Wisconsin Rural Partners Inc. is now accepting nominations to recognize 2016 Top Rural Development Initiatives.

Any project, activity, or even a whole community in rural Wisconsin is eligible. Initiatives do not have to be community-based: WRP may recognize any state, federal, tribal, non-profit or forprofit business initiative, regional or statewide, as long as it meets program criteria. Initiatives can be in agriculture, economic or community development, business, education, health, energy, environment, philanthropy, tourism, the arts or any other field.

The Top Rural Development Initiative Program began in 1998, to help uncover and share the great things happening throughout rural Wisconsin and serve as a capacity building tool from which all rural Wisconsin communities stand to benefit.

WRP looks for nominations that cite positive community impacts, regional success stories, or demonstrated innovative ideas. The panel of judges will be from various professions and backgrounds and will look at a few simple things:

Whether the project demonstrates the spirit of partnership or collaboration in making its success happen;

• How widespread and long term the positive impact is for the community;
• How innovative the project is; and
• How the initiative stacks up as a model for other communities in Wisconsin to follow.

We encourage the nomination of initiatives that have moved through the planning phase and into the implementation phase to better enable you to highlight the positive impact of the project. Those initiatives receiving previous Top RDI designation are not eligible.

Anyone living in or serving rural Wisconsin can nominate an initiative. Guidelines and the submission form are available at: http://wirural.org/programs/toprdi/nominate/

Nominations are due by close of business on Friday, February 5, 2016. For more information contact Rick Rolfsmeyer, WRP executive director, at 608-967-2322 or ricky@wirural.org.

For over three decades, the competition, overseen by the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers (WSPE), has recognized Wisconsin’s leading manufacturers who have contributed to the state’s economic growth through the development, manufacturing and marketing of new and innovative products. Valid entries will include any new product, machine, process or material that has been developed in Wisconsin, provided that it was first placed on the market between 2010 and 2014.

Products that are submitted for consideration are evaluated based on sales and economic impact, innovative use of engineering principles, and improved function (e.g., cost savings, energy savings, efficiency increase, safety improvement).  There are four categories in the GNPA contest: small (50 or fewer employees); medium (51 to 199 employees); large (200 to 9,999); mega (10,000 or more employees). After the GNPA awards banquet, WSPE will submit results and information about 2015-16 GNPA Best of State Winners to the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) for recognition in NSPE Professional Engineers’ Industry publications.

Past GNPA winners include the Kohler Company, Badger Meter, Rockwell Automation and InSinkErator.

GNPA applications will be accepted through Feb. 15, 2016. Awards will be presented during the GNPA banquet as part of WSPE’s Discovery Conference in the Milwaukee area in May 2016. More information about the Governor’s New Product Awards can be found on the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers’ website at www.wspe.org/gnpa.shtml.

The European Union and the United States have the world’s most integrated economic relationship and each depends heavily on the other for economic stability and well-being. The most recent developments threaten the viability of the euro and the European Union itself, as well as endangering the global economy.

What does this mean for the US economy and US business?

Two distinguished speakers at MITA’s February program will provide an update on the rapid evolution of the European crisis in recent weeks.

Learn more and register by February 2 for the early bird rate.

Madworks Seed Accelerator is now accepting applications for its sixth start-up training class.

Early-stage, Wisconsin-based startups are eligible for the free ten-week program. Madworks assists start-ups with finding market, networking and fundraising opportunities, and holding companies accountable to progress and growth milestones. Participants are also eligible for grants of up to $5,000.

Learn more and apply online by February 5.

The Bubbler Awards shine a light on the companies who have made great strides to accommodate the interests of a shifting workforce. A lot of attention is paid to the picture of Millennials as discontent or disinterested in traditional forms of employment. We are eager to showcase the reality of how many Wisconsin-based companies are allowing young professionals to call this state home.

The Bubbler Awards is an example of how YPWeek Wisconsin highlights the young professional voice. Additionally, the nomination and selection process establish a framework for existing and emerging young professionals throughout the state to collaborate and brand Wisconsin as a workplace destination for Millennials.

The nomination evaluation centers on what Millennials are looking for in today’s workplace including: competitive salary and benefits, opportunity for advancement and employee and community engagement.

Application deadline: February 26, 2016
Winners announced: March 11, 2016

Learn more and apply.