WED AM News: Thousands of cruise ship visitors expected in Milwaukee this year as Great Lakes tourism thrives; Gateway Capital announces initial close of second fund

April 1, 2026

— More than 20,000 international cruise ship passengers are expected to visit Milwaukee this year as Great Lakes tourism continues to expand in the region.

That’s according to the former head of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Adam Tindall-Schlicht, who addressed members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee during the group’s latest gathering.

He noted about 64 vessels are expected to stop in Milwaukee this year, representing just a piece of the burgeoning Great Lakes cruise industry that’s seen substantial growth in recent years.

More than 175,000 cruise passengers are expected across the region this year, contributing to a $300 million annual economic impact, said Tindall-Schlicht, who was the director of the Port of Milwaukee before his federal appointment in 2022.

“This is in a market that did not exist in Milwaukee, and barely existed on the Great Lakes in 2021,” he said yesterday.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson touted the record number of cruise ships expected at the port this season during this week’s State of the City address, noting those visitors represent thousands of restaurant customers and hotel stays.

“Passengers from all around the country and all around the world spending their money here means jobs and economic boosts for Milwaukee’s businesses and hospitality workers,” he said Monday.

Meanwhile, Tindall-Schlicht yesterday also argued “we can’t ignore the fact that these lake levels are dramatically changing” when asked about the impact of climate change on Great Lakes commerce. He pointed to the January 2020 storm that flooded Milwaukee’s port, causing millions of dollars in damage.

While water levels in the Great Lakes have continually shifted over time due to natural factors, substantial changes used to happen gradually over the course of decades, Tindall-Schlicht explained. Today, those drastic water level changes are happening much more rapidly, over just five years or so.

“What we know is that climate change is dramatically changing the Great Lakes in real time,” he said.

Since leaving the federal government in 2025, Tindall-Schlicht has joined the Danish firm Ramboll. The architecture, engineering and consultancy firm employs about 2,000 people in the United States, including 150 employees at its offices in Milwaukee.

Watch the video.

See more in an earlier episode of “Talking Trade” featuring insights from Tindall-Schlicht.

— Milwaukee investment firm Gateway Capital has announced the first close of its second fund, bringing its total assets under management to more than $20 million.

The venture capital firm yesterday announced the milestone, which comes after it launched its initial fund in 2020 that was focused on Wisconsin firms. The second fund has a broader view, funding companies across the Midwest.

While the firm will now consider investments throughout the region, it’s expected that most of its investments will have roots in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Gateway Capital, which was founded and is managed by entrepreneur Dana Guthrie, aims to “find outlier founders in overlooked geographies” including low- to moderate-income communities, according to the announcement.

“Our strategy has always centered on finding founders before the opportunity is obvious,” Guthrie said in a statement. “We then work closely alongside the businesses to achieve key business milestones that generate additional funding and support.”

See the release.

— State officials have rolled out $1.5 million in new workforce funding, supporting 19 employers in training more than 700 workers.

Gov. Tony Evers and the state Department of Workforce Development yesterday announced the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program grants, funding training programs for workers in construction, child care, health care, manufacturing and transportation.

To get funding, employers need to meet various benchmarks such as 85% of participating workers completing the training, 75% of incumbent trainees getting pay raises and others.

Nemak USA Inc. in Sheboygan County is getting the largest grant with $400,000. It will use the funding to train 70 current workers in robotics, mechanical power systems and other skills needed for high-pressure die casting.

The next largest, nearly $330,000, is going to Aurora Health Care. The health system will work with UW-Milwaukee in Sheboygan County to train 60 current workers as forensic nurse examiners.

No other grants exceed $150,000 and the smallest is for just over $5,000.

See more on the funded programs in the release.

— Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed five bills aimed at the state’s LGBTQ community, including two with implications for the medical field.

The Dem guv vetoed the bills in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility. In a statement, Evers noted his vow to oppose legislation that makes the state less safe, inclusive and welcoming for LGBTQ Wisconsinites.

The bills Evers rejected today include:

AB 104, which would ban medical intervention on minors to change their biological sex. The bill includes exemptions such as a procedure to address a medically verifiable genetic disorder or sex development.
SB 405, to allow those who underwent a gender transition procedure before turning 18 to sue if it caused them physical, psychological, or emotional injuries.

“Healthcare providers should be trusted to provide medically appropriate and accurate information, treatment, and care for their patients without the unnecessary political interference of politicians,” Evers wrote in veto messages on AB 104 and SB 405. “Gender-affirming care is recognized by most major medical associations as the evidence-based treatment for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth with gender dysphoria.”

Rep. Amanda Nedweski, who co-authored SB 405, said Evers chose to “stand with a multi-billion-dollar industry profiting off irreversible procedures on minors.”

“For years, the gender medicine industry has operated with virtually no accountability,” the Pleasant Prairie Republican said. “If a doctor makes a mistake during a routine procedure, patients can sue. But when a child is permanently harmed by life-altering hormones or surgeries, families are left without recourse. That’s wrong — and Governor Evers just ensured it continues.”

Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Abigail Swetz thanked Evers for nixing the five bills.

“These bills were always about more than health care, or the makeup of a sports team, or the use of pronouns in a classroom — they were about excluding trans people from public life, and we cannot allow that, especially when our trans community is being attacked by so many levels of government,” Swetz said.

See more in the release.

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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— An upcoming event at the Medical College of Wisconsin will explore the potential for AI to help address health care workforce shortages.

The WisPolitics-State Affairs and Wisconsin Technology Council event is being held May 5 at the college’s Center for Cancer Discovery in Milwaukee, starting at 11:30 a.m.

Panelists include: Dr. John Raymond, outgoing president and CEO of MCW; Nick Myers, director of AI innovation for Recovery.com; UW-Milwaukee’s Lu He, an assistant professor of health care informatics; and Ann Zenk, senior vice president of workforce and clinical practice for the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

See more event details and register here.

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