THU AM News: Talking Trade with Ken Wasylik and Sandi Siegel; Arkayli Biopharma gets go-ahead to further study drug candidate

October 8, 2026

— In the latest episode of “Talking Trade,” co-hosts Ken Wasylik and Sandi Siegel share insights from the recent G20 Trade Ministerial, which brought diplomats from around the world to Milwaukee.

Siegel said representatives from more than 60 countries were in attendance, adding it was “really exciting” for Milwaukee to be in the spotlight as the host city. It was held ahead of the upcoming 2026 G20 Miami Summit planned for December.

“I think Milwaukee was chosen this year because, for the U.S., there is such a focus in our agenda of manufacturing and supporting manufacturing,” Siegel said. “And obviously we’re seen as a manufacturing hub here in Wisconsin.”

Wasylik highlighted some of the top priorities for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the meetings, including steel overcapacity, also noting tariffs were top-of-mind for attendees.

He added Canadian officials at the conference were emphasizing negotiations with European countries as well as India, amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States.

“A lot of it was not only the tariffs, but basically what are other countries doing in reaction to the tariffs,” he said. “Some countries are taking the position that they want to negotiate [with] the United States, and some countries are taking the position that they’re going to fight back, as we’ve seen with the Canadians and the Chinese.”

The discussion includes top takeaways from remarks made by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, ranging from the falling U.S. trade deficit with China and commerce with Canada to the administration’s criticisms of the World Trade Organization.

Siegel touches on the G20 discussions around forced labor, noting ministers didn’t come to an official agreement during the conference, leaving questions for her and others dealing with shifting rules around this issue.

“So now what, is that going to change the duties or how we’re implementing these additional 301 duties, forced labor duties?” she said. “So that was unclear what the deliverable on that will be.”

Talking Trade is hosted by E.M Wasylik Associates Managing Director Ken Wasylik and M.E. Dey & Co. CEO Sandi Siegel and sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Carroll University and Michael Best Strategies.

Watch the full episode here.

“Talking Trade” is now available in audio form on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Subscribe and find more episodes here.

— A Madison-based drug company called Arkayli Biopharma has gotten FDA clearance to proceed with a trial of its lead therapeutic candidate, as well as nearly $3 million in federal research funding.

The business recently announced it has received an approval letter from the federal agency in response to its investigational new drug filing, seeking to conduct a Phase 1b trial of its therapy for infantile hemangioma.

This skin condition is caused by blood vessels forming incorrectly and multiplying early in a baby’s life, often showing up at birth or within the first few weeks after birth. Appearing as a discolored patch of skin, they typically grow quickly in the first five months of life and then stop or start to shrink by one year of age.

While most shrinking happens by the time the child is around 4 years old, nearly half of those with infantile hemangioma retain scar tissue or extra blood vessels on the skin, according to an overview from Johns Hopkins.

Katie MacFarlane, CEO of Arkayli Biopharma, says getting the go-ahead from the FDA for its AKR001 drug candidate “represents a key regulatory milestone for Arkayli and a significant step forward” for babies with this condition and their families.

“ARK001 is designed to address critical unmet needs in this vulnerable patient population, potentially offering a topical approach to treatment of this rare pediatric disease,” MacFarlane said in a statement.

The company has also landed a $2.98 million Small Business Innovative Research grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, within the National Institutes of Health. Company leaders are actively raising a Series A financing round.

See more at Madison Startups.

— Northeastern Wisconsin has some of the most affordable markets for co-working space memberships in the country, according to a new study from the online resource CoworkingCafe.

The website recently published its look at flexible workspace costs in metropolitan areas across the United States, saying in an email that Wisconsin “stands out for affordable coworking memberships” in some of its smaller cities.

Green Bay’s median price for such memberships is $139 per month, about 27% lower than the national median of $190 per month. Appleton’s median of $144.5 is about 24% below the national level.

“Both sit just above the five metros sharing the national low of $129,” authors wrote.

But other metros in Wisconsin have much higher rates, from $199.5 per month in Madison to $200 per month in Milwaukee — both just above the national median.

Still, authors note Milwaukee also keeps “several flexible-work costs relatively competitive,” as its meeting rooms cost about $35 per hour to rent, below the national median of $45 per hour. Based on this calculation, a modeled 10-person hybrid team in Milwaukee would spend about $2,914 per month. That’s the 16th-lowest among the 66 areas included in the study.

See the report.

— Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin is touting a new record of 2,800 enrollees in its apprenticeship program, including 700 in their first year.

The group yesterday announced “another record-breaking year” for construction apprenticeship enrollment in the state, saying the rising total reflects growing interest in the skilled trades. The program offers training in 12 trades, and can take three to five years depending on the specific discipline.

Along with classroom work, apprentices work for ABC member companies doing on-the-job training. The group has more than 1,100 members, and says a “significant number” take on apprentices.

Kelly Tourdot, president of ABC-WI, notes apprentices are training with the companies building Wisconsin’s infrastructure, learning valuable skills and earning “competitive” wages.

“We are thrilled to see more and more young people recognize the promising future available with a construction career,” Tourdot said in a statement.

See the release.

— Federal funding that helps low-income rural Wisconsin residents buy homes has been cut by more than 80% compared to previous years, according to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

The Madison Dem this week issued a statement slamming the Trump administration for reducing funding coming to Wisconsin through the USDA’s Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans. The state this year got about $2 million from the program, a decline of more than $11 million from the average of $13.1 million in previous years, a release from her office shows.

Baldwin notes the Trump administration didn’t spend about half of the $1 billion in funding Congress provided for the national program, allowing about $230 million to expire while another $250 million can be used in the next fiscal year.

She says the cost of housing is “crushing families” even as they’re working harder amid rising prices more broadly.

“And for folks in our rural areas – which is about 1 in 4 Wisconsinites – this pinch can drive them out of the places they love and out of Wisconsin’s iconic agriculture economy,” Baldwin said.

See the release.

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