Diversity in Milwaukee's tech ecosystem

When Que and Khalif El-Amin think about what’s needed to improve diversity and inclusion in Milwaukee’s technology ecosystem, a key example comes to mind: LeBron James.

“He is an ecosystem of money, fanfare, pride,” said Khalif, who along with his brother is co-founder of the Young Enterprising Society (YES), which supports local entrepreneurs through its accelerator program called The Blueprint.

“We need our LeBron James in the tech scene for Milwaukee,” Khalif said. “People cared about Ohio, but not as much as when LeBron James played there. It just creates momentum for the city.”

As the El-Amin brothers see it, if Milwaukee can produce a mega-successful entrepreneur who builds — for example, a billion-dollar company that creates 100 millionaires and 100 new startups — then the city will have a shot at being a tech hub.

When it comes to encouraging successful entrepreneurs, collaboration among groups is key, the El-Amin brothers said. To that end, the pair created a startup map that outlines different entrepreneurship-focused organizations in Milwaukee organized by the stage at which each fits into a startup’s lifecycle.

“The startup map can then guide us to say, ‘Who should we be talking to before startups go in our program to build a pipeline, and then after they leave, who should we be referring them to?’” Que said.

For example, YES’s The Blueprint serves startups in the idea and pre-seed stage. Many companies come to The Blueprint from FOR-M, a free incubator for idea-stage entrepreneurs that’s sponsored by the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition and run by We Pivot and The Commons. After startups complete The Blueprint program, YES might refer them to organizations such as BrightStar Wisconsin or Titletown Tech for early-stage funding.

Looking at the local tech ecosystem from that bird's-eye view perspective, two holes emerged, Que said.

First, while there are many local founders with business prowess and tech-related startup ideas, Que said there's a lack of diverse founders who have the technical skills needed to execute. Developing a pathway for chief technology officers who could be paired with a more business-savvy founder could be a solution, he said.

Additionally, there's a hole when it comes to local startup funding at the early “friends and family” stage, where companies are typically looking to raise $50,000 to $75,000, Que said.

"The issue is having that kind of disposable income that someone can invest into those startups to get them off the starting block," Que said. "It’s not all racial — a lot of it is class-based."

A fund targeting diverse startups who are at this "MVP" (minimum viable product) stage of funding could be a solution, he said.

Ultimately, diversity and inclusion efforts in Milwaukee's tech industry need to be intentional and authentic, Khalif said, adding that it's OK for companies to make diverse hiring decisions in the name of growing their bottom line.

"It was not a diversity and inclusion initiative that made all the manufacturers hire African Americans in the ’60s," Khalif said. "They needed workers to make more products to make more money and Black people could come and work."

Khalif El-Amin | Que El-Amin