Overture Forums Panel Discussion: The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Black Community

For the next Overture Forum on MON, MAR 29, 7:30 PM, we are excited to have a distinguished panel of doctors and public health experts provide perspectives about the coronavirus vaccine as it relates to the Black community and beyond.

Panel Members:

· Aaron Perry, president & CEO of Rebalanced-Life and Wellness Association of Madison

· Dr. Sheryl L. Henderson, MD, PhD, pediatric infectious disease specialist – UW School of Medicine and Public Health

· Dr. Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH assistant professor, researcher and educator in the UW Dept. of Pediatrics with an affiliation with the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research

· Dr. William Hartman, MD, PhD, principal investigator for the UW COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Program (Adult and Pediatric Programs), principal investigator for the UW-Regeneron Monoclonal Antibody (Antispike) Clinical Trials, assistant professor of anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health and medical director of UW Health Pre-Op Clinic – School of Medicine and Public Health

Moderator: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, professor emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison and former Kellner Family Distinguished Chair in Urban Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction

Please join us for this free forum, open to the public.

WATCH THE FORUM

Transportation Law Attorney Jason E. Engkjer Joins DeWitt LLP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2021

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michelle M. Friedman
mmf@dewittllp.com / 262-754-2877

Transportation Law Attorney Jason E. Engkjer Joins DeWitt LLP

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – Today DeWitt LLP announced attorney Jason E. Engkjer has joined the firm’s Minneapolis office as a member of its growing Transportation & Logistics Practice Group.

Engkjer’s practice is primarily devoted to corporate planning, transactions and complex commercial litigation with a unique focus in transportation and supply chain law. He represents a diverse array of clients ranging from small, closely held companies to multi-national organizations on a nationwide basis, but primarily in the upper Midwest.

Engkjer is active with the Minnesota Trucking Association, North Dakota Motor Carrier Association, Transportation Lawyer’s Association and is a member of the Conference of Freight Counsel. He is a current board member and general counsel for Farm Rescue and Farm Rescue Foundation.   He is a former board member and general counsel for the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and continues to actively support the organization. He regularly provides volunteer pro bono legal services through a variety of organizations and is a former ethics investigator for Hennepin County’s Fourth District Ethics Committee. Jason has also been listed as a Rising Star by Minnesota Super Lawyers.

He earned a J.D., from William Mitchell College of Law and a B.S. from the University of Kansas.  He is admitted to practice in Minnesota and North Dakota state courts, as well as Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota federal courts.

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP was founded in 1903 and is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota. It has nearly 130 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes. The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family business, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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Dane County companies boosted through Madison Development Corporation loans

For Immediate Release
March 8, 2021

Dane County companies boosted through Madison Development Corporation loans

Firms on the upswing receive $1.6 million infusion

MADISON, WI — Five growing Dane County businesses have received a capital infusion of $1.6 million through Venture Debt Fund loans from the Madison Development Corporation (MDC).

Among the enterprises receiving 2020 loans through MDC’s Venture Debt fund are: 

• Image Mover: $250,000 for development of an app that allows images to be uploaded directly to the Epic Systems platform without breaking HIPPA rules. 
• StartingBlock Madison: $250,000 for space for start-up and early-stage companies located in American Family Insurance’s SPARK building on East Washington Avenue.
• Simple Machines: $400,000 to develop a chip technology that provides software-controlled hardware that is fast, power-efficient, and area-efficient.
• Mobile22: $250,000 for development of Transport-as-a-Service technology platform that manages and optimizes mobility. It’s designed to help organizations manage their fleets, drivers, demand and fulfillment.  
• SmartUQ: $400,000 for a predictive analytics and uncertainty quantification software tool that incorporates real world variables.

“This loan through MDC will help us leverage resources in creating software solutions that will improve the patient experience and make life more convenient,” said Kevin Houlihan, Chief Executive Officer of Image Mover. “Having access to a local entity like MDC focused on helping businesses grow and create jobs is a real plus for the Madison business community.”

Since the Venture Debt Fund was founded in 2004 by MDC and over a dozen institutional investors (including local banks, MGE, and area Economic Development Corporations), the Fund has made 67 loans totaling $19.6 million to 56 Madison companies. In 2020, investment from the Fund helped create 329 new jobs. Since inception, fund loans have helped create over 2,000 jobs in Dane County. The average loan size is $350,000. 

“Our Venture Debt Fund has assisted entrepreneurial companies grow and invest in talented people who live and work here,” said Lorrie Heinemann, MDC president and chief executive officer. “In turn, these enterprises are driving innovation and further solidifying Madison as an entrepreneurial, high-tech growth hub.”

Fostering creative start-up businesses and creating high quality jobs in Dane County is key for the community banks and local institutional investors who participate in the Venture Debt Fund.

“Our community benefits when local companies innovate, grow and hire new employees,” said John Drury, Senior Business Development Manager at Madison Gas and Electric, a lead investor in the Fund. “We’re proud to invest in our community through the Venture Debt Fund, which gives promising businesses resources at pivotal times so they can grow and thrive.”

The Venture Debt Fund draws collaborative funding from local organizations including: Bank of Sun Prairie, Capitol Bank, City of Fitchburg, First Business Bank, Madison Gas and Electric, Middleton Area Development Corp, Monona Bank, Oak Bank, Old National Bank, One Community Bank, Park Bank, River Valley Bank, Settlers Bank, Starion Financial, State Bank of Cross Plains, and Town Bank. The Fund also just received a $300,000 Capital Catalyst investment from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

“These are challenging and exciting times for companies driving change,” Fund Chair Mary Strickland said. “The MDC Venture Debt Fund is proud to partner with visionary leaders who are growing their companies here in Dane County.”

Madison Development Corporation is a non-profit organization that owns and manages 348 affordable workforce housing units in the Madison area and provides financing for hard-to-finance businesses in Dane County. Since 1977, MDC has provided loans to more than 450 businesses totaling over $35 million, which helped them create over 5,000 quality jobs in Dane County.

DoorDash Announces Winners of the Madison COVID-19 Restaurant Relief Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021

Contact: press@doordash.com

DOORDASH ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE MADISON COVID-19 RESTAURANT RELIEF GRANTS

Winners will use funds provided by DoorDash’s Main Street Strong effort to help offset the costs associated with running a restaurant amid the ongoing pandemic and local dining restrictions.

MADISON, WI – Today DoorDash announced the winners of the COVID-19 Restaurant Relief Grant program provided through its Main Street Strong effort. These grants are a part of DoorDash’s five-year, $200 million Main Street Strong Pledge to empower local communities, which included a $10 million grant effort across select cities, states, and counties in the U.S. and Canada.

The grants are being administered by Hello Alice and can be used to cover operating costs during this challenging time, including rent, payroll, purchasing PPE, expanding outdoor dining capacity, and other expenses.

The below Madison restaurants have been selected to receive $5,000 grants through the program:

• Bierock
• Bistro 525
• Cafe Domestique
• Cranberry Creek Cafe & Catering
• Crostini Sandwiches 
• Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry
• El Rancho Dos Mexican Grill 
• Estacion Inka
• Fair Trade Coffee House
• Gates & Brovi
• Green Owl Cafe
• Harvest
• La Taguara
• Lazy Oaf Lounge
• Madison’s
• Mad Seafood Boiler 
• Mickie’s Dairy Bar
• Nick’s Restaurant 
• Off Broadway Drafthouse 
• Orient House Chinese Restaurant 
• Osteria Papavero
• Parkway Family Restaurant 
• Pizza Extreme
• Roll Play
• Salads UP
• Sconniebar
• Teddywedgers 
• The Jet Room
• Tutto Pasta State Street
• Valentia Coffee

All restaurants who applied for a grant will receive free access to the Hello Alice platform, which offers peer-to-peer networking, mentorship, and tools such as the COVID-19 Restaurant Resource Center, a curated list of industry-specific resources, information from fellow restaurant and food service owners about the challenges they’re facing, and how-to guides designed to help restaurants reopen the doors and get back to business.  Hello Alice will begin grant distribution in March, with all restaurants receiving their grant by early May. 

“We are very excited to have been selected as recipient,” said Sofia R. Pezua, Manager, Estacion Inka. “As we are struggling to cover our business expenses, this grant will allow us to meet those needs and continue to keep our doors open for takeout and delivery while more measures are put in place for restaurants to be able to open for dine-in safely. Thank you!”

When launching the program, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said, “COVID-19 has been devastating nationwide, and has taken a serious toll on our small businesses. Restaurants have searched tirelessly for resources to keep their doors open during the pandemic, as they’ve faced a number of hurdles. I’m thrilled about DoorDash’s relief contributions which will help safeguard our local restaurants during this time of crisis.”

“Restaurants have faced unprecedented challenges in the last year, and DoorDash is proud to support them,” said Alexi Madon, Senior Manager, Government Relations, Central at DoorDash. “It is our hope that these grants will help restaurants as they continue to navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.”

During the first round of DoorDash’s Main Street Strong COVID-19 relief grants in 2020, 85% of restaurants stated that one of the biggest impacts on their business was reduced sales due to COVID restrictions, and 82% cited lost revenue attributed to the declining economy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, DoorDash has taken significant active steps to ensure the safety of its entire community, including providing:

●   $120 million in commission relief and marketing investments

●  50% reduction in commissions for local restaurants with five or fewer locations in the first months of the pandemic, plus 0% commissions for the first 30 days for restaurants new to DoorDash

●   Free personal safety equipment for Dashers, including hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, and masks

●   Two weeks of earnings replacement for eligible Dashers affected by COVID-19

●   COVID-19 screenings and telemedicine appointments for just $4 for Dashers, per visit

●   Partnering with BlueVine, a leading provider of small business banking solutions, to provide a customized Payment Protection Program (PPP) application for merchant partners to help make PPP loans more accessible.

For a full list of winners across the U.S. and Canada, see Hello Alice’s blog here. Read more about DoorDash’s latest efforts to help the local merchants, Dashers and communities it serves here. 

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About DoorDash

DoorDash is a technology company that connects consumers with their favorite local and national businesses in more than 4,000 cities and all 50 states across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Founded in 2013, DoorDash enables local businesses to address consumers’ expectations of ease and immediacy and thrive in today’s convenience economy. By building the last-mile logistics infrastructure for local commerce, DoorDash is bringing communities closer, one doorstep at a time.

Keller Real Estate Group Starts Construction on $25 Million Downtown Landmark Development

New Gateway for Downtown Madison
Keller Real Estate Group Breaks Ground On a $25 Million, Multi-Family Housing initiative “Avenir”
A transformative development for the corner of West Washington Avenue and Bassett Street

Upscale Project includes 96 apartment homes, 2,000 sq. ft. of specialty retail, 100 heated indoor parking spaces, 100+ bike parking spots and a Bike Maintenance Station for residents. Completion slated for April 2021.

Madison, WI—March 1, 2021—-Keller Real Estate Group (Keller) has started construction on the $25 million AVENIR, a mixed-use development with 96 apartment homes and 2500 sq. ft of ground-floor specialty retail space on 510 West Washington Avenue. The six-story AVENIR will transform a prominent and formerly underutilized ¾ acre downtown site, into a vibrant multi-family residential community that will create a signature gateway to the downtown and add much needed density to the existing stock of quality housing. Nine inefficient and outdated rental properties , owned by Keller, were demolished to make way for the project. The upscale AVENIR, (named for the future or time to come), includes studio, one-, two-and three-bedroom apartment homes and is slated for occupancy in spring of 2022.
Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, who represents the area, applauded the AVENIR development for embracing the Mifflandia Neighborhood Plan (adopted in 2019) in shaping its design and for creating an iconic benchmark project to help guide future initiatives:

“As one of the first significant development projects since the Mifflandia Neighborhood Plan was adopted, Keller’s AVENIR is a standard bearer in expressing the criteria and vision outlined in the plan and a genuine testament to the hundreds of neighborhood stakeholders who actively participated in that important process.”

Alder Verveer added: “The AVENIR will be an enduring asset in beautifying and animating the West Washington Avenue corridor, and act as a catalyst for thoughtful development initiatives that are steered by the Mifflandia Plan in the future.”

The 6-story AVENIR takes advantage of its expansive site with an open H -shaped layout and features white brick construction that rises up through the first four floors. Herringbone patterned bricks will highlight the window spandrels. The stepped back upper two stories of the building will be clad with a lightweight, medium grey cement board siding and accented with black metal window frames and balcony railings. Generous building setbacks, recessed and cantilevered balconies, tall windows, rooftop terraces, a series of walk-up apartments and canopied entrance ways all modulate the scale of the AVENIR complex.

An inviting ground floor corner storefront space at AVENIR will be designed with glass and transparent materials to engage bypassing pedestrians. Along the street corner, an 18” raised terrace will provide outdoor gathering and dining space, further animating the street. Landscaping plans will sensitively preserve large existing trees and a newly planted double tree canopy will help create a special sense of place for the neighborhood.

The AVENIR is conveniently located within a few blocks of the Wisconsin State Capitol, the Overture Center for the Arts, and the Kohl Center on the lively Washington Avenue Corridor that is home to over 40 businesses, including locally owned specialty restaurants, retail outlets and fitness studios. Residents of the AVENIR will enjoy a host of amenities including an outdoor elevated terrace and lounge that includes a conference room, a grill station , outdoor seating and dining and a shaded trellis area overlooking West Washington Avenue; a yoga and wellness center, secure package delivery, 100 heated underground parking spaces, over 100 enclosed bike parking spots and a bike repair station.

Sustainable elements incorporated in the AVENIR design will include “green” roofs on the 2nd and 5th floor roof terraces, CO and NO2 gas detection in the enclosed garage for intelligent exhaust air and make-up air control, and a 92% + efficient central domestic hot water system. LED lighting will be utilized throughout, including occupancy sensors in public spaces and the parking garage.

Construction and permanent financing for the $25 million AVENIR is being provided by the First Business Bank. The general contractor for AVENIR is VJS Construction Services, a family -owned company founded in 1947, and headquartered in Pewaukee, WI. Madison, WI-based Potter Lawson, Inc. an award-winning architecture, planning and interior design firm established in 1913 is the architect of record.

About Keller Real Estate Group
A trusted regional developer and property manager recognized for high qaulity and enduring projects, Keller Real Estate Group was founded in Madison,WI in 1950, and maintains offices in a historic 1931 Art Deco building at 448 W. Washington Ave.The company’s roots and capital investments in downtown Madison are deep with award winning mixed use projects such as Bassett Walk, City Place Apartments, Tuscan Place, and Washington Court and Wilson Bay that have helped strengthen and revitalize the Bassett Neighborhood. Keller Real Estate Group https://www.kellerrealestategroup.com/