MON AM News: Entrepreneurship program aims to reduce racial wealth gap; TitletownTech backs Chicago supply chain company

— A senior manager with Molson Coors says a new entrepreneurship program for Black startup founders aims to reduce the racial wealth gap in Wisconsin. 

The Greater Milwaukee Urban League and Molson Coors recently announced the creation of the GMUL Entrepreneurship Connection, which will be launching formally later this month. Michael Nordman, senior manager of community affairs for the beverage maker, touted the program’s potential impact in a recent interview. 

“I’m just really proud to be a part of a company that’s committed to building this next generation of diverse leaders, and also helping close the racial wealth gap, which we know is still a big issue in Wisconsin as well as across the country,” he said. “Entrepreneurship is a great way to address that.” 

Molson Coors’ Project Justice effort, which provides $1.5 million each year to minority-led organizations across North America, is putting $50,000 into GMUL Entrepreneurship Connection, Nordman said. 

Those accepted into the program will get access to a variety of business resources, including materials provided by another Project Justice partner — the Lonely Entrepreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Initiative. This program offers tools and templates meant to help participants get access to capital to grow their businesses. 

Molson Coors previously offered this platform to 200 entrepreneurs in 2021. Nordman said 78 percent of them gained new customers and 66 percent saw year-over-year revenue growth. 

“We really felt like this opportunity to partner with Milwaukee Urban League fit very well in our goals to provide equitable access to economic opportunity to Milwaukee’s entrepreneurs and small business owners,” he said. 

Nordman said the Greater Milwaukee Urban League plans to enroll 150 entrepreneurs in the year-round program, which will include virtual and in-person components. 

See more: https://www.wisbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/230124Molsoncoors.pdf 

 — TitletownTech joined a $1.6 million pre-seed funding round for a Chicago supply chain company called Tusk Logistics, the Green Bay venture capital firm announced. 

The startup will use the funds to boost product development and hire staff, including a sales and marketing executive. Tusk Logistics was founded in 2021 by entrepreneurs Ben Emmrich and Adam Hipp, both of whom hail from the Midwest. 

The company helps businesses shipping goods connect with a national network of regional parcel carriers as a lower-cost alternative to single-carrier arrangements with large companies like FedEx or UPS, according to a release. 

TitletownTech Managing Director Craig Dickman says Tusk Logistics is “bringing much-needed optionality to the e-commerce space via its national network of regional carriers. We’re ready to support Tusk on its mission to deliver value to shippers.”

Other investors involved in the funding round include the California VC firm Forum Ventures and Canadian logistics service Fulfillment IQ. A spokesperson for TitletownTech declined to provide specifics on its investment. 

See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/titletowntech-invests-in-tusk-logistics/ 

Listen to a recent podcast with TitletownTech Partner Cordero Barkley: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-cordero-barkley-titletowntech/ 

— Applications for the state’s Energy Innovation Grant Program continue to exceed available funding, according to the Public Service Commission. 

The PSC on Friday announced it had received 135 applications requesting $42.35 million in total funding for projects to reduce energy usage, boost renewable energy deployment and energy storage, improve energy system resiliency and more. The agency says it plans to award $10 million in grant funding. 

In the prior grant cycle, the PSC got 105 applications for more than $31.5 million in funding, and ended up funding 46 grants with $10 million. Commissioners in September 2022 voted to maintain grant funding at $10 million per cycle, according to a release. 

Commissioner Tyler Huebner says the high number of applications received this year is a “testament to the growing public interest in energy innovation projects” and the program’s success. 

“Last year I had the privilege of touring completed EIGP sites and saw firsthand the ingenuity and positive community impact of the projects,” Huebner said in the release. “I look forward to seeing the ways in which more Wisconsin communities and businesses create jobs, reduce costs, and support the statewide goal of carbon-free electricity consumption by 2050 through this grant program.”

See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/public-service-commission-receives-over-135-applications-requesting-more-than-42-million-for-energy-innovation-grants 

See more on the program: https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/ServiceType/OEI/EnergyInnovationGrantProgram.aspx 

— The Wisconsin State Building Commission has approved $178.3 million in new projects around the state, Gov. Tony Evers announced. 

Some of the projects include: installing a solar array at the UW-Madison Kegonsa Research Center; funding a grant for the construction of the Museum of Nature and Culture in Milwaukee; purchasing land in Milwaukee for the eventual construction of a new Type 1 Juvenile Correctional Facility; and more. 

See the full list of approved projects here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3468136 

— UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System in Northwest Wisconsin are extending a research collaboration for another 10 years and expanding aspects of the program. 

The organizations on Friday announced they’re renewing the initial five-year partnership first created in 2017. The program has led to dozens of new research projects involving UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, students and Mayo Clinic doctors and scientists, covering various fields including oncology, cardiology, pediatrics and more. 

Through this partnership, Mayo Clinic Health System provides sports medicine services for the university’s athletics program as well as the medical director for UW-Eau Claire Student Health Service. Students also can experience clinical rotations and observation opportunities through the health system, the release shows.

As part of the partnership extension, the Blugold Biomedical Innovator Program will be expanded to allow more students to take part. Meant for students seeking a career in health care or biomedical sciences, the program gets nearly 200 applications each year for 10 total scholarships, per the release. Starting in the 2023-24 academic year, the program will now include 40 students total. 

“Extending this unique relationship opens doors for students, faculty and staff to develop knowledge and discover innovative solutions that can move Wisconsin forward,” UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt said in the release. 

See the release:

<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report … </b></i> 

— Researchers at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health are recruiting Black volunteers for a study aimed at understanding racial differences in Alzheimer’s disease. 

And Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek in a public hearing on his confirmation said he wants to modernize the office and warned of staffing shortages as responsibilities increase.

<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i> 

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#TOP STORIES#

# Report: Wisconsin colleges and universities see smaller enrollment declines than neighboring states

https://www.wpr.org/report-wisconsin-colleges-universities-smaller-enrollment-national-student-clearinghouse-research-center

# President Joe Biden to tout economic plan in Wisconsin visit

https://captimes.com/news/government/president-joe-biden-to-tout-economic-plan-in-wisconsin-visit/article_4c54099d-876f-56ca-bc1b-93be618e7e8c.html

# The DeLong Co.’s maritime export facility at Port Milwaukee slated to open in April

#TOPICS#

# AGRIBUSINESS

– Mullooly re-elected chair of Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=138&yr=2023

# CONSTRUCTION

– Appleton affordable housing project could use $1M in ARPA money

– Lead cleanup? Housing? Milwaukee plans to use remaining ARPA funds

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2023/02/05/milwaukee-residents-get-say-in-remaining-arpa-funds/69871101007/

# ENVIRONMENT

– Collaboration to help improve Michigan, Wisconsin coastal community resilience

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=139&yr=2023

– Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or dream?

– Sturgeon spearing season on tap for Winnebago System

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/outdoors/2023/02/05/ice-conditions-roads-improving-ahead-of-annual-spearfishing-season/69867439007/

# FOOD AND BEVERAGE

– At Kozy Nuk in Cottage Grove, find good food and friendly people

https://captimes.com/food-drink/at-kozy-nuk-in-cottage-grove-find-good-food-and-friendly-people/article_5dd50a15-fa1a-5ac1-b629-321fc1a427ad.html

– Nitro opens with ‘experiential’ coffee and cocktails on West Wash

https://captimes.com/food-drink/nitro-opens-with-experiential-coffee-and-cocktails-on-west-wash/article_7d95b09d-ad9c-5302-b1a8-a83d98825b27.html

# HEALTH CARE

– Advocate Health CEO Eugene Woods takes a whirlwind tour of Milwaukee

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2023/02/03/advocate-health-ceo-woods-milwaukee.html

# INVESTING

– TitletownTech invests in Chicago entrepreneur with Wisconsin roots

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/inno/stories/fundings/2023/02/02/titletowntech-investment-tusk-logistics.html

# MEDIA

– ‘Manitowoc Minute’ comedian Charlie Berens gets own Wisconsin radio show — as does Gilbert Brown

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2023/02/03/charlie-berens-gets-own-wisconsin-radio-show-as.html

# POLITICS

– Biden set to visit Madison area after State of the Union

https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-kamala-harris-madison-wisconsin-7decfe6f53ae293ce0e3db68bb377272

# REAL ESTATE

– Architect for Northwestern Mutual’s $500M renovation says it’s still cheaper than a rebuild

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2023/02/03/northwestern-mutual-rehab-cheaper-option.html

# REGULATION

– DNR to host virtual listening session for proposed wolf management plan

http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=140&yr=2023

# RETAIL

– Kohl’s to pay activist investor up to $400K under agreement tied to CEO choice

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2023/02/03/kohls-resimburse-macellum-400k-settlement.html

# TRANSPORTATION

– Wisconsin gets $6M from feds to make roads, streets safer

– Despite December drop, Mitchell Airport traffic ended 2022 up 20%

# UTILITIES

– WEC Energy Group planning battery storage pilot at Valley Power Plant

# PRESS RELEASES

<i>See these and other press releases:

http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 </i>

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