FRI AM News: WisBusiness: the Podcast with Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay; Cohort announced for gBETA UW-GB pre-accelerator program

May 15, 2026

— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Dean Haen, director of the Brown County Port & Resource Recovery Department.

He shares the latest developments at the Port of Green Bay, where shipping has been disrupted recently due to abnormally high levels of water flow through the Fox River.

Northeastern Wisconsin got 30 inches of snow through several snowfalls in April, followed by 8 inches of rain falling on the local watershed that drains 6,600 square miles, Haen explains. As a result, that water has had to pass through waterways in the region to ultimately reach Lake Michigan, impacting the port and the commercial activity it supports.

“That duration has resulted in the port being closed … since approximately about April 18th, unable to get vessels in because we have high velocity [water flow] and that’s unsafe for navigation for these ship captains,” he said in an interview recorded Tuesday.

County officials had sought solutions by appealing to lawmakers and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, requesting reduced outflows at dams in Neenah and Menasha to temporarily allow ships to dock. But ultimately, no action was taken to address the issue, which is expected to abate this week after nearly a month of shipping disruption.

Haen says this level of water flow is unheard of in recent memory, noting he’s been at the port since 1999.

“This has not occurred in my tenure, or as far as I can look in the history of the Port of Green Bay ever,” he said. “So we’re playing from a playbook we’d never foreseen or had happened in the past.”

While officials were hopeful water velocity would fall to navigable levels by the end of this week, Haen notes the last month has already taken a toll on the region’s economy.

“It’s been impactful,” he said. “The Port of Green Bay is made up of some large corporations, but the majority of the terminal operators are, you know, sizable companies but not large. And each vessel that was unable to transit into Green Bay has a financial cost to those companies.”

Many of the vessels anchored in the bay and were still stuck waiting earlier this week. Others were redirected to the Port of Milwaukee, where shipments were unloaded and moved north by truck at “huge cost” to the companies.

“There’s a significant economic loss in all the scenarios of what these companies have been making business decisions on, based on Green Bay not being available,” he said.

Listen to the podcast.

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— The gBETA UW-Green Bay pre-accelerator spring cohort includes multiple companies developing technologies and products for the food and beverage industry.

This program of the university and gener8tor offers a seven-week, no-equity program to help entrepreneurs prepare to participate in equity-based accelerator programs and land investment. It also has a broader goal of boosting the startup ecosystem in northeastern Wisconsin.

The cohort includes:

*Skybite, a food delivery company using autonomous drones for quick orders. Founded by UW-Green Bay student Tsimur Kavalevich, the business targets “consistent 15-minute delivery times” while prioritizing sustainable operations.

“With our innovative pathing program our drones can operate even in adverse weather conditions, provided they are flying in an area with high risers,” company founders wrote in an overview. “We will primarily operate in large urban areas with heavy traffic, as drones can best utilize their advantage over traditional delivery options when the latter are stuck in traffic.”

*Dulce Gracia, founded by Manuela Rada, which makes frozen desserts for customers taking GLP-1 weight control medications as well as other “health-conscious” consumers.

*Still Syrup, which is described as a functional wellness brand with food-based delivery systems, offering an alternative to existing products like stimulants. It was founded by entrepreneur John Christopher.

*eBombo, a corporate events platform that combines vendor sourcing, budgets and event execution, founded by Mateo Suarez.

“We are building the industry’s AI-powered operating layer to drive unprecedented efficiency, smarter pricing, and global scalability,” founders wrote.

*WagVitals, a startup founded by Bhuvneshwar Reddy with a health monitoring collar for dogs. It tracks heart rate, temperature and other activity, with data accessible through a companion app.

See the release.

— Philanthropist Lynde Uihlein is donating $10 million to the UWM Foundation, supporting UW-Milwaukee’s freshwater sciences program.

The university yesterday announced the donation from Uihlein, who’s the cousin of GOP megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. The endowment will go to the School of Freshwater Sciences and its Center for Water Policy, funding research vessels that study the Great Lakes.

Of the $10 million total, $4 million will go toward “the core mission” of the school, funding research operations and staff, lab equipment, mentorship, scholarships and more. Another $4 million will fund the center directly, while the last $2 million will help cover maintenance and operation of the R/V Neeskay and the R/V Maggi Sue research vessels.

Uihlein, who’s funded progressive and environmental causes in the past, calls UWM freshwater researchers “an important safeguard” for the Great Lakes and what they represent for the region.

“They provide drinking water for our children, jobs for the regional economy, recreation for our communities, habitat for wildlife and marine life, and so much more,” she said in a statement. “They are an essential part of our cultural heritage.”

See the release.

— UW Health has created a new nonprofit called WorkForward, calling it “the first employer-based intermediary” in healthcare aimed at boosting the national health workforce.

The organization will work with various private and government organizations to advance this mission, through new apprenticeship opportunities, experiential learning and more.

While yesterday’s announcement references projected shortfalls in the number of doctors, nurses and other care professionals in coming years, the Madison health system says the effort “isn’t about a shortage of talent” in the United States.

Instead, the nonprofit will focus on addressing “bottlenecks” in accessing and expanding healthcare education and training programs. That’s according to WorkForward CEO and Executive Director Bridgett Willey.

“People want to work in health care, or grow in their health care careers, and health systems want to hire and support talented people; they just need the right coordination and infrastructure,” she said. “That’s what WorkForward is designed to provide.”

See the release.

— New research out of UW-Madison finds water filtration systems have contributed to greater longevity, along with possible impacts on height and cognitive scores.

Researchers at the La Follette School of Public Affairs recently published the study in the American Journal of Health Economics, analyzing data from the Social Security Administration on deaths among men born between 1975 and 2005. By combining personal information with water filtration, they explored the impact of early-life exposure to citywide water filtration systems.

The scientists found these systems may have boosted “old-age male mortality” by up to 3.2 months in the United States.

And looking at more census data from 1950 to 1970, they found some of the long-term connections can be attributed to improved education and income due to early-life exposure to water filtration. Plus, the researchers found water filtration “may have played a role” in boosting height and cognitive scores in early adulthood.

Prof. Jason Fletcher, who conducted the study, notes about one-fourth of all people lack safely managed drinking water at home, emphasizing the implications for human health.

“While water quality has improved in many areas, this study shows the real impacts to communities without access to safe water, both in the U.S. and globally,” he said.

See the release.

Top headlines from the Healthcare Report…

— State health officials have announced a plan to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, targeting vulnerable populations such as incarcerated people, rural residents, immigrants and others.

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

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