The annual Milwaukee Tech Week event will have a new organizer this year.
The Milky Way Tech Hub, a Milwaukee group focused on equitably growing the city's tech ecosystem, will run Milwaukee Tech Week during the first week of October. It also runs Wisconsin Tech Month throughout the month of October.
Previously, Milwaukee Tech Week was a program of the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, a Milwaukee nonprofit with more than 135 member organizations. The coalition will continue to host signature events during Wisconsin Tech Month including Meet the Meet Ups, Startup Showcase, and the Healthtech MKE Pitch Event.
The move to combine both events under a single organizer is an example of collaboration in a tech ecosystem that some critics have previously said is siloed.
"This transition represents an important milestone in our journey of collaboration and community-building for the Milwaukee tech ecosystem," MKE Tech Hub Coalition CEO Kathy Henrich said in a statement. "We aim to unite Wisconsin's tech community, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and innovation to drive positive change.”
Milwaukee Tech Week dates back to 2016 when local entrepreneur Matt Cordio co-founded it as Startup Milwaukee Week. The MKE Tech Hub Coalition took over organizing the event in 2021 and changed the name to Milwaukee Tech Week.
The Milky Way Tech Hub started Wisconsin Tech Month in 2021 and runs it in collaboration with a Milwaukee group called Latinos in Tech.
"I’m excited for the continuous growth of WI Tech Month and its potential to grow our tech ecosystem while propelling economic growth, spurring job creation and positioning Wisconsin as a premier tech destination for all people, especially those from groups that have historically been excluded from economic prosperity,” Milky Way Tech Hub founder Nadiyah Johnson said in a statement.
