Tandem HR names Tara Conger as CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Feb. 12, 2024

Contact: Jake Miller, jake@sundaypaper.com, 608-957-4797

Tandem HR names Tara Conger as CEO
The move follows rapid growth and improvements during Conger’s tenure as president of the national HR firm

CHICAGO – Tandem HR, a top professional employer organization (PEO) that provides a full range of HR and employment services, has named Tara Conger as its CEO.

Conger, a 17-year veteran in the HR industry, served as Tandem HR’s president for the past two years, leading the firm through multiple strategic changes that spurred unprecedented improvements in customer service, client retention, and company culture.

“In just two years, Tara has transformed Tandem HR into an organization that consistently upholds its values, providing clients unparalleled customer service, HR expertise, and cutting-edge technology. This ensures clients have the peace of mind they seek when choosing a PEO partner,” said Ryan Kelley, founding partner of Shore Capital, Tandem HR’s parent company. “She has an uncanny ability to build exceptional teams that consistently deliver outstanding results for our clients.”

Conger, a Wausau, Wisconsin native, credits her time in the sports industry for her passion to build high-performing teams committed to Tandem HR’s mission. It’s not only about talent but about finding people who truly care about others – critical in every industry, but especially in HR.

“I’ve gained invaluable insights on crafting exceptional teams, transitioning from the world of sports to the realm of business,” Conger said. “Ultimately, the caliber of individuals drives exceptional outcomes, and we’re witnessing this firsthand at Tandem HR. “

Throughout her tenure as Tandem HR’s president, Conger spearheaded strategic operational enhancements. In addition to aligning personnel with appropriate roles, she fortified Tandem HR’s customer service and technology portfolio. Notably, her initiatives culminated in the organization achieving an exceptional employee engagement score of 88%, a milestone rarely reached in the corporate landscape.

But it wasn’t only internal changes that led to Tandem HR’s rapid progress. Among clients, Tandem HR saw their Net Promoter Score – a metric that evaluates customer engagement and loyalty – increase over 50 points.

In her new role as CEO, Conger’s focus is on growth. Tandem HR, which serves small and medium-sized businesses, will continue to prioritize customer service and HR expertise – two things she said are essential to building new, long-term relationships with clients needing Tandem HR’s services.

Along with serving in her new role as CEO, Conger will continue to shape the PEO industry as a board and executive committee member for the National Association of Professional Employment Organizations (NAPEO). Conger said her involvement with NAPEO has played a significant role in her strategic decision-making at Tandem HR because she can regularly review and dissect industry trends, rules, and regulations that will impact Tandem HR’s clients.

“In HR and the PEO industry, you’re regularly encountering complex challenges and issues that directly impact not only companies but people,” Conger said. “Along with staying in tune with industry shifts, my focus is always on fostering empathy, compassion, and transparency with our employees and clients. When you do that, your organization is going to flourish.”

About Tandem HR

Founded in 1998, Tandem HR is a full-service HR company offering outsourced HR and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. With a focus on delivering first-class employee-focused solutions, Tandem HR prioritizes outstanding customer service. Clients not only have the tools they need, but access to a group of experts dedicated to solving complex challenges and evolving HR needs. From benefits and payroll to employee retention and compliance, Tandem HR seamlessly integrates into their clients’ businesses, working as a true partner.

NVNG to Close First Fund of Funds with Commitments of $50 Million

February 12, 2024, MADISON, Wis – NVNG Investment Advisors, a Wisconsin-based investment firm with offices in Madison and Milwaukee has announced the final closing of its Fund I. The fund has received commitments of $50 million making it the largest Wisconsin-based fund of funds.

From its inception, NVNG set out to grow the venture ecosystem in Wisconsin by leveraging their vast network of venture funds outside the state. Departing from traditional venture fund models, NVNG’s approach combines a network of best-in-class national venture funds with strategic investments in both Wisconsin funds and direct investments in Wisconsin startups creating a robust and virtuous ecosystem.

For non-local/national venture funds, NVNG provides access to Wisconsin based corporations providing insight and potential acquisition partners. For local venture Funds, NVNG not only provides capital but provides access to new deal flow and potential syndications through the fund’s national partners.

For private and corporate investors, the NVNG portfolio is designed to remove barriers for local investors to access high-performing funds and ensure a more comprehensive approach to venture capital with the benefit of driving deal flow in the state.

Carrie Thome, co-founder of NVNG and former Chief Investment Officer at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), emphasizes the potential to showcase and grow Wisconsin into a competitive entrepreneurial powerhouse, stating, “There is no reason that Wisconsin can’t have a thriving venture capital ecosystem. We are confident that we have the right national network connections that the state has been missing, in addition to providing the necessary capital for both funds and startups.”

“NVNG’s mission is to make Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem globally competitive,” said Grady Buchanan, co-founder at NVNG. “This doesn’t happen without creating new ways of attracting capital and supporting an ecosystem here that is very much in transition and deserving of a venture capital network that we can provide.”

Early investors in Fund I include ­­­Exact Sciences, Baird, Johnson Financial Group, West Bend Insurance and A.O. Smith. A list of NVNG’s strategic partners can be found at NVNGIA.com. A list of funds that NVNG is investing in can be found at NVNGIA.com/Investment-strategy.

“NVNG’s focus on the Wisconsin innovation ecosystem and connecting it to a broader, national network of entrepreneurs and venture capital will help fuel Wisconsin’s economic growth,” said Kevin Conroy, Chairman & CEO of Exact Sciences, one of NVNG’s initial investors when the fund first opened. “A vibrant Wisconsin innovation economy is good for Wisconsin and for Exact Sciences.”

Fund I is NVNG’s initial fund offering. In addition, the organization offers key network development and education opportunities for fund managers and investors such as our +Venture North event. The organization also provides a platform for local startups to create visibility through +Venture Wisconsin.

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About NVNG:

NVNG Investment Advisors is designed to help corporate and institutional investors realize financial returns while making strategically meaningful connections to professionally managed venture capital by creating, vetting, and curating a series of products and corporate services including venture capital-focused ‘fund of funds’ products.

RehabPath invests $1M to improve, simplify access to mental health treatment worldwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Date: Feb. 12, 2024 

Contact: Jake Miller, jake@sundaypaper.com, 608-957-4797 

Madison health-tech startup invests $1M to improve, simplify access to mental health treatment  worldwide
RehabPath’s purchase of Recovery.com will play a pivotal role in helping people find the care they need

MADISON – RehabPath, one of Madison’s fastest-growing startups, has taken a massive step forward in their pursuit to connect people with quality mental health and addiction treatment. 

The health-tech firm, founded in 2017, recently purchased Recovery.com and moved their product there for a total investment north of $1 million, as they pursue their mission to break down barriers that make it challenging for families and individuals to find trusted treatment options online. 

“We’ve spent years building and refining an online resource–nearly every person seeking mental health treatment begins their search online–that is easily findable and empowers patients, family members, and referring professionals to make informed decisions that ultimately lead to more people receiving care,” said Ben Camp, CEO, RehabPath. “Recovery.com is an inclusive, memorable and optimistic name that lends instant credibility and trust to these efforts. When we were presented with the opportunity to purchase this domain name, I knew it would be a multiplier on the work our team is doing and the investments we’ve already made.”

A continuum of care 

While rehab or inpatient care is sometimes necessary for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, it’s only one aspect of treatment in the life-long journey of recovery.  

Because RehabPath – and now Recovery.com – helps people find an array of treatment options, it’s imperative they easily communicate the breadth and depth of services to anyone searching for care. That’s where Recovery.com comes into play. 

“When people hear the word ‘rehab’ they tend to think of a residential stay for addiction treatment. But for a long time now we’ve helped people looking for all types of mental health treatment at various levels along the continuum of care, and our company’s mission involves helping people through every step of their recovery journey. So it had become clear we had outgrown the name RehabPath.”

Today, more than 3,400 centers from 50 countries offer more than 10,000 different programs on Recovery.com to help people with an array of mental health disorders, including depression, substance use disorders, eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and countless others.  

Growth in a time of need 

Each month, more than 100,000 people use Recovery.com to connect directly with treatment providers who fit their needs, and those numbers show no sign of slowing down. 

RehabPath has been able to help so many people, largely due to their commitment to doing things the right way. Along with being entirely independent from any treatment center and adhering to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers’ code of marketing ethics, at its core, RehabPath puts the patient first. 

This has allowed RehabPath to build a business model that creates value for both patients and treatment centers. While giving patients a comprehensive resource and listing all treatment options for free, RehabPath provides an advertising product for treatment centers to get additional reach on Recovery.com, and do it at a cost that is often much better than other advertising channels. This leads to centers needing to spend less money with Google and other channels and more on high-quality care. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to wrap my mind around the impact our platform is having on lives around the world. Recently, one of our advertising treatment centers let us know that they tracked over 92 admissions into their program in 2023 from our website,” Camp said. “That’s 92 lives and 92 families impacted by finding us online.” 

Each of those admissions represents a person who came to Recovery.com in a state where they needed help and didn’t know where to turn. Each of those people were able to navigate Recovery.com, compare dozens or even hundreds of options depending on their search criteria, and find the right option for themselves or their loved ones.

“As you can imagine, this is very motivating to our team, and drives our urgency to make our platform better and reach more people each day,” Camp said. 

About RehabPath & Recovery.com 

Founded in 2017, RehabPath helps people discover a path to recovery that’s right for them. RehabPath aims to provide unbiased, educational and helpful information about treatment for addiction and mental health. Annually, RehabPath estimates it connects more than 200,000 people from Madison to Mumbai with treatment centers tailored to their specific needs.

One Community Bank Announces 2024 Scholarship Program

February 6, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jamie Balsiger
One Community Bank
608-838-3141
jbalsiger@onecommunity.bank

One Community Bank Announces 2024 Scholarship Program

(February 2024) – One Community Bank is excited to launch the 2024 One Community Bank Scholarship Program. This program offers $1,000 scholarships to three graduating high school seniors. This annual initiative aligns with One Community Bank’s commitment to invest in its communities. The eligibility requirements to apply for the scholarships are as follows: the applicant must be a graduating high school senior, must be in good academic standing, and have post-graduation plans at a 2-year or 4-year institution; a technical or trade school; or an apprenticeship program. As a part of the application, candidates are required to write and submit an essay.

Community involvement is important to OCB and is a key component of the application and eligibility process. Applicants are asked to write an essay that demonstrates their role in making a positive impact in the community; and how the applicant’s post-graduation plans will continue to support the community.

“One Community Bank is proud to launch the scholarship program again this year,” shared Steve Peotter, President and CEO. “It’s an honor to create an opportunity that provides assistance in the educational growth of young adults who are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities.”

Click on the link below for the application and essay requirements.
2024 One Community Bank Scholarship Application

Please submit application and essay to OCBscholarship@onecommunity.bank. The application deadline is April 20, 2024. The selected recipients of the scholarships will be contacted during the week of May 28, 2024. Questions? Email OCBscholarship@onecommunity.bank.

Feel Good Scholarship

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One Community Bank is one of the largest community banks in south central Wisconsin. The locally owned bank has 15 bank locations and $2.1 billion in assets. It provides creative solutions to both businesses and consumers, with an intense focus on serving clients, supporting colleagues, and investing in its communities. Regularly named one of Madison’s best places to work, One Community Bank serves the communities of Oregon, McFarland, Waunakee, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Middleton, Adams, Oxford, Grand Marsh, Hillsboro, La Farge, Readstown, Wonewoc, and Union Center. Member FDIC.

Brendan Bush Promoted to Director of Property & Casualty Captive Practice at M3 Insurance

Brendan Bush, J.D., has been named M3’s director of property & casualty captive practice. In his role, he serves as a subject matter expert, strategist, and thought leader on property and casualty captives agency-wide. He is responsible for sharing information on trends and issues that specifically impact this practice.

M3 takes a uniquely independent approach to property & casualty captives. Our clients can feel confident knowing that our team brings customized property & casualty captives solutions to the table based on the client’s goals and individual risk profile. This independence allows us to remain on the same side of the table as our clients, gives us leverage in the marketplace, and ensures our clients are provided options and guided toward the solution that is best for them.

As a client executive, he will continue to specialize in counseling construction companies, real estate companies, design professionals, and private equity firms on property and casualty insurance and overall commercial risk management needs. Bush pairs his legal background as a Juris Doctor (J.D.) with his industry experience to serve as a trusted advisor to his clients. He is currently licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and holds designations as a Wisconsin-licensed property and casualty agent and Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS).

Outside of the office, Bush is an advisor to the board of directors for the State Bar of Wisconsin, construction law and public contracts section. He also sits on the public policy and new member committees for NAIOP Wisconsin and the new member committee for CARW. He remains actively involved in Marquette University, his alma mater, and an advisory board member for Marquette University Center of Real Estate.

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About M3

M3 is a top insurance broker and risk management firm in America. We’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work.