’re trying to communicate clearly to all of our faculty, staff and stakeholders about what we’re doing and why we’re doing things to prepare ourselves for these potential cuts,” Raymond said. “We’re also trying to maintain everyone’s morale. That’s become more and more challenging, but it’s important for us. We have people that are coming to work every day trying to make a difference, and we want them to feel good about the work that they’re doing.” 

PRESENTS:

Thursday, July 24, 2025

2:30 – 6:00 PM

2:30 PM Registration & Networking

3:00-4:30 PM Awards Program

4:30-6:00 PM Networking Reception

Italian Community Center

Join BizTimes Media in recognizing the region’s top nonprofits and corporate citizens at the twelveth annual 2025 Nonprofit Excellence Awards. These nonprofits and corporate citizens go above and beyond to create a lasting impact in the lives of those they serve and have truly made a difference in our community. You will be inspired by thoughtprovoking and heartfelt acceptance speeches from influential figures who have dedicated their lives to social change and community development. The excitement doesn’t end with the awards ceremony; it continues with an exclusive networking and cocktail reception. We invite you to stay and mingle with the finalists, honorees, and fellow community leaders in an atmosphere of camaraderie and celebration.

Corporate Citizenship Awards

Corporate Citizen of the Year - Legacy Leader

• Baird

Milwaukee Tool

Northwestern Mutual

Corporate Citizen of the Year - Community Catalyst

• Landmark Credit Union

• Lannon Stone

Rebel Converting

Volunteer of the Year

• Robert Arzbaecher, Carmen Schools of Science & Technology

• Amber Cochran, StaffWyze

Phyllis King, Waukesha County Technical College

Julie Tolan, Lauber Business Partners

In-Kind Supporter

• Bader Rutter

• Garland Alliance, Inc.

iLevel Media

Mueller Communications

Next Generation Leadership

• Max Mann, Baird

Adam Puzach, Pack Logix

Paige Radke, UMB Bank

Nonprofit Awards

Innovation in Education

• Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Marshall High School, Bay View High School

LAUNCH

Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative, Inc. (LUMIN Schools)

Messmer High School

Nonprofit Collaboration of the Year

• Community Development Alliance, LISC Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Zilber Family Foundation, American Family Institute, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, City of Milwaukee

• FUSE - MKE Tech Hub, Higher Education Regional Alliance, MSOE, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, Associated Bank, Northwestern Mutual, Molson Coors, Rockwell Automation, WEC Energy Group, Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute

Rogers Behavioral Health and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin Nonprofit Executive of the Year

• Kurt Owens, Bridge Builders

Patrick Landry, Notre Dame School of Milwaukee

Tiffany Tardy, PEARLS For Teen Girls

Brandon Hill, Vivent Health

Nonprofit Organization of the Year (Large)

• i.c.stars Milwaukee

Meta House

Rooted & Rising Washington Park

Nonprofit Organization of the Year (Small)

• Bay View Community Center

City on a Hill

Eras Senior Network

Social Enterprise

• Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation

Kinship Community Food Center

St. Vincent de Paul of Waukesha County

SPONSOR:

Research & Development

AI vs. IP

What business leaders need to know about the legal gray zones of artificial intelligence

By Hunter Turpin, staff writer

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE becomes increasingly embedded in business operations, its legal footprint is growing just as fast. When it comes to intellectual property law, that footprint isn’t fully mapped out yet.

Although AI as a technology has been developing for years, local attorneys said many of the legal questions surrounding its use are still new.

“I don’t have 10 years of court decisions to look at to help me decide whether or not something is legal,” said Derek Stettner, IP attorney and partner at Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best.

The courts have not yet ruled decisively on many AI-IP disputes, largely because litigation moves slowly by design. Local attorneys anticipate that some of the current high-profile lawsuits – such as the New York Times’ case against OpenAI – could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Until then, it’s not entirely clear how existing IP laws could be stretched and what the boundaries of AI are.

Still, attorneys agree that AI will not funda-

mentally rewrite IP law and that it will be largely worked into existing IP frameworks like previous technological advancements have been.

“AI is a transformative technology, and the legal landscape is adapting to its usage,” said Jon Stone, partner at Quarles & Brady and co-chair of the Milwaukee-based firm’s Artificial Intelligence Group. “In many ways, I view this sort of similar to the heyday of the Internet.”

A NEW FRONTIER FOR COPYRIGHT LAW

AI’s biggest legal collision point is with copyright law, attorneys agree.

Businesses looking to protect their work should be aware that their data could be used to train AI, some of which could be copyrighted material, though it’s unclear if that actually violates laws.

“When (AI) goes out and just grabs data, you scrape it off of someone’s website, you scrape it off of social media, what are you capturing?” Stettner said. “You’re potentially capturing copyrighted material.”

AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic

and Meta have trained their models on vast quantities of publicly available data – including articles, images, code, website content and other materials found online. Creators of some of this content argue that its usage amounts to unauthorized copying.

At the core of the debate is what it actually means for an AI model to “ingest” data. Creators argue that AI is copying their material to train itself and create new content, while AI companies counter that their use is more “transformative” than duplicative.

Businesses looking to incorporate AI into their workflows probably don’t need to worry about accidentally creating plagiarized or copywritten material, as long as they use AI responsibly.

“When you prompt AI to write something for you, it’s probably not going to deliver an exact copy of somebody else’s work unless you have a very detailed prompt,” Stettner said.

Still, attorneys urge companies to be cautious about making sure they don’t accidentally violate copyright laws by using AI-generated content.

Derek Stettner

Jon Stone

Dillon Durnford

“Basically, AI poses the same risks as a human,” said Dillon Durnford, an attorney and partner at Milwaukee-based Andrus Intellectual Property Law. “A human could plagiarize, so could AI. If you’re producing some sort of content for a website or a picture or something that includes someone else’s work, you might not know it.”

LESS IMPACT ON PATENTS

Compared to copyright, patent law will see fewer challenges in the face of AI, attorneys predict. That’s because patent infringement tends to involve the unauthorized making, using or selling of a protected invention, and existing legal tools already address those behaviors.

“If you’re in the industry of making and selling physical goods, that probably wouldn’t have as much of an impact,” Durnford said. “Even if somebody were to use AI to make a copy of your product and try to sell it as a knockoff or something like that, there’s tradi-

tional remedies for that.”

Research & Development

One way AI could change the patent landscape is by accelerating design-around strategies, in which companies look for ways to innovate around existing patents, according to Stone.

“Say I’m a pharmaceutical company and I have a medication on the market that took me years and years to find the compound that’s going to target this in this particular physiological pathway,” Stone said. “Somebody could now use an AI model to just churn through the drug discovery process and find compounds that are similar and be able to work around the patents I might have on that.”

While AI may provide a new tool for getting around existing patents, that practice is longstanding, Stone said, echoing Durnford’s point that AI largely presents the same IP risks that a human does.

“It’s an issue that we would have had to face regardless,” Stone said. “Competitors are always trying to work around other companies’ patents. It’s just that now AI might be a

tool that can help them do that a little more efficiently.”

On the invention end, as U.S. law is currently written, AI cannot be an inventor of a patentable invention. Similarly, a federal circuit court recently ruled that simply applying an AI model to a new environment is not patentable.

“These large language models, most generative AI, they’re making predictive guesses of just what words should come next in the sequence of words within this context that it’s been given,” Stone said. “They don’t have invention capabilities yet, so I wouldn’t worry about an AI alone coming up with a patentable invention.”

Assuming AI continues to evolve and become more pervasive, as predicted, Stone said it is advisable to consider AI as an inventor – for better or for worse – in a company’s IP strategy.

“AI is not so disruptive that business leaders need to completely rethink their IP strategy, but it’s something to be mindful of and you want to be on your toes about it,” Stone said. 

Practical takeaways for business leaders

1. Review and update your website’s terms and conditions

If your company publishes online content such as blog posts, product descriptions, photography or quarterly reports, AI models can easily access this data.

“If you’re worried about AI scraping everything on your website, there are some existing tactics you can use,” Stone said.

What to do:

» Have enforceable terms and conditions on your site that users need to accept or decline.

» Use technical controls like CAPTCHAs or robots.txt files to deter or slow down automated data scraping.

» Make sure proprietary data is not on your site, including old webpages that may not be linked to your homepage anymore.

2. Be cautious with what you tell AI

Attorneys stressed the risk of exposing company secrets inadvertently.

“If you’re using publicly available tools, any information that you put into them is not kept confidential,” Stettner said. “It’s possible to lose some of your trade secrets.”

What to do:

» Seek out private AI platforms over publicly available tools, like ChatGPT, for uses that may include proprietary data or content.

» Read the fine print of both public and private AI tools to understand its data retention clauses.

» If using a private AI tool, be thorough with questioning the AI vendor about its privacy, for example if its cloud is private or accessible to other AIs.

3. Avoid blind use of AI in content creation

If you’re using AI to create content for your business, like marketing copy or product descriptions, don’t assume the output is legally clean.

What to do:

» Maintain human oversight in any creative workflow that includes AI.

» Review imagery for unintended trademarks or brand elements that might infringe.

Research & Development

Public Record

A closer look at R&D spending in Wisconsin

By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

WISCONSIN UNIVERSITIES and businesses combine to spend billions on research and development every year. Publicly available data from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Science Foundation provide a sense of which entities spend the most on R&D.

On the higher education side, the University of Wisconsin-Madison leads the way with $1.73 billion in R&D expenditures in fiscal 2023, the most recent data. That total ranks sixth in the country. UW-Madison was as high as third in the nation as recently as 2012 and dropped to eighth from 2018 to 2022. The Medical College of Wisconsin ranks 91st in the nation and has been trending upward in recent years while UW-Milwaukee ranks 211th and has trended

Source:SECfilings

down after reaching 165th a decade ago. Marquette University ranks 230th and MSOE is 502nd. Across all universities, Wisconsin ranks 14th nationally.

On the business side, Rockwell Automation leads the region with $477.3 million in R&D spending. Generac has had one of the larger jumps in R&D spending, going from around $160 million in 2022 to nearly $220 million in

2024. Among publicly traded companies in southeastern Wisconsin with available data, four firms spend 4% to 5% of their net sales on R&D, six firms spend 2% to 3% and eight firms spend less than 2%. LiveWire Group, the electric motorcycle maker spun off from Harley-Davidson, is an outlier in spending 158% of sales as it continues to invest in new products but has yet to gain traction in the market. 

University of Wisconsin-Parkside launches office for partnerships and innovation

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is redefining innovation in Wisconsin through the launch of the office for Partnerships and Workforce Innovation – “Parkside Works.” This pioneering platform connects higher education to industry, government, nonprofits, and community partners, fostering real-world learning and equipping people with career-ready skills.

By serving as a centralized “front door” to UW-Parkside’s academic programs, research, and workforce training, Parkside Works exemplifies leadership in innovation and positions southeastern Wisconsin as a launchpad for new ideas and economic growth. Leading this effort is Steve Donovan, UW-Parkside alumnus and community advocate, who serves as executive director for Partnerships and Workforce Innovation.

“Universities like UW-Parkside are stewards of place. Their dual mission is to educate and enrich the economic and cultural life of the region,” said UW-Parkside provost Matt Cecil. “Steve is a proven leader who deeply understands the opportunities and needs of Southeastern Wisconsin.” This endorsement underscores the university’s commitment to academic innovation, high-impact learning, and workforce development.

Community engagement has long defined UW-Parkside’s approach. In 2024, conversations led by chancellor Lynn Akey, confirmed that higher education must offer hands-on, workforce-aligned learning and employee development resulting in the expansion of UW-Parkside’s integrated Community-Based Learning (CBL) courses and

investments in community and business engagement. Parkside Works will deepen collaboration by:

» Connecting partners with academic programs, continuing education, research, and workforce training

» Supporting emerging sectors such as AI and healthcare

» Expanding high-impact learning and continuing education opportunities

» Linking students with career-ready experiences

» Convening leaders around regional economic and cultural development

Parkside Works strengthens university role as a regional talent pipeline

UW-Parkside not only prepare students to graduate with skills and confidence but also offer current employees the opportunity to upskill through continuing education and customized training. This comprehensive approach shows that when universities partner with external stakeholders, they can transform lives, empower the workforce, and shape a more resilient future for Wisconsin.

Join Us:

UW-Parkside invites businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies to shape the next generation of leaders. Contact at donovans@uwp.edu to explore how we can work together. Let’s innovate, educate, and grow, together.

Research & Development

Taking research to market

A look at Medical College of Wisconsin spinoffs

By Samantha Dietel, staff writer

SEVERAL Medical College of Wisconsin faculty members have started their own companies in efforts to provide innovative treatments and tools in health care.

MCW’s technology and innovation portfolio includes more than 400 active technologies. In fiscal year 2024, spanning from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, MCW reported 35 new discoveries and inventions.

Since 2014, there have been 22 spinoff companies founded by MCW faculty. Nine of them are highlighted below:

Badger Dental Products is developing devices used to address emergency dental trauma. The company was founded by Dr. David Poetker, professor of otolaryngology and communication sciences and chief of rhinology at MCW. Poetker is also a co-inventor of the devices. [1]

CIAN develops novel diagnostics for traumatic brain injury. The company was founded by Ramani Ramchandran, Ph.D., who also invented the technology. Ramchandran is a professor of pediatrics in the neonatology division at MCW and director of the Medical Student Summer Research program.

N-Zyme Biomedical works to develop the first safe, effective and efficient treatments for laryngopharyngeal reflux, a form of acid reflux. Nikki Johnston, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology and communication sciences at MCW, co-founded the company. [2]

Prism Clinical Imaging provides physicians with imaging tools that can be used to plan for and treat brain tumors and neurological disorders. Edgar DeYoe, Ph.D., professor of radiology, and other practicing professionals at MCW founded the company. DeYoe is Prism’s chief scientist. [3]

Protein Foundry manufactures proteins for biomedical research. The company uses specialized production methods that maintain the protein’s natural structure and full biological activity. Brian F. Volkman, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at MCW, is a founder and president of Protein Foundry. Michael Dwinell, Ph.D., MCW professor of microbiology and im-

munology, and Francis Peterson, Ph.D., MCW professor of biochemistry, are also co-founders. The company received a $75,000 grant from the state SBIR Advance program in 2019.

RPRD Diagnostics specializes in clinical pharmacogenetic testing, precision medicine and health care implementation to provide clinicians, scientists and the drug development and biotech industries with innovative solutions. Dr. Ulrich Broeckel, founder and CEO of RPRD Diagnostics, is a professor of pediatrics and division chief of genomic pediatrics at MCW. In 2021, RPRD received a $75,000 grant through the federal Small Business Innovation Research Advance program.

Sanacor Inc. is a biotechnology company developing therapeutic interventions for common diseases driven by mitochondrial dysfunction, such as diabetic cardiovascular disease. It was co-founded by Dr. Michael Widlansky, who is a professor in the department of medicine and Northwestern Mutual professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at MCW. Widlansky co-invented Sanacor’s technology. [4]

Sonoptima focuses on wearable ultrasound technology, which uses artificial intelligence, to help patients get optimal timing of radiation therapy for pelvic malignancies. Sonoptima aims to make radiation therapy “less distressing for patients and more efficient for health care providers,” according to its website. MCW professors Dr. William Hall and Eric Paulson founded the company. Hall is a professor and chair of radiation oncology and the Bob Uecker Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research, while Paulson, Ph.D., is a professor of radiation oncology and chief of medical physics. [5]

XLock Biosciences is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company that is developing custom proteins to treat immune disorders like psoriatic arthritis by selectively tuning the immune system. MCW biochemistry professor Francis Peterson, Ph.D., is president and co-founder of XLock Biosciences. Brian Volkman, Ph.D., MCW professor of biochemistry, is also a co-founder and chief scientific officer. 

Dr. David Poetker

Nikki Johnston, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Widlansky

Volume rendering of a patient’s brain imaging by Prism Clinical.

Dr. William Hall

Diversity in Business

July 21 Issue

Diverse perspectives are still critical to success. Creating an inclusive company culture is still necessary. If you value employees of every role, age, and background, let business leaders know.

Spacereservation:July2

CEO Q&A

Publication Date: July 21 | Space Reservation: July 2

HOW SHE LEADS

Publication Date: August 18 | Space Reservation: July 30

Future 50: Where Are They Now

September 22 Issue

Are you a past Future 50 winner? Take advantage of this opportunity to spotlight your company’s continued success in the “Where Are They Now” sponsored feature.

Spacereservation:September3

TALENT DEVELOPMENT Q&A: ATTRACTION & RETENTION

Publication Date: September 8 | Space Reservation: August 20

WEALTH MANAGEMENT & ESTATE PLANNING Q&A

Publication Date: October 20 | Space Reservation: October 3

ESOP ESSENTIALS Q&A

Publication Date: October 20 | Space Reservation: October 3

REAL ESTATE Q&A: BUILDING PROJECTS

Publication Date: November 17 | Space Reservation: October 29

Emerging Industries

Wisconsin leading on fusion State’s scientists charge toward new era of energy

By Ashley Smart, staff writer

FUSION TECHNOLOGY, channeling the power of isotopes to create energy, is inching closer to commercialization every year with a cluster of companies founded in Wisconsin leading the pack.

Wisconsin has been at the forefront of fusion technology for decades thanks to the state’s research universities, according to several experts in the field. Recent advancements in technology have led those same experts to believe that new fusion plants will be up and running within the next decade.

“We see no roadblocks,” said Chris Hegna, Ph.D., vice president of stellarator optimization and co-founder of Type One Energy. “It’s just a matter of us executing.”

Hegna and his co-founder, David Anderson, Ph.D., met during their time working as faculty

members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Anderson serves as Type One Energy’s vice president of systems engineering.

Anderson built three different stellarators (a device used in fusion energy research) during his 42-year tenure at UW. Hegna, whose background is in theoretical plasma physics, watched Anderson with interest as he developed the school’s HSX (Helically Symmetric eXperiment) program over the span of two decades.

“Born out of the frustrations of working with the federal government on making fusion work, we founded (this) company together,” said Hegna.

Type One Energy was officially launched in 2019 with the goal of commercializing a newer version of its stellarator. Today, the company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Be-

tween its additional offices in Madison, Boston and Vancouver, Type One Energy employs approximately 150 people.

TYPES OF FUSION

Fusion involves taking hydrogen isotopes, typically deuterium or tritium, and smashing them together. Through this process, an alpha particle and a free neutron are created. A difference in mass between the starting and end particles creates excess energy.

There are two main methods used to recreate fusion on Earth. The first process, called inertial confinement fusion, relies on lasers. Tiny pellets of fuel, the hydrogen, are compressed and heated rapidly with lasers to trigger a thermonuclear explosion.

The second method for recreating fusion

Chris Hegna

David Anderson

Emerging Industries

relies on magnetic confinement. This means using a magnetic field to confine plasma within a machine long enough to heat it up and allow for fusion. A stellarator, what Type One Energy is working to commercialize, is a specific kind of magnetic confinement device that can confine plasma.

“It’s using very strong magnetic fields because everything’s charged,” said Anderson. “It’s like an invisible force field bomb, like on ‘Star Trek.’”

The Type One team proved out the con-

cept of its stellarator technology through the creation of its HSX and W7-X machines. Now, the company is working to design a modern version of these machines using technologies like high-temperature superconductors.

The HSX program is still running today and was “wildly successful,” said Hegna. This success formed the backbone of Type One Energy’s business.

“We’re designing and hopefully building in the near term the world’s best stellarator by any stretch of the imagination,” said Hegna. “It’s much better than (any machine) that has been designed in the past and we think it will outperform any magnetic confinement device ever built.”

Type One Energy is currently partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville. There, the company has access to a shuttered coal power plant where it can pilot its technology.

Eventually, Type One Energy hopes to open its first fusion plants in Tennessee. Anderson and Hegna imagine repurposing existing pow-

Realta co-founder Jay Anderson (left) and CEO and co-founder Kieran Furlong discuss the Wisconsin High-field Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) experiment.

The WHAM experiment ready for its first high-field plasma run.

AMADOU KROMAH

ELLIOT CLAVEAU, REALTA FUSION

er plants to gain access to their infrastructure, including water, power and coolants. The duo believes their first facility could be open within the next decade.

Type One Energy is already having discussions with Milwaukee-based WEC Energy Group regarding future collaborations, according to Anderson.

AN ECONOMIC ENGINE

In the coming decades, Kiernan Furlong, co-founder and CEO of Madison-based Realta Fusion, believes the production of fusion devices could serve as a major economic engine in Wisconsin.

Making energy will be focused on manufacturing machines rather than the fuel used to power those machines. Since fusion essentially has an endless power supply in water, where hydrogen isotopes are sourced, current dependence on fossil fuels will disappear.

“It’s more about technology, and if you can make the machines to release that energy,” said Furlong. “It’s going to be more of a manufacturing industry.”

Fusion is already providing business for midwestern manufacturers who are making the expensive, and highly technical, machines used to conduct fusion experiments, Furlong explained.

Realta Fusion is taking a slightly different approach with its fusion technology, focusing on magnetic mirrors.

A chemical engineer who grew up in rural Ireland, Furlong describes himself as an environmentalist who has always cared about climate change.

He found himself drawn to sustainable technologies and landed in the biofuels industry. That’s how he first encountered the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He eventually took on a faculty role there and met his co-founder, Cary Forest.

He left UW-Madison for a brief period and returned to help lead the school’s Wisconsin High-field Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) project.

WHAM PROJECT

Realta’s technology, which was tested through the WHAM project over the past year, involves magnetic mirrors that confine plasma between two high-field superconducting magnets. The strong magnetic fields cause charged particles to bounce back and forth.

The plasma is heated to temperatures that are ten times hotter than the surface of the sun.

“For fusion to happen, you need three

things from the plasma,” said Furlong. “You need it to be hot enough and dense enough for long enough.”

The WHAM project received a $10 million ARPA-E (American Rescue Plan Act energy research) grant in 2020. Construction of the WHAM device took three and half years.

WHAM recently achieved its first plasma, a major milestone in demonstrating the potential of high-field magnetic mirror technology to create commercially viable fusion energy.

Realta Fusion officially became a company spun out from the WHAM project in 2022.

“When WHAM turned on in 2024, it was the first time these very high field HTS (high-temperature superconducting) magnets were used in a fusion experiment, and the first time in a magnetic mirror as well,” said Furlong.

The next step the company must reach before commercializing its technology is finding a way to control and stabilize the plasma that is created. Realta is building a larger version of its WHAM device, called Anvil, which will eventually be housed at the Realta Forge, a purpose-built fusion facility.

The exact location of Realta Forge has not been decided, but Wisconsin is being considered.

Realta also completed a $36 million series A funding round in May to further develop its technology. Furlong expects Realta to finish its first energy producing plant by the mid-2030s.

FUSION VERSUS FISSION

Modern fusion energy is a much cleaner and safer process than nuclear fission, a process in which atoms are split apart.

Fission is harder to control and could lead to runaway reactions. Furlong likened the process to rolling a basketball down a hill.

“It will roll and gather speed, and it’s hard to hang on to,” he said.

Meanwhile, fusion is more like spinning a basketball on your finger. While it requires a bit more technical expertise, the ball is always being actively controlled. Once the ball falls, it stops spinning.

“With fusion, you will not have runaway reactions,” said Furlong. “It’s basically fail-safe.”

The byproduct from fusion reactions is helium, the same gas that fills party ballons. This is a far cry from the radioactive byproducts people have come to associate with fission.

“Fusion plants are safer than a regular power plant in the sense that you don’t have a smokestack belching all of the coal products,”

Emerging Industries

said Anderson.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The race to commercialize fusion energy comes at a time when both state officials and the Trump administration are emphasizing the importance of energy independence.

At the national level, President Trump signed a May 23 executive order aimed at “reinvigorating the nuclear industrial base.”

Nuclear energy encompasses both fusion and fission.

Already, the Department of Energy is promoting fusion energy through its Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.

The government selected eight companies in the U.S. to help develop fusion power plants. Three of those eight companies were founded in Wisconsin: Realta Fusion, Type One Energy and SHINE Technologies.

SHINE Technologies, which is based in Janesville, has raised nearly $800 million since its founding in 2010, according to a recent Canary Media article. That funding is helping the company commercialize its fusion technology.

Here in Wisconsin, a group of state representatives has introduced a bill that would require the Public Service Commission to conduct a nuclear power sitting study.

The study would examine nuclear power and fusion power opportunities in the state, along with potential energy generation sites.

A separate joint resolution introduced to the Assembly recognizes that the Wisconsin State Legislature is committed to supporting nuclear power and fusion energy.

While the exact economic impact fusion energy could have on the state is unknown, experts in the field agree Wisconsin is uniquely positioned to benefit from a future boom in demand.

“There’s a recognition that there’s a knowhow (in Wisconsin) that’s going to enable the technology and ideas that are emerging from the University of Wisconsin and other research institutions,” said Furlong.

Anderson agrees that Wisconsin’s reputation as the “machine shop to the world” puts the state in a unique position to manufacture fusion devices.

“That’s something that I think is very attractive to a lot of people, and then the university has been critical to (supporting fusion research),” said Anderson. “For better or worse, Wisconsin’s had a disproportionate impact on the future of energy.” 

By Hunter Turpin, staff writer

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE tools rapidly integrate into workflows, a growing number of employees are adopting them independently, prompting business leaders to address not whether AI is being used inside their organizations, but how to manage its use.

“We’re past the binary decision of ‘should I or should I not’ use AI,” said Purushottam Papatla, a business professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who served as the cochair of the university’s AI task force.

“Now the questions are more about how we come up to speed,” said Papatla. “How do we ensure that everyone in the organization comes along, and that it doesn’t create friction? How do we ensure that we acculturate our employees to using AI as a companion, rather than seeing it as a substitute for work or a competitor for their jobs? And so on.”

INFORMAL ADOPTION OUTPACES POLICY

Although AI has long been in development, the recent wave of publicly accessible generative tools like ChatGPT and Claude AI caught many organizations off guard and often spread outside of formal channels. Recent studies show that fewer than 10% of companies have official AI policies in place, despite more widespread usage, with a higher percentage of employees reporting using AI.

At this stage, executives should assume AI is already in use within their organizations, business school professors say.

“At every company there will be some who will be early adopters and innovators who go out and start using it on their own because

As AI quietly integrates into workplaces, leaders shift focus from ‘if’ to ‘how’

they’re excited and they’re interested,” Papatla said. “I think companies need to be aware of the fact that AI is probably being installed already by at least a percent of their employees.”

Gene Wright, assistant professor at MSOE’s Rader School of Business and an executive with 40 years of corporate experience, echoed that sentiment. He added that employees often underreport AI usage.

“It’s common for employees to say they’re not using AI, even when they are,” Wright said, “because a lot of people still feel like it’s cheating, or it’ll somehow result in them getting replaced.”

This creates a hidden layer of risk, especially when the technology is used on sensitive business data. Generative AI models are trained on input, and many store data in ways that aren’t always clear to the end user.

“If somebody is using it to help them write a better customer service memo, or to help write better marketing copy, those are really good things, I think,” Wright said. “If you say, ‘Here’s my last 12 years’ worth of profit trends. Help me analyze that.’ In that instance, they’re giving away company data.”

BUILDING AN AI POLICY FRAMEWORK

According to both experts, the first step for any organization to develop a policy on AI is to map current AI usage. From there, a baseline policy that addresses key concerns – such as data protection, appropriate use cases and the approval of specific tools – can be established.

“The first step would be to start with an assessment of how extensive the use of AI al-

ready is among employees, and based on that, assess the urgency of coming up with policies,” said Papatla.

Despite the risks, both Papatla and Wright believe organizations should not discourage early adopters outright and said that working collaboratively with employees, especially early adopters, to shape guidelines could help ensure the policy is respected.

“I think when people are coming up with a policy, you should try to get people who are embracing it to help inform the policy,” Wright said.

“You really need to develop your policies somewhat organically, yes, but there are best practices for AI policies and consultants to help with that,” Papatla added.

Both experts also emphasized that policies must address the sensitivity of data. Not all AI usage carries the same level of risk, but some sectors, such as finance, health care and education, require more caution.

“The more sensitive the data is, the more urgent it is for the companies to come up with policies to ensure that employees who are using AI anyway are aware of that,” Papatla said.

Wright believes that encouraging thoughtful AI use can improve collaboration and idea-sharing – but warns that overreliance can have a downside.

“If you encourage people to use AI, it’ll undoubtedly boost your productivity, and I think you’ll also get people sharing with one another and learning from one another,” Wright said. “If people stop thinking critically and just accept what the tool says, that’s a problem. … ‘Brainrot’ is real.” 

Gene Wright

Purushottam Papatla

Driving innovation for a better future

Protecting buildings and the people who use them

At Inpro, we don’t just build products; we build trust, safety, and durability into every solution we create. Rooted in our commitment to protecting buildings and the people who rely on them, we lead with innovation to ensure that the spaces you design today will stand the test of time. Located in Wisconsin, we are a recognized leader in manufacturing and innovation, specializing in commercial architectural products.

Pioneering

creative solutions

From wall protection systems to privacy curtains and beyond, Inpro is at the forefront of creating products that enhance both safety and aesthetics. Our latest innovations, the 650 series expansion joint cover system and the LED Lighted Handrail, reflect our dedication to pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible in building protection. Every solution we develop is rooted in the belief that thoughtful design improves lives and extends the life of buildings.

Commitment

to community and sustainability

Community and sustainability are at the heart of what we do. In 2024, our teams dedicated over 715 hours to volunteering in local initiatives, from supporting educational programs to environmental restoration projects. We’re focused on making real progress in our

sustainability journey, enhancing our recycling and waste reduction efforts, minimizing landfill impact, and continually improving our operations through an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system. We’re rooted in Wisconsin’s community and growth. With over 30 years of employing local residents, 93% of our global workforce is based locally. Since 2022, we’ve added 107 jobs, bringing our workforce to 775, and welcomed 143 new Wisconsin employees in 2024. Recent expansions, including the Apollo Drive warehouse and an upcoming office building in 2025, reflect our commitment to local talent and economic growth in greater Milwaukee and Waukesha.

Committed

to making a difference

At Inpro, innovation is not just a goal, it’s a promise. Every product we create, every project we undertake, and every partnership we build is designed to inspire confidence and enhance the spaces where people live, work, and heal. Through our unwavering commitment, we protect buildings and the people who use them, shaping a better, safer future.

Powering the cloud Wisconsin companies carve out a niche making data center products

By Ashley Smart, staff writer

GIVEN WISCONSIN’S deep roots in manufacturing, it should come as no surprise that the state has quickly found ways to cash in on the current boom in data center construction by making highly specialized equipment to serve that market.

From newly designed power generators to cables used to connect data centers to the grid, Wisconsin companies and their specialized manufacturing skills are helping data center operators get their facilities up and running.

Here is a sample of the Wisconsin-made products that were designed specifically for data center builders and operators.

CUSTOM SERVER RACKS | MAYSTEEL INDUSTRIES [1]

Allenton-based Maysteel Industries has been making custom-fabricated solutions for data centers for decades.

The modern-day data center boom led Maysteel to open a 43,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Germantown that’s dedicated to making data center products.

The company specializes in custom server racks, aisle containment systems and enclosures that power and support data centers. All of Maysteel’s products are manufactured to each customer’s specifications.

Maysteel’s custom-designed server racks are made to handle heavy loads within a data center environment – more than 3,000 pounds of rolling weight capacity.

Customers can choose from server rack options including seismic server racks, which have been tested to withstand natural events like earthquakes, and open computer server racks that save space by combining three traditional racks into one system.

“Our engineering team collaborates closely with customers to ensure that each enclosure enhances performance, energy efficiency and flexibility,” said Kevin Matkin, CEO of Maysteel. “We’re committed to meeting our customers’ needs and lead times, providing custom-fabricated solutions that strengthen the infrastructure fueling the future of data storage.”

YVAM CHILLER | JOHNSON CONTROLS [2]

In March, Johnson Controls, which has its operating headquarters in Glendale, expanded the launch of its YVAM chiller to Europe after originally launching the product in North America in 2023.

The YORK brand YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing chiller consumes 40% less power annually compared to traditional chillers. It also allows for a wide operating range. The chiller can operate between minus 20 and 131 degrees Fahrenheit while producing chilled water temperatures of between 59 and 86 degrees.

This allows companies to use the same cooling infrastructure regardless of what cooling technology they rely on, whether it’s cold air aisles, direct liquid cooling, or other methods.

The YVAM chiller uses no water onsite and Johnson Controls says it makes the same amount of noise as “background music at a restaurant.”

As the European data center market also experiences significant growth driven by AI and cloud computing, the YVAM chiller helps companies ensure compliance with new European

Emerging Industries

Union policies on energy efficiency and water conservation.

“As data storage demand rises and chip density increases, data centers face increasing challenges with cooling technologies, including broader temperature ranges, reduced energy and water use, noise reduction and limited space,” said Todd Grabowski, president of data center solutions at Johnson Controls.

DATA CENTER GENERATORS | GENERAC [3]

Earlier this year, Town of Genesee-based Generac unveiled a new lineup of five generators designed specifically for the data center market.

The new models range from 2.25 to 3.25 megawatts, up from the company’s current maximum size of 2MW. They include Baudouin M55 engines, Deep Sea G8601 controllers, Marathon DataMax alternators, redundant starting systems and a design to meet most state emission requirements.

The generators also include a high ambient cooling package, allowing them to perform in highly demanding environments of up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Generac’s data center-focused generators are made at the company’s Oshkosh plant.

Key to the generators’ design is the ability to connect and scale flexibly with the varying needs of hyperscale, colocation, enterprise and edge data centers.

Generac also provides customers with packaging and aftertreatment, including enclosures, tanks and switchboards.

“For decades, we’ve been powering the world’s largest telecom operators, hospitals and many other mission-critical businesses including onsite data centers,” said Ricardo Navarro, senior vice president and general manager of global telecom and data centers at Generac. “Coupled with our expertise in designing generators specific to a wide variety of industries and uses, this new line of generators

is designed to meet the most rigorous standards for performance, packaging, and aftertreatment specific to the data center market.”

COOLANT DISTRIBUTION UNITS | MODINE

[4]

Modine has introduced an expanded range of coolant distribution units, sold under its Airedale by Modine brand. The expansion was in response to increasing demand for “high-efficiency hybrid cooling solutions” from the global data center industry, according to a March announcement.

The Airedale CDU, launched initially as a 1MW unit, is now available in capacities ranging from 400kW to 2MW as part of a global, standardized range made in the U.S. and Europe.

Modine has also introduced modular versions of its Airedale-branded cooling products. Traditionally, Modine would sell its data center products directly to an end user. A group of engineers would then assemble the equipment in a data center. Because data center customers want to move quickly, they are looking for a more convenient way to start their data centers, explained Neil Brinker, president and CEO of Modine, during the company’s latest earnings call.

“They’re looking for us to build a modular data center system that they can plug and play,” he said. “We would put the product together into a modular data center unit, which would go to the data center, and it would be more of a plug and play, versus more of an assembly process that they go through today.”

POWER CABLES | IEWC [5]

Data centers rely on a variety of specialized cables that support power, networking and power infrastructure.

New Berlin-based IEWC, through its portfolio company Cablcon, has an entire lineup of fiber-optic cable products that support both data center and telecommunication customers.

Cablcon’s RG Flex power cables were originally designed for the telecommunications market since several customers used data center power. Today, the same cables are used within actual data centers.

The RG Flex cable is manufactured specifically for data center power and uses high strand count technology to support the tighter bend radii needed to fit in demanding data center applications.

“Data centers are controlled environments, so wear and tear is somewhat limited,” said Michael Englert, vice president of North American sales and infrastructure at Cablcon. “The primary benefit is the ability for a cable to support data center power and be easy to maneuver (bend) to fit into tight space applications.”

DRIVES | ABB [6]

The sheer volume of data continues to grow exponentially. As the amount of data grows, so will the demand on the facilities handling it.

ABB’s drives make sure data centers can prevent their equipment from overheating. The company’s Drives and Services business is headquartered in New Berlin. ABB’s latest innovation in air handling is its ERH Direct Drive. The ABB ERH direct drive is a lightweight and compact air handling solution. It delivers high performance while minimizing energy consumption.

The drive’s specialized motor is preconfigured to match each customer’s base speed, with easy wiring and pull-apart terminal strips, simplifying the start-up process and reducing setup time. 

Customer Experience

AUGUST 21, 2025

BROOKFIELD CONFERENCE CENTER

7:30-8:00 AM – Networking & Breakfast

8:00-10:00 AM – Welcome & Program

10:20-12:00 PM – Breakout Sessions

LEADING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY

Uncertainty is inevitable and change is constant, but strong leaders rise to meet the moment.

Join us for the BizTimes Media Women in Business Symposium, a dynamic morning of insight, connection, and growth with women leaders from across southeastern Wisconsin.

The program will begin with a keynote presentation from Becky Frankiewicz, the recently named president and chief strategy officer of ManpowerGroup. Her responsibilities at the company include development and execution of strategic plans, innovation, and the infusion of artificial intelligence.

After the keynote, Becky will join panelists from across southeastern Wisconsin for continued discussion about issues facing leaders and businesses today. The program concludes with breakout sessions diving deeper into select topics.

Keynote Speaker:

» Becky Frankiewicz, President & Chief Strategy Officer, ManpowerGroup (1) Panelists:

» Jessie Cannizzaro, Owner/Master Plumber, Milestone Plumbing (2)

» Becky Frankiewicz, President & Chief Strategy Officer, ManpowerGroup

» Tami Martin, Director of Workforce Development, Froedtert Health (3) Moderator:

» Portia Young, Director of Corporate Public Relations, Sargento; Host, Milwaukee PBS (4)

Following the main session, please stay for breakout sessions on topics including:

» Negotiation skills for any situation

» Susan Marshall, Author, Founder, Backbone Institute

» Anne E. Schwartz, Trainer and Advisor for Law Enforcement Strategic Communications

» AI 201: Amplifying human potential

» Phyllis King, Chief Strategist for AI Advancement, Waukesha County Technical College

» Lena DeLaet, Sales Director, Director, Summerfest Tech, Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc.

» Leveling up as a leader

» Beth Ridley, Founder and CEO, Ridley Consulting Group

» Lori Richards, CEO, Mueller Communications

» Asking your network for help

» Bev Greenberg, Executive Producer, Project Pitch It

» Taking on challenges and doing hard things

» Genene Hibbler, Founder and Executive Director, Heart 2 Heart Compassionate Widow’s Circles

» Melanie Eden, Owner, SUV Properties

» Erin Levzow, Co-Founder and Host, Byte-Sized & Bossy podcast

» The power of no

» Marilyn Thiet, President and CEO, EDGE Performance Acceleration

Milwaukee companies use tech to elevate customer experience

By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

AS MUCH AS the term “customer experience” has become somewhat of a buzzword, it has also become a serious consideration for businesses across almost every sector in today’s post-pandemic world.

Consumer behavior has shifted drastically over the past five years and continues to change based on a number of external factors, including economic uncertainty, climate change and a volatile political climate. Companies are now tasked with meeting the customer where they’re at – wherever that may be – and creating an overall experience that almost transcends the product or service being sold.

In consumer-facing industries, such as entertainment and hospitality, technology can be used to make customer interactions more efficient, personalized and engaging. BizTimes spoke to a few consumer-facing businesses in the region about how they’re using new and innovative technology to improve the consumer experience.

SMARTER, FASTER DRIVE-THRUS

The COVID-19 pandemic created growth opportunities for quick-service restaurants, thanks to drive-thru, carryout and online ordering systems that were already established and equipped to handle an increase in demand for off-premise dining. Some brands used the shift as an opportunity to invest in upgrading their e-commerce sites and mobile ordering platforms.

Five years post-pandemic, a lasting trend in the QSR category has been the use of drivethrus as a preferred ordering method, and many fast-food restaurants have made efforts to improve their drive-thru systems with the latest technology, including digital screens, order confirmation and, most recently, voice AI.

The Howard Company is currently working with several large-sized, national QSR clients to test voice AI tech in their drive-thrus, said president and CEO Sara Sina. The Brookfield-based company provides branding signage and technology, including drive-thru equipment, digital displays and indoor menu boards, primarily for the restaurant industry but also for banks, convenience stores and grocers.

The company is now pairing its order confirmation system with third-party voice AI technology for a better customer experience in the drive-thru line, said Sina. Digital order confirmation allows the customer to see their order as they’re placing it, speeding up service and reducing errors. With the integration of voice AI, an AI agent – instead of a human being –takes the order using voice recognition.

Sina said the voice AI technology is currently about 90% accurate and is quickly approaching human-level accuracy, while also sounding more and more conversational and human-like. The agent is receptive to order customizations and corrections, but if there are communication challenges, The Howard Company’s software allows a human operator to seamlessly intervene anywhere in the ordering process.

“Speed, convenience, and accuracy are the biggest things that people are looking for – besides good food – when they go through the drive-thru, and all of these technologies are meant to help with that,” said Sina.

Voice AI eliminates the need for a person to be manning the drive-thru all day, enabling the restaurants to save on labor costs.

Self-order kiosks have also been a popular tech addition at many fast-casual restaurants, said Sina. The kiosks help with “handling peak surge,” keeping lines at the counter at bay, but they also allow customers to feel more control of the order process with customization options at their fingertips and more time to peruse the menu. A kiosk screen also has more space than an overhead menu board to display detailed descriptions of each item.

GETTING INTO THE BALLGAME – FASTER

Over the past year, the Milwaukee Brewers have implemented new technology at American Family Field to make arrival and entry more efficient for fans.

This season, a new facial authentication ticketing system, called MLB Go-Ahead Entry, was installed at two of the stadium’s seven gates, with plans to expand the option to more gates next year. Last season, the Brewers introduced a new automated parking payment system that allows fans to pay in advance or day-of using QR codes posted in the parking lots. Both systems are integrated into the MLB Ballpark app.

“One of the things we’re trying to do with parking and ingress is to make it a much more seamless experience,” said Rick Schlesinger, president of baseball operations, at a March press conference previewing the 2025 season. “People want to get here, they don’t want to wait in lines, they want to come to the ballpark … If you can get here faster, that’s a good thing.”

The Brewers are now one of 10 MLB teams to implement the voluntary MLB Go-Ahead Entry system. To use it, fans who are 18 or older can register and enroll by capturing a live selfie in the MLB Ballpark app. Upon entry at one of the designated gates, fans proceed through security and then – instead of taking out their phone to show their ticket – they simply walk past a facial recognition camera and straight into the ballpark. For groups, only the ticket holder needs to be enrolled in the system for everyone to enter using MLB Go-Ahead.

Schlesinger told BizTimes in June that MLB Go-Ahead has “dramatically” increased the speed of entry into the ballpark and the number of fans using the technology has increased from game to game as well, averaging about 1,800 scans per game. The positive reception from fans was expected based on the successful rollout of the technology at other ballparks, and

The Howard Company makes digital menu boards for Shake Shack, among other national clients. The chain has not yet piloted voice AI in its drive-thrus.

it’s why the Brewers are “seriously considering” having it available at all gates next season.

“I think fans appreciate the fact that we’re using this technology to help them get into the ballpark faster,” said Schlesinger, adding that quicker entry is also good for business. The sooner fans step into the stadium, the sooner they can purchase concessions, merchandise and the like.

Schlesinger says he’s “bullish” on what technology can bring to the fan experience but acknowledged the varying levels of comfortability around its use. For example, some people may not be comfortable giving out their personal information or an image of their face.

“ We want to make sure that there’s alternatives for them because not everybody’s going to embrace technology at the same level or have the same level of comfort, and we want to make sure that we don’t alienate any one or portion of our fan base,” he said.

As the Brewers continue to realize the benefits of technology, Schlesinger said it’s important to keep an open mind and continue to try new things, “even if they don’t work the first time.”

When the Brewers debuted their new QR code-based parking payment system on Opening Day last year, many users experienced connectivity issues, forcing the system to be temporarily suspended. It relaunched in August after additional testing and has worked

“extremely well” since then, according to Schlesinger.

Developed by Milwaukee-based Interstate Parking Co., the system uses license plate recognition technology and eliminates the need to wait in line at the entrance to pay for parking or scan a pass. Instead, fans drive straight into the lot, still directed into spots by parking attendants onsite. QR codes posted visibly on light poles throughout the parking lots allow fans to activate a pre-paid parking pass or purchase a pass upon arrival. As an alternative to scanning a QR code, fans can find a parking ambassador or pay station to complete the transaction.

“We’re seeing a tremendous increase in how quickly cars can come in and park,” said Schlesinger. “And the beauty of the system is no longer is there a transaction at the parking entrances that can require a credit card or cash … it takes time to have a transaction.”

Reflecting on the issues with the initial rollout, Schlesinger said launching the new tech on Opening Day, one of the busiest days of the year, was probably not the best idea. The Brewers and Interstate purposefully delayed the relaunch until August to be sure all the kinks had been worked out. While fans have largely adopted the new system, there is still –like with most things – a learning curve.

“Innovation and technology, they come with challenges and pitfalls and sometimes things don’t work, but that’s not a reason not to pursue it,” he said.

HIGH-TECH CINEMA

Marcus Corp. is another Milwaukee-based company that has invested heavily in technology in recent years to improve the on-premise customer experience. Its theatres division today sells 70% of its tickets through online channels, including its mobile app, its website or partner ticketing sites, according to Marcus Corp. chief financial officer Chad Paris.

The Marcus Theatres mobile app was first rolled out in 2020 and has since evolved to allow customers to not only purchase tickets but also pre-order concessions, sign up for the chain’s loyalty program, redeem gift cards and more.

Concession ordering was added to the app soon after its debut. At the time, the function was based out of necessity due to the pandemic, but it continues to add value to the theater experience – and to business.

“When we get customers to use online ordering, they tend to buy more,” said Paris. “They’re buying more items, and more custom-

ers are buying food and beverages that way.”

He said there’s a tendency for customers to bypass the concession stand if the line is too long, so “we’d like to shift as much of the purchasing process to the app just to help alleviate the lines at the concession stands.”

Beyond its mobile app, Marcus Theatres has installed new digital projection technology for enhanced viewing and the opportunity to expand programming into live and pre-recorded musical performances, sporting events and other alterative content. It has also made investments in its loyalty system to better understand and analyze customer data around genre preferences and purchase behavior.

“I would say the technology right now is allowing us to provide a higher level of customer service and a better experience for customers,” said Paris. “It’s giving us insights into what customers expect and what they want. And it’s helping our associates more efficiently serve the guests and allowing us to allocate resources and labor more efficiently.” 

A baseball fan walks into American Family Field using the new hands-free MLB Go-Ahead Entry option.

Moviegoers can order food and beverages ahead of time or from their seats through the Marcus Theatres mobile app.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Should your company’s website incorporate an AI chatbot? What to consider about adding

By Sonia Spitz, staff writer

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

infiltrates almost every professional industry, companies are increasingly tasked with the decision of whether to incorporate it – and how.

Most every company has a website, but not every company’s website features an AI chatbot, which begs the question: Are AI chatsbots a necessary investment as the technology evolves?

“I don’t think there’s any particular industry that couldn’t benefit from AI enablement in their workflow,” said Max McCoy, executive vice president at Hartland-based website design and development firm Lanex.

With 16 years of tech-focused experience – from software, code testing and bug fixes to serving as the company’s head engineer – McCoy has seen firsthand the dramatic advances in AI technology and the ways that companies are realizing its potential. Still, many are not yet sure what to do with it, he said.

the technology

Several other website design and development companies as well as AI developers agree that it is best to invest in AI now with the rate at which the technology is growing and evolving.

DECIDING TO ADD AN AI CHATBOT

AI chatbots are most prolific in the world of e-commerce. They are often used to replace or assist with the duties of a customer service representative. Within the past seven to eight years, however, both B2B and B2C companies are showing increased interest in implementing AI chatbots in their websites, according to Lori Highby, founder and owner of Milwaukee-based digital marketing firm Keystone Click.

Highby launched Keystone Click in 2008 and has built a multidisciplinary team that offers research driven web development and AI-enabled marketing strategies. Her experience in the field, however, dates back 20 years.

“The technology and the expectation of the customer has definitely evolved,” Highby said.

Keystone Click dedicates roughly 40% of its business to website design and the remaining 60% to marketing. Among its website design clients, roughly 25% are interested in implementing AI chatbots on their websites, Highby said.

Once a company decides to add an AI chatbot to its website, it must then decide what function it will serve. There are two primary forms of AI chatbots to consider – rules-based and automation-based.

Rules-based chatbots will respond in an “if, then” manner, which is mostly used on e-commerce websites like Amazon. Automation-based chatbots can be given a personality and more often resemble a model like ChatGPT or another large language model.

Keystone Click primarily services manufacturing and construction companies. Leveraging AI chatbots on their websites has been successful in giving customers the instant gratification they seek, Highby said.

“People make buying decisions based on how fast someone responds to them and the (confidence) that the right answer is being provided,” she added.

The ability to field frequently asked questions and provide immediate answers to clients has enticed several of Keystone Click’s clientele to use AI chatbots.

VETTING CHAT ARCHITECTURE

After deciding whether to add a rulesbased chatbot or an automation-based chatbot, a company must decide how deeply the system will operate within the company. The choices can be narrowed down to two models, one hosted by a local server and one hosted by a cloud server or a third-party source. Each comes with their own set of risks and benefits.

Companies that choose to operate their own open-source LLM (large language model) on a local server will have more control over the system but will likely be tasked with more upkeep. Maintenance of the system will require the company to update not only the LLM, but also the system’s knowledge of the company’s data.

“It’s kind of like your brain in a jar on your shelf,” McCoy said. “It gives you a lot more control and specificity when you’re deliberately restraining it to focus on a particular set of data, even if it’s a very vast set of data.”

Companies that choose to leverage the same kind of model on a cloud-based server operated by a third-party system may have less

control of their data but will not be required to update the system on their own.

Companies must also vet the model options for security liabilities, customer needs, return on investment and desired business outcome, McCoy said.

Determining what kind of chatbot the company will feature can affect its implementation, the risk mitigation process and the cost. Law firms might use a chatbot to answer a client’s preliminary consultative questions while chatbots for manufacturers may process documents or mine historical data for the purposes of strategic business analysis, McCoy said.

More involved models that house proprietary information will require more upkeep and cost to maintain.

“You don’t want a bot to hallucinate bad legal advice,” McCoy said.

MAINTAINING AN AI CHATBOT

As AI evolves and new features are developed and adopted frequently, companies utiliz-

ing its capabilities will need to keep up with the maintenance of their systems.

Regardless of the technology a company uses, leaders must walk in the customers’ shoes and test the infrastructure regularly for glitches and tweaks, said Highby.

“Whenever you’re leveraging this type of AI technology and it is customer facing, you should have a consistent cadence of testing it to make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome that it’s creating,” she said. “Don’t just set it and forget it.”

THE FUTURE OF AI CHATBOTS AND HUMAN INTELLIGENCE

Among the many concerns employees and the public may raise about AI, the lack of human interaction often makes its way to the top of the list. Employees worry about their jobs being displaced by the capabilities of AI, while consumers worry about the quality of support they receive from a company using AI chatbots.

To quell some of the fears of those who are

skeptical, companies need to be transparent about how they are storing information and what they intend to do with it, Highby said.

“If you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re using AI, that’s going to hurt you more than help you,” she added.

Companies also need to consider ways that AI can augment their business and displace work rather than disrupt workflow or human efficiency.

“If these services can provide a significant cost savings for your organization, think about ways that you can reinvest in your employees and reconfigure your business,” McCoy said. “I think it could be a great opportunity for positive reinvention.”

One of the key opportunities of the evolution of AI chatbots is the ability to program them with deep company knowledge beyond the decision-tree model that many e-commerce companies are currently using.

“It is a big leap forward in terms of customer service,” McCoy said. 

Q&A: Wantable COO Tyson Ciepluch on how new “Most Wanted” feature boosts customer engagement

IN TODAY’S WORLD of so many choices, some consumers have enlisted the help of personal styling services to make their fashion decisions for them. One of those services is Milwaukee-based Wantable, which operates on a subscription-based, try-before-you-buy model. Launched in 2012, the e-commerce company relies on staff stylists, customer data and proprietary technology to curate a selection of clothing items that are shipped to subscribers who either choose to buy or return them.

Wantable has continued to find new ways to engage with customers over the years through its Stream, a personalized feed where customers can browse and react to items with a thumbs up – requesting for a future order – or thumbs down, removing it from the feed permanently. A new “Snooze” option takes an item out the curated mix for 30 days.

To give customers even more say over their next “edit,” Wantable recently updated the Stream with its new “Most Wanted Requests” feature, allowing customers to select up to four must-have items that are then reserved and prioritized in their next order. The idea is to give customers greater opportunity to get involved with the styling process and, in turn, greater likelihood of making a purchase. BizTimes associate editor Maredithe Meyer recently spoke to Wantable chief operating officer Tyson Ciepluch about the company’s latest tech-powered innovation. The following portions of their conversation have been edited for length and clarity.

BIZTIMES: HOW DOES THE NEW MOST WANTED FEATURE BENEFIT CUSTOMERS?

Tyson Ciepluch: “We have a model that we’re very proud of in terms of personal styling and picking things out for people – and for some people, that’s completely what they want to do, they don’t want to make requests. But other customers love to be part of the process a little bit, so it really just gives us another level of flexibility for customers to engage with us in a shopping experience that’s different than certainly traditional retail, in which someone has to hunt and pick completely among a very wide group of things in order to find what they want.

“One of the things that from our perspective is helpful is it gives the customer a level of engagement or attachment or connection to the process that’s even greater than just making a request or doing nothing at all. It makes them invested in that choice; they want to be right about that choice. We find that the more people are engaged in that process by making requests, and even more so with Most Wanted Requests, the more likely they are to buy. And more likely they are to be happy with their experience.”

HOW LONG DID THE NEW FEATURE TAKE TO DEVELOP?

“We consider ourselves a really fast-moving company in terms of technology and bringing ideas to fruition. The idea came about in January and was considered and somewhat planned out in January. All of the front-end engineering and data science work was completed in the month of February, basically. We launched it on March 4. Like a lot of things, we test it early on and we don’t immediately roll it out to everyone to make sure we’ve worked out all the kinks. Its full-feature rollout was April 15.

“One of the reasons I’m proud of Wantable is our ability to do things like come up with an idea like that. Sometimes that planning period can be a day, sometimes it can be a month in this case. Being a mid-size company, we still are very nimble in that we can do those sorts of things. Also, being a company that has built our own technology pretty much from the beginning allows us to do those things as well.”

HOW DOES INCREASED CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT IMPACT PROFITABILITY?

“We know our metrics are much better the higher level of engagement we have from a customer. We know that giving customers that opportunity, quite frankly, creates the likelihood that they’ll be happier with their order. And we’ll be happier with the order, too, because of a higher average order value.

“Our business model as it is currently constructed has really been the same since about 2015 and there are a bunch of built-in costs for

us to receive an order, style that order for the customer, pick, pack, ship it, pay the shipping costs, have it go out to the customer, and then most likely some items being returned unless we’ve hit a complete home run and they want to keep seven out of seven things. There’s a whole bunch of built-in costs to that, so – not just because of that, but that’s a huge part of the reason – what we get out of each order on average is really important to us. The higher our average order value can be, the better it is for Wantable. We’re not just talking about prices going up. What we’re always trying to drive is customers keeping more (items) because then we know they’re happy and they’re engaged. It allows us to take those base costs and take advantage of them more or just make the orders more profitable is really the goal. And to have happier customers.”

HOW DOES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PLAY A ROLE IN WANTABLE’S INTERFACE?

“Our stream feature uses AI to generate choices for customers that we feel they’re going to like more, be more interested in, be more likely to buy. The Most Wanted Request feature really just supercharges that a bit. A really critical part of it – and it’s a little less sexy to be honest with you – is just we have to make sure we have those goods (in stock). Our inventory management system is completely integrated with the Stream – all proprietary, all built ourselves basically. We’re absolutely using AI to put all that in front of customers and then the same thing would be the case with the things that are available for Most Wanted Requests.” 

As items show up in the Stream, subscribers can request, decline, snooze, or mark as Most Wanted by selecting the star.

CEO Q&A

MID-YEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST ISSUE

BIZTIMES:

withfindingaconstructionpartnerthatcollaboratedanddeliveredprojects

We have developed the capability to travelanddeliverthesamelevelofserviceandexpertisethatourclientshave cometoexpectfromCGSchmidt,wherevertheyneedus.

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BIZTIMES: HowisCGSchmidtchangingtosucceedforthenext100years?What are you doing to build that culture? Iviewourorganizationasconstantlyevolvingbyutilizingemerging

clients.Withourunrelentinggoaltomakeexceptionalourstandard,weare dedicatedtobuildingabettertomorrow,today.

Howdoesyourcompanyfosterinnovation?

constructionprojects,andourmissionofcreatingexceptionalfacilitiesthat

JOSEPH CRIVELLO Founder and CEO,

OUT

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aviationconsumerswhocameintotheindustryforthefirsttimeduringthe wholepandemic.Andtheyloveprivateaviation.Butmanyarereckoningwithwhat

amultitudeofissues,suchashiringandtrainingpilots.Ortheyaretiredof thatpayingfullpriceforaircraftcharterandhavebecomesavvyenoughtoknow therearebetteroptions.Wehaveseenaninfluxofdemandfromthese

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Showcase your company’s commitment to leadership diversity in this special advertising section.

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July 2, 2025 MATERIALS: July 3, 2025

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Financing Innovation

Fueling innovation or falling behind? The state of VC in Wisconsin

By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

THE EFFORTS to bolster Wisconsin’s venture capital ecosystem would get high marks if you were looking at a snapshot from a few years ago.

There was even a 12-month stretch ending in the third quarter of 2021 that saw the total investment in Wisconsin startups reach $713 million, according to PitchBook data. Data from the Wisconsin Technology Council puts the full-year 2021 peak even higher at nearly $869 million. In the mid-2010s, the total VC investment in the state for a year was around $200 million, or even less.

Regardless of the source, the trend is the same: A general ramp-up in VC dollars invested in Wisconsin over the course of the 2010s, reaching a peak in 2021.

However, that peak was partially the result of a low-interest rate environment that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent years have seen more challenges as VC funding in Wisconsin plummeted in 2023 before rebounding this past year, according to the PitchBook data.

Wisconsin’s venture ecosystem has clearly made gains over the past decade, a period that roughly coincides with legislation enabling the Badger Fund of Funds and a greater emphasis on startups across the state. There are more investors, more money and bigger deals.

Still, Wisconsin has made little progress relative to other states. For the period from 2015 through 2019, the state’s average rank in terms of total venture investment was roughly 29th. From 2020 to 2024, the average was 31st. The rankings are worse for Wisconsin when investment is measured as a percentage of state gross domestic product.

On both measures, Wisconsin trails nearby states like Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio. Only Iowa ranks lower, but Iowa moved up in the rankings on both measures over the past decade.

“We’re, at this point, not truly keeping pace in most ways with what’s going on in the Midwest, and of course the coasts are always going

TOTAL VENTURE INVESTMENT IN WISCONSIN BY YEAR

Investment in Wisconsin startups generally trended upward in the second half of the 2010s and peaked in 2021, according to data from both the Wisconsin Technology Council and PitchBook. The Tech Council seeks to have the most comprehensive look at activity in the state and on average includes 25 more deals per year than PitchBook does.

to be running ahead,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.

CHANGING WISCONSIN’S VENTURE ECOSYSTEM

The Badger Fund of Funds was created by legislation passed in 2013 that allocated $25 million in state money to the creation of a venture fund. The state selected Sun Mountain Kegonsa as the investment manager for the fund in early 2014.

The Badger Fund then had to raise the private portion of the funds and then began making investments in individual fund managers. As a result, the BFOF didn’t start making investments in companies until around 2018.

To date, the seven funds in the Badger Fund of Funds have invested $48.6 million into 47 companies, including almost $17 million from the BFOF. The funds exited seven investments at a loss and three with a gain. There are 251 Wisconsin employees with an average annual salary of $129,500 at the current portfolio companies.

Ken Johnson, managing director of the Badger Fund, was blunt when asked how those measurables compare to where he would have wanted the Badger Fund of Funds to be when it started.

“Remember you’re asking an investor who’s got $500,000 of his own money in this, we would definitely like to have better returns, I mean, what person wouldn’t,” he said.

But the potential benefit of the Badger Fund of Funds extends beyond its financial returns.

“The real contribution I hope the Badger Fund is making is putting together an ecosystem of venture fund managers that reflect our community,” Johnson said.

(millions)

He pointed out that in the past, venture investors in the state were generally middle-age, successful white men. The Badger Fund of Funds has worked to develop new, younger fund managers from a range of different demographics.

“We’re starting to build the bandwidth of the venture capital community in Wisconsin to be not just the very first investors, but rounds two, three, four and really support out companies,” Johnson said.

He highlighted that all of the Badger Fund managers were under 35 when they started and the oldest is just now reaching 40.

“If we’re going to move up into the top 10 (of states for VC investment), what I’m counting

Financing Innovation

PERCENTAGE OF VENTURE DEALS IN WISCONSIN BY SIZE

Source:WisconsinTechnologyCouncil

on is our people team, our human capital team, is going to jump by these people that are still sticking with the old people,” Johnson said.

Still noted that there has been a general uptick in the number of investors in the state. When the Tech Council was getting started in the early 2000s, “you could cast a net pretty far and wide and not catch any investors,” he said. “There were very few on the landscape.”

Today, the Tech Council has a map on its website highlighting more than 50 angel and venture investors in the state.

Deal size has also changed in Wisconsin. In 2015, the average deal was $1.65 million, according to the Tech Council’s data. PitchBook had the average at around $2.1 million. This past year, the average was $4.1 million in the Tech Council data and $4.2 million according to PitchBook.

The increase is not just the result of one or two relatively large deals. In 2015, just 37% of deals in Wisconsin were over $1 million. In 2024, that figure was 53%.

Still acknowledged the rising cost of doing business over a decade would push the amount of money a firm needs to raise higher as well, potentially shifting the percentages.

“I think it also shows deals that were at some of the lower dollar levels early on have matured, that some of those companies are reaching the spot where they’ve got enough critical mass that they merit getting those somewhat larger deals,” he said.

There is also additional money available to be invested. The State of Wisconsin used $50

million from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, paired with matching private funds, to launch the $100 million Wisconsin Investment Fund.

Firms receiving money from the state include Madison-based HealthX Ventures, receiving $15 million in state money; Madison- and Milwaukee-based NVNG Investment Advisors, $6 million; Madison-based Venture Investors Health Fund, $12 million; the Idea Fund of La Crosse, $5 million; and Illinois-based Serra Ventures, $6 million.

All of the firms except Serra have made initial investments totaling almost $8 million in 12 startups.

The Badger Fund of Funds also received an additional $25 million from the state. Gov. Tony Evers also vetoed specific language to remove a requirement that BFOF repay money to the state, freeing the fund to reinvest money instead of paying it back to the state.

The Badger Fund is also in the process of adding another fund to its portfolio, investing $2.4 million with Beloit-based Mastercraft Ventures.

LACK OF STARTUPS AND ENTREPRENEURS?

A lack of investors for early-stage deals was one of the challenges the Badger Fund of Funds sought to solve. Johnson said the issue is increasingly shifting to the other side of the equation.

“Right now, we have money to invest. We’re looking for entrepreneurs that have the type

of opportunity that we can grow a successful company,” Johnson said, contending that investable opportunities are down 75% since the peak of activity around 2021.

“The shortage now is more on finding entrepreneurs with a business plan that justifies an investment of $3 (million) to $8 million. Remember, if we put in three to eight, we want to get back 50 to 80,” Johnson said. “There’s a certain type of person that really believes passionately that they can do it. I think, right now, the shortage is more in that area.”

He added that raising money is the skillset most needed in Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“When a Badger Fund invests, if they were to invest in you … the first thing, we wouldn’t talk about your product and we wouldn’t talk about your customer, what would we talk to you about? Every 18 months you’ve got to raise capital, better start establishing relationships, better talk to some venture funds,” Johnson said.

“The skillset that if you were to ask me is the weakest in our ecosystem is the entrepreneur that knows how to build investor relationships to raise capital,” he added. “If you want to have a $100 million company, you’re going to have to raise $15 million to $20 million. It’s a big number.”

Grady Buchanan, managing director of NVNG, said the firm has seen solid deal flow as it has moved into directly investing in Wisconsin startups with its involvement in the Wisconsin Investment Fund. NVNG’s main focus has been working with corporate partners in the state to raise funds that it then deploys with fund managers around the country. As part of receiving investment from NVNG, those fund managers agree to at least look at Wisconsin companies.

“We have a pipeline that there’s a couple of them in there that we would write checks to and that’s great,” Buchanan said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the deal flow on directs here in Wisconsin. Deal flow, the terms and all the valuations for all our companies at least seem very accurate.”

But he also had a word of caution for entrepreneurs in the state.

“It’s more for the startup founders here with good ideas to start thinking downstream and start thinking about positioning themselves properly for the future state of funding,” Buchanan said.

He said in recent years larger national venture capital firms with billions of dollars to invest have pushed valuations higher at earlier stages. Imagine a Wisconsin startup in a hot

WISCONSIN INVESTMENT FUND INVESTMENTS

Listed by investing fund with company, headquarters, investment total and company product

HealthX Ventures

» Amulet Inc., Madison ($750,000) | Products addressing food allergies

» Cardamom Health Inc., Madison ($1 million) | Health system data and analytics

» Optical X Inc., Madison ($375,000) | Imaging for early disease detection

» Ready Rebound Inc., Milwaukee ($550,000) | First responder health and wellness NVNG Investment Advisors

» AIQ Solutions, Madison ($375,000) | Improving complex disease outcomes

» MedServe, Milwaukee ($375,000) | Smart narcotic cabinet system

» C-Motive Technologies Inc., Middleton ($375,000) | Higher efficiency renewable generators

» Intrnls Inc., Wales ($145,000) | Additive manufacturing Venture Investors (also part of Badger Fund of Funds)

» Rivermark Medical, Milwaukee ($3 million) | Device addressing enlarged prostate symptoms

» Sanacor Inc., Milwaukee ($500,000) | Treatment for chronic heart inflammation

» Ten Bay Bio Inc., Milwaukee ($500,000) | Antibody therapies Idea Fund of La Crosse (also part of Badger Fund of Funds)

» Eneration Inc., La Crosse ($49,500) | Cutting hospital energy costs and emissions

technology space begins to get some traction. The company goes to raise its next round and a national firm invests $10 million, a big figure for this startup, but also pushes the company’s valuation to a higher level than warranted.

As Buchanan described it, the national firm likely does not care about the $10 million investment. If needed, they will write it off.

“What they really care about is being able to lead the $100 million, $200 million round, getting real ownership into this company, so they’re buying the option later on,” he said.

Buchanan said Wisconsin does have a lot of early-stage activity and funds only focused on early-stage deals. It is time for the state’s ecosystem to start connecting to the networks focused on later stages, he said.

“It’s also (time to) be very cautious of some of these good companies in Wisconsin, make sure that these bigger behemoth funds don’t

start to preempt just because they’re buying optionality,” he said.

At the same time, there’s also potential to attract out-of-state investors to Wisconsin.

“By and large, those investors will find that the deals here are well-valued,” Still said of encouraging firms from outside Wisconsin to take a look at the state. “They might be able to find things here that would be much more expensive in California or Massachusetts.”

POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS, QNBV

While the Wisconsin Investment Fund put additional capital into the state’s ecosystem, Still said there is additional opportunity for lawmakers to launch fund of funds that are similar in scale to those in Michigan and Ohio. In those cases, hundreds of millions in initial investment have been leveraged to generate billions of investment for companies in the state.

“We continue to lag behind most of our neighbors. In some ways, that’s not surprising because some of our neighbors are pretty big,” Still said. “At the same time, they’ve been more aggressive in some of their strategies in terms of putting out dollars.”

Another potential opportunity for improvement would be changes to the Qualified New Business Venture tax credit program, Still said.

The program offers investors a tax credit worth 25% of their equity investment in early-stage Wisconsin-based companies with at least half of their employees in the state. Over the past decade, around 40 companies per year receive the certification.

One possibility would be increasing the credit percentage for the lead investor in a deal.

“The first money in, almost really the riskiest money, we could see that going from 25%, which is current, to 35%,” Still said.

He added another potential change would be to eliminate language requiring a certain percentage of employees being in Wisconsin, citing the rise of remote work since the law was first passed.

“As long as it’s based here, that’s the main thing we want,” Still said. “We want the company based here, paying taxes here, growing here.”

WHAT WILL AI MEAN?

Even as Wisconsin’s venture ecosystem has grown over the past decade, the industry as a whole has continued to grow. Now, the emergence of artificial intelligence offers a potential inflection point that could reshape the way businesses are built.

Using generative AI to write code, for instance, could mean a startup could accomplish far more at an earlier stage with fewer engineers. More broadly, AI has the potential to disrupt nearly every industry.

What would these impacts – from changes to the number of people needed for specific work to wholesale, structural shifts in business – mean for the Wisconsin economy and its startup and venture ecosystem?

“In many ways, Wisconsin is a state that should benefit from the spread of artificial intelligence through different economic sectors,” Still said. “Historically, we’re a great manufacturing state. I think that AI has the potential to reshape manufacturing in some important ways. It remains to be seen whether that means fewer jobs or not, but I think it’s going to help improve the quality and the quantity of the kinds of products we produce here.”

He pointed to agriculture and health care as other industries in which Wisconsin has a strong presence and there is potential for significant impact from artificial intelligence.

But Still also noted that investors tend to invest in what they know, suggesting Wisconsin’s investor community is weighted “a little bit” toward health care. That might mean the AI applications in health care are more likely to receive investment.

“I think other investors will probably have to get more familiar with AI in order to feel comfortable with their investments in that sector,” he said.

Buchanan agreed Wisconsin is well-positioned for artificial intelligence.

“We’re not this software hub that all looks the same,” he said.

The potential for smaller companies to be more powerful could create more opportunities for different businesses.

“I don’t know how to code anything … but if human language is the coding language, you and I could do some pretty cool things with two people,” Buchanan said.

“Now, for our larger corporates and organizations here locally, I think they need to be open-minded and think about what AI native talent looks like and how it can integrate within their businesses instead of ignoring it,” he added.

Johnson said his focus is more on the people and less any specific technology.

“I’m very much a people person,” he said. “If you’ve got the right person, the right driven person, you’ve got the right venture management, they will find the product.” 

How to finance innovation as an investor and an investee

By Sonia Spitz, staff writer

BUSINESSES ACROSS all industries are tasked not only with the need to be innovative, but also with finding the funds to fuel innovation. Deciding on the type of investment as well as the investor are both key factors in evolving a company through innovation.

On the other side of the equation, investors need to decide what makes the innovation worthy of investment and how to disperse funds to support it.

Here are some ways for both the investor and the investee to support and fund innovation within a company.

SECURING FUNDING AS AN INVESTEE

Company leaders must be creative in finding ways to secure funding from a variety of sources. To fund innovation in business, regardless of the company’s age, consider reaching out to venture capital investors, accepting crowdfunding opportunities or asking for small business loans.

But be aware, “How you choose to fund your business could affect how you structure and run it thereafter,” according to an article from the Small Business Administration.

To secure venture capital funding, the SBA recommends executing a five-step plan: find an

investor, share the business’ plan of operation or innovation initiatives, go through a due diligence review, work out the terms and finalize an investment.

Be sure to vet any venture capital firm willing to invest and make sure the business’ needs align with the investors. Be aware also that venture investments will likely come in rounds, with adjustments in price as the firm executes its contract, according to the article.

Crowdfunding may be the best option if a company is willing to sacrifice product in exchange for a relatively low-risk investment. Crowdfunders often expect a gift from the company rather than a share of the company’s ownership in exchange for their investment.

“Not only do you get to retain full control of your company, but if your plan fails, you’re typically under no obligation to repay your crowdfunders,” the article said.

Another option is to secure a small business loan. Before requesting a loan, however, be sure to prepare a business plan, expense sheet and financial projections for the next five years.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRADE-OFFS

When investing in new technologies, leaders must consider the trade-off that comes with

substantial capital investment. When accepting outside investment to fund innovation, investors may require the innovator to give up some amount of control while being pressured for quick returns, according to an article from Forbes.

“Traditional bank loans offer stability but may lack the flexibility required for a potentially high-risk tech venture with the covenants that need to be maintained,” the article said.

INVESTORS’ HOW-TO

On the investment side, a company interested in funding innovation should be open to new ideas, make the funding flexible, apply rigor to its investee, manage risks appropriately and plan for success, according to an article from the Global Innovation Fund.

Working across multiple sectors and geographies allows a company to remain open to new solutions, the article said.

Diversifying the locations in which a company chooses to fund innovation could open up a new sector – industry-wise and geographically – of investing for a company looking to give.

“Too often, promising ideas falter for lack of funding,” the article said.

GIF calls this the “missing middle,” or the lack of support for ideas that are past the pilot stage and supported by many incubators and accelerators, but still too small to attract federal-level grants. To combat this, investors should make funding flexible to accommodate all calibers of innovation.

While recognizing that the evidence available for new innovation is challenging, GIF suggests applying rigor to its clients to estimate the impact of an investment early.

“Where direct evidence is limited, draw upon other sources like data collected by innovators,” according to GIF.

Managing risks rather than avoiding them is essential when choosing to invest. Find comfort in having a few projects that succeed spectacularly rather than several that are less ambitious and rarely fail.

“Invest in data collection and evaluations so pilots can generate useful information even when they fail,” the article said.

Lastly, plan for success by appropriately scaling the needs of the investee and facilitating proper partnerships to achieve optimal impact on the investment.

“Prioritize local partners, strong communication plans and early investments in developing scaling plans,” the GIF article says. 

HOW SHE LEADS

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gener8tor co-founder Joe Kirgues discusses AI startups on the rise, micro-credentialing programs

AS THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE revolution sweeps through nearly every industry, Madison-based accelerator gener8tor is capitalizing on the uptick in AI startups and the need for AI instruction. Co-founder Joe Kirgues spoke with BizTimes reporter Sonia Spitz about emerging startup trends, gener8tor’s strategies for staying ahead in the ever-changing world of AI and its new micro-credentialing programs in partnership with local higher education institutions.

Kirgues and his business partner Troy Vosseller co-founded gener8tor in 2011 and initially worked with accelerator cohorts in Milwaukee and Madison. After years of establishing a presence in other midwestern metro areas like Detroit, Indianapolis and the Twin Cities, Kirgues and Vosseller decided to grow beyond the U.S. mainland. Gener8tor now operates 348 accelerators in 46 communities, including several Wisconsin cities, as well as in Anchor-

age, San Juan and Luxembourg. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

BIZTIMES: WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU NOTICING IN STARTUPS RECENTLY?

Kirgues: “We’re obviously noticing the generative AI trend in skills and workforce development. It’s interesting to see where people are investing in building new businesses and new technologies, but also where people are skilling to take advantage of opportunities in the workforce. It’s relatively rare to experience something this fast and widespread. It’s got width and depth, and it’s kind of all-consuming. We’re also excited about the industries that we consider deep tech or biotech. We hope that startups in these industries will be an opportunity for communities outside of traditional venture hubs to compete and distinguish themselves as great places to build the next generation of business.”

WHAT KINDS OF STARTUPS ARE YOU SEEING THE MOST OF RIGHT NOW?

“I’d say it’s two layers. One layer is the companies that are working on the actual AI technology, the LLMs (large language models) that power the sort of plumbing of AI. The second layer is companies that are looking at the application of how to take that and make it work within different industries. I think there’s this hope that AI will create the next generation of the App Store, and I think there’s curiosity around that and just how much specialization it will take to build. A lot of venture capital firms are financing startups that are trying to answer that.”

WHERE DOES WISCONSIN RANK IN TERMS OF STARTUPS AND NUMBER OF TECH-ADVANCED COMPANIES?

“I’d say in terms of venture capital, we’ve definitely got room for growth. The venture capital industry itself has been in a bit of a recession. When I started, the industry was about $30 billion and then got to about $600 billion in 2022 at its peak. Since then, it’s really retracted down to within $100 billion to $150 billion a year. There was a really big expansion and then a really big contraction.”

WHAT CAUSED THE VENTURE CAPITAL FLUCTUATION?

“Our sense of it is that the startup revenue numbers that people were hoping to see in that period just didn’t match the financing needs to continue. I think the zero-interest rate environment made it so that a lot of people were trying to chase high-risk, high-return rewards and maybe they were a little too early to some of that financing.”

TALK ABOUT YOUR MICRO-CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS. WHO’S TAKING THEM? WHAT DO THEY ENTAIL?

“It’s really a lot of people who are unemployed, but not legally unemployed. They often use (the programs) as a way to reposition themselves to be ready for the workforce. The game is going so much faster than the rules of generative AI. These programs are meant to be adept enough so that you’re getting a pretty contemporary set of curriculum skills that you can use to position yourself to compete in the

workplace. Imagine you’re an employer and you’re looking at a pile of applicants trying to decide who is distinguishing themselves amongst the many and then someone comes through saying, ‘I have a fresh set of skills in generative AI.’”

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER MULTINATIONAL ACCELERATORS?

“We’re one of only a few multinational accelerators. There’s really only five or six of us, and within that group, we’re the one that’s really focusing on locals investing in locals. Oftentimes, when one of these multinational programs exists, they’re in a major hub like Paris, Berlin, Seattle or Boston. They’re not as often in communities the size of Milwaukee or Madison. That’s really where we focus our attention. We’re trying to serve 80% to 100% of the startups within that community, and that contrasts with some of our peers who might serve 80% to 100% of the importing startups who are coming into the market for

We know YOU know the leaders and visionaries in southeast Wisconsin

Make sure the business community meets the people who’ll make a difference in 2025. 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.

a short period of time but are unlikely to stay post-program.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GENER8TOR AND THE STARTUP ENVIRONMENT?

“We’re working really hard to make sure that we’re recruiting more startups that are in practice areas that we’re building out. We’ve been building out a big energy practice area, a big bio practice area and we have existing practice areas in insurance and fintech. We’re improving the quality of the startups that we’re bringing to the cohorts through more diligence and effort on recruiting. We’re looking forward to continued expansion and we just expanded to West Virginia and Georgia with new programming in the last few weeks. We’re lucky to be able to work with Northwestern Mutual and Waukesha County Technical College for our micro-credentialing programs also. And lastly, after 13 years, we’re just trying to make sure that we’re enjoying the process while we’re doing it because you only get to do it once.” 

N OTA BLE GENERAL COUNSELS

Notable General Counsels spotlights the attorneys who keep the C-Suite well-advised and organizations well-protected.

Nomination Deadline: July 21, 2025

Issue Date: August 18, 2025

for these Notable nominations in 2025!

Notable Health Care Heroes

Nomination deadline: November 17, 2025 | Issue date: December 15, 2025

N OTA BLE LEADERS IN STEM

BizTimes Milwaukee is proud to present its showcase of Notable Leaders in STEM, recognizing accomplished professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The individuals on the following pages were nominated by their peers and highlight the talent in the region.

ALEX MOTL PRACTICE TEAM LEADER - TRAFFIC GRAEF

Alex Motl has more than 10 years of experience in the engineering industry, including the past five in traffic engineering and planning studies for urban and rural roadways at Milwaukee-based GRAEF.

Motl, who serves as the firm’s practice team leader of traffic, has worked on projects such as the Brady Street pedestrian safety study and North Avenue improvements in Wauwatosa.

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 a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be employed in the southeastern Wisconsin area, in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math. Nominees must serve in a senior-level role in their organization and have worked in a STEM field for five or more years. They must also have participated in a professional organization and/or civic or community service initiatives and have mentored other professionals.

Motl has also served as both secretary and president of the Women’s Transportation Seminar Wisconsin Chapter and remains active in the Institute of Transportation Engineers and ACEC Wisconsin.

She also devotes time to mentoring and STEM outreach. Motl guides junior staff at GRAEF and has volunteered with STEM Forward for more than a decade, judging the Engineering Machine Design Contest.

“Alex Motl exemplifies the future of engineering leadership –technically skilled, community-minded and seriously committed to mentoring the next generation,” said John Kissinger, CEO of GRAEF. “Her ability to lead complex projects while giving back through STEM outreach makes her an invaluable asset to GRAEF and to the industry as a whole. We are incredibly proud of her impact and leadership.”

COREY QUINNELL VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL ENGINEERING HUSCO

Husco colleagues say Corey Quinnell, vice president global engineering, prioritizes the pursuit of innovation and leadership skills.

“Corey’s passion for engineering, challenging the status quo and innovative thinking have directly impacted Husco’s success,” said Brittany Kulka, director of talent acquisition and development at Waukesha-based Husco. “With his natural problem-solving style, Corey is never too busy to help brainstorm, remove a roadblock or celebrate a success.”

Quinnell also supports aspiring engineering students and early career professionals. He participates in high school and college recruiting and Husco’s internship, co-op program and outreach initiatives.

He also teaches at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy on Milwaukee’s south side and has been volunteering there once a week since the school opened its doors in 2017. He guides students through their coding process, and has conversations about career options.

“He brings positive energy to the classroom. Our STEM department is better and more relevant because of Corey’s contributions,” said Julie Wollenberg, teacher at Aug Prep, which was founded by Husco executive chairman Gus Ramirez.

JENNIFER GUTZMAN

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

Jennifer Gutzman is a faculty mentor in the UW-Milwaukee WiscAMP STEM-Inspire Program and is described by colleagues as having a “heart of gold for all students.”

“Not only is she a tenured professor in the biological sciences department, but also a wonderful mentor and friend to all students and a close confidant to young women and new students attending UWM,” said Anique Ruiz, WiscAMP STEMInspire program manager.

Gutzman, who joined UWM in 2011, leads the “Gutzman Lab,” which studies zebrafish to understand the development of diseases such as kidney problems, deafness and early brain malformations. In leading this research, she has mentored many undergraduate students, earning her the Research Mentor of the Year Award in 2019. Gutzman has since continued to recruit undergraduate researchers of all backgrounds, Ruiz said.

“‘Dr. G,’ as she is affectionately called, goes the extra mile to show concern for her mentees. No one is beyond her reach to care, even if they struggle in their Bio Sci courses or with personal matters,” Ruiz said.

PHUC NGUYEN PRINCIPAL MATERIALS ENGINEER ADVANCED IONICS

Phuc Nguyen, principal materials engineer at New Berlin-based energy equipment manufacturer Advanced Ionics, has more than 20 years of experience in fuel cell technology and currently leads a team of materials scientists developing electrolyzer technology.

Advanced Ionics, founded in 2017, is a hydrogen electrolyzer developer focused on accelerating decarbonization. The company says it has developed a water vapor electrolyzer that reduces the capital expense and electricity requirements of green hydrogen production.

“This innovation is set to revolutionize how industrial manufacturers – such as those in ammonia, petrochemical and steel production – generate green hydrogen,” said Heather Warnecke, executive assistant at Advanced Ionics. “The materials development Phuc is spearheading has the potential to significantly decarbonize global industry. Known for his commitment to education, mentorship, and fostering strong problem-solving skills, Phuc empowers his team to thrive.”

While at Advanced Ionics, Nguyen has developed core technologies for cell architecture, materials and testing; used advanced thin film deposition techniques for cell component fabrication; and mentored team members and promoted continuous improvement in research and development activities.

CHRISTOPHER HIPPENSTEEL

DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

NEW RESOURCES CONSULTING

Christopher Hippensteel, director of IT at Milwaukee-based New Resources Consulting, is a visionary leader at the intersection of technology, security and community impact, colleagues say.

Hippensteel uses Rapid7 SIEM for advanced cybersecurity, introducing AI governance policies to promote responsible innovation. He has lead infrastructure upgrades, including a transition to cloud-hosted SBC solutions, according to Jessica Harris, director of marketing for New Resources Consulting.

“Chris believes that education is the most powerful tool in the fight against cybercrime,” said Harris. “He hosts regular ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions to mentor colleagues and publishes monthly cybersecurity blogs – efforts he continues even though NRC does not formally offer cybersecurity services. At just 36 years old, he exemplifies leadership through action, driving technological innovation while creating meaningful, lasting change in the community.”

Hippensteel also organizes Beer City Cycle Runs, which are curated, scenic rides across Wisconsin and Illinois designed to support small businesses, and hosts American Sign Language classes in Bay View to raise awareness about the deaf and hardof-hearing community.

JEFF VANVOORHIS VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING, PROCUREMENT AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

MEAD & HUNT INC.

Jeff VanVoorhis, vice president of engineering, procurement and construction project development for Mead & Hunt Inc. in Milwaukee, leads the company’s turnkey project development using EPC and alternative project delivery methods.

“Jeff’s knowledge of when a design-build (DB) approach is most effective is unparalleled, motivating clients to take action and prevent wasted studies. Our partnership is key to our current direction and vital for the growth of my company and career,” said Mandy Sheposh, director of development – water, wastewater and bioenergy at Johnson Controls.

“Jeff advances the understanding and use of DB. He’s genuinely passionate for DB, always eager to share knowledge and continuously improve,” said Brian Forston, vice president of construction at Mead & Hunt. “Jeff’s innovative mindset and problem-solving abilities drive our firm’s success. From Jeff’s mentorship and guidance, I’ve significantly enhanced my DB principles and practices understanding.”

The Water Environment Federation has recognized VanVoorhis with its Schroepfer Innovative Facility Design Medal for leading the EPC delivery of upgrades to an existing waste-to-energy anaerobic digester at EnTech Solutions.

N OTA BLE LEADERS IN STEM CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations, Jeff VanVoorhis!

As a “Notable Leader in STEM,” Jeff pioneers turnkey project delivery in renewable energy and waste-to-energy systems, transforming sustainability goals into real-world impact.

His leadership advances biogas innovation, reduces carbon emissions, and empowers communities to reach clean energy solutions. Jeff successfully develops innovative projects by assembling strong teams, identifying funding, and streamlining schedules. His work bridges technical expertise with lasting environmental progress.

We must foster a culture of innovation in Wisconsin

THE OTHER DAY I was at the lakefront to shoot photographs and make some observations for a story. I parked near Discovery World and noticed its sign read: “A Michael J. Cudahy Legacy.”

Indeed, it is. Cudahy, who passed away in 2022, was the philanthropist most responsible for Discovery World. He was also one of the Milwaukee area’s greatest entrepreneurs and innovators. He co-founded Marquette Electronics, which he grew into a $578 million company by the late 1990s.

Marquette Electronics, which later became Marquette Medical Systems, established the nation’s first central electrocardiographic system at Northwestern University Medical School.

“Climbing higher each year, Mike Cudahy took his company from bulky transistors to integrated circuit boards, from microfilm to magnetic storage, and ultimately to full computerization,” his obituary said. “It was not unusual for Marquette’s engineers to tackle projects for which the technology did not yet exist; they counted on the field catching up with them by the time they went to market. The result was a steady flow of new products.”

Marquette Medical Systems was one of the greatest examples of Wisconsin innovation.

In 1998, Cudahy, then 74, sold Marquette Medical Systems to General Electric for $810 million. It became part of GE Healthcare, which maintains a significant presence in the Milwaukee area today.

The windfall of the sale of Marquette Medical Systems enabled Cudahy to become one of Milwaukee’s top philanthropists and he was the biggest supporter of Discovery World, a science and technology museum that aims to inspire and help cultivate the next generation of innovators.

Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area have an incredible history of innovation. In the early 1900s the state’s largest city was known as the “Machine Shop of the World,” where craftsmen, inventors and tinkerers created new products and launched companies, including some that remain household names today, including Harley-Davidson, A.O. Smith, Johnson Controls and others.

Those companies helped build the Milwaukee economy into a manufacturing powerhouse, which peaked after World War II but then fell into decades of decline as many manufacturers in the city went out of business or moved to areas with lower labor costs.

While that led to a shift of the Milwaukee area’s economy becoming more diversified, manufacturing still remains an important part of the region’s economic landscape. The manufacturers that are thriving and growing here are the most innovative. They include Town of Genesee-based Generac, which pioneered the development of affordable home standby generators in the 1980s and more recently has been integrating green energy solutions into their offerings.

Most of Milwaukee Tool’s manufacturing is done outside of Wisconsin, but the company has had massive growth in the Milwaukee area, as its innovative product development, particularly tools powered with lithium-ion batteries, has led to a huge expansion for the company with new facilities and growing employment, particularly for engineers.

What’s next? Advances in artificial intelligence are the biggest driver of innovation throughout the economy and that’s certainly being felt in southeastern Wisconsin. Some area companies, like 7Rivers, are directly involved in AI, while others are trying to figure out how to best take advantage of the technology to improve their business. That’s the type of innovation that will be necessary for companies to survive and thrive, otherwise they’ll get left in the dust by competitors.

What innovations will lead to the next economic boon industry for Wisconsin? It could be nuclear fusion power. As covered in this publication, several fusion-related businesses have been created by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That’s exciting and a reminder about the importance of higher education and research and its ability to lead to innovative ideas that can spur new companies and economic growth.

For southeastern Wisconsin to prosper we need our companies to innovate, and we need to continue to develop the next generation of talent and foster their innovative ideas. In

“

For southeastern Wisconsin to prosper we need our companies to innovate, and we need to continue to develop the next generation of talent and foster their innovative ideas.”

short, we need a culture of innovation, the same culture that spawned Milwaukee’s manufacturing icons 100-plus years ago. And we need to do a better job of attracting investment capital to support new innovative businesses, and academic and research funding to foster innovative ideas.

When thinking about innovation, I’m reminded of the 2013 movie “Jobs” about Steve Jobs, the incredibly innovative and visionary co-founder of Apple Inc. There’s a scene in the movie when Jobs, played by Ashton Kutcher, is confronted by Jeff Raskin, who was the project lead for the development of the Macintosh computer and was trying to tell Jobs that his team was “doing fine” and didn’t need Jobs’ help.

In the movie, Jobs responds furiously by saying: “We don’t do fine, and we don’t accept things the way that they are, and we don’t stop innovating.”

Yes, that’s a made-up conversation for a movie. But still, those are words to live by. 

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

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/ andrew.weiland@biztimes.com / @AndrewWeiland

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