Startup Milwaukee

2013: A Year of Rapid Growth

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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. 

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Strengthening Wisconsin's Entrepreneurial Community

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Tuesday night Startup Milwaukee has partnered with fellow entrepreneur-led organizations 100state, Capital Entrepreneurs, Digital Fertilizer and gener8tor to brainstorm solutions that strengthen Wisconsin's entrepreneurial community. Wisconsin continues to lag the country in many of the key measures of entrepreneurial activity, but entrepreneurs from around the state are determined to reverse these trends.

So Tuesday night at 96square join 150+ entrepreneurs from Madison, Milwaukee and Northeast Wisconsin as we brainstorm practical ideas to strengthen and support Wisconsin's entrepreneurial community, RSVP here.

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96square has launched.

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Dear friends, The Startup Milwaukee team is excited to announce the launch of 96square, a co-working space for high-growth startup companies in Southeastern Wisconsin. Located in the historic Blatz Wash House, 96square provides entrepreneurs with access to affordable  scalable office space; mentorship; potential investors; talent and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.

96square is a game changer for Milwaukee's community of innovative entrepreneurs. As research shows, the startups are responsible for all net new job creation--and we all know Milwaukee and Wisconsin desperately need more jobs. At Startup Milwaukee we are happy to step forward and provide a place where entrepreneurs, talent and capital can collide and accelerate the growth of Milwaukee's top startup companies.

We are excited to have great companies such as Alithias, Find My Spot, Onkol, Rent College Pads, SAR32 Technologies, UCAP, LLC, Voxelmetric, Wisconsin Super Angel Fund and more already located at 96square.

The meaning of 96square goes beyond having a "cool name." The city of Milwaukee is approximately 96 square miles, and 96square will be the epicenter of entrepreneurship and innovation in our great city.

Are you a startup, designer, developer or engineer looking for affordable dedicated desk or private office space for your team? Learn more and apply for 96square membership at 96square.org. Memberships start at just $110/month.

Your first chance to check out 96square is this Thursday, October 24 at our Capital Connections event featuring CSA Partners and Scanalytics. RSVP to reserve your free tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8508341679

Thanks to the many people who have made this endeavor possible: Ronnie Reum of SAR32 Technologies, Heather Johnston of Find My Spot, Marvin Bynum of Godfrey & Kahn and many more.

See you at 96square!

Matthew J. Cordio, Executive Chairman Alicia Boknevitz, President Tim Grove, Corporate Secretary Joe Poeschl, Treasurer Michael Anderson, Community Outreach Director

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Intern with Startup Milwaukee

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College students, this is your chance to be in the center of Milwaukee’s tech startup scene. Startup Milwaukee is seeking an intern with an interest in startup companies/entrepreneurship, nonprofits, marketing, writing, technology and/or event planning. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from and network with startup founders, emerging tech companies and nonprofit leaders in the community. Positions available for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters. Duties & requirements include:

  • Assist in planning, promoting and managing Startup Milwaukee events
  • Provide support to the Startup Milwaukee team on special projects and initiatives
  • Help manage Startup Milwaukee’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
  • Writing and researching content for the Startup Milwaukee blog
  • Attend community events related to entrepreneurship and technology

Qualifications:

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Student must be pursuing a degree in business administration, communications, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, writing/public relations or other related field

This is a for-credit internship and requires a time commitment of 10 hours per week. Please contact us with any questions.

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Startup of the Week: ubumm

by Karen Oliva ubummfounders

Maryann and Emily are avid travelers and co-founders of ubumm, an advising service dedicated to enhance, simplify and unify the study abroad experience for students.

While studying abroad for nearly eight years combined, ubumm was brought to life through their passion for creating a networking tool that provided insightful information on how to budget, improve and simplify experiences abroad.

Both Maryann and Emily continue to journey as they move and headquarter into Milwaukee.

ubumm was accepted into the inaugural class of the Startup Milwaukee Mentorship Program. I asked Maryann about her experiences in the Mentorship Program, travels abroad and the path that lead to ubumm.

How did ubumm come about?

One night while we were living on Lake Como in Italy, over a bottle of Italian red, we were discussing how difficult it was to meet fellow student travelers abroad. There was no platform for students to connect and help each other while they were abroad to save them money and time. 

For example, we recalled how different my initial study abroad experience was compared to Emily’s, who spoke the language and had been to Italy before. Emily was able to travel to Capri on 150 Euros while I paid 300 Euros through the university, and Emily was able to explore more of the island then I was. The reality is, when you first arrive in a new country, universities handle most of your necessities which can be costly. But if I had known students that were traveling at the same time, students who had been to Capri before, or students that were staying in Capri, I would have saved a lot of frustration and money.

From this, ubumm was born. We decided there was a necessity for students to connect while abroad and we want to facilitate those interactions.

Where did you start and why did you choose to move ubumm to Milwaukee?

Emily and I started in Lake Como and moved back stateside in 2011. Emily is from Wisconsin and I am from Florida. Initially, we have been working apart for two years, putting all of our waitress money and off hours into the business. A few months ago, Emily applied for Startup Milwaukee’s Mentorship Program and we have been pursuing Milwaukee ever since our acceptance into the program. Moving to Milwaukee just makes sense. Our mentors and programmers all reside in Milwaukee, which makes it a win-win! Not to mention the Milwaukee tech scene is very welcoming.

What are your upcoming goals and how does Milwaukee play a role in them?

We will be launching our mobile applications by the end of October. We hope this launch will allow students to connect around the world. Sasquatch Studios, our programmers based in Milwaukee, are an essential part of this project. In addition, our mentors are helping us reach our goal with their advice and support.

In fact, on November 16 we’re having a study abroad workshop at the Translator offices in Milwaukee to assist students and showcase our application. Our mentors have been essential in helping us create this event.

What do you think about the Milwaukee startup scene?

The startup scene in Milwaukee seems to be a very tight-nit community, but an open one. Everyone we have met in the Milwaukee startup scene has been very friendly and welcoming—making it easier for us to make connections, grow our business and develop our entrepreneurial skills.

What are you looking forward to as you continue participating in the Startup Milwaukee Mentorship Program?

So far our mentors have been the most valuable part of the program. Our mentors have offered invaluable advice and are always willing to lend a hand. We hope to keep growing these relationships and Startup Milwaukee has been the key in fostering these relationships with their events and networking opportunities. We are excited to continue learning and growing from the program.

 

ubumm1Connect with ubumm:

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Startup Milwaukee Launches a Founders' Club

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Startup Milwaukee is excited to launch the Founders’ Club, an exclusive group of technology entrepreneurs, executives, angel and institutional investors. Anyone can apply to join the Founders’ Club, but only a limited number of individuals will be admitted. Members must meet one of three criteria: 1) Technology Entrepreneur: You must be able to show us your working product. Whether it be hardware, software, web or a mobile app, we must be able to verify it exists.

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2) Technology Executive: You’re a founder, VP or C-level executive at a technology company in Wisconsin or northern Illinois.

OR

3) Institutional or Angel Investor: You must have a track record or interest in investing in technology companies in Wisconsin.

To join the Startup Milwaukee Founders’ Club, apply today.

Announcing our Mentorship Program!

We are excited to announce the launch of the Startup Milwaukee Mentorship program!

The program is designed to support entrepreneurs who are starting technology and technology-enabled service businesses in Southeastern Wiscosnin by connecting entrepreneurs to mentors from the entrepreneurial, corporate, investment and academic communities.

If you are an entrepreneur or mentor who would like to participate in the program, click here!