Madison High School Students Ready to Work

The Chamber is proud to facilitate the Youth Apprenticeship program for Madison high school students. Currently, there are several qualified juniors and seniors ready for employment in areas including Information Technology, Engineering, Hospitality/Food & Beverage and more. Contact Chamber Business and Education Coordinator, Jessica Holzman, to learn how you can support Madison students by hiring a youth apprentice today.

Shedding a Tier

Chamber President Zach Brandon refutes that living in Madison is a ‘Tier-Two Tradeoff.’ Read his response to Rebecca Ryan’s controversial October column in this month’s Madison Magazine.

Registration Open for Exploring Shades of Green in Wisconsin Businesses

Registration is Now Open for This Year’s Conference

 What:              The 6^th Annual Wisconsin Sustainable Business Conference

 When:             Friday, December 13^th, 2013, 7:45am-3:30pm

 Where:           Lands’ End Headquarters, Dodgeville, WI (busing options will be provided from several locations)

Who:              CEOs, Senior Sustainability Officers, Sustainability Staff, Supply Chain and Logistics Staff, others interested in business sustainability

How:               Register Here

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Why should I attend?

Come expecting to deepen your understanding of business sustainability practices. Expect to leave with knowledge of what others have done, what lessons they learned, and what they would change about their sustainability initiatives. If you’re interested in current, or in some cases, cutting-edge sustainability initiatives, this conference is for you. If you’re interested in understanding what the hype about sustainability is, this conference is for you too. Wherever you may be in your sustainability journey, whatever shade of green you are, we have designed this conference to you.

What Makes This Conference Unique?

All of the WI Sustainable Business Council Conferences have been designed and run by a team of students from one of Tom Eggert’s classes.  We are a team of students dedicated to sustainability. We are designing this conference for Wisconsin business people, and all presenters will be Wisconsin business people. Our presenters believe that sustainability is about sharing best practices and we embrace the philosophy of transparency, inclusivity, integrity, stewardship and continuous improvement as outlined by the ISO 20121 framework. We have a strong and optimistic vision of a successful, sustainable, growing, Wisconsin business community that will stand out nationally. Come be part of that community!

What Does Sustainability Mean to You & Your Business?

Sustainability is collaboration. It is innovation. It is breaking outside the box and into the cutting edge of business opportunity and experience. It is leadership. It means saving time and money, gaining reputation and customers, enhancing employee well-being and slashing turnover rates, and planning beyond the quarterly report. It is vital to the future of business. It is cutting edge. It is the future.

Still Not Convinced?

 For more information, check out our webpage & be sure to follow us on social media as well as our blog for up-to-date developments on the conference.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at sustain@bus.wisc.edu.

LGBT, Greater Madison Chambers Partner to Ask Rep. Pocan to Help LGBT Angel Investors

MADISON – The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce have joined together to advocate for a change to a Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule to provide an equal opportunity for LGBT investors to participate in startups.

In a joint letter sent to Representative Pocan this afternoon, the Chambers ask the congressman to urge the SEC to revise Rule 501 of Regulation D so that individuals in civil unions, domestic partnerships, and similar relationships can have the same right and opportunity to qualify for accredited investor status as married persons have.

“We understand the important role that startups have to play in creating jobs and new opportunities,” said Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Rae. “We want to ensure that all individuals are given an equal opportunity to invest and help grow our nation’s economy.”

“Discrimination of any kind impedes growth,” said Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon. “This simple revision sends the right message. Whether you are a startup investor or a founder, your financial investment will be treated equally under the law.”

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce look forward to working with Congressman Pocan to ensure that this rule is addressed as efficiently as possible. A copy of the letter is attached to this release.

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce has more than 1,300 members, and the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, represents more than 100 LGBT-owned and allied businesses and organizations from around the state.

Contact:
Jason Rae, (414) 678-9275, jason@wislgbtchamber.com
Jo-ell Carson, (608) 443-1952, jcarson@greatermadisonchamber.com

Click here for an electronic copy of the press release.
Click here for an electronic copy of the letter to Rep. Pocan.

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Apprenticeships Build Career Pathways

Apprenticeship programs are a great way for businesses to partner with employees who learn hands-on skills as they build career pathways.  The Greater Chamber of Commerce partners with the Madison Metropolitan School District for placement of high school students through the state’s Youth Apprenticeship Program and supports Wisconsin Senate Bill 336/Assembly Bill 402 which would increase state funding for the program by $500,000 annually.

The Chamber also supports Senate Bill 335/Assembly Bill 403 which would reimburse 25 percent of the apprenticeship tuition and fee for employers or students participating in an apprenticeship program.  Reimbursement would be capped at $1,000 per apprentice.

Increased funding for apprenticeships may enable more employers to participate in the program.