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.

Results from the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Economic Census

MADISON – Nearly 75 percent of Madison-area employers expect positive revenue growth for their next fiscal year according to a survey of members of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

“Greater Madison has a positive story to tell which our Economic Census validates,” said Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon. “While there remains some uncertainty in the market from regulation as well as consumer and business confidence, it is clear that employers are feeling good about where they are and where they are going.”

Key findings from the Census include:

1. Businesses predict a strong year in 2014 with 72 percent of respondents expecting a positive gross revenue trend for their next fiscal year. Another 72 percent report a positive gross revenue trend for the first half of 2013.
2. A majority of respondents, 56 percent, plan to expand somewhere in the next fiscal year. Nearly half of those expansions will occur in Dane County, 31 percent plan to expand outside Dane County, and 21 percent have plans to expand in both.
3. Greater Madison is considered a good place to do business with 82 percent of respondents willing to recommend Dane County. When asked what makes Greater Madison a competitive place to do business, top responses include a high quality of life, an educated workforce and close proximity to colleges, universities and larger business markets. Concerns included overregulation and the political climate.
4. Greater Madison has an exceptionally generous business community with 79 percent of organizations giving time or money to a Dane County charitable initiative last year.
5. Uncertainty regarding health care costs remains a concern with businesses responding to increased costs differently – some by increasing the employer cost (49 percent) to continue to provide the benefit, while others utilize cost-sharing with employees or scale back benefits.

The Chamber’s Annual Economic Census included participation from 248 Madison-area business owners and executives. The individual results were aggregated and analyzed by Ady Voltedge and Monalco Marketing, with a +/- 5.6 percent margin of error.

View this 2013 Economic Census info graphic for an illustrated summary of the key findings.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, Madison businesses vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at www.greatermadisonchamber.com.

Contact: Jo-ell Carson, Communications Director, at 608-443-1952 or 608-213-1799

Click here for an electronic version of this press release.

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Welcome New Members — September & October 2013

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members. Please keep these companies in mind when doing business. View the complete directory listing of all Chamber members.

• A&J Specialty Services, Inc.
• All Things Olive
• Building and Construction Trades Council of SC WI
• Cargo Coffee
• CubeJumpers, L.P
• Forward Service Corporation
• Humble. Sweet & Savory Pies
• InXpress
• Madison-Kipp Corporation
• Maid to Sparkle Madison
• Mystery to Me
• Nation Consulting
• Serene Spaces by Sheli
• Synergy Consortium Services, LLC
• UPS
• Varsity Quarters

A dinner for the history books

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce 61^stAnnual Dinner on Sept. 12 was one for the record books. More than 1,000 business and community leaders, entrepreneurs and small business owners made up the sold out capacity crowd at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center making it the largest dinner in Chamber history. (View photo album.)

Our colorful emcee, Debra Kaye, connected the Red Thread linking Madison’s iconic businesses, recent startups and identifiable institutions. Kaye, award winning author of Red Thread Thinking: Weaving Together Connections for Brilliant Ideas and Profitable Innovation, told the packed house, “Innovation is not just about technology, it is about everyday things. We all tweak products in our home or business to make them work better for our own needs. This is innovation. About 20 percent of us, take those tweaks to market and make a business. Those are our entrepreneurs. The economy runs on the steam of innovation.”

Kaye set the tone for an amazing line up of local speakers. Jack Salzwedel, Chairman and CEO of American Family Mutual Insurance Co., reflected on American Family’s long history of innovation and how, even today, the company is always looking for new ways to meet customer needs. He added, “Innovation doesn’t need to be expensive, but human capital is needed and so is leadership. Add creativity to smarts for a powerful formula for innovation.”

Leora Greenburg, CEO of recent startup DineInTime Inc., painted the picture of today’s entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial needs from a community. She challenged the audience to keep looking for the next big idea. Greenburg is a recent graduate of Gener8tor, a business accelerator program based in Madison and Milwaukee that provides money, mentoring and moral support to young tech companies. DineInTime is a product of Gener8tor’s successful formula and Greenburg’s creativity and drive to succeed.

The Chamber dinner also welcomed new UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. She shared her eagerness to connect the red thread between businesses and education. She believes by creating opportunity locally, it will help retain UW graduates to keep top talent in our region.

International guests also “popped” in to the Annual Dinner. The Pop Up Agency unveiled the results of its spring 2013 study of the Madison region. The globetrotting team encouraged community change to give Madison real potential to become the location for innovation. They said, “You need to tell your story and believe it in Madison first.”

To cap off the amazing evening, Chamber President Zach Brandon told the crowd, “Think global, and we will grow local.”

Brandon unveiled “MADi” the next big thing to take Madison to a higher level. A platform that will highlight and guide you to the innovation happening in Madison. But, MADi is not just a Chamber effort. It will take small and large, institutions and entrepreneurs, working together, to put Madison on the larger map. It’s vital everyone in the community asks themselves, “What will I do to build a greater Madison?

Thank you to our amazing sponsors and partners who made the evening possible. Thank you to the wonderful support of our Chamber membership base and the 1,000 people in attendance.