Heading into 2014 it is clear to outsiders Milwaukee’s startup scene has momentum. Many of the programs the Startup Milwaukee community has launched in 2013 have contributed to that momentum. Here are the top five major milestones accomplished by the Startup Milwaukee community in 2013, a year of rapid growth:
- 96Square Opens for Business | October 2013 96square is the only co-working space providing entrepreneurs with access to affordable scalable office space and a unique mix of tenants: high-growth startups, investors, technical and creative talent. Read about the launch of 96square from the Journal Sentinel.
- Startups Connected with Mentors through Startup Milwaukee's Mentorship Program | June 2013 Startup Milwaukee’s mentorship program kicked-off in June and is wrapping up in early 2014, we’re already seeing the companies involved making tremendous progress towards their goals of generating revenue and building sustainable high-growth technology companies in Southeastern Wisconsin. Read more from the Journal Sentinel’s coverage, click here.
- Startup Milwaukee Organizes Second Annual Startup Weekend Milwaukee | November 2013 Startup Weekend Milwaukee took place November 1st through 3rd, designers, developers and entrepreneurs attended all with the goal of launching a company in 54 hours. Out of the weekend 15 ideas were launched and several of the teams continue to work on building their businesses. Read the Business Journal's follow-up article on the event here.
- Connecting College Students with Internships at Local Startups | March 2013 Launched in spring, Startup Milwaukee’s internship program has connected over 13 college students internships at local high-growth companies. Read more from the Business Journal, click here.
- Startup Milwaukee helps bring entrepreneurs from Madison and Milwaukee Together | November 2013 Startup Milwaukee has partnered with Capital Entrepreneurs, Forward Tech Festival, gener8tor and 100state to create a series of cross-state meeting of the minds. The first event held at 96square has resulted in more collaboration between the two cities. Read more about the collaboration from the Wisconsin State Journal.
Not included in this list includes the launch of Startup Milwaukee's Founders' Club, the launch of our Capital Connections events and the Launch of Coder Nights at 96square (props, to Brennan Stehling for making that happen).
If you want to take an active role building Milwaukee’s startup community please reach out to me, matt@startupmke.org. We are always looking for the next generation of startup community leaders to join the Startup Milwaukee team.
Matt Cordio is co-founder and Executive Chairman of Startup Milwaukee. Cordio is also co-founder and CEO of Skills Pipeline a company that connects startups to Fortune 100 companies with seasoned IT and creative talent.