Job growth is a priority for candidates of both parties. We find out why the president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce says that the way forward is to focus on start-ups and entrepreneurs. With Wisconsin’s primary election just a week away, we are hosting candidates for several contested congressional seats. This week our focus is the first congressional district, and we start with Ryan Solen, who is hoping to represent the Democratic Party in the general election on November 8. Plus, we talk to a reporter about the news that broke late Friday about a federal judge’s ruling that strikes down Republican-backed election measures in Wisconsin.
Featured in this Show
-
Wisconsin Could Be A Midwestern Silicon Valley, Madison Chamber Of Commerce President Says
Having long been associated with dairy, cheese, and sometimes Harley-Davidson, Wisconsin is a state whose reputation isn’t exactly rooted in the startup culture.
But to Zach Brandon, the president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, that doesn’t mean the potential isn’t there.
Jobs related to science, technology, engineering and math — those so-called STEM fields — are concentrated in Wisconsin, to some people’s surprise, Brandon said.
“Madison, Wisconsin, has the second-highest concentration of software publishing jobs in the country,” he said. “That defies what we think is reality. We think that it’s Silicon Valley, we think it’s Austin, Texas.”
The only city ahead of Madison is Seattle, Washington, he said.
Brandon’s faith in the existing technology economy in Wisconsin — along with hopes for its future — draws heavily on ideas from Stephen Case, the co-founder of America Online. Case’s recent book, “The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future,” suggests the country will enter a new economic era, or third wave, when businesses will use the power of data, technology and the Internet to enhance or even disrupt existing industries like healthcare, manufacturing and agriculture.
So what does Wisconsin need to boost a culture around startups and technology? Brandon referenced essential elements mentioned by Case, which include policy that allows for the risk-taking that comes with entrepreneurship, and a culture of perseverance, which he said the Midwest already has.
He also emphasized Case’s writing on partnerships, saying it’s important partnerships help an entrepreneurial culture expand across the state instead of staying in “regional silos.”
“It’s not Madison versus Milwaukee, or Milwaukee versus the north,” Brandon said. “It’s that we’re in this together, that we have one economy in the state, and we should be doing what we can to help each other succeed.”
While Wisconsin needs to embrace a technology and start-up culture as part of its reputation, Brandon doesn’t think the state should abandon its “legacy industries” like agriculture and manufacturing. He suggested Wisconsin’s historic industries could incorporate technology into its operations.
“We can honor and be proud of the … legacy industries that have driven our economy, and if you believe in the third wave, will continue to drive our economy,” Brandon said. “But we also have to be thinking about what’s the cusp of the next wave of the economy.”
-
Federal Judge Strikes Down Republican-Backed Election Measures In Wisconsin
Late on Friday a federal judge struck down Republican-backed election measures in Wisconsin, including parts of the state’s voter ID law. We talk to a reporter covering the decision about how this will affect the August 9 primary and the presidential election in November.
-
Growing Wisconsin's Businesses By Focusing On Start-Ups And Entrepreneurs
The president of the Greater Madison Chamber Of Commerce is a champion for the “third wave” of the economy–an era during which entrepreneurs will use online technologies to challenge and disrupt the world’s largest industries. We talk to the president about his vision for Madison and how he’d like to see that vision applied to the entire state of Wisconsin.
-
Congressional Primary Candidate Interview: Ryan Solen
Ryan Solen joins the show to talk about his campaign in the Democratic Primary for the First Congressional district, as part of an ongoing series of candidate interviews.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Amanda Magnus Producer
- Haleema Shah Producer
- Zach Brandon Guest
- Patrick Marley Guest
- Ryan Solen Guest
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
