Chamber Statement Re: UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank

MADISON – Responding to the announcement that Rebecca Blank has been confirmed as the next chancellor at UW-Madison, Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce said:

“Given Rebecca Blank’s diverse and complementary background in business and academics, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce welcomes Dr. Blank and believes she is a great choice to solidify the link between the university and the business community. Choosing Dr. Blank is proof of the university’s commitment and understanding of the importance of their role in fueling economic growth for all of Wisconsin.

UW-Madison has a long-standing commitment to cultivating and supporting a spirit of innovation on campus. The Chamber looks forward to having Chancellor Blank join our board of directors and working with her to retain the bright minds being fostered at the university and transforming their entrepreneurial potential into a regionwide success story. Together, it is a story we will aggressively tell beyond Greater Madison’s borders.”

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,400 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees. With 75 percent of the membership consisting of small businesses with 50 employees or less, the Chamber is working to translate our innovative culture into increased jobs and wages. 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

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Spotlight on Innovation at BizExpo 2013

New Chamber President Highlights Entrepreneurial Excellence April 23

MADISON – Greater Madison is poised to take its position on the global stage. To inspire tomorrow’s business leaders, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce BizExpo 2013 will highlight the innovative people, the entrepreneurial businesses, new ideas and experts located here.

BizExpo 2013 is April 23 at Alliant Energy Center. It is open to the public and offers free attendance, free professional seminars and free parking.

“Greater Madison is unique. Our businesses are no different and it is vital to our economic growth that we shine the spotlight on these enterprising ideas,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “BizExpo will inspire our current and future leaders to take thoughtful risks and think of themselves as the innovators they already are. Their efforts make Madison identifiable and it is time for the secret of our entrepreneurial potential to be told globally.”

BizExpo will feature hundreds of local businesses showcasing new ideas and panel discussions with area experts on health care, social media, technology, employee retention and entrepreneurial advice.

“This isn’t your typical ‘business as usual’ expo,” said Brandon. “We will help business owners and their employees rethink how they do business and serve their customers. From the tow-truck driver to a web developer, BizExpo will provide the tools for them to catapult their ideas and their business to the next level.”

Get a complete list of BizExpo 2013 seminar topics, speakers and exhibitors.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,400 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees. With 75 percent of the membership consisting of small businesses with 50 employees or less, the Chamber is working to translate our innovative culture into increased jobs and wages. 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 copy of this release

Chamber Statement Re: Election Results for Madison Common Council

MADISON – Voters elected 11 of the 14 Madison Common Council candidates endorsed by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. The winners are: Lauren Cnare, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Steve King, Scott Resnick, Paul Skidmore, Maurice Cheeks, Chris Schmidt, Larry Palm, Joe Clausius, Mark Clear and Matt Phair. Responding to the election results, Delora Newton, vice president of advocacy for the Chamber said:

“Greater Madison is in a time of remarkable change and needs leaders with the right vision and commitment. Through their votes, the Madison community reinforced the need for city leaders who demonstrate their dedication to creating a climate that will help grow businesses and the jobs they create.

We appreciate the commitment of the business community who supported our endorsed candidates through their vote, participated in our candidate endorsement process and individually contributed through our Direct Givers Conduit Program at an average of $61 to the candidate of their choice. We look forward to working with the entire council throughout the next two years to translate the region’s innovative small business culture into increased jobs and wages.”

Note: The Chamber does not, and is not legally allowed to, use membership dues for political candidates.

 About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,400 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees.  With 75 percent of the membership consisting of small businesses with 50 employees or less, the Chamber is working to translate our innovative culture into increased jobs and wages. 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

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Welcome New Members — March 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.

• Arthritis Foundation
• Ashley Furniture Homestore
• Bertram Financial
• Brothers Business Interiors
• Campsite Creative LLC
• CapTel Captioned Telephone
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Greater Madison Area Postal Customer Council (GMAPCC)
• Interior Investments of Madison, LLC
• Starbucks
• Vicki Wagener Agency LLC
• Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services
• Wellbe Inc

The Chamber’s New Vision

President Zach Brandon began to lay out his vision for the Chamber at Downtown Rotary in mid-February. During his 30-minute keynote speech he said, “We instinctively believe Superman can fly because that’s what we’ve imagined since childhood. Yet, we assume a man without a cape is falling because we don’t believe humans can fly. Pessimism, like falling, has only one direction. Down.”

Zach continued, “Imagination allows us to believe in limitless direction and unbound potential. From this belief comes the kind of innovation that allows mere mortals to fly. In order to believe in the potential of Greater Madison, we must first imagine. Imagine the possibilities. Believe in the potential. Innovate for the future.”

Zach went on to describe the Chamber’s role — the importance of not only having a vision but the ability to execute on that vision.

“With high execution and low vision, you can compete but not lead. Without either, you’re a niche player at best. As a visionary, you can see where you want to go, but you don’t have the ability to get there. The Chamber will lead with a high-level vision and high-level execution. We’ll be the Chamber others want to emulate.”

Zach also said we need to look at economic development differently.

“The net gain of new jobs in the U.S. comes from startups. It’s an ongoing trend, not up for debate, even during a tough economy. The Chamber’s economic development efforts will focus on helping entrepreneurs get started, grow, innovate and stay. We will work to increase investment capital to our region, help expand our markets and increase our export options for all businesses. The Madison region has distinctive businesses and products with an appeal far beyond our borders. We will be aggressive in telling this story.”

Zach pointed to specific numbers in the the Milken Institute’s 2012 list for “Best Performing Cities” where Madison moved from 23 to 71.

“There has been a great deal of handwringing about this report. People declared we were falling. However, the numbers behind the report tell us we outperform world-class innovation cities in high-tech GDP growth over a 5-year period (Madison was 36, San Francisco was 40 and Austin, Texas was 129).

This is a key indicator of growth potential. Our challenge is converting this innovation into new jobs and higher wages. The formula is simple: To grow jobs and wages, we must help companies start, stay and grow. Economic development that is heavily focused on recruitment is a fool’s errand. We cannot and will not build our economy by trolling and border-raiding. We must promote a climate of innovation. Not just innovation in our businesses and the markets they serve, but innovation in healthcare, in our education system, in protecting our natural resources, in building our infrastructure and physical development.

From cutting-edge technology companies to distinctive retail shops taking the internet by storm to imaginative products like macaroni and cheese on a pizza, our businesses are leading the innovation way. As the Chamber reimagines and reinvents our membership offerings, programs and advocacy work, at the forefront we will be helping to create and support this climate of innovation. This is our path forward.”

Zach expanded on the need for an increase in global exports, calling it the bright spot of Wisconsin’s recovering economy.

“Greater Madison has significant unrealized potential. Look at the map. We underperform our in-state peers in global exporting. Closing this disparity is vital because firms new to global exporting increase employment four times faster, have wages 13-18 percent higher and grow 2.4 times quicker than non-exporters.

To grow business – and therefore jobs and wages – we must grow beyond our political and physical borders. For some, that means global expansion. For others, it may mean ventures such as e-commerce, mobile applications or new partnerships. The Chamber will open markets whether it’s overseas or over the Internet. We will provide members with the resources they need to realize their untapped potential in new and exciting markets.”

Zach concludes his vision for the Greater Madison region by outlining the critical role of telling our story.

“Madisonium is a group of active individuals looking for new ideas to improve and promote the tech and web industries in Madison. They are onto something with Madisonium as a brand. I am energized to join their efforts as a newly elected member to their board of directors.

Greater Madison is unique. It is all the rare elements combined that give our region the potential for a global innovation hub. It is the many companies that started with just an idea – a spark – which then ignited market-leading technologies. It is the biotech sector and the cutting-edge research coming out of the University. It is also the lakes, the Capitol, and the bike paths. It is the opportunities and quality of life. We are in the process of building a periodic table outlining these, and many more, unique characteristics.

Whether you were born here, came to school here, were relocated here or ended up here on accident, the rare elements of the Greater Madison region keep you here. To this point, our community has been quietly content to know this secret. The time for quiet is over. The Chamber will aggressively tell our region’s story. To investors. To new partners. To untapped markets and beyond. It’s time the global community knows – and seeks – our rare elements.”

What are the rare elements of the Greater Madison region? Contribute your thoughts or pictures to our periodic table via email, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.