The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is seeking nominations for the 2015 Marketplace Governor’s Awards, which will recognize outstanding Wisconsin businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans.

The nomination deadline is Thursday, July 30. Nomination forms and more details can be found at MarketplaceWisconsin.com.

Small and large businesses will be honored in two categories: “The Outstanding Business Award,” which recognizes established businesses that have demonstrated the capacity to grow over the past five years and have plans for continued expansion in the future; and “The Rising Star Award,” which honors businesses established after 2011 that have demonstrated strong growth potential.

Winners will be honored at Marketplace 2015, the Governor’s Conference on Minority Business Development, which will be held Oct. 29-30 at the Potawatomi Hotel and Conference Center in Milwaukee.

Award finalists receive four complimentary full conference passes ($280 value) to Marketplace 2015, plus optional discounts on exhibit booth space and event sponsorship. Finalists also will benefit from company profiles in the conference program booklet, conference website and event press releases to increase company visibility and help create new contracting opportunities.

The Marketplace 2015 awards are open to Wisconsin-based companies that have been certified as MBE, WBE or DVB businesses by the State of Wisconsin. Companies that have not yet been certified businesses will be connected with the agencies necessary to receive state certification. Marketplace top award winners in the past five years are not eligible for a 2015 award. Runner-up finalists are encouraged to apply.

Marketplace 2015 is the premier business capacity building conference of the year for minority, women and veteran business entrepreneurs looking to do business with state, federal and local agencies as well as corporations.

For more than 30 years, the conference has provided opportunities for businesses to meet with potential buyers, identify funding sources, connect with business assistance resources and network with other businesses.

To register for the conference, or for more information, visit MarketplaceWisconsin.com.

This year, MadREP unveiled the Madison Region’s first annual Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Survey and shared findings that reveal significant opportunities for improvement. As part of this effort, we have partnered with The Davis Group — a coalition of diversity and inclusion professionals — to provide assistance to companies wishing to improve their diversity and inclusion practices. The Davis Group offers services including executive coaching, diversity audits, corporate strategic planning, recruitment and retention consulting, and cultural competency training.

Starting in August of 2015, The Davis Group will be offering local businesses and organizations the opportunity for their employees and leadership to attend cultural competence training that is positive, interactive, and focused on solutions.  The program is called The View from THEIR, and exposes participants to the perspectives of those from other backgrounds and teaches them how to incorporate their knowledge and experience into their interaction with other in the workplace and every other aspect of daily life.

Two four-hour training sessions will be offered each month in the Madison area, with the first sessions on August 5 and August 7, from 8:30-12:30. Companies who mention MadREP at registration will receive a discounted price.

Learn more and contact Stan Davis at 608.469.7208 with questions or for more information.

This year, MadREP unveiled the Madison Region’s first annual Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Survey and shared findings that reveal significant opportunities for improvement. As part of this effort, we have partnered with The Davis Group — a coalition of diversity and inclusion professionals — to provide assistance to companies wishing to improve their diversity and inclusion practices. The Davis Group offers services including executive coaching, diversity audits, corporate strategic planning, recruitment and retention consulting, and cultural competency training.

Starting in August of 2015, The Davis Group will be offering local businesses and organizations the opportunity for their employees and leadership to attend cultural competence training that is positive, interactive, and focused on solutions.  The program is called The View from THEIR, and exposes participants to the perspectives of those from other backgrounds and teaches them how to incorporate their knowledge and experience into their interaction with other in the workplace and every other aspect of daily life.

Two four-hour training sessions will be offered each month in the Madison area, with the first sessions on August 5 and August 7, from 8:30-12:30. Companies who mention MadREP at registration will receive a discounted price.

Learn more and contact Stan Davis at 608.469.7208 with questions or for more information.

U.S. Representative Mark Pocan invites you to his meeting about new micro-enterprise lending sources. Access to capital is a key challenge for new and growing businesses. Learn about the Small Business Association’s accessible lending programs and how to succeed with them.

View the event flyer and register online.

Madison is growing larger, more diverse, more cosmopolitan, and more dynamic. Emerging industries are reshaping our workforce, construction is at all time highs, the city is becoming more diverse, and Madison is poised to add 50 to 100 thousand residents over the next three decades. In short, Madison is changing. This change brings exciting new opportunities coupled with complex new challenges.

Within the context of this change, the City’s Economic Development Committee and Staff have spent the last nine months formulating a set of economic development goals and strategies. This draft is rooted in data analysis, shaped by input from the community, and driven by the City’s commitment to building an economy that is both more prosperous and more inclusive.   However, this draft is still an early work in progress.  The draft lays out broad goals and a few projects and initiatives for each but the details of how any of these ideas will be implemented has not yet been fleshed out.  We need your help prioritizing these ideas and sharpening the focus of the strategy.

The next step will be to host the Connect Madison Economic Strategy – Priorities and Partners Summit on May 27, from 8:30am to 11:30am at the Monona Terrace. The event will involve exercises to present and discuss the draft goals/strategies and seek your input on where the City should focus its resources to move forward. This will be a highly-engaging, interactive event with activities designed to maximize your opportunities to help shape the plan.

Space is limited so please register online by clicking HERE. An agenda and a link to the draft document will be sent to registrants a week before the event.