Chamber partners with Mission-Wisconsin
to attract military talent to Greater Green Bay
A
bout 250,000 veterans transition out of military service every year, ready for their next opportunity. Greater Green Bay wants to position itself as a viable destination for these veterans – and that’s just what it will do through its partnership with Mission-Wisconsin. This new partnership is an outgrowth of the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan’s initiative to attract and retain in the area. Mission-Wisconsin is a veteran-owned business that provides transition assistance to the military community – including connecting vetrepreneurs and attracting transitioning military and their families to Greater Green Bay. “We want to be inclusive in providing a receptive community for these transitioning veterans,” said Eric Vanden Heuvel, vice president of talent & education at the Chamber. 18 Collective IMPACT | Winter 2021
“Steve Janke of Mission-Wisconsin is an industry expert who can help to market Greater Green Bay to veterans from all around the country. In doing so, we can build a solid pipeline of talent to our community, our companies and the municipalities we serve.” The partnership between the Chamber and Mission-Wisconsin is made possible by a Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs grant to the Chamber. It allows the two entities to work collaboratively in providing one solution to one of the biggest limiting factors to economic growth: talent. Mission-Wisconsin provides talent sourcing and so much more. “We provide comprehensive support to the military family as they transition out of service and into our communities,” said Janke, CEO and founder of Mission-Wisconsin. This includes critical connections to the community,
employment, education and veteran benefits as part of the candidate engagement process, all of which ultimately lead to higher retention by the company that employs them or stronger roots in a startup ecosystem supporting them. The Chamber also seeks to energize the veteran entrepreneurial spirit through Mission-Wisconsin’s partnership. “We want to connect vetrepreneurs to those resources specific to them through the virtual front door to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greater Green Bay and let military families know our door is open for them to build their lives here,” added Laurie Radke, president and CEO of the Chamber. Mission-Wisconsin is housed in the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Urban Hub co-working space in the Rail Yard Innovation District in downtown Green Bay. You can reach Janke at stevenjanke@mission-wisconsin.com or 608.697.6936.
