WisBusiness

By Gregg Hoffmann MILWAUKEE – Jim Rygiel's entrepreneurial journey started in Kenosha a couple decades ago, and ended up in New Zealand, where he lived for more than three years doing the visual effects on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rygiel returned to his home state Wednesday to speak at a luncheon of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference. The three-time winner of...

By Gregg Hoffmann MILWAUKEE – The state has changed its approach to minority business development to better leverage the various efforts already in place, and to build new ones, according to Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Cory Nettles. In a session called “Upbeat Uptown: Starting a Business in the Inner City,” Nettles told Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference participants, “For far too long...

By Brian Leaf Milwaukee – What came first, the entrepreneur or the idea? While much of this week's Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference focused on developing and funding entrepreneurial ideas, attention was paid to organizations that have technology in need of entrepreneurs. It's technology transfer, taking patents and processes from government research labs and private industry and matching them with individuals that can build...

By Gregg Hoffmann MILWAUKEE – The Lake Express, loaded with dignitaries, media and passengers who won a lottery, completed its maiden voyage at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon. The $18 million high-speed ferry completed its first round trip between Milwaukee and Muskegon about an hour behind schedule, but officials said that was because a ceremony in Muskego took longer than planned. Several Harley riders...

By Joanne M. Haas WisBusiness.com MADISON -- State government should flex its purchasing muscle to push Wisconsin utilities toward greater use of renewable energy, officials said Tuesday at an energy conference. "What we're going to do as a state, as a purchaser, is to make sure as we deal with the various utilities that we purchase from, that they're going to have...