BizTimes Milwaukee | May 9, 2022 by BizTimes Media

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HIRING - IN 2022 AN INTERVIEW WITH THE HARBOR DISTRICT’S NEW CEO 13 MEET THE RISING STARS IN REAL ESTATE 31 COMMENTARY: UNIONS HAVE A PULSE 44

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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 28, Number 3, May 9, 2022 – May 22, 2022. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, February, March, July, August and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $96. Single copy price is $5. Back issues are $8 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2022 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents

4 Leading Edge 4 NOW BY THE NUMBERS 5 PROJECT PITCH IT - Sydetasker 6 BIZ LUNCH - Cubanitas 8 BIZ TRAVELER - United Arab Emirates 10 I N THE NEIGHBORHOOD - Novir WHO’S ON THE BOARD? - Milwaukee Athletic Club BIZ POLL 11 M Y FAVORITE TECH - Matthew Friedel COFFEE BREAK - Shar Borg

12 Biz News 12 INNOVATIONS - PlantPharm BioMed 13 T HE INTERVIEW - Harbor District CEO Tia Torhorst

14 Real Estate 31 Rising Stars in Real Estate

COVER STORY

39 Strategies

Hiring in 2022

39 LEADERSHIP George Satula 40 H UMAN RESOURCES Cary Silverstein

The search for talent isn’t getting any easier

41 INNOVATION Dan Steininger

Special Report

44 Biz Connections

26 Health Care

Coverage includes a look at the shortage of nurses, which presents tremendous career opportunities for those entering the field, but also concerns about burnout, and a report on how Advocate Aurora Enterprises (the investment arm of Advocate Aurora Health) has focused much of its early investment on services for older adult patients.

$25,000,000 WISCONSIN’S BANK FOR BUSINESS®

44 G LANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 45 NONPROFIT 46 T HE LAST WORD - St. James 1868 owner Kate Crowle

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townbank.us/yourpartner Glenn Margraff

Casey Wendt

Lauren Hess

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Leading Edge

BIZTIMES DAILY – The day’s most significant news → biztimes.com/subscribe

NOW

Weas Development plans office building for Johnson Controls By BizTimes staff writers Johnson Controls recently confirmed it is in talks with Weas Development Co. regarding a possible expansion in Glendale. Weas is the developer behind plans to build a new 109,000-square-foot office and research facility. The building is planned for a 6.4-acre site at the southeast corner of North Green

BY THE NUMBERS

Harley-Davidson says its

120th

anniversary celebration will be held from July 13-16, 2023, at multiple venues throughout the Milwaukee area. 4 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

Bay Avenue (Highway 57) and West Civic Drive. The site is across Green Bay Avenue from Johnson Controls’ operating headquarters campus. The company is technically based in Cork, Ireland, for tax purposes. Plans for Weas Development’s new building first came to light when the agenda for a recent City of Glendale Community Development Authority was released. An executive summary for the project says the new building would create approximately 200 new jobs. “Johnson Controls is exploring possible expansion options in the city of Glendale where our corporate campus is located,” reads the statement from the company. “We are working with Weas Development as we investigate real estate opportunities, but do not have further details to share at this time. We continue to be committed to the Milwaukee area as we finalize plans following the sale of our downtown (Milwaukee) building and when appropriate, will communicate any developments with our employees, partners and customers.” Glendale officials plan to create a tax incremental financing district for the project that would encompass the site and would generate a $3.1 million develop-

er incentive as well as $945,000 in public infrastructure projects, $80,000 in interest on long-term debt and $123,000 in administrative costs related to the creation and administration of the taxing district. All told, the cost for the TIF would be about $4.25 million. The city estimates the value of the project to be $21.8 million. If approved, construction would begin this year and be completed in 2023. In early 2021, Johnson Controls, a global manufacturer of fire, HVAC and security equipment for buildings, announced plans to move employees from its downtown Milwaukee offices to its campus in Glendale. That will bring the company’s North American headquarters together at a single site. Kenosha-based Bear Development purchased the downtown Milwaukee Johnson Controls office complex for approximately $24 million. Johnson Controls signed a lease with Bear to remain there for two years, before it moves those operations to Glendale. S.R. Mills, chief executive officer of Bear Development, said the 430,000-square-foot downtown Milwaukee complex offers many redevelopment opportunities. Plans for the redevelopment project have yet to be announced. n

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PROJECT PITCH IT M

SYDETASKER FOUNDER: Colin Milligan WEBSITE: sydetasker.com W H AT I T D O E S: Connects homeowners with local “taskers” F O U N D E D: 2020

Sydetasker platform helping homeowners knock out their to-do lists By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

ilwaukee entrepreneur Colin Milligan and his company Sydetasker are helping homeowners tackle their to-do lists. Milligan, who is chief executive officer and co-founder, created Sydetasker to help homeowners complete everyday tasks that they are too busy or unable to do. Sydetasker’s software helps connect users in need of services to local and independent contractors. The app provides a labor force of verified “taskers” that users Colin Milligan and Zaid Altahat, co founders of Sydetasker. can browse for hire. The customer assigns a task, and payment for that task is held secure until the job is marked Once he knew he wanted to develop a platcomplete by the customer. Businesses using form, Milligan sought help from Zaid Altahat, Sydetasker get alerts when a service they can professor of computer science at the University provide is needed. of Wisconsin-Parkside. Altahat is now co-foundSydetasker generated $90,000 in revenue er and chief technology officer at Sydetasker. in 2021, pocketing approximately 17% of each To date, approximately 4,000 users have paid job that was completed. downloaded Sydetasker. Those users have “One morning, me and my college roommostly come from Craigslist, where Sydetasker mates got up and realized, ‘Oh, the house is ads have been strategically placed, and social kind of dirty,’” Milligan said. “We didn’t really media. want to clean it, and we thought a college stu“People feel safe using our platform,” dent could probably do it at a lower rate than a Milligan said. “They know that there’s a person professional cleaner.” behind it who makes sure that the jobs get This was his initial exposure to the odd jobs done.” market. Noticing high demand for cleaning and Aside from $10,000 won recently on a handiwork services, Milligan began putting recent episode of “Project Pitch It” on WISNflyers up around Oshkosh, where he attended TV Channel 12, and $5,000 awarded through college. He took on different tasks as a side the Titan Accelerator at UW-Oshkosh, company hustle until realizing there was another way to leadership has been bootstrapping up to this serve customers: developing a platform. point. “I didn’t really know anything about the Moving forward, Milligan said, he’ll seek industry until I started cleaning on my own,” further guidance from area accelerators and Milligan said. financial assistance from angel investors. n

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Leading Edge

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

BIZ LUNCH

Lunch

Biz

A D D R E S S: 728 N. Milwaukee St., Milwaukee

WEBSITE: getbianchini.com CUISINE: Cuban, Latin American O W N E R S: Marc and Marta Bianchini M O O D: Energetic and inviting PRICING: Appetizers, $4-13; Entrees, $15-25; Cocktails, $8-10.50 When it comes to lunch service, Cubanitas knows its clientele. Located in downtown Milwaukee’s central business district, the restaurant is a popular spot for business professionals running out for a quick mid-day bite. “You order your food at the counter, you get a number, and then we bring out the food to you. You can order and leave within 30 minutes, so it’s quick pace for people who need to be in and out,” said manager Cristina Bianchini. She’s the daughter of owners Marc and Marta Bianchini, who opened the restaurant in 2003. Some diners take their time, working on laptops or talking shop over plantain chips with guacamole and Cuban sandwiches – two of the menu’s top sellers. Cubanitas has a second location at Drexel Town Square in Oak Creek.

6 / BizTimes Milwaukee FEBRUARY MAY 9, 2022 21, 2022

1 2 3

Sandwich Cubano, aka The Cuban, features roasted pork, Virginia ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard aioli. The menu’s warning label: “Change it and it’s not a Cuban sandwich!” Pictured here with a guava mojito. One of five Havana Bowls on the menu, the Coco Loco includes coconut shrimp, tostones (twice-fried plantains), black bean pineapple salsa, mango lime dressing and guacamole with white rice. Between the Bianchini family photos on the wall and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, diners are made to feel like they’re entering a Cuban mansion, said Bianchini.

CONTRIBUTED

CUBANITAS - MILWAUKEE

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Presents:

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Wednesday, June 8, 2022 2:00-2:30PM - Registration | 2:30-5:00PM - Program | 5:00-6:30PM - Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres Brookfield Conference Center

The Family Recipe: Bringing together innovation, growth, culture and succession planning to propel family and closely held businesses into the future. Join BizTimes Media and a distinguished group of family business owners and leaders for idea sharing and hands-on learning to help your business grow. The program begins with a keynote conversation, followed by a panel discussion, concurrent breakout sessions and a cocktail reception. Keynote Speakers: Dick Leinenkugel, President and Chief Beer Merchant, Leinenkugel Brewery (1) Tony Bugher, Associate Marketing Manager, Leinenkugel Brewery (2) Panelists: Peter Gottsacker, President, Wixon, Inc (3) Eric Schmidt, President, C.G. Schmidt Inc. (4) Leah Steger, Vice President, Winkie’s Hallmark & Gifts (5) Matt Stern, Director of Quality Assurance, Standard Electric Supply (6)

Concurrent Breakout Sessions: Concurrent 40-minute breakout sessions will cover topics like defining and articulating your company’s culture and value proposition; how, when and why to exit the business; and succession planning: the key to your financial plan in retirement.

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@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

B I Z T R AV E L E R : U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S A DA M WICK ERSHA M Director, graduate programs Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Adam Wickersham earlier this year traveled to the UAE with graduate students from the Lubar Executive MBA Program. The group visited Dubai and Abu Dabi to learn about international business practices, meet with industry leaders and experience Middle Eastern culture. n

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N : “Dubai International Airport is one of the easiest airports to navigate. Never any lines, and when you land you can easily orient yourself to the new time zone because the clocks on the wall are Rolexes. Taxis and Ubers are plentiful and inexpensive, but I recommend using the light rail Metro system to get around the city.”

ACCO M M O DAT I O N S A N D F O O D :

E XC U R S I O N S: “The two main cities in the UAE are Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Think of them like Washington D.C. and Las Vegas. Abu Dhabi, the capital, is filled with larger-than-life statues, gorgeous palaces and museums like the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the new Guggenheim. And the buildings are all unique skyscrapers made of glass and bronze.

“Centrally located between Europe, India and Africa, the food is dynamic and diverse. If you like seafood, I recommend the Persian Gulf Seabream. But no matter how adventurous your pallet is, Dubai has something for you. I never left hungry because they just keep bringing out more and more food, each more unique than the last.”

“Dubai is more of a playground with never-ending nightlife, the manmade islands of the Palm Jazeera; the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa; and the world’s first seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab. I highly recommend touring the ‘old city’ and walking through the gold, spice, and perfume markets. But be prepared because price negotiation is mandatory.”

T R AV E L T I P : You don’t need to know Arabic to enjoy Dubai and Abu Dhabi. English is the primary language, and the exchange rate is favorable at 3 dinars to a dollar. When you are in Abu Dhabi, stop into the Emirates Palace and order a golden cappuccino. It’s made with real gold and was one of the best drinks I have ever had. Or get in a McLaren and ride around the Formula One track. Or head to the desert and ride a camel and eat with the Bedouins. So much to do, it’s hard to prioritize, so I just keep going back.” 8 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

The Future 50 celebrates businesses powering the region’s economy into the future.

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@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

NOVIR 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 100, Milwaukee NEIGHBORHOOD: Third Ward FOUNDED: 2020 OWNER: Alexander Kempe SERVICE: Health testing and screening for infections

Who’s on the Board?

How was Novir founded? Peter Klug, vice president of business and program development: “We were born out of the (COVID-19) pandemic. Alexander Kempe is the founder, and I joined very early on. We were sort of commiserating at the beginning of the pandemic in March and April of 2020, saying, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’ … We thought testing was a great opportunity and something that we could contribute. There wasn’t enough access and availability for testing and certainly not enough thought about asymptomatic screening as a risk

BIZ POLL

mitigation factor.”

you do it.”

What kind of services does Novir offer? Klug: “(Right) now, we’re in about 350 schools between Wisconsin and Colorado and about 50 businesses. There’s a face-to-face offering, a do-it-yourself offering, and we also sell products wrapped around virtual proctoring. If you have to travel or woke up and aren’t sure whether or not you should go to work, you can have an at-home test, but you can’t document the results of an at-home test without some sort of health care professional watching

Why did Novir move into a new location? Klug: “We like the Third Ward. It’s got great proximity to the rest of the city. We do testing as far (west) as Madison, as far south as Racine and Kenosha, and as far north as Appleton and Green Bay. It’s nice to have a hub that’s in the center of the city. The reason we moved from the high-traffic part of the Third Ward to a little bit lower traffic area was so that we could get a bigger space and have good in-and-out access for clinical teams that work on-site.” n

A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

What percentage of your office staff regularly works in your office at least three days a week?

22.2% 51% to 75%: 13.7% 0% to 25%:

10.9% 76% to 100%: 53.3% 26% to 50%:

MILWAUKEE ATHLETIC CLUB • A. David Kriete, board president, president and CEO of Kriete Group Inc. • Dave Mesick, board vice president, president of Milwaukee Forge • Andrew Hunn, board secretary, associate wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual • Adam Puzach, board treasurer, president and CEO at Pack Logix Inc. • Lauren Falk, marketing program manager at Cority 10 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

• Eric Maher, financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual • John Kissinger, president and CEO of GRAEF-USA Inc. • Laura Rizzo, national account executive for Walmart/Sam’s Club at The Coca-Cola Co. • T.J. Molinari, vice president, special projects and general counsel, corporate secretary at Perlick Corp. • John Griffith, vice president commercial banking at First Midwest Bank

Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.

COFFEE BREAK

Shar Borg

Real estate agent, developer, Compass 5215 N. Ironwood Road, Glendale sharborgteam.com

MY FAVORITE TECH MATTHEW FRIEDEL

Industry: Real estate Employees: 157 agents and 27 staff in Wisconsin •

Shar Borg has made a name for herself brokering high-profile home purchases for professional athletes, but these days the longtime real estate agent is most excited about development, including her first full-fledged project: a 53-unit, mixed-use apartment building planned for the 1500 block of East North Avenue in Milwaukee.

•

Born in Baltimore, Borg moved to Milwaukee in the late 1990s with a degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. She worked for three years as a TV reporter for WISN-TV Channel 12 News before taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom.

•

Ten years and four kids later, Borg got her real estate agent license, and what began as a part-time effort to make some passive income for her family quickly blossomed into a successful career. “There were three things I always knew I wanted to do in life. I always knew I was going to be a TV reporter, I always wanted to be a Sunday school teacher and I always loved real estate. I just had this interest inside of me.”

•

Borg credits her deep faith, great partners and mentors, and an abiding love for community for her success. “I love bringing people together,” said Borg, whose Sherman Park family dinners are today the stuff of legends. “I love helping to create quality of life, particularly in areas where people don’t always think they can have it.”

•

Oddly enough, Borg doesn’t even drink coffee. Her morning cup is filled with mint or chamomile tea. No sugar. No Milk. “My husband says I really just like hot water.” n

Angel investor and co-founder, Milwaukee Venture Partners Inc. Senior lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee As co-founder of Milwaukee Venture Partners and senior lecturer at UW-Milwaukee, Friedel relies on several tech tools to navigate running and working for multiple organizations, plus publicly speaking on topics including artificial intelligence and blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and non-fungible tokens. Here are a few of his favorite items:

GOOGLE FI “As a frequent international traveler, Google Fi provides calling, high-speed data and texting abroad. It allows me to stay connected in 170 countries. I have used Google Fi in Hong Kong, Thailand, Egypt and all over Europe. Current iPhones allow you to add service on top of your existing provider. Cellular and data service can be turned on and off as needed.”

GARMIN 935 TRIATHLON WATCH “A must have for marathon runners and triathletes. Beyond syncing seamlessly with my iPhone for messages and calls, having my Garmin to track my training fosters work-life balance. Running, biking, swimming and staying active keeps me mentally sharp and increases my productivity.”

METAMASK DIGITAL WALLET “In the evolving era of blockchain technology, MetaMask is a digital wallet that allows you to buy, store, send and swap digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs. MetaMask has native apps for iPhone and Android, plus browser extensions for Google Chrome and Firefox.”

OTOGR YA N PH LILA A R

“Yes, I consider this tech! Just ask the Egyptians who invented paper. Running Milwaukee Venture Partners, teaching at the UW-Milwaukee and publicly speaking on advance technologies requires a unique tool. Having a paper calendar allows me to look forward 12 months and coordinate my schedule, including international travel, with multiple organizations. Sometimes old-school analog tech just works.” n

A PH Y

12 MONTH PAPER CALENDAR

biztimes.com / 11

BizNews

INN PlantPharm BioMed seeks to combat viruses with plantbased, edible vaccines By Ashley Smart, staff writer

Robert Britt

PlantPharm BioMed Ltd. Delavan

INNOVATION: Plant-based, edible vaccines FOUNDER: Robert Britt FOUNDED: 2008 plantpharm.biz 12 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

VAT I A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS at Delavan-based PlantPharm BioMed Ltd. are developing edible vaccines that could be used to treat viruses affecting both animals and humans. The company has identified 42 vaccines and 550 pharmaceuticals that can now be grown in plants. “It’s not just one drug, it’s not just one vaccine, it’s the possibility that we can make lots and lots of different vaccines,” said Robert Britt, founder and chief executive officer of PlantPharm. The company’s latest effort is an edible vaccine that can be used to address the African swine fever in pigs. ASF is of particular concern in China, having reduced the country’s pig population by more than 50 million in 2018, according to a report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. ASF is 100% lethal. “It’s something that, if it came to the United States, would wipe out a big portion of our swine,” Britt said. While PlantPharm was officially founded in 2008, the idea behind the company began more than 20 years ago when Britt purchased a Chinese patent that had been awarded a China Patent Gold Medal. The patented technology later morphed into the biopharmaceutical production technology that PlantPharm uses today. PlantPharm’s edible vaccines work through the mucosal system, which is where viruses attack first. This makes the treatment more effective. The ASF vaccine will be a shelf-stable, dry supplement and administered by mixing it into the pigs’ food – no injection required. Entire herds of animals can be vaccinated effectively this way. Britt said edible vaccines could be used for animals ranging from deer to birds, which are also a species of concern due to the ongoing bird flu. PlantPharm transforms specif-

Cheryl Dillner, director and corporation secretary at PlantPharm BioMed, audits the company’s supply of plants at its Delavan lab space.

ic plants into “vaccine factories” by introducing antigens into the plant cells. Those plants are then multiplied and grown to maturity in controlled-atmosphere conditions. PlantPharm has a certified laboratory in Delavan where scientists grow batches of the injected plants. The vaccines are scalable into millions of shelf-stable, edible doses. “They’re surrogate mothers, more or less, to a vaccine that we inject in the plant and (then) multiply it through the plant,” Britt said. “It’s a unique way of manufacturing vaccines – in fact it’s probably the best way to manufacture vaccines because it’s safest.” The company has also worked on a potato-grown hepatitis B vaccine, which underwent one successful human clinical trial by the Food and Drug Administration and was approved for a second. PlantPharm did research and development on an edible COVID-19 vaccine for humans, but the National Institutes of Health went with the mRNA type of vaccine. PlantPharm’s was a DNA vaccine. After the decision by the National Institutes of Health, PlantPharm shifted its focus to the varying animal populations dealing with mutated strains of COVID-19. PlantPharm lists HPV, RSV, meningitis, malaria

and cancer vaccines as additional “vaccine targets.” All the vaccines that PlantPharm scientists are working on are still in the research and development phase. Britt said the company can put a vaccine together in about a year following the necessary testing and approvals. Most competitors in the biopharmaceutical space are still in basic research and development stages, while PlantPharm is ready to produce product for FDA licensing. PlantPharm’s leadership has been mainly bootstrapping the company up to this point, aside from the roughly $1.5 million in NIH grants used to support its hepatitis B vaccine clinical trials. Company leadership is now seeking outside investments for the first time to support clinical trials for its other vaccines. Britt envisions the edible vaccines being available through veterinary offices and government programs. “There’s a lot of different ways to be able to stop (viruses) before they happen in a big way,” Britt said. “There are protections that can be made, and we’re a real reasonable source because we know how to make the edible variety of these vaccines.” n

the

Interview

TIA TORHORST was recently named chief executive officer of the Harbor District Inc.

Torhorst has more than 20 years of public service leadership experience, having served in roles at the state Department of Administration, Gov. Tony Evers’ gubernatorial transition team, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and with former Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. She succeeds the Harbor District’s founding executive director Lilith Fowler. BizTimes reporter Ashley Smart spent some time talking with Torhorst about her new role and vision for the Harbor District moving forward. What drew you to this position at the Harbor District? “I think (the position) is unique in that it has three different facets of work, and I’ve worked in and around those three facets throughout my volunteer and professional careers. I’m really excited about the three different ways this is really driving Milwaukee forward. Those are economic development and really being strategic about the industries in the Harbor District; working to improve the health of Milwaukee, whether that’s through environmental work that we can get done or engaging people in the great natural resources along the rivers and lake; … and then really engaging with the communities that surround the Harbor District and helping create an atmosphere that’s really welcoming to all.”

What are currently the most pressing projects for the Harbor District? “Where I’m most excited to dig in right now is this once-in-ageneration investment in infrastructure from the federal government. That’s coming to the state and the county and the city, and (the Harbor District is) trying to help find creative, strategic ways to use that investment to benefit generations to come – whether it’s thinking through physical infrastructure improvements or environmental remediation that would improve health for generations.”

What is the current state of the RiverWalk expansion project? “The RiverWalk by (Komatsu Mining Corp.’s new headquarters) and Michels Corp. is slated to be open in the next six to 12 months. And then there’s a segment of the RiverWalk – which is probably by definition more of a trail – along the Kinnickinnic River that is being revitalized through Milwaukee Public Schools. We’re starting to have some conversations about how to do a trail that can continue the RiverWalk. I think the federal infrastructure bill will provide an incredible opportunity to help in areas that may not otherwise have the opportunity for the RiverWalk continuation.”

“Generally, improving the health of any river that flows into the lake is a great thing for Milwaukee. The Harbor District is accountable for the three rivers that flow into Lake Michigan, and having part of that cleaned up really helps with the overall health, … the bird population, the fish population, people having public access points to kayak and to fish. ... I think all of those things are incredibly attractive not only for the district, but also the region as a whole.”

What do you believe is the most underappreciated aspect of the district? “When the Harbor District was formed, there was only one access point for the public, and that has grown exponentially over the last eight years. The access points to the rivers and lake in the district and the work that’s being done to really bring these great natural resources into this urban environment is one of the things I’m most excited to catalyze and share more with our region.” n

JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY

What will the cleanup of the Milwaukee Estuary mean for the Harbor District?

Tia Torhorst Chief executive officer Harbor District Inc. 833 E. Michigan St. Employees: 7 harbordistrict.org biztimes.com / 13

Real Estate

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IRGENS/KAHLER SLATER

A rendering shows the layout of the northern portion of Irgens’ planned development at the UWM Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa.

Irgens to focus on green infrastructure at UWM Innovation Campus

AS MORE EMPLOYEES are returning to work in offices, Milwaukee-based based Irgens Partners LLC is moving forward with a major new office development project. The company broke ground this month on the first of four

structures it hopes to construct at the UWM Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa, located northeast of Interstate 41 and Watertown Plank Road. The three-story, 70,000-square-foot office building is dubbed Innovation 1. Irgens itself will be the first tenant in the building. The move means the company will no longer be occupying space at its 833 East building in downtown Milwaukee. It will, however, maintain an office at the BMO Tower. After nearly four years of governmental reviews and approvals, including agreements for developer assistance totaling about $17 million, the company last month purchased 25 acres of land on the campus from the UWM Real Estate Foundation for $5.26 million. Split across two sections – 16 acres on the north end of the campus and another 9 acres on the south end – the development will be approached in stages. Development on the north end will include the three-story Innovation 1 office building; a two-story, 633-stall parking structure with a green roof; and the six-story, 178,000-square-foot Innovation

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: KO M AT S U M I N I N G C O R P. H E A D Q UA R T E R S Komatsu Mining Corp. is nearing completion of its $285 million headquarters and manufacturing facility on East Greenfield Avenue in Milwaukee’s Harbor District. The maker of mining shovels and other equipment acquired Milwaukee-based Joy Global Inc. in 2017, announcing plans for the new campus about a year later. We Energies led a multimillion-dollar environmental cleanup to prepare the development site, which was occupied for decades by coal-burning company Solvay Coke & Gas. The new Komatsu headquarters campus includes 170,000 square feet of office space, a 20,000-square-foot museum and training building and 410,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Construction began in fall of 2020 and is slated to finish up this spring. Work is complete on the office building, according to the company, and factory construction is on track for substantial completion in the coming weeks.

14 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

Overlook office building, slated to be constructed once Irgens has a pre-tenant agreement in place. Both of the office buildings will also have underground parking: Innovation 1 with 22 spaces and Innovation Overlook with 88. The buildings are designed by Kahler Slater and will be constructed by C.G. Schmidt, both based in Milwaukee. The southern parcel is being marketed as a corporate or regional headquarters site that could be for a building as large as 225,000 square feet. That site also includes the Milwaukee County Parks Administration Building, which is already being leased back to the department. Choosing the UWM Innovation Campus for the company’s first major post-COVID office development made sense on several levels, said Tom Irgens, executive vice president at Irgens Partners. Having completed the 85,278-square-foot Muir Woods project in late 2018, the last of its many developments in the Milwaukee County Research Park (located southeast of I-41 and Watertown Plank Road), the company thought there might be an opportunity to develop land at the nearby UWM Innovation Campus, especially given the ongoing demand it was seeing at its Research Park properties, said Irgens. Irgens Partners, which owns about 100 million square feet of office space at the Research Park, recently signed four new leases with tenants at its buildings there. Those include leases with new tenants and tenants that have expanded their footprints. The location of the UWM Innovation Campus itself also made it a logical choice. “I think as people are looking at trying to bring back their team members (to their offices), commutes play into it,” Irgens said, adding that the $1.7 billion Zoo Interchange expansion project included improvements to the freeway interchanges at Highway 100 and at Watertown Plank Road, which have helped make commutes to the UWM Innovation

Campus easier. To help attract employers, the new buildings at the Innovation Campus will include new HVAC systems as well as fitness centers with showers and lockers. Innovation 1 will also have a grand staircase designed to give the building a more open feel and encourage people to take the stairs, instead of using the single elevator planned for the structure. What should also draw employers and their workers, Irgens said, is the development’s focus on green infrastructure and site stewardship. Already close to bike and pedestrian trails, the northern site is located near a habitat for migrating monarch butterflies. “We are cognizant of the fact that these former county grounds are a sacred place for a lot of people,” said Andrea Mullins, vice president of development at Irgens Partners. “We want to make sure that we are (developing these lands) in a responsible way.” The biggest green element of the development is the green roof planned for the parking structure. At 60,000 square feet, it is expected to be one the largest green roofs in Wisconsin. Solar panels on the roof of the garage are also expected to generate enough energy to power the structure. “What we have been able to accomplish with the help of Milwaukee County and the City of Wauwatosa is to have a truly shovel-ready site, and the thing that will really bring the project forward is users who want a great location,” Irgens said. n

CARA SPOTO Reporter

P / 414-336-7116 E / cara.spoto@biztimes.com T / @CaraSpoto

WHO REALLY OWNS IT: P.H. DYE HOUSE If you’ve ever traveled east on I-794 near the Historic Third Ward, chances are you’ve noticed the multi-story mural of a white-aproned woman with hard-working hands. The 2019 mural graces the north side of the P.H. Dye House building and was commissioned by the property’s Chicago-based owner, Singerman Real Estate LLC, which purchased the eight-story building in 2018 for $9.7 million. Painted by German artist Case Maclaim, the mural is meant to honor the women who once dyed stockings in the 100-year-old former factory as well as women who work in the Third Ward today. The building is now home to Moda3, Train Moment and Solidcore on its first floor; offices on floors two through seven; and privately-owned residential condos on the top floor. ADDRESS: 320 E. Buffalo St. OWNER: Singerman Real Estate LLC ASSESSMENT: $13.6 million

Elfriede Pahl Class of 1979

First. Foremost. Forward.

A childhood friend’s hospitalization introduced Elfriede “Elfi” Pahl to the world of pediatric medicine and sparked a lifelong passion. Pahl, a Central European immigrant, was the first in her family to enter college when she enrolled at Carroll. Medical school followed, where Pahl focused on pediatric cardiology. This pioneer is the current Chair of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society Foundation, and a national leader in the field of cardiac transplant medicine. • Learn more at carrollu.edu/175

Carroll University: Pioneering For 175 Years! biztimes.com / 15

STORY COVER

? 16 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

2022

THE SEARCH FOR TALENT ISN’T GETTING ANY EASIER

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is at a record low of 2.8%. Wages climbed more than 6% year-over-year for three straight months to start the year. The state has seen more than 200,000 job openings every month since June, and nearly 80,000 people in Wisconsin quit their jobs on average each month in 2021. “It’s incredibly challenging. It’s the most challenging I’ve seen in my career,” said Clarke Sinclair, director of talent acquisition at Milwaukee-based blood health solutions organization Versiti Inc. Labor shortages show up in all kinds of ways in the economy, from manufacturers producing less to day care centers closing classrooms. From restaurants closing early – or even altogether – to burned out nursing staffs stretched C beyond their limit. N SI The job market was already tight before the COVID-19 pandemic. Back then it wasn’t uncommon to hear employers say they could grow more, sell more and generally do more if only they could find the people. The skills gap complaints of the early 2010s gave way to a body gap: There just were not enough people. Wisconsin’s current labor force has around 20,600 more people than it did at its highest point in 2019, but at 3.14 million it has grown just 0.04% in 13 years. “Demographic trends decades in the making are challenging businesses in their pursuit of more workers,” said Jennifer Sereno, communications director at the state Department of Workforce Development, highlighting issues like low birth rates, net zero to negative immigration and migration and the retirement of baby boomers. The trends may be decades in the making, but a global pandemic, several weeks of shutdowns and proof that remote work was not the end of all productivity also mean the post-COVID labor force has new ideas about what matters in life and what they want in a job.

- IN -

HIRING IN 2022 IS NO EASY TASK.

HIRING

BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writier

biztimes.com / 17

Of course, Wisconsin is not alone in facing labor challenges. Other states and countries face similar issues. “It’s limiting the state’s growth, it’s limiting national growth, it’s limiting global growth,” Dennis Winters, chief economists at DWD, said on a recent call with reporters. “It’s not just Wisconsin, the lack of talent is global.” The fact that others face the same issues makes it more important that the state find ways to grow its labor force. If a state or region can make more people with the right skills available to companies, it will be well-positioned to capture future growth opportunities. Some cities and states are tackling the issues with cash, tax credits and other incentives to attract people. If Wisconsin fails to expand and grow its 18 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

THE NEED FOR GROWTH

workforce, it will only become more challenging for the state’s existing companies, and economic growth here will continue to lag. Companies may expand elsewhere and, ultimately, the state’s economy would suffer. “One of the things that worries me is that when you think about what happens when the job market is tight is it means people have to focus on, I’ll call it, operational maintenance versus strategic priorities,” said Kathy Henrich, chief executive officer of the MKE Tech Hub Coalition. “What happens over time is if you’re not investing in your future, we’re not going to maintain our competitiveness and our innovation to be globally competitive.” Among the efforts aimed at bolstering the available workforce is the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Region of Choice initiative, which seeks to increase the number of African American and N Hispanic employees in HE metro Milwaukee by 15% and the number of managers from those groups by 25% by 2023. “If we cannot figure out how to do a much better job of preparing, developing and retaining the talent that we have, we are not going to be a successful region in the future,” said Julie Granger, executive vice president at MMAC. The MKE Tech Hub’s research suggests top factors for employees considering relocating to the region include working on A problems that matter, GR using current technology, having clear career paths and employers showing a commitment to diversity. “We have to be promoting our progress and commitment and ask people to be part of the solution,” Henrich said of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts. Region of Choice has shown early progress with the number of African American and Hispanic employees at participating companies up 6.2% by 2020 and the number of managers up 23%. D Corry Joe Biddle, BI vice president of commuD

“I think human beings have just reprioritized what’s important in life,” said Ryan Festerling, president of Brookfield-based QPS Employment Group. “As a human, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. As an employer and as someone that’s in the staffing business, it makes it challenging.” The good news is Wisconsin’s real GDP exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter of 2021 at $306.7 billion, the highest level on record, even as total nonfarm employment is still down by 68,000 E ST from February 2020, FE meaning productivity is up about 3.5%. “This is a clear sign of a more modern production sector that is supplementing operations with increased technological efficiency to overcome the impact of a flat workforce,” Sereno said. Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate is also consistently among the highest in the country and has rebounded to above pre-pandemic levels. The bad news is Wisconsin’s economy may have recovered, but other states are doing better. Wisconsin’s GDP growth ranks 41st since the end of 2019 and the productivity gains rank 34th. Making matters worse, the outlook for Wisconsin’s workforce is not promising. By 2040, nearly the same number of state residents will be over the age of 55 as will be 25 to 54, according to estimates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Laboratory. The state’s population grew at less than half the rate of the U.S. in the last decade, and growth has gotten off to a slow start in the 2020s. In metro Milwaukee, the population dropped 7,100 last year after growing just 1.2% in the previous decade.

STORY COVER

“

I think human beings have just reprioritized what’s important in life. As a human, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. As an employer and as someone that’s in the staffing business, it makes it challenging.”

“

— RYAN FESTERLING, PRESIDENT OF BROOKFIELD-BASED QPS EMPLOYMENT GROUP.

If we cannot figure out how to do a much better job of preparing, developing and retaining the talent that we have, we are not going to be a successful region in the future.” — JULIE GR ANGER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MMAC.

Festerling thinks Gen Z is generally willing to put up with less in the workplace than prior generations. “If we don’t listen to how they want to work, we’re going to lose,” he said.

A FOCUS ON RETENTION

Whether they’re baby boomers, Gen Z or somewhere in between, keeping current employees is step one in addressing labor challenges. Most of the thousands of Wisconsinites quitting their jobs aren’t leaving the workforce altogether. They’re going to other companies. Employers should spend a disproportionate amount of time making sure their current employees are excited about the prospect of coming back tomorrow, Festerling suggested. “What employees really want is to be part of a workplace where they feel valued,” Kane said. Kane regularly consults with businesses, surveying their employees and comparing the findings against state benchmarks. Once employers realize they have issues, the question becomes how to change the environment. “That’s often where eyes go to the ground, where people can’t really answer that question,” Kane said. “Today, companies don’t have a choice in this area. If they want to retain employees, if they want to recruit top talent, they have to answer the question, ‘Why would employees want to work for me?’” The answer may be different for employees in different parts of the organization, and it’s important to ask employees what they are looking for and need in order to stay, said Morgan. “It’s a tough question to ask because you better be ready for the responses that you might get,” he said. One of Kane’s clients is the Wisconsin Center District. When Marty Brooks joined the organization as presO ident and CEO in early BR 2018, he spent the first few months getting to know the business and found it wasn’t reaching its potential. “Something didn’t seem right,” said Brooks. A late 2018 employee engagement survey shed some light. WCD had communication issues, people were siloed and no attention was paid to job satisfaction or career growth. “Where we were was an organization that was in turmoil,” Brooks said. “The vast majority of the staff, be they full- or part-time, were working here for a paycheck.” Staff needed to know they could make decisions and take steps to satisfy guests. Even if leadership didn’t agree with the decision, they’d support it and then discuss doing things differently in O

nity affairs at MMAC, said more companies are looking at how people advance through their organization and providing more transparent and clear pathways. Anecdotally, she’s hearing companies are making more investments in people. “It’s not just about advancement, it is really a retention tool,” she said. Diversity is growing as an important issue for all workers, especially as Generation Z becomes a greater percentage of the workforce. “These 20-somethings really are unapologetic about their expectations around equity and inclusion, and they’re the most diverse cohort ever. That is just a standard for them,” Biddle said. Granger added that Gen Z is coming into the workforce amid the backdrop of COVID-19 and societal change and can be emboldened by their circumstances and environment. “Employees hold a lot of capital right now … they’re just in demand and they know it,” she said. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z came of age with smart phones and social media in their life. Their experiences have been shaped by major events like the pandemic; controversial deaths of Black people and subsequent protests; school shootings; increasing attention on climate change and mental health; and political polarization. “What we’re seeing is Gen Z have very high expectations for their KA employers. Gen Z, they’re very well rounded, they’re very educated and they’re very opinioned,” said Kimberly Kane, president and chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based Kane Communications Group. Jim Morgan, vice president of business development and workforce strategies at Waukesha-based employer association MRA, suggested companies might opt to rely on Gen Z employees for more presentations and noted CEOs are increasingly looking at the R O unique skills of youngM er generations. “You put a camera in their face and they don’t even blink an eye at it, whereas you put it in front of a 55-year-old and they’re liable to freeze for five minutes until they figure out what they want to say,” he said. Gen Z also does generally seem to have more confidence than other generations at their age and a willingness to ask why, Morgan added.

“

One of the things that worries me is that when you think about what happens when the job market is tight is it means people have to focus on, I’ll call it, operational maintenance versus strategic priorities.”

“

— K ATHY HENRICH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE MKE TECH HUB COALITION.

These 20-somethings really are unapologetic about their expectations around equity and inclusion, and they’re the most diverse cohort ever. That is just a standard for them.” — CORRY JOE BIDDLE, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNIT Y AFFAIRS AT MMAC.

biztimes.com / 19

Culturally, the city has to change. … The city has to say it’s all about growth, not about maintaining. We have a really maintain culture, and we don’t expect a lot. That’s been the problem.” — JEREMY FOJUT, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF LIKE|MINDED.

20 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

LIS

“

— JIM MORGAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE STR ATEGIES AT MR A .

people grow, when you don’t help people connect, when you don’t provide them mentors, all that stuff,” said Jeremy Fojut, CEO and co-founder of Milwaukee-based FO Like|Minded. Companies should think about where the initial focus is for new employees, Fojut added. Is the emphasis on meeting the HR director? Or does the new hire talk one-on-one, not just in a group, with the people they will work with? Rachel Margolis, a talent acquisition supervisor who joined Versiti during the pandemic, said even the virtual equivalent of an open-door policy helped her find her way in the organization. “Knowing that you could call a co-worker, a hiring manager, your boss at any given time to say, ‘I need help, please help me navigate through this,’ beR MA cause it’s not just peeping your head into the office next door,” she said. People know there are other opportunities out there, even if they are not actively looking, and turnover has gone up, Sinclair said. “We’re approaching it from a transparent, honest place of focusing on our culture, focusing on our mission and listening,” he said. Versiti’s mission, which is directly connected to saving lives through blood drives, research, organ procurement and testing, also gives it an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees, but it has its limits. “It’s a great reason to come here, it’s a great reason to stay here, but ultimately this is still someone’s job, their career, and they’re going to get what they want and need out of their career beyond just having that mission to focus on,” Sinclair said. G

“

Because employees own the market, they’re looking while they’re looking, they’re looking after they’re interviewing, they’re looking after they’re hired.”

the future after the fact, Brooks said. “In our business, like many other businesses, tomorrow isn’t a satisfactory answer for someone,” he said. “If you’ve got an issue with a seating problem for tonight’s concert, getting it addressed tomorrow does no good.” The survey served as the basis for changes, including new organizational pillars (be bold, be proud, be experience-obsessed), organization-paid employee parking, regular town hall meetings and an increase in minimum wage to $15. WCD is now finishing a second survey to drive more improvement. “It is a very dedicated and purposeful, intentional focus on a continued path of growth,” said Sarah Maio, vice president of marketing and communications at WCD, noting great A M employees will always have choices. Taking feedback and acting on it also has other benefits. “What we’ve ended up doing is getting on a path to creating brand ambassadors,” Maio said, noting employees are increasingly referring potential candidates to WCD. Employee input can also shape company benefits. Offering more PTO may seem like a good idea, but if employees are already stretched thin, they may only see it as a stack of work waiting for them if they use it, Morgan said. A better option might be adding more people to the team if possible. Different age groups also view benefits differently. Student loan repayment might be more attractive to someone in their 20s, while a 35-yearold might want help with childcare. Someone in their 40s might be attracted to a 401(k) match, while extra vacation could grab the attention of someone in their 50s. “You’re seeing an increased emphasis with managers knowing their people well and what is it that they need,” Morgan said. While more individualized benefits are possible, there can be legal obstacles. Instead, companies are providing additional cash benefits and allowing employees to decide how to spend it, Morgan added. And while it is possible to put systems in place to manage more individualized benefits, the heavy lift is identifying employee wants by listening and sourcing providers, Sinclair said. Retention is also about more than benefits and engagement surveys. It starts with the onboarding process. An employee may eventually leave for more pay, but other factors play a role in the decision. “It shows up when you don’t train properly, when you don’t build properly, when you don’t help

STORY COVER

HIRE WITH URGENCY The reality is employees are going to leave. Job tenure trended down over the past decade and the pandemic only gave workers more motivation to reconsider what they want. People leaving their jobs also means there are opportunities to add new talent, but businesses must act fast. “You can assume that if you find a good person, they have two to three other opportunities,” Festerling said, estimating there’s a 30% to 40% chance a candidate will go elsewhere for each week a business delays a hiring decision. “If you don’t act fast, you will lose that person.”

‘FLEXIBILITY IS THE NEW NON-NEGOTIABLE’ Beyond moving quickly, employers are being

Wages

forced to offer more flexibility to workers than in the past. For some, that means going fully remote or adopting a hybrid model. Each approach comes with its own challenges: How and when should teams come together to work in person? How do primarily remote employees avoid being passed over for promotions? What about those who would prefer an all in-person office experience? “Flexibility is the new non-negotiable,” said Susan Koehn, vice president of talent and industry partnership at MMAC and Milwaukee 7. The consensus among a group of top Milwaukee-area HR leaders brought together by MMAC is two or three days in the office, Koehn KO said, adding employers generally want to stay in line with others in the area to avoid an exodus of employees if they push too hard for a greater office presence. Companies requiring a set number of days in the office will still lose out on talent, Fojut suggested. “The problem with everybody doing hybrid is they have no idea what they want to do with it,” he said. Employers would do better bringing employees together on a quarterly basis to hang out, have fun and learn about each other or to hold monthly coworking days where people can connect, Fojut said. “We think communication is connection,” he said. “Communication actually taps into a different part of the brain than connection does. Connection is about empathy, listening, laughter. We think that just because we send an email or a social post we’re connecting, we’re not”

Companies are likely to lose a candidate if it takes longer than two weeks to go from first contact to a hiring decision, Morgan said. “Because they own the market, they’re looking while they’re looking, they’re looking after they’re interviewing, they’re looking after they’re hired,” he added. “This is pay and title agnostic,” Festerling said. Some companies offer internships within 24 hours of receiving an application, Henrich said. Of course, hiring quickly sounds great in theory, but for employers, it comes with inherent risk. What if the candidate isn’t a good fit? Worse, what if they are downright toxic for company culture? What if there’s a better option? “We also don’t want to rush because we don’t want someone to make a decision that they have not thoroughly thought through or that we have not thoroughly thought through,” Sinclair said. Moving with urgency but not rushing requires organization, he added. The talent acquisition team works to get candidates in front of managers quickly, help make solid but expedited decisions and get back to candidates quickly. “Managers have made it a priority to interview candidates because they understand it. It’s not because they’re told they need to, it’s because they get it,” Sinclair said. Defining what you want in a candidate and what you’ll pay before going into the market can help with speed, Festerling said. It isn’t uncommon for an early interview to be a near perfect fit but for the person doing the hiring to still see other candidates. “The answer should be ‘why?’” Festerling said. “If you just want to ‘date other people’ so you’re convicted about who you want to marry, you’re going to lose.”

WISCONSIN Average Hourly Wage in March ($)

Average Year-Over-Year Change in Q1 (%)

Private

29.8

6.6

31.69

5.6

Construction

35.92

3.7

34.01

5.5

Manufacturing

28.44

3.8

30.46

4.8

Manufacturing Production Workers

23.1

5.2

24.68

5.5

Trade, Transportation and Utilities

26.62

7.9

27.34

6.2

Financial Activities

35.81

7.3

41.14

3.9

Professional and Business Services

33.99

38.12

INDUSTRY

WAGES STILL MATTER While many factors influence hiring, wages still do shape employee decision-making. A QPS survey of employees across eight mostly Midwestern states found 60% would leave their job for a pay increase, although 24% said they would need a $5 per hour bump to leave.

Average Hires, Job Openings and Quits

NATIONAL Average Hourly Wage in March ($)

Instead, some employers seem to be coming to the office for the sake of coming to the office. “People are doing that a ton here in Milwaukee,” Fojut said. More remote work also opens the pool of potential talent for local companies, but local residents also have opportunities to work for businesses around the country or the world. “It’s a double-edged sword,” Koehn said. Plus, not every job lends itself to remote work. At Versiti, for example, phlebotomists have to be with donors to collect blood. In manufacturing, it would be beyond difficult to send a CNC machine or assembly line home with someone. Employers can still find ways to offer flexibility. In some of its facilities, Generac, which has 700 openings in Wisconsin, offers as many as 14 different shifts, including options that allow employees to see kids off to school or to work weekend-only shifts. “Given the current labor market, we’ve become a lot more creative and flexible in our manufacturing facilities. Gone are the days of three shifts,” said Rhonda Maschke, executive vice president of human resources at the Town of Genesee-based manufacturer. Versiti has tried assigning employees to blood drives closer to home or at set times of day and explored different workweek arrangements. For some, working four longer days may be a better fit, while others may be more open to six shorter days per week. “It’s a tough dance, because we’re also trying to be as convenient to the donors as we can be,” Sinclair said.

Average Year-Over-Year Change in Q1 (%)

Education and Health Services

29.4

6.2

31.16

6.5

Leisure and Hospitality

17.65

10.2

19.71

12.1

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

PRE- AND POST-COVID

Source: March-February JOLTS data, U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics

biztimes.com / 21

STORY COVER

SMALL BUSINESSES drive Wisconsin’s economy.

The companies on the following pages are working together to move our state forward.

Companies are increasingly willing to pay to get talent. More QPS customers are interested in direct-hire services instead of using temporary or contract arraignments, Festerling said. Starting wages have been pushed higher, and it is not uncommon to see $1,000-plus signing bonuses. “All of that is great, it’s attention-getting and it sort of stops the bleeding if that works in terms of getting people,” Morgan said. The problem, he added, is if a company is offering an $8,000 sign-on bonus but doesn’t offer anything to employees who started a few months earlier. Then hiring one person creates retention issues with others. A January MRA survey found more than 90% of companies are offering signing bonuses for at least some positions. Depending on the job, a quarter to a third or more of bonuses are worth at least $1,000. Most pay out right away and nearly four in 10 did not include requirements for an employee to stay. Another MRA survey found 66% of employers had adjusted pay ranges and starting wages to account for higher wage demands, while another 19% made increases to starting wages only. Morgan cautioned employers making starting wage changes to adjust at other points on the scale, too. “They’ve got to look at this a little bit more wholistically,” he said. With many companies using wages and bonuses to attract employees, some small- and medium-sized businesses simply may not be able to compete financially for talent, Morgan said. For those companies, he suggested identifying potential employee groups with a lifestyle matching the company’s work style and then utilizing benefits to attract that group. Some ideas include three 12-hour shifts instead of five, eight-hour shifts, targeting those in their early 60s who might have left the workforce at the onset of the pandemic, or finding a way to help young parents with childcare issues. “Maybe instead of hiring five full-time people, we hire 10 part-time people and they swap their childcare with each other,” he suggested. While many businesses are getting creative, Morgan acknowledged some older business leaders don’t see the need for new benefits like a Netflix subscription, signing bonus, box of company swag or assigned mentor and have more of a “lucky to work here” attitude. “That hasn’t quite sunk in with everybody yet,” he said. “It’s just the market that we’re in right now and demographically, it’s going to last for a little while.” To Festerling, it is generally a good thing more companies are taking innovative approaches and 22 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

trying to position themselves better for the future. “Having CEOs get involved at the lowest level of culture is positive,” he said. “Watching operations managers study the candidate lifecycle and why people are leaving and why people are staying, that’s a net positive.”

MILWAUKEE’S PATH FORWARD Looking ahead, the picture only gets more complicated for employers. Yes, the labor market is tight, but the economy is also full of uncertainty. Inflation, supply chain and COVID-19 challenges remain, there is an ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. GDP decreased 1.4% in the first quarter, and it isn’t hard to imagine circumstances conspiring to tip the economy into recession. Depending on the depth of a slowdown, employers could be left with tough decisions when it comes to the staff they’re working hard to hire. Let people go and they likely won’t be there when the economy returns, or keep paying them and cut production. “I’m between a rock and a hard place here because either one of those decisions could be the end of me as I know it,” Morgan said. Regardless of the direction of the economy, Wisconsin and Milwaukee face demographic challenges. With Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson embracing the idea of somehow drastically increasing the city’s population to 1 million, Fojut suggested every decision at city government should be made while at least asking if it would help grow the city. “Culturally, the city has to change,” Fojut said. “The city has to say it’s all about growth, not about maintaining. We have a really maintain culture, and we don’t expect a lot. That’s been the problem.” He also suggested employers need to think more about how to develop the next generation of talent, which also offers access to a bigger pool of talent. Festerling has a similar suggestion. “We have to find a way to give more people more chances,” he said. One of Festerling’s concerns is the automation companies, especially in manufacturing, will adopt to get through talent shortages and will leave some people behind even as employers cannot fill other jobs. He pointed to a customer having difficulty filling maintenance positions. Finding a solution requires looking at what makes a good, entry-level maintenance person – things like mechanical aptitude and an ability to problem-solve. People with experience as machine operators might be a good fit, but the company needs to be willing to invest in

training over six months or a year, Festerling said. “Take every job that we have a shortage of, I would say half of them we can build them, but it’s going to take us as employers being really deliberate,” he said. Similarly in tech, creativity could keep more people in the region. Henrich pointed to data gathered by MMAC suggesting there are three times more graduates than entry-level positions in tech fields in the region. Companies could create more entry-level roles – and ultimately retain more graduates – by breaking down the work that needs to be done and realigning it, Henrich said. The result might be two entry-level jobs and one mid-level instead of just two mid-level positions. Another alternative would be upskilling current entry-level employees to higher-level roles faster. Those investments are typically less expensive than moving someone into the region and help with retention, Henrich said. Beyond specific efforts to retrain and retain talent, companies and the region have work to do on their brand. “I do think that this Milwaukee region continues to be misunderstood and really still defined by maybe the ‘Happy Days’ era,” Kane said. Henrich said the region has not told its story broadly enough. “What is different about this region is a lot of our tech is embedded in traditional industries versus being a tech industry,” she said. Kane said Midwest companies are slow to change and like to run using dashboards and metrics based on sales and efficiency. They think about what they do, make great products, but not enough about why. “I think the thing that plagues Milwaukee companies the most is their inability to understand how to build an employer brand,” Fojut said. Koehn said the idea of an employer brand, marrying talent attraction and marketing, is new for a lot of people but many are starting to understand acquiring an employee can cost as much as acquiring a customer, and budgets should reflect that dynamic. “That’s not second nature, and that’s where we’re starting to see some divergence between winners and losers in this job market,” she said. Fojut said many companies in the region like to participate in culture but don’t know how to create the kind of external culture that would attract people. “I’m not saying these places are bad to work, but it’s not like somebody in Atlanta is waking up and saying ‘I want to work for a company in Milwaukee,’” he said. n

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purpose. Insurance companies used to be the bare hand that pulled you out of the surf. Many people now feel like insurance companies are more like the waves – crashing and making a bad situation worse. Ask someone who has experienced an insurance claim what it felt like. No one forgets the anxiety. Now imagine, what it would have felt like to have an advocate on your side? When big claims happen to good clients, insurance brokers also feel the same anxiety and many lack access to a skilled advocate. Most will try their best to help, but often get over their heads quickly. Trading client equity and straining relationships. Ask any broker what it feels like to lose a good client over a bad claim experience. Chances are, it still stings. Claims create anxiety and that leads to stress. Stress causes heavy strain. Strain breaks even the strongest personal and professional relationships. Advocate Claim Service removes anxiety from claims. We advocate for policyholders and preserve broker relationships. We manage the claim while you focus on recovering. Sick of feeling stressed about your claim? Rely on us. n

biztimes.com / 23

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Small business bankruptcy: What do you need to know?

AFTER THE LAST TWO YEARS, dealing with bankruptcy issues is probably the lowest priority on any business owner’s mind. Perhaps you have been able to survive the unprecedented market trends and uncertainty, and now times look to be stabilizing. Having a basic understanding of what’s been called “Sub 5”, or “Subchapter V” can help you navigate any surprises that may be coming ahead.

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Subchapter V history and background On February 19, 2020, the Small Business Reorganization Act (“SBRA”) became effective and provided small businesses and owners, or individuals of high net worth, with a faster and more affordable pathway to reorganize- thus creating Subchapter V of Chapter 11. When SBRA was first enacted, there was a debt limit for debtors to qualify under this section. Subchapter V was limited to debtors with aggregate debts that did not exceed approximately $2.7 million. The debt limit was intended to ensure debtors using Subchapter V were truly small businesses and owners. In March 2020, the debt limit was increased to $7.5 million as part of the CARES Act. This increase significantly broadened the number of eligible businesses. While bankruptcies broadly have been down over the past two years, Subchapter V filings in Wisconsin have increased by 42%.

Important tips about subchapter V Be prepared to move quickly. Under Subchapter V, the debtor must file a proposed plan within 90 days. Creditors should pay attention to how the plan deals with different types of debts, how creditors are classified, intended payments under the plan and the length of time the plan calls for payments. Be ready to negotiate. Another purpose of Subchapter V was encouraging debtors to work with their creditors to propose a “consensual plan.” Advocate for yourself and pay attention. There is no creditor’s committee in Subchapter V. If you are the secured creditor, be ready to discuss the terms of your debt. If you are an unsecured creditor, plan to engage in discussions with the debtor early in the process to understand what will happen. Be aware of the debt limit for Subchapter Vs are and whether the debtor may be eligible. Any creditor could challenge the debtor’s eligibility to file. Recent developments Recent legislation has been introduced that could impact what happens next. On March 27, 2022, the CARES Act $7.5 million debt limit for Subchapter V expired returning the debt limit to just over $3 million. Just before the expiration, Senator Grassley introduced the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act that seeks to make the $7.5 million debt limit permanent. On April 7, Senator Murphy introduced an amendment to make the $7.5 million debt limit effective for 2 years. The amended Act passed in the Senate on April 8, 2022. However, the Act must still pass in the House before becoming law. If you are not familiar with Subchapter V, please consult an attorney about your rights. Being mindful and informed about this section will put you in the best position to recover outstanding debts. If you have questions or are concerned this may affect you, please reach out to the Davis Kuelthau attorneys who authored this article. n

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community your business is in. A lender who is fully present in the community will understand how your business fits in, what your needs are, and how to reach your business potential.

A COMMERCIAL LENDER is a critical partner for any business owner. In addition to providing financing and fulfilling your banking needs, great lenders serve as advocates and connection-makers. A lender who is not a great fit for you, however, can be frustrating to work with while also limiting your business opportunities. So, what makes a great commercial lender for your business?

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Make a connection Most importantly, choose someone you have a connection with. Does your banker take a genuine interest in your business, or does it feel like you’re just one among a sea of clients? Get a referral for a lender from another business owner or ask potential lenders how they’ve helped businesses like yours. Better yet, ask for references and follow-up with those customers.

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Invested in your success Is your banker going out of his or her way to ensure you succeed? Is he or she proactively reaching out and checking to see if there’s anything you need? Find someone willing to invest time and energy in helping your business prosper. Familiar with the market Choose a commercial lender who knows the

Where are decisions made, by whom, and how quickly? Accessibility is a huge factor when choosing a commercial lender. Larger banks often make decisions out-of-state. On the other hand, decisions at community banks are made by people who live locally and know the impact of the decision on the area. You’ll also want to know how quickly your commercial lender can make decisions so you don’t miss critical deadlines or opportunities. Support through business cycles Knowing the history of the bank you’re considering and how they’ve supported customers through various business cycles is an important consideration. If your business goes through an economic downturn (hmm … maybe a pandemic?), will the bank offer you flexibility and support you through the downturn? A bank that works with you to find solutions is one that’s truly invested in your success. Services offered In addition to business term loans and lines of credit, does the bank offer financing options for operating funds, equipment purchases or leases, and real estate? You’ll also want to know if the bank works with local economic development organizations. Further, does the bank offer business deposit products and cash management tools that help with your accounts payable and receivable? The right online banking tools can help you run your business more efficiently. Find a commercial lender who is honest, transparent and dependable – someone you can build a relationship with and who will go out of his or her way to find financing solutions that work for your business. And then, make sure they deliver. n

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Special Report

CARROLL UNIVERSITY

HEALTH CARE

Carroll University’s Associate Degree in Nursing students gather for classes and lab work at the United Community Center. Crystal Churchill, who went back to school for her nursing degree at age 46, is pictured in the center.

Amid industry shortage, aspiring nurses expect plentiful job opportunities and brace for burnout BY LAUREN ANDERSON, for BizTimes When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and images of overworked nurses began flooding the news, Rylie Gill had moments of asking herself, “Why am I even doing this?” Gill, a nursing major at the Milwaukee School of Engineering who is now just weeks away from graduation, says the state of the profession has given her pause over the past two years. “I don’t know that I can do this,” Gill recalls thinking during her junior year, after the first

26 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

wave of the pandemic had receded and the second began to flare. “Nurses are stressed out, they’re burned out. They don’t feel that they’re being compensated appropriately. … Is that the kind of field I want to go into?” Gill is among the current cohort of aspiring nurses preparing to enter an industry where employment opportunities are plentiful but burnout rates are high. While COVID has largely waned from its previous peaks, the nursing profession has

taken a serious hit. A workforce report released earlier this year by the Wisconsin Hospital Association revealed massive shifts in the industry during the course of the pandemic, with registered nurse vacancy rates reaching the double digits last year for the first time since 2005. “The nursing shortage has arrived,” WHA said in its report, noting the confluence of the “Silver Tsunami,” “Great Resignation” and pandemic as driving health care vacancies. Nurses are also changing jobs at high rates. Prior to 2021, about one in 10 RNs changed jobs annually; in 2021, that number was approaching one in five, according to WHA. Those trends are consistent with what’s playing out nationally. A McKinsey study found one-third of surveyed RNs indicated a likelihood of leaving

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Special Report HEALTH CARE their current position providing direct patient care in November 2021, up from 22% in February of that year. The reasons cited included insufficient staffing levels, a desire for higher pay, not feeling listened to or supported, and the emotional toll of the job, according to the report. Catherine Uttech initially thought she wanted to become a surgeon or an anesthesiologist. But when she took a job as a transporter at Children’s Wisconsin as a freshman at Alverno College, her aspirations changed. She observed how much one-on-one time nurses at the Wauwatosa hospital spent with their patients and how that allowed them to develop relationships with children and their families. “It was actually walking around the hospital and truly being in that hospital environment that made me realize that a career as a nurse was so much more interesting to me,” she said. “… A nurse is the one who truly knows their patient better than anyone else.” Uttech came to the realization that she wanted to become a nurse during the industry upheaval of the early days of the pandemic. Just three days into her job as a transporter – before she had even completed her training – the hospital instituted a mask mandate and altered many of its policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “Since then, I have never stepped foot into the hospital without a mask on,” Uttech said. “Literally everything in the hospital changed (that day).” Now a junior enrolled in Alverno’s nursing program, Uttech sees the advantages of working in health care and studying to become a nurse during a time of significant shifts. Compared to more tenured nurses for whom changes in hospital policy required adapting to new procedures, Uttech said she has less to unlearn. “I would see coworkers who had been there for five, 10, 15 years: Their whole world was changing in a role that they knew very, very well,” she said. “I think I almost had the advantage of just starting at that time because I wasn’t

so used to old policies.” Current nursing students have experienced many disruptions to their studies over the past two years. Classes were held online for a period of time; group simulations in many cases have become solo experiences; clinicals – essential hands-on, practical experiences at the bedside – were canceled when COVID cases spiked. Gill said she and her peers are in near daily conversation about their concerns related to entering the professional world. “It’s hard to have that balance of giving students the truth of what’s out there right now but also giving them the confidence they don’t have right now,” Gill said. “Even without COVID and all these other things, anyone’s confidence when you get to your senior year is dwindling a little bit. You don’t know everything that you have to know. Compound that on top of all the talk of COVID and nursing shortages … and long hours and harsh environments.” Several students said they are glad to have plentiful opportunities available to them when they graduate, but some worry about their readiness to step into the positions that they expect to be offered. “Knowing that by the time I graduate I will have not just one but probably multiple options to where I want to go as a nurse, that’s a great feeling,” said Uttech. “But on the other side of that, it’s very scary knowing that I am being hired to this unit with very little to no experience coming out of school. Am I just going to be thrown in so quickly because of the shortage?” Gill, who is interviewing for positions at a major area hospital in its emergency department and cardiovascular ICU, said she is concerned about reports of growing nurse-to-patient ratios, which research indicates can impact patient safety. At 46, Crystal Churchill is on track to become a registered nurse next year, 30 years after receiving her certified nursing assistant license as a high school student.

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She put her RN license aspirations on hold as she raised her children, and for the past 12 years has worked as a medical assistant with Ascension Wisconsin. When her daughter was accepted into a new, two-year associate nursing degree program at Carroll University last year, she decided to apply as well. “I’ve been waiting for a two-year (RN) program for forever,” she said. Today, she and her daughter attend classes together. After graduation, she plans to work in an emergency room setting. She’s already been offered a paid externship and job after graduation working in a local neuro-ICU. “You never get a job like that out of school, an ICU job. Usually, you have to get more experience,” Churchill said. Health systems are going to greater lengths to attract and retain employees, including offering bonuses, recruitment incentives and overtime pay. Employers have also relied on travel nursing and other staffing agencies to fill gaps. For those soon entering the field, travel nursing offers the potential for higher pay compared to more traditional roles. Several nursing students said they would consider travel nursing, noting how social media shapes their perception of the job. “You’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, and you see ads where there’s just this ridiculous amount of money you can make going to work for three weeks or three months somewhere,” Uttech said. “That’s obviously very appealing, especially when you’re a broke college student. … The money is so hard to pass up.” After working toward her degree for the past four years, Gill said she plans to take a nursing job after graduation and stay in the field for five years. But she’s also prepared to change paths. “I’d say I have a plan A, B, C and D,” Gill said. “If it doesn’t work out for me, it wouldn’t be wise not to have a backup.” n

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Contact Linda Crawford at linda.crawford@biztimes.com CELEBRATING 27 YEARS

Advocate Aurora Enterprises focuses investments on growing aging-in-place market BY LAUREN ANDERSON, for BizTimes JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, Advocate Aurora Enterprises – the investment arm of the Wisconsinand Illinois-based health system – announced its first acquisition: Maryland-based in-home senior care provider Senior Helpers. After accounting for acquired cash, AAE paid $183.7 million for Senior Helpers, according to company filings. The deal marked the then-newly launched Advocate Aurora Health subsidiary’s entry into the corner of the consumer wellness market focused on helping people age independently. Last month, AAE added to its portfolio when it closed on the acquisition of a second senior-wellness-oriented company, MobileHelp. The addition of the Florida-based provider of personal emergency response systems and remote patient monitoring builds out AAE’s suite of services that help people age safely in their homes. Advocate Aurora Enterprises went live in the spring of 2021 with the stated goal of backing – and

in some cases buying – consumer health and wellness companies that expand the health system’s capabilities outside of the traditional clinical care model. Its focus areas include services related to aging, parenthood and personal performance. “The consumer health ecosystem is massive,” said Scott Powder, president of AAE. “It’s on its own a trillion-dollar economy, so we wanted to narrow in on areas that we thought, one, (where) there is significant growth, because … obviously part of what we’re trying to do is grow and scale the number of people we serve; and two, areas where there is a lot of unmet need, fragmentation, or maybe where there are lots of solutions, but people have a tough time finding them. … And third is where do we have capabilities in our core clinical delivery that could be brought to bear and help us be more effective?” AAE has focused much of its early investment on services for older adult patients – a rapidly grow-

ing market, with one in five U.S. citizens being of retirement age by 2030, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Senior Helpers — a 20-year-old company with more than 320 franchised and corporate-owned locations in 44 states, Canada and AustraPowder lia — offers in-home senior services such as meal planning, grocery shopping, medication reminders, transportation and assistance with personal hygiene. AAE closed on its acquisition of the company on April 1, 2021. In conjunction with that deal, AAE began seeking in-home technology solutions to complement those services. “The cost of having a labor-based workforce in the home is expensive, and not everyone can afford it,” Powder said. “Augmenting that with technology is helpful. … Technology can be this additional layer of safety and security and provide access to the clinical system as needed.”

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Special Report HEALTH CARE Founded in 2009, MobileHelp developed mobile-personal emergency response systems that use GPS tracking to provide assistance to older adults who have fallen or are experiencing an emergency in their home. Roughly six years ago, the company began building out its remote patient monitoring division, which later spun out into sister company Clear Arch Health. That technology enables the transmission of medical data to clinicians, allowing health care professionals to keep tabs on patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and glucose levels, from their homes. “Remote patient monitoring lets us continuously monitor people’s health, and we can take action when things are trending in the wrong direction, but if there’s a need for an immediate emergency response, that combination is powerful,” said Rob Flippo, chief executive officer of MobileHelp. “Having it all in one solution is really helpful for the end user.” That combination was also attractive to AAE, Powder said. “By acquiring them we get not only that personal emergency response capability, but we get a remote patient monitoring division inside of there, and they can integrate the technology and bring it

Presents:

all together,” he said. “That was unique and different. We hadn’t seen that in other companies.” Powder and Flippo, who post-deal remains in his CEO role, noted the rapid adoption of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the Flippo mainstreaming of remote patient monitoring, with many patients and clinicians seeking options for care at home. That trend is only expected to continue, they said. Acquiring both Senior Helpers and MobileHelp also provides Advocate Aurora with more touchpoints with consumers outside the system’s traditional health care settings. MobileHelp equipment, alone, is used by 300,000 households. AAE’s focus over the next few months is to bundle services together and integrate them with the health system’s existing home health and hospice care services.

June 15, 2022 7:30 - 10:30 AM Lakeland University

“It’s a connection with 300,000 more households where now we can start offering those people perhaps the ability to use Senior Helpers, if they need it,” Powder said. “Or, (we can) offer our Senior Helpers clients this additional layer of technology for peace of mind. … MobileHelp is really unique in terms of its technology and capabilities, but the synergy between Senior Helpers and MobileHelp gets really interesting.” In addition to its two acquisitions, AAE’s other deals so far have included undisclosed lead investments in San Francisco-based telenutrition company Foodsmart’s $25 million series C funding round and in Seattle-based digital health company Xealth’s $24 million series B funding round. After a quick succession of deals in its first year, Powder said that pace will slow in the coming months as AAE takes stock of its assets. “We are going to be spending the next three to six months digesting this very significant, for us, largest acquisition we’ve done to date, of MobileHelp, and making sure they’re hitting the ground running,” Powder said. “… It’s a little bit like being a kid in a candy store. We now have, between Senior Helpers and MobileHelp, the ability to find all kinds of interesting possibilities.” n

Growing an Already Global Community

Sheboygan County is home to world-class hospitality venues and global companies, but to grow and retain both in the coming decades, the county will need a workforce to support its growing economy. Join us June 15 for an opportunity to make progress on these fronts by providing time to step back and look at the long-term picture. Sheboygan County’s Affordable Housing Initiatives and the Goals for the Coming Decade • Don Hammond, Mersberger Financial Group (1) • Brian Doudna, Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp. (2)

Workforce, Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Tourism • • • •

Michael Klein, Bemis Manufacturing Co. (3) Christine Loose, Kohler (4) Grant Pauly, 3 Sheeps Brewing Company (5) Beth Borgen, Lakeland University (6)

The panels will be followed by breakout sessions on innovation, workforce health, and removing hurdles to workforce participation.

30 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

Event Partners:

BizTimes Milwaukee presents its inaugural showcase of Rising Stars in Real Estate, recognizing young, talented professionals who are shaping high-profile commercial and residential real estate deals in southeastern Wisconsin. Methodology: The honorees do not pay to be included. Their profiles are drawn from nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be based in southeastern Wisconsin and work in the region’s residential or commercial real estate industries.

DAVID TIGHE

KELLY RODENKIRK

REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | BOERKE

David Tighe, real estate advisor at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke in Milwaukee represents institutional and private equity clients with the disposition and acquisition of investment properties in all asset classes.

Kelly Rodenkirk, real estate advisor at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke in Milwaukee, has been selling and leasing commercial real estate in southeast Wisconsin since 2017.

He has experience with both buyer and seller representation, single- and multi-tenant net leased deals, investment analysis, site selection and property assemblage. In these roles, Tighe has consummated transactions totaling more than $200 million.

“Kelly has a passion for working with and representing local and small business owners. She has been successful at advising small business owners who are making their dreams of owning and operating commercial real estate a reality,” said Nancy Vianes, chief operating officer at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke.

“His knowledge of capital markets and commercial real estate has led to his success. During his time at the firm, he has proven to be a team player with intuitive sales skills and a strong ability to find common ground between opposing parties,” said John Kuhn, principal at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke. “David continues to be a leader within our office and community, educating new brokers on finding solutions for partners in the community, how to be considerate of all parties involved and continuing to stay aware of market events and trends,” said Kuhn.

“She takes pride in helping her clients throughout the entire real estate process from providing resources, to securing SBA financing, to retail-focused contractors, to being a liaison with municipalities and economic development directors,” said Vianes. “In 2021, Kelly took the initiative to reach out and expand into a brokerage team with Amelia Bifano and very recently has taken the initial steps in developing and co-chairing the new Boerke internship program here in the Milwaukee office,” said Kevin Riordan, managing partner at Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke.

RECOGNITION WHERE

IT’S DESERVED CONGRATULATIONS, David Tighe and Kelly Rodenkirk on being BizTimes Media’s Rising Stars in Real Estate 2022! We’re proud to have you on our team — you’re both incredible to work with and extremely knowledgeable in the field.

731 N Jackson Street, Suite 700 Milwaukee, WI 53202 | USA

biztimes.com / 31

SAM MORRIS

TYLER PARBS

VICE PRESIDENT, PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

VICE PRESIDENT, INVESTMENTS

J. JEFFERS & CO. Sam Morris, vice president of portfolio management at Milwaukee-based real estate development and investment firm J. Jeffers & Co., focuses on maximizing portfolio performance, raising equity capital and managing relationships with outside capital partners. “In short, Sam is Joshua Jeffers’ right-hand finance man,” said Ned Purtell, partner and broker at Founders 3 Real Estate. Joshua Jeffers is the founder and chief executive officer of J. Jeffers & Co. Over the past two years, Morris has navigated the firm’s downtown Milwaukee office portfolio through COVID-19 challenges, Purtell said. Specifically, he led efforts to stabilize The Huron Building and 633 W. Wisconsin. Other projects include the Milwaukee Athletic Club, Journal Square and Belle City Square in Racine. “Sam’s financial acumen is an asset to J. Jeffers & Co. and our national investor base,” said Jeffers. “He is responsible for the investment performance of the firm’s highest priority properties. I am fortunate to be able to rely on him to effectively manage a diverse range of teams consisting of leasing, capital markets and legal, among others.”

J. JEFFERS & CO. Tyler Parbs, vice president of investments at Milwaukee-based development firm J. Jeffers & Co., is responsible for deal and capital sourcing, legal and tax structuring, and transactional closings for the company’s regional pipeline of projects. Parbs joined the firm in 2019 after meeting J. Jeffers & Co. founder and chief executive officer Joshua Jeffers in 2018. At the time, Jeffers was an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. As a student of engineering, Parbs recognized a unique opportunity to leverage his problem-solving skills in real estate development, said Ian Abston, director of the Hoan Group, co-founder of the Forward 48 leadership development program and supervisor of Parbs’ Forward 48 cohort. “He is viewed as someone who stands out in the industry, seeing opportunity where others see roadblocks,” Abston said. Parbs has been involved in several investments in Milwaukee’s downtown, including the acquisition and $65 million redevelopment of the former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel buildings into 195 units of affordable student housing for Milwaukee Area Technical College and 141 units of apartments.

ELIZABETH PANCRATZ MARKETING, CLIENT AND TRANSACTION SPECIALIST

FOUNDERS 3 REAL ESTATE SERVICES During her tenure at Founders 3 Real Estate Services, a Milwaukee-based commercial real estate company, Elizabeth Pancratz, marketing, client and transaction specialist, has worked to develop the firm’s community presence, company culture and industry position, including navigating the firm through its merger in 2017. She has worked on projects including The Avenue redevelopment project, HUB640 and the Huron building in downtown Milwaukee. “She is a key element in the creation of unique marketing strategies, blending a mix of modern and classic tactics to deliver well-rounded and effective results,” said Jenna Maguire, office property specialist at Founders 3. A board member for the Real Estate Alliance for Charity since 2018, Pancratz was elected president in 2022. “Through Elizabeth’s tenacity and industry connections, she led the organization in securing over $125,000 in sponsorships, nearly doubling the levels of the prior year,” said Jim Villa, executive director of REACH and NAIOP Wisconsin. Pancratz is also a founding member and prior chair of MAC Women, a committee within the Milwaukee Athletic Club.

CHARESE GARDNER

AARON MATTER

GREGORY ERCHULL

OWNER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL

MANAGING BROKER

MATTER DEVELOPMENT

ERCHULL REAL ESTATE GROUP

GARDNER & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE AND INVESTMENT FIRM Charese Gardner launched Gardner & Associates Real Estate and Investment Firm in 2010 after working as a property assessor for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Prior to that, she was a realtor, appraiser and financial consultant at Homestead Realty Inc. Gardner is a past president of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce. “Charese Gardner is a Milwaukee-born powerhouse woman and a pillar in her community,” said Ebony Jennings, owner and president of Jennings Asphalt Contracting & Construction. “As former president of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, she has created so many opportunities for people in her community.” Jennings described Gardner as a highly productive and results-driven real estate agent and broker, highlighting her efforts to develop low-income apartments in the downtown Milwaukee area.

Developer Aaron Matter leads by example, says Mike Van Someren, an attorney at Davis & Kuelthau s.c. When Matter’s role at a previous employer shifted focus, he started his own company: Wauwatosa-based Matter Development. “Aaron seeks to help identify hidden opportunities in communities to develop purposeful, lifestyle-forward, highly connected and active housing for seniors – something other than a one-size-fits-all approach sometimes seen in the market,” said Van Someren. “Through the relationships he developed in his career, he was able to find the right site and partners to develop his inaugural project.” Matter opened an 80-bed independent and assisted living and memory care facility known as Evin at Oconomowoc. The moniker is a nod to entrepreneur Ole Evinrude, who invented the first reliable outboard boat motor in the early 1900s on Okauchee Lake. Matter’s additional projects include the under-construction Lumia, a 68-unit senior living project in Mequon (together with Three Leaf Partners), an under-construction 18-unit rental townhomes development in Grafton, the historic renovation of Cramer Street school in Milwaukee, a senior living development in Sheboygan alongside a new Froedtert hospital and medical clinic, and a senior living development in Pewaukee (together with ICAP Development).

32 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

Greg Erchull, managing broker at New Berlin-based Erchull Real Estate Group, was a veteran real estate attorney before he launched a full-time real estate brokerage and a full-service title company. He also added real estate development to his list of services. “The depth of his real estate knowledge and array of available services makes him one of the most unique real estate (practitioners) in the area,” said Jerome Krings, an attorney with Carlson Dash. “He is a fierce negotiator and tactician, which greatly benefits his clients on the most basic to the most complex transaction.” Erchull focuses his practice on commercial and residential real estate transactions and the representation of small-to-medium-sized businesses. He specializes in short sales in real estate transactions and zoning concerns for landowners. Erchull recently finished developing and selling a 16-lot residential subdivision in New Berlin. He also just closed on a 10-parcel portfolio in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood.

CONGRATULATIONS! SAM MORRIS & T YLER PARBS

From all of us at

to our Rising Stars

CORTNEY MARSHALL

SAM GLEISCHMAN

ALEX ANDERSON

ASSOCIATE

SALES EXECUTIVE

REALTOR

CBRE

POWERS REALTY GROUP INC.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY EPIC REAL ESTATE Cortney Marshall, a realtor at Berkshire Hathaway Epic Real Estate, started out working at a small mortgage company in Kenosha. Shortly after that, he decided to buy some investment properties. He held on to them for a few years, then a light bulb turned on, and he started a career as a realtor. Marshall earned his realtor’s license in Wisconsin in 2008, and a few years later, the Chicago native became licensed in Illinois so he could assist family and friends with real estate issues. Marshall recently stepped away from residential sales to focus more on commercial and multifamily properties. A veteran himself, he is also working on starting a business to help vets. “I want to help provide them with another opportunity as they have sacrificed so much for our country,” he said. Marshall currently sits on the board of directors for the Kenosha-based Southshore Realtors Association and its governmental affairs committee.

Sam Gleischman, an associate in CBRE’s Milwaukee office, joined the company in 2020 with more than 10 years of experience in the retail brokerage industry. Prior to working at CBRE, Gleischman worked at Milwaukee-based Metier LLC, a family-owned company, where he partnered with his father and focused on brokerage, property management and administrative operations. Gleischman specializes in retail tenant and landlord representation in Wisconsin and the Midwest. National account teams Gleischman is a part of include Kohl’s Corp., Dunkin’ Donuts, Popeyes and Tidal Wave Auto Spa. He also represents several local businesses growing across the state as well as property owners working to fill vacant spaces. “Sam is a great young person with an insatiable desire to succeed,” said Gary Stein, executive vice president of CBRE. In addition to his professional efforts, Gleischman is active in his community and serves as a Young Leader Board member for Penfield Children’s Center.

Alex Anderson began his career in real estate after leaving a corporate position at the end of 2014. His first year was a challenge: He took a 60% cut in his income and had his lights shut off twice. With little to spend on food, he relied on the Tuesday broker open tours where he would pocket extra sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Now Anderson volunteers at the Matthew 25 Food Pantry. After almost eight years of selling real estate as a lone agent, Anderson recently created The Collaboration, a team within Powers Realty Group. Having participated in leadership development program Forward48 and as a committee member in Radio Milwaukee’s Community Engagement Resource Group, Anderson works to support Milwaukee and the surrounding communities. “He is an incredibly talented and motivated individual who took a big leap to create a successful career in real estate,” said Ian Abston, director of the Hoan Group and co-founder of Forward48. “His journey inspired me and his fellow Forward48 alumni participants.”

MIKE WANEZEK

JOE LANGHOFF

WILL KLUMB

BROKER

REAL ESTATE ADVISOR INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY GROUP

SALES ASSOCIATE

COLLIERS | WISCONSIN

Mike Wanezek, broker at Colliers | Wisconsin, specializes in office landlord and occupier representation in downtown Milwaukee’s central business district. Wanezek is currently responsible for the brokerage services of more than 2.5 million square feet market-wide. His areas of expertise include leasing and sales of commercial office investments, corporate owner and tenant representation, research analysis and Argus modeling. Since 2018, he has completed more than $350 million in lease transactions and more than $81 million in sales transactions.

When real estate advisor Joe Langhoff joined Colliers | Wisconsin in Milwaukee, he created a father-son real estate team. He interned in 2020 at Colliers | Wisconsin where his father Bill Langhoff works. The younger Langhoff got his brokerage license before he graduated from Xavier University with a degree in finance. Among the team’s projects are a 150,000-square-foot lease at 12255 W. Carmen Ave. in Milwaukee for Materion Advanced Chemicals.

Wanezek is an executive board member of NAIOP Wisconsin and an advisory board member of the Marquette Center for Real Estate Alumni. He has earned several recognitions, including the NAIOP National Developing Leader Award in 2018, and is a seven-time Costar Power Broker.

“Since joining Colliers, Joe has developed a reputation among his peers as a hardworking, dedicated professional,” said Dan Wroblewski, partner and director of brokerage services at Colliers International. “His commitment to understanding the southeast Wisconsin real estate market and its economic impact on the Milwaukee region has allowed him to get a quick start on his rising career.”

“Mike is a dynamic and passionate adviser to his clients. He has worked on some of the biggest office deals in the region,” said Jim Villa, chief executive officer at NAIOP Wisconsin.

Joe Langhoff is a member of the CARW NextGen program, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, MMAC and the Colliers Emerging Industrial Leaders group.

34 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

FIRST WEBER Will Klumb, sales associate at First Weber, has been involved in commercial real estate and property management for 10 years, starting in high school when he did maintenance work on multifamily properties throughout the Milwaukee area. Since joining First Weber, the University of Wisconsin-Madison grad has represented sellers with a range of property types, from a 97unit apartment portfolio to an 80-acre Menomonee Falls landmark that will reopen as a nonprofit equine therapy facility. Klum has represented the School Sisters of Notre Dame in leasing their new office in Milwaukee County Research Park; represented the seller and buyer of 25.5 acres in Menomonee Falls for residential development; sold several churches on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee; and assisted numerous small business owners in acquiring and/or liquidating their buildings during growth and retirement stages of their businesses. “He prides himself on his work ethic, responsiveness, honesty and unwavering dedication to his clients’ best interests,” said Heidi McKenna, broker and manager at First Weber.

NICK KEYS

MATTHEW JUDSON

COLE RUSSELL

PRINCIPAL AND SHAREHOLDER

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTSALES

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

THE DICKMAN CO. INC.

JUDSON & ASSOCIATES S.C.

Nick Keys, principal at Milwaukee-based The Dickman Co. Inc., has been working in industrial real estate in Wisconsin for the past nine years. He specializes in investment sales, value-add redevelopment, lease negotiation and property valuation. In 2021, Keys closed 43 transactions, putting him on pace to reach a career total of 350 transactions and $400 million by volume, by the end of 2022. “Nick quickly became an important part of our team after joining our company in 2013,” said Sam Dickman, chairman of The Dickman Co. Inc. Dickman said Keys was offered a partnership both as a reward for his performance and to build upon the long-term strength of the company. “Nick has a work ethic that blends very well with those in our organization,” he said. In addition to his work, Keys is active in the community. He has been featured on real estate podcasts, public speaking events and currently sits on the board of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Lubar School of Business Alumni Association.

Matt Judson has been part of the Judson & Associates team as a sales agent since May 2016, primarily focusing on industrial real estate. “Over the past five years, I have watched him ascend from a newer agent to his recent appointment to senior vice president of sales,” said Amy Blok, licensed assistant to broker/trainer at Judson, a Waukesha-based commercial real estate brokerage. “Matt is one of the first agents in the office daily and is a student of the job. He has a knack for asking the right questions and creates opportunities when there are no obvious solutions.” “I could not be prouder of how Matt has embraced the commercial real estate business from inside the company to outside, taking care of clients and being heavily involved in his community,” said owner Mike Judson. Matt Judson is a Hartland rotarian and sits on the Waukesha County Business Alliance Young Professionals Committee. In addition, he participates in events through the Waukesha County Business Alliance and Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

After noticing the energy and enthusiasm Cole Russell displayed with an earlier employer, the sales team at Judson & Associates s.c., recruited him to work at the Waukesha-based commercial real estate brokerage. “When he started at Judson in 2018, the team immediately noticed that Cole is a person that takes his responsibilities seriously,” said Matt Judson, senior vice president of sales at Judson & Associates. “From day one, we knew that he not only wanted to exceed the expectations of the company, but also surpass any goal he set for himself. Case in point, the business goal he set in 2021 for sales volume was not only achieved, but doubled,” he said. Due to his steadfast work ethic, Judson said, Russell was recently appointed to vice president of sales. “In a few short years, Cole has risen from an unknown in CRE to one of the most widely known professionals. His tireless efforts have proven a success in CRE as well as throughout the community,” said Mike Judson, president of Judson & Associates.

Judson

The Dickman Company, inc. congratulates Nick Keys on being named a Rising Star in Commercial Real Estate!

Russell

Judson and Associates, s.c. is proud to have 2 Rising Stars on our team! Matt Judson and Cole Russell have outperformed during some of the most challenging times this world has experienced. Not only did they perform well in real estate, they found time to give back to their respective communities. Congratulations to Matt and Cole on being industry and community leaders!

ON S D JU .

s s.c ciate

sso nd a

414.271.6100 | dickmanrealestate.com 626 East Wisconsin Ave. Suite 1200 | Milwaukee, WI 53202

262.695.8800 | judsonrealestate.com 2831 N. Grandview Blvd, Suite 222 Pewaukee, WI 53072

biztimes.com / 35

JULIA HOWE

MICHAEL RIOPEL

MICHAEL TESTA

ASSOCIATE BROKER

ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL – REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AND SENIOR BROKERAGE ASSOCIATE

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

OGDEN & CO. INC.

JLL Julia Howe, associate broker at the Milwaukee office for commercial real estate firm JLL, is a member of the office services team, which is responsible for tenant representation and helps clients reduce occupancy costs and improve operational efficiencies. Howe began her career in commercial real estate with JLL three months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Prior to working at JLL, she worked as a sales associate in the residential real estate industry for several years. When Howe started at JLL, she was the only female broker in the office and immediately became involved with Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women (WCREW). “Her philosophy towards starting out in the industry is, ‘If you have nothing else to give, you can always give your time,’” said Leah Jakubowski, transactions manager at JLL. “You will find her at several networking events each week, building partnerships and relationships. She also volunteers her time mentoring small business owners through BizStarts and speaking on financial literacy with Junior Achievement and SecureFutures.”

Michael Riopel, assistant general counsel at Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual, led the launch of the MKE CRE Summer High School Immersion Program. The program, co-produced by NAIOP Wisconsin and the Marquette University Center for Real Estate, is designed to promote career opportunities in commercial real estate for students from diverse backgrounds. Riopel was recognized as NAIOP Wisconsin’s 2021 Principal Member of the Year for this effort. Additionally, Riopel serves as a NAIOP Research Foundation Visionary and was appointed to the national NAIOP education committee, focusing on professional development opportunities for the association’s members. Riopel is a member of Northwestern Mutual’s African American employee resource group and helps lead its community impact committee, which is responsible for guiding resources — including support from the Northwestern Mutual Foundation — toward Milwaukee’s African American and Black community. Riopel was also appointed to the Northwestern Mutual legal department’s diversity and inclusion committee, specifically working on an internal sponsorship program. Last year, Riopel was selected as a participant in the Forward 48 leadership development program.

SAM MORRIS

, PORTFOLIO MANAGEM VICE PRESIDENT J. JEFFERS & CO.

ENT

real estate developat Milwaukee-based raising of portfolio management portfolio performance, Sam Morris, vice president focuses on maximizing firm J. Jeffers & Co., capital partners. ment and investment relationships with outside and broker at equity capital and managing Ned Purtell, partner finance man,” said & Co. Jeffers’ right-hand officer of J. Jeffers “In short, Sam is Joshua founder and chief executive Joshua Jeffers is the Milwaukee office portfoFounders 3 Real Estate. the firm’s downtown The Huyears, Morris has navigated led efforts to stabilize Over the past two said. Specifically, he Club, Journal challenges, Purtell Milwaukee Athletic lio through COVID-19 projects include the W. Wisconsin. Other ron Building and 633 in Racine. Jeffers. Square said City base,” Belle investor Square and & Co. and our national properties. I am is an asset to J. Jeffers firm’s highest priority “Sam’s financial acumen of performance of the of teams consisting for the investment manage a diverse range “He is responsible effectively to him to rely on fortunate to be able ” and legal, among others. leasing, capital markets

UKEE T I M E S M I LWA S TAT E | B I Z S IN REAL E R I S I N G S TA R

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Mike Testa, business development manager and senior brokerage associate at Milwaukee-based Ogden & Co. Inc., works on strategic initiatives to create holistic, enterprise-level solutions for his clients, in addition to traditional brokerage and development activities. “He brings strong experience in residential and commercial property management, brokerage, asset management, marketing and new development to the table,” said Jim Villa, chief executive officer at NAIOP Wisconsin. A Marquette University graduate with a degree in commercial real estate and marketing, Testa is currently the president of Real Estate Alumni of Marquette and sits on the board of directors for the Marquette University Center for Real Estate. He’s also involved in multiple industry mentorship programs and industry associations. “Mike has led the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin’s NextGen program since his graduation in 2019, sits on BOMA’s Emerging Professionals Task Force and is a three-time NAIOP Developing Leader All-Star. He also taught Marquette’s Summer Externship Program and regularly takes an active role in creating value for up-and-coming professionals in the industry,” Villa said.

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LUKE FEHRENBACH

DAVID MAREK

GINGER LAZOVIK

BROKERAGE ASSOCIATE

REAL ESTATE BROKER

REALTOR

OGDEN & CO. INC.

REALTY EXECUTIVES ELITE

FALK RUVIN GALLAGHER TEAM OF KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY

Luke Fehrenbach, brokerage associate at Ogden & Co., joined the firm in the summer of 2019 as a broker in the commercial real estate brokerage group. He represents tenants and landlords, and works with office, industrial, retail and multi-family sales and leasing. Fehrenbach is also the corporate onsite manager of The Blatz Condominiums in Downtown Milwaukee. He says he enjoys the competitive yet collaborative nature of real estate. “At the end of the day we are all trying to get a deal done and industry peers are typically always willing to work together to make sure that happens,” he said. The key, he says, is doing what you say you are going to do and do not promise something that is unachievable. “I have found Luke to be passionate about his career; his dedication, work ethic and general knowledge of the real estate industry are impressive for his age. I am confident that he is one of the most promising rising stars in our industry,” said Mike Testa, business development manager and senior brokerage associate at Ogden.

Dave Marek of Realty Executives Elite in Hales Corners has been a licensed real estate agent in Wisconsin since 2001. Marek works with his clients through the entire real estate transaction process, said William Prom, broker and owner of Realty Executives Elite. “Dave is a dedicated and trusted real estate agent who goes above and beyond for his clients and peers,” said Prom. “He has been a top producer in our office for several years.” Marek has sold more than 400 houses since 2012. He has been nationally ranked as high as 53rd among Realty Executives for the number of units sold and as high as 6th in Wisconsin. Marek has a success rate of listed properties well above the industry norm, said Prom. In 2017, he earned the Expert Network Distinguished Realtor designation, something given to only the top 3% of real estate agents nationally. Marek also coaches Whitnall Youth Basketball and Muskego Flag Football and is a member of the Whitnall Youth Basketball League.

Ginger Lazovik is a real estate agent with Falk Ruvin Gallagher, focusing primarily on Milwaukee’s North Shore area. Lazovik closed more than $12 million in home sales in 2021, and she is on track to exceed that number in 2022. Lazovik is a certified relocation specialist and will soon be certified in luxury properties. She serves on United Way’s Emerging Leaders Council and is a leadership donor. She is also part of the current cohort of Partnership MKE, which gathers C-suite leaders to build community, equity and understanding of people from diverse backgrounds. Lazovik is a member of TEMPO’s Emerging Women Leaders and is involved in Newaukee. “Ginger’s positive and practical approach to her work – both professional and philanthropic – sets her apart as a rising star in our community,” said client Margaret Kurlinski, an attorney with Godfrey & Kahn S.C. Prior to her career in real estate, Lazovik was fine arts programming director at Elite Sports Clubs.

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ADAM LOEFFEL

STEPHANIE ROEHL

LAURA WENDT

REALTOR

SHOREWEST REALTORS

When Wisconsin native Adam Loeffel moved to New York to pursue a career in hospitality, he learned about the importance of customer service and quality. Those are two skills he carries with him today working in real estate. “Adam’s level of professionalism, drive, and commitment to superior customer service is the reason why he should be named a Rising Star in Real Estate,” said Jaime Kristof, sales director of Shorewest’s Waukesha West office. “His ability to stay calm and find solutions in difficult circumstances is based on his background in high-pressure hospitality management and are skills that prove to be highly effective in our industry as well.” “Adam is a natural leader and demonstrates a collaborative spirit,” said Wendy Norem, assistant vice president and marketing director at Shorewest. “He is someone who wants to enlist others in problem solving, someone who listens to all ideas and works to make things mutually beneficial for all. He demonstrates this daily in the office.”

When Stephanie Roehl joined Shorewest Realtors in January of 2020, she had the goal of becoming the company’s Rookie of the Year. Roehl accomplished that goal and, according to colleagues, emerged as a leader in Shorewest’s Burlington office. “Stephanie’s willingness to learn, attention to detail and an unwavering focus on her clients are qualities that not only assure her a successful sales career, but also assures her the respect and admiration of other agents within our industry,” said Lyle Albro, sales director of the Burlington office. “She has a down-to-earth personality and truly cares about what is important to her clients on either side of the sale. Some of her strengths as a (residential) realtor include being dependable, compassionate, a great communicator, determined negotiator, and a strong client advocate. She has a love for real estate and provides the best knowledge and information to help her clients make their own decisions,” said Wendy Norem, assistant vice president marketing at Shorewest.

When Laura Wendt became a full-time licensed real estate professional and joined Shorewest Realtors in November 2020, she brought more than 20 years of experience in account management, including building relationships, negotiating and problem solving. “The process of buying a home combines emotions and money – a real recipe for stress,” said Wendy Norem, assistant vice president and marketing director at Shorewest. “Laura guides her clients through the home buying and selling process in a way that eases their stress and paves the way for a smooth experience.” In addition, Wendt often assists new agents, giving them tips and advice to jump start and grow their business, said Norem. “Laura Wendt is a creative problem solver dedicated to helping her clients achieve their goals,” said Becky Brand, sales director of Shorewest’s Lake Country office. “She understands the importance and value of building relationships with her clients, and not treating them as just another transaction.”

NOTABLES & RISING STARS 2022 Keep up with BizTimes’ 2022 roundup of the leaders making a difference throughout southeast Wisconsin. At companies across southeast Wisconsin, notable executives are running businesses, and investing in growth throughout the region. Rising Stars are mentoring, teaching and volunteering in their communities. The leaders profiled in these categories are nominated by their peers at work and in the community.

in technology These up-and-comers are making a mark in the southeastern Wisconsin technology sector. From entrepreneurs starting companies to startups using technology to offer innovative products and services, many of the rising stars have specialties in software development, IT operations, cloud migration and data analytics needed to grow young companies but also to help larger and more established enterprises make better use of technology.

Nomination deadline: May 13, 2022 Issue date: June 20, 2022

Look for these Notable and Rising Stars nominations in 2022! Notable CFOs Nomination deadline: June 10, 2022 | Issue date: July 25, 2022

Notable Women in Manufacturing Nomination deadline: Aug. 26, 2022 | Issue date: Oct. 10, 2022

Notable Office and Operations Managers Nomination deadline: July 8, 2022 | Issue date: August 22, 2022

Notable Veteran Executives Nomination deadline: Sep.23, 2022 | Issue date: Nov. 7, 2022

Rising Stars in Law Nomination deadline: July 29, 2022 | Issue date: Sept. 12, 2022

Notable Women in Health Care Nomination deadline: Oct.28, 2022 | Issue date: Dec. 12, 2022

Visit biztimes.com/notable for information and deadlines 38 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

Strategies LEADERSHIP

Preparing new leaders for the exceptional future The strategy for developing future leaders must change AS A LEADER, you can only give 100% of yourself. But that’s a misconception because you’re biological, not mechanical. That means you’re a limited resource, subject to day-to-day distractions, emotions and stress. How can you do more with what you have and be better at it?

FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT AND THE NUMBERS WILL FOLLOW Whether you’re a CEO, a company president, or a department head, you must develop employees under you, not just train them. It’s an important priority equal to or greater than your operations, financials and sales. People, your biggest asset, are also your biggest expense and risk. Together with company culture, they become your best strategic advantage. Competitors might be able to reverse engineer your products, or even figure out some of your systems and procedures. But it’s highly unlikely they’ll be able to replicate your company’s secret sauce: your people and culture.

IT’S TIME TO PIVOT Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar said, “If you help people succeed, you will succeed.” To put this in perspective, you will invest roughly 96,000 hours of your life during your entire career, so make it worthwhile.

Excellent leaders have many qualities and behaviors. However, in the more complex 21st century, you can’t use traditional problem-solving models in an untraditional new world. The strategy for developing future leaders must change. Certainly, training tools like mentor programs, stretch goal challenges, rotation assignments and offsite strategy meetings still have value. Ongoing coaching and continuous feedback also rank high. Even so, a changing world requires new thinking. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, “…leaders (need) to view the uncertainty of our unknowable future not as a problem to be solved, but rather as a reality to be embraced. After all, in the unknowable future, all leaders will need to be entrepreneurs: visionaries that can imagine, adapt, and act nimbly to address whatever changes come their way.”

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER MOST Extensive research by leadership expert Roselinde Torres, who observed and studied great leaders from around the world, distilled their thinking into three defining questions you must ask to prepare your new leaders for an exceptional future:

3. A RE YOU COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO ABANDON THE PRACTICES OF THE PAST? Yesterday’s logic and perspective won’t suffice when you try to solve future problems. Leaders need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. That’s not easy, particularly if an organization has little tolerance for risk or failure. Predictability models of the future can’t rely on models of the past. To reach your goals, take your old questions and turn them into better ones. Make a decision, then be bold enough to take action. If you keep focusing on how to develop your employees, you help your organization win in a competitive world and accomplish so much more. Coaching, guiding, perspective and critical thinking build bench strength. That advantage helps your company to better navigate change and disruptions. You’ll see alignment around strategic objectives and be well prepared for business continuity when you sell the business or when leadership changes hands. Ultimately, it isn’t about what you have as a leader. It’s about what you’re going to do with what you have. n

1. WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING TO ANTICIPATE CHANGE? Are you consciously investing yourself in collaborating with different people, discussing different topics, traveling to new places and reading different material to discover sharp changes in the marketplace, prepare for them, and act on them? “Great leaders shape their future, not just react to it,” Torres says.

2. H OW DIVERSE IS YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK? Your ability to develop relationships with people distinctly different from you in age, socioeconomic status, politics, ethnicity, culture, location, industry and lifestyle requires mutual trust. A commitment by everyone to reach shared goals is key to not only recognizing trends, but also identifying real solutions.

GEORGE SATULA George Satula is an executive leadership coach working primarily as a Vistage chairman, leading three CEO mastermind groups in southeastern Wisconsin. He is also a leadership development consultant, strategic planner and speaker. He can be reached at George@SatulaUSA.com.

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Strategies HUMAN RESOURCES

Dealing with labor market churn Tips for attracting and retaining employees RECENT LABOR SHORTAGES have forced some restaurants to close or restrict hours. Culver’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s and others are offering up to $18 per hour along with a signing bonus. Yet some of their jobs still go unfilled. What happened to the workers? Where did they go? Earlier this year, some employers said workers were staying home due to COVID-19 and that additional unemployment benefits and government subsidies kept some workers at home. But these benefits have been reduced, and the subsidy checks have stopped, and still the unemployment rate is historically low. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dipped to 2.8% in March. What’s happening? The number of job openings in the U.S. far exceeds the number of available workers, said Dave Balistreri, owner of Select Technical Staffing Inc. in West Allis. “What you’re seeing now is extreme competition for available candidates in the workplace and a strong emphasis put on retaining the workers that companies already employ,” Balistreri said. “Sign-on bonuses, referral bonuses, increased PTO, flexible schedules, paid education, on-the-job training and a whole host of other things are being offered to compete for workers.” Balistreri’s statement has been reinforced by the experience of members of the Lumen Christi Employment Network. Many have negotiated signing bonuses, expanded paid time off, flexible hours, 40 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

assigned parking and a hybrid work environment. With the shortage of qualified candidates, the employer is in a very competitive market, similar to free agency in professional sports. Currently, the qualified candidate is at a competitive advantage. They are reaping the rewards, but when the market finally slows down – and it will – the advantage will again swing back to the employer. In order to retain employees, companies are granting one-time raises that are upwards of 20%. They are permitting flexible scheduling of hours and increasing benefits. They know how difficult it will be to replace a critical employee and their knowledge of the company, customers and processes. According to TERRA Staffing Group, the cost of employee turnover in 2021 was as follows: $12,000 to replace an employee earning $36,000 annually, $20,000 to replace an employee earning $60,000, and $50,000 to replace an employee earning $150,000. With this in mind, what can employers do to retain their best performing employees? Here are some strategies for employee retention, as put forth by Society for Human Resource Management in Security Management magazine. According to the Retention Report in 2017, the three top reasons for employees to leave jobs were: » Career development » Work-life balance » Manager behavior These reasons still appear to be relative to today’s market churn, but we need to add a competitive wage rate. At this time, the country is experiencing wage inflation driven by shortages of skilled employees in certain industries. Regarding career development, employers need to invest in their new employees, build their skill sets and provide opportunities for job growth and personal development. They need to provide opportunities for upward mobility and additional responsibility. Many employees leave because they don’t feel challenged, appreciated or even acknowledged. In recent years, work-life balance has become an important issue for millennials. Time spent with families and for self-improvement are of great importance to many members of this generation. For

many, the ability to work from home or in a hybrid environment is an important option when considering a position. One strategy that has a positive impact on employee retention is onboarding. Less than 15% of American companies agree that they do a good job of orienting new employees and bringing them into the company culture. In the short term, this can lead to employee dissatisfaction and increased levels of turnover. Investing in a strong onboarding program can make the transition into your culture easier for both the new employee and the company while also reducing the potential for turnover and a loss of the investment in the new employee. Another potential strategy is to protect your investment in your employees by making sure you are paying competitive wages and that your benefit package is meeting their needs. As stated earlier, the cost of replacing a key employee is more than the cost of making their compensation package competitive. These costs don’t consider how the loss of one or more key team players will impact your company’s morale and culture. By being proactive and responsive to your employees’ needs, you can slow the churn and keep your competitive edge. n

CARY SILVERSTEIN Cary Silverstein, MBA, is a speaker, author and consultant, a former executive for Gimbel’s Midwest and JH Collectibles, and a former professor for DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School. He can be reached at csilve1013@aol.com.

INNOVATION

Differentiation is king Study the market, and your competition, to find your edge HISTORICALLY, we chose our doctors, lawyers and dentist from referrals by friends or acquaintances. Google searches on the internet have changed all of that. Most consumers today get their referrals from online searches. That, in turn, has led to the emergence of search engine optimization. With that said, the world of SEO has not replaced the importance of market differentiation. For example, we all know about Domino’s Pizza. But what we didn’t know was that the company, founded by Tom Monaghan, verged on bankruptcy almost since its inception. What led to Monaghan’s eventual success was an important adjustment to his offering. He promised delivery of pizza in 30 minutes or money back. That may not seem very dramatic, but Domino’s became so successful that Monaghan was able to buy the Detroit Tigers and build a new college in South Florida. Locally, Jeff Hughes, a lawyer by training but a serial entrepreneur by profession, came to the same conclusion when he started his own law firm. He knew that he needed a successful SEO effort if his new firm was going to succeed. So, he tried all of the traditional ways, both paid and unpaid, to improve SEO results. But he wasn’t having any luck. Hughes and his partner took a timeout to rethink their business model. They wanted to develop a business that would build trust with potential clients. Their SEO outreach attracted a wide vari-

ety of cases and clients, so they were a jack of all trades but master of none. So, they decided to focus their business primarily on family law. With nearly 50% of marriages ending in divorce, the potential market was huge for handling everything from resolving marital difficulties, to alimony, to child custody and support, to property division. Next, they did more homework and discovered that most consumers were terrified of potential legal bills. Those fears were justified. Lawyers rarely quoted the total cost of representation for a given legal problem. Most lawyers quote an hourly rate but will not attempt to estimate the total cost of resolving the legal problem (I speak from first-hand knowledge because I was a practicing lawyer for a decade.). Like Tom Monaghan, Hughes and his partner saw an opportunity to distinguish themselves from other law firms by giving clients a fixed cost for most legal services. If they have a complex litigation case on their hands, they give fixed costs for each stage so clients know where they stand at all times. Clients are often willing to walk away from potential settlements because they don’t fully understand the eventual cost of taking their matter to trial. Hughes and his partner tested their idea in their local market in Menomonee Falls, and they found it was a winner. In almost no time, they became the number one website for searches of consumers wanting legal help on family matters. Then, they waited to see the client feedback through online reviews posted to their website. Eventually, they amassed more than 3,000 positive reviews. Consequently, they knew they had a proven model to test in other regions by creating local offices in areas of the state such as Madison, Milwaukee and West Bend. They expanded their efforts in the markets that proved the most ripe to growth. So what can you learn from their experience? 1. That search engine optimization has not changed the rules of the game when it comes to marketing. Your company still has to differentiate itself from the competition, and if you can find after customer research that they are truly distinguishing characteristics,

you’ll be off to the races. 2. That requires you to study your competition and find out how customers generally feel about your competitors. Then, dig deep to find out what potential frustrations or problems consumers might be experiencing and fill that gap with a different offering. 3. There’s a great deal of talk about innovation through disruptive technology. That’s a heavy lift. Tweaking your value proposition to make it more appealing to consumers is still in vogue and works magic if you can find that burning customer need and fill the gap. The bottom line is that nothing beats spending time with potential customers – almost like an anthropologist – to determine where you can fill a need that your competition hasn’t been able to fill. This reminds me of when I practiced law because I learned that the most effective representation would be to understand my client’s needs before making my recommendations or taking action. n

DAN STEININGER Dan Steininger, is an author, a national and international speaker, and business advisor. He is president of Steininger & Associates LLC, which helps companies drive innovation. He can be reached at DSteinin@execpc.com

biztimes.com / 41

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BIZ PEOPLE

Advertising Section: New Hires, Promotions and Board Appointments

BANKING

BANKING Dennis Reilly Joins Fifth Third Bank as Vice President, Commercial Bank

Prior to joining Fifth Third Bank, Dennis Reilly was the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA), a conduit issuer of tax-exempt bonds for all Wisconsin 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. He began his career with WHEFA in 1996. Over his 26 years with WHEFA, Mr. Reilly was involved in the structuring and issuance of approximately 670 financings totaling over $26.5 billion. Mr. Reilly received his bachelor’s degree with a finance major and economics minor from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and a master’s with an emphasis in finance from the same institution.

BANKING

Ixonia Bank Appoints Senior Vice President of Residential Mortgage Lending

Dave Rouse has joined Ixonia Bank as SVP of Residential Mortgage Lending. Dave will lead a team of residential lenders as we grow our presence in Southeast Wisconsin. He will also be working closely with Novus Home Mortgage, a division of Ixonia Bank. Dave has more than 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, serving most recently as Single-Family Housing Group Director at WHEDA. Well-known and trusted in the Wisconsin financial market, he has served on the Governor’s Council of Financial Literacy since 2017 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association in 2019.

NOMINATE A CHARITY FOR DESIGN FOR A DIFFERENCE-MILWAUKEE 2022

FLOOR360 is proud to present the annual call for nominations for Design For a DifferenceMilwaukee 2022. Nominate your favorite non-profit to be the recipient of FLOOR360’s interior makeover. Launched in 2019, Design for a DifferenceMilwaukee is a part of the nationwide community-driven movement that unites sociallyconscious, design-driven flooring showrooms with interior designers and other businesses to make over much needed

spaces at local charities. FLOOR360 has provided free Design for a Difference makeovers in Wisconsin to local non-profit facilities since 2015. Nominate your favorite non-profit and see videos and information about past recipients along with the before and after photos and videos at FLOOR360.com

BANKING Adam Raychel has been named Senior Vice President – CFO of Citizens Bank

Adam Raychel has been named Senior Vice President – Chief Financial Officer of Citizens Bank, Mukwonago. He has a broad background in bank management across 16 years in the industry, with particular emphasis in both credit and finance.

BANKING

BIZ UPDATE

Ryan Lilly has been named First Vice President – Business Banker of Citizens Bank

Ryan Lilly has been named First Vice President – Business Banker of Citizens Bank, Mukwonago. He has a customer-first philosophy that guides him to provide the best experience for his clients, while helping them unlock the keys to their growth.

Frank Sterbin is welcomed as Chief Credit Officer of Citizens Bank, Mukwonago. He brings both knowledge and over 20 years of experience in banking to our Commercial Credit/Business Banking team.

Family Business June 6, 2022 Space Reservation: May 18, 2022

NONPROFIT Frank Sterbin joins Citizens Bank as Chief Credit Officer

Advertise in these upcoming special reports to get your message in front of area business executives.

Hunger Task Force Names New Communications & Marketing Manager

Shahree Douglas has joined Hunger Task Force as Communications & Marketing Manager. Shahree is responsible for Hunger Task Force’s overall communications and marketing strategy, brand development and media relations.

To place your listing, or for more information, please visit biztimes.com/bizconnect

Great Places to Work Thought Leadership

June 6, 2022

Space Reservation: May 18, 2022 Contact Linda Crawford today! Phone: 414.336.7112 Email: advertise@biztimes.com biztimes.com / 43

BizConnections VOLUME 28, NUMBER 3 | MAY 9, 2022

GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR

126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION: 414-336-7100 | circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING: 414-336-7112 | advertising@biztimes.com EDITORIAL: 414-336-7120 | andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: 414-336-7100 | reprints@biztimes.com PUBLISHER / OWNER Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com

SALES & MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / OWNER Kate Meyer kate.meyer@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com REPORTER Ashley Smart ashley.smart@biztimes.com

A crack in the Adler building

REPORTER Cara Spoto cara.spoto@biztimes.com

COMMENTARY

Unions have a pulse FOR DECADES, union membership has been in a steady decline. Once the backbone of Milwaukee’s blue-collar workforce during the city’s industrial heyday, things changed when many manufacturers moved operations to other states, and to other countries, seeking lower-priced labor. In addition, Act 10, the controversial measure signed into law in 2011 by then Gov. Scott Walker, significantly limited what public employee unions in Wisconsin could collectively bargain for. Act 10 resulted in significant savings for Wisconsin taxpayers as many public employees ended up paying for a greater share of the costs of their benefits. In 2015, Wisconsin became a right-to-work state. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of union members or workers who are represented by a union in Wisconsin fell in 2021 to 215,000, down from 227,000 in 2020. As a percentage of total workers, the state’s union membership went from 8.7% to 7.9%. In the 2000s, around 16.3% of workers in the state 44 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

were represented by a union. However, there are signs that unions are gaining momentum. The number of union members or workers represented by a union in Wisconsin rose in 2020. Union representation in the state also rose in 2019. Those upticks were a shift from years of steady decline. Today’s extremely tight labor market could be creating conditions for a resurgence of the labor movement. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was at 2.8% in March, and the U.S. inflation rate for the month was 8.5%, a 40-year high. Employers are struggling to find workers, so the labor market favors employees. Inflation is also putting upward pressure on wages. The tight labor market is an opportunity for unions to expand their presence in workplaces and there have been some notable instances of that happening. Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York made headlines recently with a successful vote to unionize. Workers at a Starbucks in Oak Creek recently voted to unionize, the first in Wisconsin but among more than 200 Starbucks locations nationwide to file for an election. Last year, workers at Milwaukee-based Colectivo Coffee Roasters voted to unionize and the Milwaukee Art Museum reached its first agree-

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Paddy Kieckhefer paddy.kieckhefer@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dylan Dobson dylan.dobson@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christy Peterson christy.peterson@biztimes.com SALES ADMIN Gracie Schneble gracie.schneble@biztimes.com

ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Sue Herzog sue.herzog@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

This 1942 Milwaukee Fire Department photo shows the Adler building at what is now 447 N. Water St., at the corner of Water and Clybourn streets in downtown Milwaukee. A large crack runs vertically from the ground to the roof of the building, which was eventually razed. — Photo courtesy Milwaukee Public Library / Historic Photo Collection

DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

ment with a group of unionized employees. In addition, a group of Pabst Theater Group employees are trying to unionize. Many employers would prefer that their employees not join a union. Business leaders often get a bad rap from labor activists who portray union opposition as greed. That’s certainly true in some cases, but most businesses simply want to avoid the adversarial “us vs. them” culture that can exist in companies with union workforces. In a labor market that heavily favors workers, businesses need to make sure they are providing a positive work environment for their employees, that their wages and benefits are fair and competitive in the marketplace, and that lines of communication are open between management and workers. If your workers don’t think they are being treated fairly, unionization becomes a more appealing idea – especially in this labor market. n

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland

NONPROFIT THRIVEON GIVING $5 MILLION TO CHILDCARE CENTERS, NAMES EARLY EDUCATION PROVIDER FOR KING DRIVE FACILIT Y The ThriveOn Collaboration has selected Malaika Early Learning Center to operate the new early childhood education center opening in the ThriveOn King building in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville district. The collaboration, which includes the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Royal Capital, also plans to give $5 million over five years to existing early childhood care and education providers in the Harambee, Halyard Park and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. The gift will be used for facilities improvements and community building. The $105 million ThriveOn King project will redevelop the former Gimbel & Schuster’s

building, at 2153 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, into a center focused on addressing social determinants of health, including lack of access to affordable early childhood education. Malaika Early Learning Center will occupy nearly 14,000 square feet on the first floor of the building. It will be a second location for the five-star-rated organization, which operates a facility in the city’s Harambee neighborhood. Once complete, ThriveOn King will include community gathering space, 89 residential units for seniors and families and 100,000 square feet of office space. It will serve as ThriveOn Collaboration’s physical home and GMF’s new headquarters. — Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

c alendar The Lupus Foundation of America Wisconsin Chapter will host its Walk to End Lupus Now on Saturday, May 14, at Hoyt Park, 1800 N. Swan Boulevard, in Wauwatosa. The event raises awareness and funds for lupus research, education and support. More information is available at lupuswi.org. The United Performing Arts Fund will host its annual Ride for the Arts on Sunday, June 5, featuring a new “Hoan Loop Course” that is completely closed to vehicular traffic for the entire event. The course will include a 12-mile loop, utilizing I-794 from downtown Milwaukee to Cudahy and back. From 7 - 10 a.m., people on bikes can ride the route and travel over the Hoan Bridge multiple times selecting distances between 5 to 60 miles. More information is available at upaf.org.

YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin will host its Circle of Women event on Wednesday, June 8, from 5-8 p.m. at Alverno College in Milwaukee. The event is focused on the philanthropic power of women and their advocates. More information is available at ywcasew.org.

D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P

Marquette University’s student-alumni mentorship program, Marquette Mentors, received $1.5 million from Bill Krueger, a 1987 MU College of Engineering graduate and president of the university’s Alumni Association, to endow a directorship in perpetuity. | The Milwaukee Bucks and the NBA made a $25,000 donation to Safe & Sound Inc. to help redevelop an old church in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood into its new office and community center. | College Possible’s annual Dream Big Dinner raised $225,000 for Milwaukee higher education support programs. | Pick ‘n Save and the Bucks have teamed up to donate $50,000 worth of food to six Milwaukee-area nonprofit organizations: MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary, the Benedict Center, Pathfinders, Meta House, the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center and Maroon Calabash.

nonprofit

SPOTLIGHT

AC T S HOUSING 2414 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee, 53205 (414) 933-2215 | actshousing.org Facebook: Facebook.com/actshousing | Twitter: @ACTSHousing

Year founded: 1995

their neighborhoods improve.

Mission statement: Acts Housing

Number of employees at this location: 26

provides access to housing stability and maximum family independence through homeownership. It’s a one-stop shop for homeownership, surrounding a family with a team of coaches that provides them with timely and individualized guidance throughout their homeownership journey. Primary focus of your nonprofit organization: There is tremendous

Key donors: Kohl’s Corp., Zilber

Family Foundation, Advocate Aurora Health, U.S. Bank, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Executive leadership: Michael Gos-

man, president and chief executive officer; Dorothy York, chief operating officer; Kelly Andrew, chief development and marketing officer

strength in families, especially those who work hard and live on modest incomes. However, these families have traditionally been locked out of the home-buying market and, therefore, been denied the safety, affordability and stability a home can provide. Countless families are spending an unsustainable portion of their incomes on unsafe, unsanitary rental units. These rental situations can easily lead to eviction or constant relocation.

Board of directors: John Beagle,

Acts Housing partners with families faced with barriers to homeownership and helps them overcome these barriers and improve their lives through sustainable homeownership. As these families improve their homes and become leaders on their blocks,

Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: Sponsorship,

Pam Evason, Anthony Franda, Kristen Gagliano, Doug Howe, Anthony McHenry, Victoria Navarro, Marc Perry, Heather Ramirez, Joe Schlidt, Christopher Schreiber, Allison Steinhafel, John Syburg, Oscar Tovar, Joshua Yamat, Michael Zimmerman Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? We are always looking for

board members.

advocacy and referrals Key fundraising events:

Longest Neighborhood Table Sept. 14, in the Deer District, downtown Milwaukee.

biztimes.com / 45

BizConnections

KATE CROWLE |

JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY

the LASTWORD

OWNER

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable Kate Crowle is the developer, designer and owner of St. James 1868, an upscale wedding and events venue in downtown Milwaukee’s Westown neighborhood. The $8 million historic renovation of the former St. James Episcopal Church wrapped in spring 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The venue has been operational for more than a year now, but the public was invited to finally celebrate its grand opening at a Kentucky Derby-themed party earlier this month. Through all the ups and downs, Crowle says she found a way to get

St. James 1868 Milwaukee Industry: Hospitality Employees: 13 stjames1868.com

comfortable with the uncomfortable. “Business owners learned to deal with the newly unexpected during the pandemic. I created and own a special event venue that would have debuted in April of 2020 if it were not for the public health emergency. I learned to pivot to make the best of a situation and that I cannot plan for everything. Creativity, thick skin, some flexibility and a laser-like focus on goals also helped with some of the obstacles. But most importantly, I learned how to get comfortable being uncomfortable. 46 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 9, 2022

“I was not expected to succeed with the St. James as a first-time, female developer in a male-dominated industry. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I didn’t realize how lonely it would feel just because I didn’t fit the mold. I was told, that as a woman, I would never make the business succeed on my own. Even after opening, people asked who my male partners were. I learned years ago feeling uncomfortable in my situation is OK and may serve as a source of motivation, so I stuck with it.

“I planned to unveil the St. James 1868 as a place to bring families and friends together to celebrate life’s milestones. It didn’t happen on time, but it’s happening now, and the wait was worth it. I’m proud of the business I built and of the team that helps me deliver an exceptional experience for couples and their families. I celebrated the St. James 1868 grand opening a little late, and that’s OK. Being an entrepreneur is uncomfortable, but I think that means you are doing it right.” n

TELL YOUR STORY YOUR WAY In these upcoming Thought Leadership pages GREAT PLACES TO WORK

Left to Right: Shantell Gail, Uriel Rodriguez, Gus Straub, Melissa Weiland

June 6th Issue AT BANK FIVE NINE, our mission is simple: Make Lives Better. We strive every day to live our mission for our customers and communities, as well as for our employees. As a result, we are proud to have been named a “Top Workplace” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel eleven straight years and a “Best Bank to Work For” by American Banker Magazine each of the last five years. In 2020, we were named a national “Top Workplace USA” by Energage, a company that studies organizations and their workplace and employee practices.

INDUSTRY Banking # of EMPLOYEES 330 YEARS IN BUSINESS 162 MISSION STATEMENT: Make Lives Better Serving Southeast Wisconsin since 1859, we are a proud, independent, community bank offering all the great products and services you’re accustomed to, with the low fees and convenient locations you need. Plus we make it a priority to give back to the customers and communities we serve through charitable giving and volunteer opportunities. As one of the top SBA lenders in the nation, we also help local small businesses get the financial assistance they need to thrive and grow.

The 300-plus employees of Bank Five Nine are offered a workplace culture that stands out from the rest. With a focus on employee development, we offer our own customized training programs as well as uniquely designed Ann Knutson leadership development programs. Our benefits programs are designed to SVP, Human Resources Director meet the needs of our employees and our compensation program is highly competitive. And, our employees work in an environment that is supportive, friendly and fun! Each employee has the opportunity to Make Lives Better for the communities we serve through volunteerism, charitable giving, financial education and random acts of kindness. In fact, our employees spend an average of 12,000 hours a year volunteering for a variety of organizations. The leadership of Bank Five Nine is highly engaged, interacting with employees informally each day, and formally through an annual leadership event, roundtables, anniversary celebrations and other company-wide events. Bank Five Nine has been headquartered in Oconomowoc, WI since 1859 and currently has 14 branch locations throughout SE Wisconsin. To learn more about our company and our amazing employment opportunities, visit our website and follow us on social media channels.

(262) 567-9909 | bankfivenine.com

CEO Q&A

Sponsored Content

Serena Thomason Founder & CEO, Berkshire & Thomason Interior Design

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Designer Sheena Easton provides fabric options for her client.

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HOW SHE LEADS

VENUES

Meeting Venues

August 22nd Issue

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August 22nd Issue

Tell the leadership story of one of your sheroes. Whether they’re in the corner office or on the front lines, showcase how they are AD making a difference to your customers, your employees and your bottom line.

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CEO Q&A

BizTimes Milwaukee | May 9, 2022

Articles inside

LEADERSHIP George Satula

THE LAST WORD - St. James 1868 owner Kate Crowle

HUMAN RESOURCES Cary Silverstein

PROJECT PITCH IT - Sydetasker

NONPROFIT

INNOVATIONS - PlantPharm BioMed