Downtown Madison: Introducing: Sip & Glow – A King Street Holiday Block Party

DOWNTOWN MADISON, WI – Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (BID) is excited to introduce Downtown Madison’s newest holiday tradition: Sip & Glow – A King Street Holiday Block Party. Join us on Friday, December 6, from 6-9 p.m. on the 100 blocks of King Street and S. Pinckney Street for live music, a holiday craft market, food and beverage specials, an ugly sweater contest and more!

A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit YWCA Madison, located at 101 E. Mifflin St. YWCA Madison is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Their work is holistic and aims to empower marginalized communities, especially women and girls of color, while working to dismantle structural barriers to equity.

“We at YWCA Madison are incredibly grateful to our downtown neighbors on King Street for uplifting our mission and standing with us in the ongoing journey of eliminating racism and empowering women,” said Gery Paredes Vásquez, YWCA Madison CEO. “Thank you so much for your support!”

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES

The Majestic, The Rigby, D’Vino, WOOFS, Good News Cafe and Ice Cream, Tipsy Cow, Settle Down Tavern, Oz by Oz, Ancora Cafe + Bakery, Maduro, Merchant and Lucille

HOLIDAY CRAFT VENDORS

• Youa Lor
• Sweet Space Studio
• Matt Perrin Photography
• Welcoming Simplicity Co
• Happy Hooksters
• tiny tuna
• University Embroidery

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST

Come dressed to (un)impress in your ugliest holiday sweater! Find the Downtown Madison table in the holiday market to enter the contest for a suggested $3 donation to YWCA Madison. Ugly Sweater judging begins at 8 p.m. sharp. Must be present to win. Winners will receive a special gift from The Rigby, D’Vino, WOOFS, Good News Cafe and Ice Cream, Tipsy Cow, Ancora Cafe + Bakery, Maduro, Merchant or Lucille. Don’t have an ugly sweater? Wisconsin Historical Society has you covered with their Sip & Craft event earlier in the evening. Bring a sweater, roll up your sleeves and make it ugly while sipping Mocktails in the History Maker Space! (Tickets required.)

SPECIAL THANKS

Shine On Madison events and programming are produced by Madison’s Central Business Improvement District, with generous support from: Madison Gas & Electric, UW Madison Community Relations, Madison National Life (a Horace Mann Company), Steve Brown Apartments, Don’s Home Furniture, Chapter Madison and Park Bank.

MADISON’S CENTRAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID)

The BID represents more than 360 businesses and 220 property owners. It works to provide services above and beyond the basic city taxpayer responsibility to generate an inviting, safe and inclusive entertainment and business destination that draws people from all parts of the city, county, and the world.

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Agrace Offers Grief Support Group for Young Adults in January

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2024

Contact:
Liz Kopling, Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Office: (608) 327-7219
Cell: (608) 772-9653
Liz.kopling@agrace.org

Agrace Offers Grief Support Group for Young Adults in January

MADISON, Wis. – Local adults and children in southern Wisconsin who are grieving can find hope and healing through the grief support specialists at Agrace.

This January, Agrace grief specialists will host a Young Adult Grief Support Group. This group provides emotional and peer support in a professionally led setting and requires advance registration.

The Young Adult Grief Support Group is for anyone aged 18 to 30+ who is grieving the death of a loved one, including a parent, child, spouse, sibling or friend. The group meets once a month, and participants can attend as often as they feel the need for support. In January, the group will meet on Wednesday, January 8, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., via Zoom.

There is no fee for this support group if a participant’s family member was served by Agrace Hospice Care or another hospice within the past 12 months. For others, the cost to attend is $20 per session, and the fee can be reduced or waived if needed.

One-on-one grief support is also available in-person, by phone or video chat. This service is open to anyone, even if the person who died did not receive hospice care.

To register for the group, visit Agrace.org/GriefGroups, call (608) 327-7110, or email griefsupport@agrace.org.

Founded in 1978, Agrace is a nonprofit, community-supported health care organization dedicated to providing high-quality care and support to people who are aging, ill, dying or grieving. With offices in Madison, Dodgeville, Janesville, Baraboo and Oconomowoc. Agrace serves 1,800 patients and clients across southern Wisconsin every day. 

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SupraNet Powers Bayview Residents with High-Speed Connectivity Solutions

Madison, WI – Nov. 21, 2024 – SupraNet is paving the way for high-speed Internet access in Madison’s affordable housing communities, recently completing the final phase of its work for the Bayview redevelopment, located in the Greenbush neighborhood in Madison, WI. This multi-year initiative ensures residents can move in with seamless Internet connectivity, requiring no additional purchases or equipment installation.

“We tried to make the experience as simple and seamless as possible for the families; and I believe we succeeded,” said Brad Stone, Outside Plant Manager of SupraNet. Learn more about the network and project viewing the case study.

The Bayview development is a prime example of SupraNet’s commitment to affordable Internet, a need expressed by Bayview residents early on. 

“As we listened to residents voice their needs and concerns, it became clear that reliable Internet access wasn’t just a preference—it was a necessity. Residents highlighted quality internet as a basic need, as a critical pathway for access to education, information, employment and financial security,” said Alexis London, Director of the Bayview Foundation.

Xong Vang, Bayview Housing Coordinator, highlighted the impact on residents: “The support provided to our residents by SupraNet has been exceptional. Many of our residents are experiencing Wi-Fi for the first time, allowing them to connect with the world and communicate in ways they couldn’t before. Elders can now see loved ones overseas via Zoom, children can complete schoolwork and access educational content, and adults can enjoy online entertainment. Here at Bayview, Wi-Fi service is recognized as a valuable privilege, made possible through our partnership with SupraNet. Since the beginning of our redevelopment, I have closely collaborated with Vince, Brian, and Travis, and their commitment remains unwavering as we move forward in our project.”

SupraNet worked closely with Horizon Develop Build Manage (Horizon) to ensure the installation process went smoothly, overcoming several rare challenges. “The Bayview development was a multi-year, multi-building project that had some unique requirements and constraints for our teams. Tight coordination of all of our schedules and responsibilities was key in our ability to make our timelines. SupraNet’s experience; their expertise and adaptability were crucial in meeting the project’s goals,” said Scott Kwiencinski,  VP of Horizon.

In addition to Bayview, SupraNet works with other affordable housing developments in Madison. By using a bulk model, the company reduces the cost of Internet access for each apartment, ensuring that more residents can benefit from high-quality connectivity.

SupraNet is currently installing Internet at Rise, a Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp development and Madison’s largest affordable housing development to date. Some of the other buildings SupraNet supports include  Ella Apartments, Generations at Union Corners, and Valor on Washington, The Ace Apartments and several Common Wealth Development properties. These projects demonstrate SupraNet’s ongoing commitment to providing essential services that support residents’ daily lives and opportunities. 

Bryan Chan, Founder and CEO of SupraNet, emphasized the importance of digital inclusion in combating the housing crisis: “The Internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. It is a lifeline for all families, providing opportunities for personal growth, access to education, and connections to the community. We are so proud to have partnered on these developments to make this vision a reality.”

SupraNet looks forward to continuing its mission of providing essential Internet services to those who need it most. 

About Supranet Communications

Celebrating 30 years in business in 2024, Supranet Communications is a locally owned and operated Internet service provider headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Since 1994, Supranet has been providing businesses and residents with reliable and affordable Internet access, starting with dial-up services, transitioning to wireless Internet and now operates its own local fiber-optic network. Supranet is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and supporting the local community.

Contact:

SupraNet Communications
8000 Excelsior Dr. Suite 204
Mary Jane Connor or Rachel Whitmore
608.836.0282
mjc@supranet.net
supranet.net

Summit Credit Union and StartingBlock partner for 2nd cohort of 1-Year Fellowship for Women Entrepreneurs

We’re thrilled to announce that StartingBlock has extended it’s partnership with Summit Credit Union to offer a 1-Year Fellowship for Women Entrepreneurs.

• Applications are open through December 13, 2024
• Fellowship begins – Feb 4th, 2025 
• Companies must be based in Wisconsin

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

• 1 year membership to StartingBlock (24×7 access) + with desk space available
• Access to StartingBlock member benefits, including 90% discount on Hubspot CRM
• Pairing with an accountability coach for the duration of the fellowship
• The fellowship launches with an intensive 12 week boot camp followed by 9 months of speakers and check-ins.  Topics covered will include:
  1. Business Planning 
  2. Business Market/Sector Analysis
  3. Business models
  4. Customer discovery
  5. Revenue models
  6. Partner and resource identification and management
  7. Business pitching
  8. Business leadership
  9. Financial planning
  10. Preparing for funding 

LOCATION

StartingBlock, 821 East Washington, Madison

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Is willing to commit full-time to her business
• Has the desire to scale her business
• Has a business model that is scalable
• Has not raised significant outside capital
• Can benefit from StartingBlock coaching and from access to Summit Credit Union executives
• Lives in South Central Wisconsin and can readily access StartingBlock in downtown Madison
• Is organized as a for profit or a benefit corporation

MORE INFORMATION 

More details are available on our website at startingblockmadison.org. Contact the StartingBlock Program staff with questions or to learn more: programs@startingblockmadison.org.

APPLY TODAY

Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program – Volunteers Needed!

Join our Goodwill volunteer team this winter and be a VITAL part of our community!

Thanks to our VITA volunteers, we are able to offer FREE income tax preparation for community members with low to moderate income. Over $1 million in tax refunds are returned into our community every year through the VITA program – these refunds make a huge difference for our program participants, allowing them to pay for rent, utilities, medication and other essentials. The more volunteers we have, the more community members the VITA program can serve!

FREE TRAINING is provided so that volunteers can confidently prepare income tax returns, answer tax-related questions, and refer taxpayers to other resources as needed.

Learn more here and here.