Government, business and cybersecurity leaders gather at CyberSecure My Business™ Workshop in Madison

MADISON, Wisc., Sept. 13, 2019 ‒ The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a nonprofit public-private partnership focused on helping all citizens stay safer and more secure online, is teaming up with the Wisconsin Chief Information Officer, the Small Business Administration and others to present NCSA’s CyberSecure My Business™ workshop in Madison on September 24, as part of the Wisconsin Governor’s Cybersecurity Summit.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are regular targets for cybercriminals. SMBs represent 54% of the nation’s economy, according to the SBA. In addition, the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report stated that 58% of targets within their study of more than 53,000 incidents identified as small businesses. Studies show more than half of small businesses would be unprofitable within a month if they were to lose permanent access to their essential data.

With this top of mind, NCSA created a national program designed to help SMBs learn to be safer and more secure online with a non-technical, non-threatening approach. The workshop will cover common cyber threats targeting SMBs, cyber misconceptions, actionable steps or “quick wins” to better secure their businesses and free local, state and national resources to help them improve their cybersecurity. 

“The CyberSecure My Business workshop content is designed to be easily understood by people who do not have technical backgrounds,” said Daniel Eliot, NCSA’s director of small business education. “Attendees will leave the workshop with the understanding they are indeed a target, but this isn’t a scare tactic. The rationale is to empower SMB owners, employees, and advisers to take action and implement key actionable steps to secure their personal and business assets. Cybersecurity awareness is great, but cybersecurity action is the goal.”

Participation in the workshop is free, but registration is required. The agenda for the morning workshop, to be held at the UW-Madison Gordon Commons Event Center, 770 W. Dayton in Madison is:

8:30 a.m.:           Registration, networking and exhibitor tables

9:00 a.m.:           Opening remarks from the U.S. Small Business Administration

9:15 a.m.:           Fireside Chat, featuring:

·         David Cagigal, Chief Information Officer, State of Wisconsin

·         Brian Dennis, Director, Cybersecurity Center for Small Business, UW-Whitewater

·         Lisa Plaggemier, Chief Evangelist, Infosec

·         Matt Wernz, Attorney, Federal Trade Commission

·         Molly Arranz, Partner, SmithAmundsen

10:00 a.m.:       CyberSecure My Business™ Workshop

12:00 p.m.:       Wrap-up

Visit https://staysafeonline.org/event/csmb-workshop-wi/ to register at no cost.

To learn more about staying safe online and to find links to websites that offer additional account security information, visit www.staysafeonline.org.

Badgers’ Economic Impact? $610 Million

MADISON, Wis. — In athletics, statistics matter. For Wisconsin Athletics, two numbers stand out from a recently completed economic impact report.

The Badgers provide a $610 million total annual economic impact for the state of Wisconsin.

Zoom in on the city of Madison and the Badgers provide a $395 million total annual economic impact for the local community. That’s also 1.8 million visitors to the city each year.

Completed in June with Econsult Solutions, Inc., the economic impact report sheds light on the many economic benefits the Badgers’ 23 athletic teams and supporting organization bring to the area through hosting football games, other sports competitions and other events like high school state tournaments, concerts and more.

“The fact that Badger Athletics has such an impact on our city, region and state is a great source of pride for us,” said Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez. “Our athletic program is woven into the fabric of not only the Madison area, but all over our great state.

“The financial figures back that up and they go hand-in-hand with the strong bond we have with the residents of our state.”

Notably, the $610 million impact equates to 4,480 jobs and a $12 million tax revenue impact. In Madison, the $395 million impact brings 2,950 jobs and a $1.7 million tax revenue impact.

Fall Saturdays at Camp Randall Stadium? Each home football game provides $16 million in total economic impact on the Wisconsin economy.

The report also highlights the Badgers’ impact more specifically in direct spending by athletic department operations, capital investments, attendee spending, ancillary spending and broader societal impacts.

The full report is available online here – https://uwbadgers.com/economicimpact.

Tickets Available to the General Public for Q&A with Actress, Producer and Activist Stephanie Beatriz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

Contact Information: Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Office: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR Q&A WITH ACTRESS, PRODUCER AND ACTIVIST STEPHANIE BEATRIZ

MADISON – Tickets are on sale to the general public, as of Sept. 13, for a Q&A with producer, activist and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actress Stephanie Beatriz in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. 

During Beatriz’s Shannon Hall debut, a moderator will lead a Q&A about her life, career and activism, including her time on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and her work with the LGBTQIA community.

Beatriz’s work includes not only starring on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” but also guest starring on the show “Modern Family,” producing and starring in “The Light of the Moon,” and more. 

Beatriz has advocated for the normalization of LGBTQIA characters on television, including on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” in which the bisexual actress plays the role of Rosa Diaz, a no-nonsense, brave, smart, bisexual detective with a heart of gold.

She has called for the entertainment industry to do better when it comes to portraying LGBTQIA characters and to endeavoring to have LGBTQIA characters portrayed by LGBTQIA actors.

“We are so excited to be having not only a leader for women in television comedy, but to also have such a strong activist for the LGBTQIA community,” said Hailey Koller, the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Performing Arts Committee’s committee relations assistant director. “When it comes to speaking out for LGBTQIA equality in the entertainment industry, Stephanie’s voice has been so important, and we look forward to learning about her experiences.”  

This event is presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater in collaboration with the WUD Performing Arts Committee.

Tickets for this event became available to University of Wisconsin-Madison students Aug. 20 and will continue to be exclusively available to UW-Madison students through Sept. 12.

For more information about Beatriz’s upcoming appearance, including how to purchase tickets, visit union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/stephanie-beatriz.

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About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee plans and promotes events for the historic Wisconsin Union Theater stages. The student-led committee programs a variety of events to provide a diverse and cultural experience for students, faculty, alumni, community members and visitors. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.

About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an expansive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Theater: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a photo of Stephanie Beatriz.]

Madison Ballet Selects New Board Leadership

CONTACT: GRETCHEN BOURG
(608) 278-7990
gretchen@madisonballet.org

Madison Ballet Selects New Board Leadership

Matthew Ulrich of Epic Systems Elected President 

MADISON, WI – Madison Ballet is proud to announce that Matthew Ulrich, Technical Services Engineer at Epic Systems, was elected President of the Board of the Directors at its August annual Meeting. Mr. Ulrich joined the board in 2016 and has served on its Finance Committee.

“Madison Ballet is a gift to our community, bringing the joy of creative expression to children and adults, to dancers and audiences, throughout Dane County and beyond,” said Mr. Ulrich.  “We are on track to be a revitalized, thriving organization serving our community well into the future. ”

Madison Ballet is grateful for the leadership of outgoing President Bob Cottingham, partner-in-charge of Wipfli’s Southern Region.  Mr. Cottingham joined the board in 2004.  He served as its President since 2013 and will continue as an active member.

The Board also elected David Hughes as Vice-President, Corkey Custer as Treasurer, and Jane Richardson as Secretary.  Mr. Hughes is Chief Customer Officer with On Point Technologies, Mr. Custer is Managing Partner of Custer Plumb Financial Services, and Ms Richardson is a community leader whose executive career spanned government, private, and not-for profit business sectors.

MJ Hecox, UW-Madison Assistant Director of Integrated Marketing Communications, is a newly elected member of the board.  Jonathan Solari joined Madison Ballet as CEO in June of this year.

For nearly 40 years Madison Ballet has been an integral part of the vibrant Dane County arts community.  Professional ballet education and training with the School of Ballet assures that students of all ages and skill levels gain the poise, confidence, discipline, and fundamental life skills intrinsic to the study of classical ballet.  Full scale productions such as the acclaimed Nutcracker and imaginative contemporary performances by the professional repertory company reach tens of thousands of people each  year,  while scholarships and neighborhood outreach programs connect hundreds of families and young people with the joy of dance.

Iconica Announces Kevin Carey as New Business Development Director

Iconica is excited to announce that Kevin Carey is joining as Director of Business Development. Kevin will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and supporting customers with his knowledge and experience.

“Kevin has a great deal of experience and success in working with companies and demonstrating his knowledge of commercial building, real estate transactions, and development,” says Jim Pientka, President and CEO of Iconica. “Kevin will immediately become a valued resource for our clients and our team.”

Kevin is well-respected within the Madison and greater Dane County area. He brings over 20 years of sales and business development experience to Iconica as a commercial real estate broker, developer, tenant representative, and former client of Iconica.

“I am elated about joining Iconica,” states Carey. “Iconica’s leadership, design strength, and company culture make them stand out. They are very well-positioned to experience growth in their market – I am confident I can play a lead role in helping them accomplish this goal.”

Kevin can be reached at kevin.carey@iconicacreates.com.

Iconica takes the stress out of building projects so owners can focus on growing their businesses. By providing full architectural, engineering and general contracting services, they take the uncertainty out of commercial construction by guaranteeing results.