Mentoring Positives: Muriel’s Place Opening Empowers Disadvantaged Youth to Further a Good Cause That Tastes Great

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 11, 2023
CONTACT: WILL GREEN @ 608-345-1064
will.g@mentoringpositives.org

Madison-based Mentoring Positives is set to open Muriel’s Place, a commercial kitchen where disadvantaged teens gain confidence, develop job skills and build relationships – all while making, marketing and selling Off The Block™ homemade pizza and salsa.

With operations now under one roof, Muriel’s Place is open to the public every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am – 2 pm for lunch and 5-7 pm for dinner. Off the Block™ pizzas come in seven varieties. They can be ordered hot or frozen, with dine-in and carry-out options available. Two flavors of homemade salsa are also available. All proceeds go directly back to Mentoring Positives, a transformational program serving youth in the Darbo-Worthington Park neighborhood.

RIBBON CUTTING SLATED FOR THURSDAY, MAY 18 @ 4PM
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting event for the grand opening of Muriel’s Place, 2844 E Washington Ave, located on the ground level of the new Ella Apartments Building. Guest speakers include Chamber President Zach Brandon and City of Madison staff.

“In the throes of the pandemic, standing outside, physically distanced, Will laid out his vision for a new space for Mentoring Positives,” said Zach Brandon, President of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. “It is exciting to see the official opening of this space, which serves as a monument to Will and Becky’s unrelenting commitment to inspiring, guiding and serving as champions for young people in this community.”

MORE SPACE MEANS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH
Previously, Off the Block™ products were produced in a shared commercial space leased at FEED Kitchens on Madison’s north side. They are sold at several Madison area locations, including Willy Street Co-op, Metcalfe’s Market and Regent Street Market.

“FEED Kitchens has been a nurturing space as our youth have built and grown the Off the Block™ brand,” said co-founder Becky Green. “Our success there has been a springboard for our kids to further stretch their entrepreneurial skills.”

“At Muriel’s Place, they can see, learn and touch every aspect of the business, from sourcing Wisconsin ingredients to managing a pizza assembly line, taking care of equipment, marketing their products and delivering excellent customer service,” Becky Green said.

With more ways to buy Off the Block™ products, the group hopes to increase sales and invest even more in the people who will eventually become adult leaders of the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood and beyond.

MURIEL’S PLACE NAMED AFTER BELOVED MOM
Founded in 2004, Mentoring Positives utilizes group mentoring, athletics and entrepreneurial opportunities to guide and empower disadvantaged youth. A former star UW-Eau Claire basketball player, Will Green uses the basketball court as his meeting place for building relationships with young people.

With backgrounds in psychology and social work, the Greens first met while working at the Eau Claire Academy, a residential treatment center for youth with emotional and behavioral problems. It was there that Will and Becky, both raised by devoted single moms, cemented their collective passion for helping young people chart their path to adulthood.

Muriel’s Place is named after Will’s mom, Muriel Pipkins, who died at age 46 of breast cancer.

“She is my hero and my motivation for helping kids”, said Will Green. I turned my pain into passion after her death.

“I grew up without a father and my mom made heroic sacrifices so I could succeed. I want to give that same love and affection she showed to our family, friends back home in our community in Gary, Indiana,” Green added. Our youth in the Madison community face monumental challenges. If we mentor and wrap them in love and support, while equipping them to succeed, I believe they will have a bright future.”

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Make Music Madison Registration Closes May 25

Host sites and musicians are invited to sign-up to participate in this citywide musical celebration held on the summer solstice, June 21. The 2022 event featured 474 registered concerts at 172 locations presenting music by over 1000 individual artists. This we hope to top 500 registered shows!

Interested hosts or musicians can learn more at www.makemusicmadison.org.

Make Music Madison welcomes performers of all genres and experience levels. The organization aims to engage every sector of Madison’s music industry and provide all Madison communities with free and accessible music, while encouraging the public to support local artists, and invest in our creative economy.

Each year the event fills the city with music from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at venues hosted at community centers, museums, retailer shops, restaurants, parks, theaters, places of worship, private residences, and other locations. Anyone can perform and anyone can host a performance, as long as the event is within the City of Madison, free, accessible to the public, and maintains a clearance on the sidewalk for pedestrian passage.

Make Music Madison is part of Make Music Day, an international summer solstice music celebration occurring in 1,000+ cities across the globe. Beginning in 1982 in Paris as Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day brings our community together to celebrate the power of live music. All varieties of live sound creation are welcome, as Make Music Madison’s motto is performed by anyone, enjoyed by everyone.

“This is a rare opportunity to support musicians and be part of a truly magical community event, which spreads joy and entertainment throughout the city” says Make Music Madison Board Secretary Kristian Petrov Iliev. 

There are no registration fees or limits to the number of musicians or locations who can participate. Sponsors and volunteers are welcome. For complete details on Make Music Madison, visit www.makemusicmadison.org.

Wisconsin Technology Council: Holy cow! New Glarus Brewing co-founder Deb Carey to accept ‘Seize the Day’ award June 1 in Milwaukee

Deb Carey, co-founder and president of New Glarus Brewing Co., will receive the Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award June 1 during a luncheon at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference.

The conference at the Italian Community Center returns to the Cream City to celebrate the region’s rise as a startup and scale-up hub within the Midwest. Registration is open at witrepsconference.com or linked here.

Launching in 1992 with her brew-master husband, Deb Carey became the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. The first barrels rolled out in November 1993 — the fastest microbrewery start-up ever. Daniel and Deb have combined their business management and brewing professionalism with a philosophy based on individuality, cooperation and use of 100% natural ingredients to produce world class, hand-crafted beers such as “Spotted Cow.”

Wisconsin native Carey attended Carroll College in Helena, Mont., majoring in marketing and graphics. An entrepreneur at heart, she started her first business at 16, followed by a succession of training and hands-on experiences. Today, New Glarus Brewing ranks among the top dozen craft breweries and top two-dozen U.S. breweries of any description.

Judged on the quality of its beers, New Glarus Brewing was named a “top 10 brewer in the world” by RateBeer.com.

The award, which celebrates entrepreneurial leaders who have been crucial to Wisconsin’s economic growth, is named in honor of the late Ken Hendricks, a Beloit businessman and 2006 “Seize the Day” award winner who died in an accident in late 2007.

The Tech Council produces the May 31-June 1 Entrepreneurs’ Conference and administers the award, which has gone to entrepreneurs who have shown persistence in building their companies.

Past winners include Don Weber of Logistics Health Inc. (2004); Bob Cervenka of Phillips Plastics (2005); Ken Hendricks of ABC Supply (2006); Jan Eddy of Wingra Technologies (2007); Michael Cudahy of Marquette Medical Systems (2008); Toni Sikes of The Guild and Guild.com (2009); Bill Linton of Promega (2010); Bob Hillis of Direct Supply (2011); Kay Koplovitz of USA Network (2012); Fred Foster of Electronic Theatre Controls (2013); Craig and Lea Culver of Culver Franchising System Inc. (2014); Jim Berbee of Berbee Information Networks Corp. (2015); Mark Gehring of HealthMyne (2016); Zach Halmstad of Jamf (2017); Dude and Kerry Frank of Comply365 (2018); Sue Marks of Cielo (2019); Kevin Conroy of Exact Sciences (2020); Don Zietlow of Kwik Trip (2021) and Cory Nettles of Generation Growth Capital (2022).

“Crossroads of innovation” is the theme of the 21^st annual conference, where entrepreneurs from around the state will showcase their ideas, services and technologies. Seven panel tracks formed under three unique stages of “launch,” “grow” and “succeed” will appeal to entrepreneurs in all stages. Detailed panel information will be posted soon at witrepsconference.com.

Produced by the Tech Council, the Entrepreneurs’ Conference is among the largest and affordable events for entrepreneurs and early stage investors in the Upper Midwest. Other highlights will include:

• Diligent Dozen: Top 12 finalists from the Governor’s Business Plan Contest square off on the afternoon of May 31 
• Charles Ross, Milwaukee native and chief executive officer of International Business Innovation Accelerator, to keynote morning of June 1
• Governor’s Business Plan Contest “Diligent Dozen” awards announcements June 1 
• Innovation Showcase featuring exhibits from Wisconsin companies
• Plenty of chances to network with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors over food and refreshments, including a May 31 reception at the Italian Community Center

Sponsors thus far are: Aberdean Consulting, Affiliated Engineers, Alliant Energy, Amazon, American Family Insurance, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AT&T, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, Business Fitness, Center for Technology Commercialization, City of Fitchburg, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), DeWitt, Findorff, First Business Bank, Foley & Lardner, Godfrey & Kahn, HealthX Ventures, Husch Blackwell, Insperity, J.P. Morgan, Lost Boys Interactive, Madison College, Madison Development Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Makin’ HEY! Communications, Marquette University, Microsoft, N29 Capital Partners, Neider & Boucher, Perkins Coie, Quarles & Brady, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, Ruder Ware, Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, Technology Entrepreneurship Office at UW-Madison, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, UMOS One Workforce – TechStars, University Research Park, UWM Research Foundation, UW-Madison Innovate Network, UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement, UW-Madison Office of University Relations, Venture Investors, Versiti, WE Energies, WIPFLi, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions, Wisconsin Technical College System and WiSys.

To become a sponsor, contact Angela Schlobohm at angela@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com. For more information, visit witrepsconference.com or call 608-442-7557.

Wisco Barbell Club Brings Fun and Fitness with Their Grand Opening Extravaganza

Madison, Wisconsin – Wisco Barbell Club is proud to announce their Grand Opening taking place on May 13th from 12-4PM. This free event will be a celebration of food, fitness, and fun for the whole family.

Expect a jam-packed day of activities including mini strength competitions, bouncy houses, local vendors, raffle prizes, live performances… and so much more! And for those who love their furry friends, there will even be a dog costume contest with guest judges Grace and Beni from Petphoria.

Food trucks will be on site serving up delicious fare and tasty drinks. This event truly has something for everyone, from fitness fanatics to foodies and families alike.

President and Head Trainer, Dakota Selje, says, “We’re so excited to welcome the community to our new gym and to show everyone what we have to offer. Our goal is to bring fitness and fun together, and we can’t wait to see everyone have a great time.”

Whether you’re a gym regular or a curious newbie, Wisco Barbell Club’s Grand Opening Extravaganza is the perfect opportunity to discover what this fitness community has to offer. So come on down to Wisco Barbell Club on May 13th and join in the festivities!

For more information, visit the Wisco Barbell Club website at wiscobarbell.club, or follow them on the socials at @wiscobarbellclub.

EVENT DETAILS:
May 13th, 12-4PM
539 Tasman St, Madison, WI 53714
Free parking on site
wiscobarbell.club/events

EVENT TIMELINE:
12:00PM –   Food Trucks, Vendors & Bouncy House
12:15PM –   Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
12:30PM –   Mini Strength Competitions
1:00PM   –   Live Performances
2:00PM   –   Raffle Prize Winners 
3:00PM   –   Dog Costume Contest

VENDORS:
Crescendo Coffee
Petphoria
Pro Nutrition
The Black Sapphire Tattoo
Soho Gourmet
Fun Time Bounces

ARTISTS:
BOiNK! Dance & Film
Just For Fun
Lindsey Wismans
Paxfat
Sarah Krajewski
Sexe Dance Company

RAFFLE PRIZES FROM:
Doundrins Distilling
Wildewood
The Racoon Society
Dancing Goat Distillery

ABOUT: 
Wisco Barbell club is an employee owned 24/7 open gym that offers daily HIIT classes and affordable personal training. Month to month plans start at $55 with no sign up fees or long term contracts.

MARKETING MATERIALS

CONTACT INFO:
LAUREN ADDISON | COO + MARKETING
lauren@wiscobarbell.club
www.wiscobarbell.club
@wiscobarbellclub
(608) 200-3115

Wisconsin Union Theater: Performing Arts Stars, Stars on the Rise Coming to Madison as Part of 2023-24 Wisconsin Union Theater Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2023   

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

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/wut-2023-24

PERFORMING ARTS STARS, STARS ON THE RISE COMING TO MADISON AS PART OF 2023-24 WISCONSIN UNION THEATER SEASON
A programming team with a history of booking stars and stars before they rise to popularity releases its next season lineup

MADISON – A season of stars and stars-in-the-making will perform in Madison, Wisconsin, as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s (WUT’s) 2023-24 season of jazz, dance, chamber music, an annual celebration of contemporary Black art, and global music, with subscriptions available for purchase beginning June 1 and single tickets to each performance available beginning June 16.

For 104 years, the Classical Series, formerly called the Concert Series, has celebrated classical music with recent seasons including artists that celebrate its traditions and those who seek to redefine aspects of the genre. The Classical Series lineup for the upcoming season includes:

• Pianist Simone Dinnerstein on Sept. 28
• Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason on Nov. 3
• The Isidore String Quartet on Dec. 8
• The Schumann Quartet on Feb. 8, 2024
• The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine on Feb. 20, 2024
• Soprano Brenda Rae with pianist Jonathan Ware on March 7, 2024

Cello prodigy Kanneh-Mason’s fame grew around the world after he performed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal wedding in 2018.

For Rae, her Wisconsin Union Theater-hosted performance is a bit of a homecoming, having graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a bachelor’s degree in voice in 2004.

The global music events include performances by:

• Las Cafeteras on Nov. 1
• The Zakir Hussain Trio on March 16, 2024

Las Cafeteras will perform “Hasta La Muerte: A Day of the Dead” show, a program that celebrates life and death and that aims to inspire social change. Patrons will experience a performance filled with dance, folklore, and music with a foundation of son jarocho with influences of numerous genres, including hip-hop and folk.

The Zakir Hussain Trio features GRAMMY-winning tablaist Zakir Hussain, 10th-generation sarangi artist Sabir Khan, and award-winning bansuri player Debopriya Chatterjee.

The 2023-24 Jazz Series features:

• Harpist Brandee Younger on Sept. 29
• Percussionist, composer, and producer Makaya McCraven on Oct. 11
• The Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Tour on Jan. 26, 2024
• Jazz and R&B singer Lady Wray on Feb. 29, 2024
• Pianist and drummer Julius Rodriguez on March 14, 2024
• Trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, formerly Christian Scott, on May 2, 2024

McCraven will perform a program with selections from his extensive, critically acclaimed discography, including his newest album, titled “In These Times,” and a vanguard approach to jazz that reflects the musical inspiration he has found in many music styles, such as hip-hop and funk.

The Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Tour features GRAMMY-nominated pianist Gerald Clayton, vibraphonist Joel Ross, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Matt Brewer.

WUT, the Madison Music Collective, and the Arts + Literature Laboratory will co-present performances by to-be-announced artists at free jazz events, as part of the DIG JAZZ lineup on Sept. 15, Oct. 27 and Nov. 17 at the Play Circle Theater at Memorial Union. Seating for DIG JAZZ performances will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The season will also include professional touring dance company Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE on Feb. 18, 2024. EVIDENCE performs with a mission to promote understanding of the human experience in the African Diaspora through dance and storytelling and to provide sensory connections to history and tradition through music, movement, and spoken word, leading deeper into issues of spirituality, community responsibility and liberation.

The Theater team encourages patrons to save the date for the Black Arts Matter Festival, which is slated to take place Nov. 8-12 and will feature performances that celebrate contemporary Black art, including a poetry slam with nationally renowned poets.

“What’s next in the performing arts industry is happening right now during the Wisconsin Union Theater season,” WUT Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “From hosting a performance by Lizzo in 2017 to scheduling an event featuring Samara Joy in 2022 before she became a GRAMMY winner in 2023, the Wisconsin Union Theater season is a chance to experience performing arts legends and up-and-coming stars.”

WUT has a more than 80-year history of hosting world-class performing arts experiences and seasons that feature both traditional performances of genres and artists forging new arts style paths.

2023-24 season performances will take place at the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Shannon Hall and the Play Circle in Memorial Union, and, in partnership with the UW–Madison Mead Witter School of Music, two performances will take place at the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall and Collins Recital Hall in the Hamel Music Center.

Patrons can save on season events tickets by purchasing subscriptions available between June 1 and Sept. 28. Options include:

• A Classical Series subscription for a 20% discount
• A Jazz Series subscription for a 20% discount
• Brand-new build-your-own subscription options of three to five events for 15% off or six or more events for a 20% discount

Purchases of tickets to individual performances, pending availability, will begin June 16.

Patrons can purchase subscriptions and single tickets to Wisconsin Union Theater performances online, in person at the Memorial Union Box Office, or by phone at (608) 265-2787.

Patrons can also support Wisconsin Union Theater events as well as performing arts-related student leadership opportunities with their purchases of food, merchandise and beverages at Memorial Union, Union South, the Memorial Union Terrace and TerraceStore.union.wisc.edu.

Patrons can visit union.wisc.edu/theater to learn more about the 2023-24 season. 

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About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 80 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 extensive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is committed to social justice and works to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive place for all who engage with the Theater’s programming, events, and activities. 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: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee is part of the Wisconsin Union’s leadership development program for UW–Madison students and supports the Wisconsin Union Theater’s mission of serving students through the performing arts. By helping to program the Theater’s annual season of performing arts presentations, the students learn about program curation, relationship-building, marketing, communications, budgeting, and production. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.