Dear Corporate Milwaukee, it’s Startup Milwaukee, here. We need your help.

Milwaukee is a tale of two economies. We punch well above our weight in Fortune 1000 headquarters but, by most any metric, Milwaukee struggles with new company formation and success.

This is news to no one – especially ‘Corporate Milwaukee’, which has invested meaningful time and money into improving early-stage startup success. Thank you! That said, when I talk to entrepreneurs, they still feel there is much more that could be done.

Below is a list of big and small ideas that I have heard from Milwaukee entrepreneurs on how Corporate Milwaukee can help ‘Startup Milwaukee’ reach its substantial potential.

Show up

I go to a lot of startup events, and rarely do I meet anyone from Milwaukee’s largest companies. Consider having your employees attend these events to learn how major corporations can partner with local startups.

Be a customer

It has been said before, I know. But startups need the right kind of customer. A customer who can get quickly to “yes” – or at least get quickly to “no.” Startup businesses cannot succeed if it takes months or even years for prospective customers to decide if the partnership is a fit.

Mandate spending on new companies

Large companies are great at hitting metrics. So, why not treat startup spending the same way? Consider allocating an annual percentage to spend with Milwaukee startup businesses that are less than five years old.

Incentivize entrepreneurship

I know this sounds crazy, but why not offer startup capital as an employee benefit to high performers? For example, after four years of employment, offer employees the opportunity to receive a $100,000 investment in their startup company.

By doing this, you will attract entrepreneurial talent and get a chance to invest in great business ideas at the ground floor. And, given that the startup founders are coming from your company and industry, the odds are high these future companies will be fixing a problem you currently have.

Provide free space

Startups can’t always meet in coffee shops and living rooms. Consider offering startup businesses free office space. This corporate generosity will allow the emerging company to apply more capital to scaling efforts, while creating a more innovative and vibrant office environment for your business.

Offer free training

Most large companies have outstanding training and development programs. Why not offer that world-class training to startup companies? In my experience, many entrepreneurs would greatly benefit from corporate-level management and leadership programs. The skills they gain in your organization will allow Milwaukee startups to succeed at a higher rate.

Gener8tor

The Milwaukee-based business accelerator has a growing national presence. The award-winning program, founded by Joe Kirgues and Troy Vosseller in 2012, has provided more than $1.3 billion of funding to growing companies. From the free gBeta program designed for earlystage companies to high profile collaborations, like the Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator that attracts top startups from across the country, gener8tor is an undeniable force in the startup ecosystem.

Ideadvance

This program is a partnership between the UW System’s Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Established in 2014, the two-stage program offers business training and funding to advance new and growing businesses in Wisconsin. A key requirement of the program is that a UW System faculty, staff, student, or alumni must be involved in the company.