M3 Insurance Releases Annual Employee Benefits Trend Report

MADISON, WI – M3 Insurance has released the 2025 edition of its annual employee benefits report, now reimagined as Momentum: An M3 Employee Benefits Trend Report. More than just a name change, Momentum represents a meaningful shift in focus, reflecting the evolving realities of today’s employee benefits landscape.

For more than two decades, M3’s trend report has served as a trusted resource for employers, traditionally centered around plan design benchmarks and regional premium comparisons. But in today’s environment marked by rising costs, expanding point solutions, and strategic complexity, employers need more than static data points.

“As the benefits landscape evolves, so must the tools we use to navigate it,” said Ryan Barbieri, Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits and Partner at M3. “Momentum is built to spark strategic conversations. It’s forward-looking, data-informed, and rooted in what employers need to understand to stay competitive not just today, but tomorrow.”

Key themes in the 2025 report include:

• The rising impact of pharmacy trend, including GLP-1 medications and gene therapies
• The shift toward direct primary care and high-performance networks
• Emerging focus on social determinants of health and care navigation
• The decline of one-size-fits-all wellness programs and standalone telehealth

The full report is now available on the M3 Insight Center.

M3 developed Momentum to meet the growing demand for forward-looking strategic insight, while complementing the real-time, personalized data delivered through its analytics platform, BenchmarkPRO. To learn more about BenchmarkPRO, visit m3ins.com/broker-analytics.

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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. For more information on M3, visit www.m3ins.com.

Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) ER for Pets seeking support for VEG Cares 5K

Hi Animal lovers!

I hope this message finds you well! My name is Daniel Darrow, and I’m reaching out on behalf of VEG ER
for Pets – Wisconsin Market (Madison, Brookfield, and (Green Bay coming soon!)) to share an exciting
opportunity to support pets and families in need through our local fundraiser, the VEG Cares 5K.

This family-friendly event will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Brandt-Quirk Park in
Watertown. This event is more than just a 5K; it’s a celebration of community and compassion, bringing
people together to help fund life-saving veterinary care for pets who might otherwise go without.

We partner with the nonprofit Veterinary Care Foundation through our VEG Cares program to ensure
that cost isn’t a barrier to critical care. With the help of donations from families, fundraisers, and
partners like you, our emergency veterinarians and nurses can say “yes” to treatment when a pet’s life is
on the line — whether it’s a neighbor’s dog needing urgent surgery, a shelter cat struggling to breathe, or
a local family facing financial hardship.

We’re reaching out to ask if you might be able to help support this event in one of the following ways:

1. Make a monetary donation — we are kindly requesting contributions of $500 or more from local
   businesses. In return, you’ll receive sponsorship recognition at the event, including space to set
   up a tent and connect with over 300 expected attendees from the Wisconsin community.
   • If you’re unable to attend in person, you can still take part by providing coupons, brochures, or promotional materials that we’ll include in participant registration bags — a great way to get your name in front of our guests.
2. Donate an item for our silent auction — if a monetary donation isn’t feasible, we’d be so grateful for a product, service, or gift card we could feature in our event auction. This is another great way to support local pets while showcasing your business to event participants.

All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of proceeds will go directly to supporting pet families in our community through VEG Cares.

I’d love to chat more about how we can partner to make this event a success. Please feel free to reach
out to me directly at 262-267-8240 or danieldarrow@veg.com.

Thanks for supporting the VEG Cares 5K! Help us reach our $50,000 goal to make a difference for
people and their pets in our community when they need it most!

Warm regards,
Daniel Darrow – Hospital Manager
Veterinary Emergency Group – Brookfield | danieldarrow@veg.com | 262-267-8240

Apply for Midwest Mujeres Spanish Story Time Training Program

Are you a creative, playful person who loves to work with children? Are you passionate about sharing the richness of the Spanish language and la cultura latina with the next generation? Buscamos hispanohablantes to present Spanish story time programs for young children in the Dane County public libraries. Bicultural heritage speakers preferred. This is an excellent opportunity for those with flexible schedules and reliable transportation looking for fun and rewarding part-time work.

Join our FREE 6-week training program and apprenticeship to learn:

• The building blocks of pre-literacy and early literacy
• Elements of library story time programs
• Sharing Spanish language, stories, songs, and culture with diverse audiences
• How to develop your personal presentation style
• Entrepreneurial skills, including marketing your program and writing contracts

After the initial training period, partner with Spanish story time presenter Ricardo Marroquin of Dane County Library Service to visit Dane County public libraries. The apprenticeship period will include three phases: observation, co-presenting, and solo presenting with support and feedback.

At the end of the training and apprenticeship, you will receive a certificate of completion. Beyond the Page will provide support to connect you with presenting opportunities in the Dane County public libraries, but you will be qualified to take your program anywhere (museums, community centers, YouTube, etc.).

Apply here by July 25. 
¡Gracias por su interés!
Thank you for your interest!

This application process has two parts:
1. Answer the required questions in this Google Form.
2. Submit a video file of yourself reading a children’s story or singing a children’s song in Spanish
(Here is a sample children’s story you can use. Here is a sample children’s song you can use.)

When submitting your application, below are the requirements to keep in mind:

Required:

• Confident speaking and reading in Spanish and English
• Minimum 1 year of experience working with kids (doesn’t need to be formal)
• Comfortable with public speaking
• Interested in early childhood education and literacy
• Independent self-starter comfortable with leading a project and a group
• Creative
• Reliable access to transportation

Strongly Preferred:

• Interested in passing on cultural traditions (songs, stories, dances, games…)
• Native or heritage Spanish speaker

If you have any questions at all about the program or the application process, we are only too happy to help! Contact Alicia Treviño-Murphy at trevino-murphy@dcls.info or call/text (608) 217-0451.

Kickoff Event for Incoming Trainees: Tuesday, August 19th, 6-7:30p

Training dates: Tuesdays, September 9th – October 14th, 6-8pm

Training location: Dane County Library Service (1874 S. Stoughton Rd. Madison, Wisconsin 53716)

WisDOT Seeking Input on US 51 (Stoughton Rd) South Study

WisDOT is conducting a study along US 51 (Stoughton Road) South from Voges Road/Terminal Drive (just south of the Beltline) to north of Milwaukee Street (just south of WIS 30).

WisDOT held a public involvement meeting for the US 51 (Stoughton Rd) South Corridor Study on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Meeting materials, including details about the proposed intersection conceptual alternatives and an online survey, can be found on the study website: tinyurl.com/US51SouthPI.

Those who could not attend are encouraged to provide feedback by filling out the survey which will remain open until August 15, 2025.

Madison Black Restaurant Week Celebrates 10 Years of Flavor & Community

MADISON, WI – The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the 10th annual Madison Black Restaurant Week, taking place August 10–17, 2025. This milestone celebration spotlights Black-owned restaurants, food trucks, caterers, dessert specialists, and culinary entrepreneurs throughout Madison and Dane County. 

Coinciding with Black Business Month in August, this week-long culinary event is designed to elevate Black food entrepreneurs, to showcase cultural heritage, and to foster economic empowerment in our vibrant community.

What to Expect:

• Special Offers & Featured Menus: From August 10 – 17, 2025, participating restaurants, food carts, and caterers will offer unique menu items, special prix-fixe deals, and limited-time BRW Specials – from soulful comfort food to Afro‑Caribbean fusion cuisine. 
• People’s Choice Voting: Throughout the week, the public can cast votes throughout the week at https://bit.ly/25VOTEMBRW for favorites in categories like restaurant, food truck, dessert, and more.
• $5 Food Taste Jamboree Kickoff: Ribbon Cutting: In honor of the Madison Black Restaurant Week’s ten-year anniversary, the event will open a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries and community leaders at Warner Park on Sunday, August 10, 2025 from 1:30 – 2 PM. After the ribbon-cutting, from 2 – 6 PM, attendees can sample small $5 plates from top Black-owned caterers, food carts, restaurants, and producers. A curated marketplace of non-food vendors and community resource partners will also be featured.
• Community Events: In addition to the $5 Food Taste Jamboree, look forward to other pop-up markets and food-related events throughout the week, including:
  • Heirloom Collard Greens Tasting Network Mixer, on the 4^th Floor of the Black Business Hub from 5 – 7 PM on Thursday, August 14, 2025;
  • Farm‑to‑Table Soul Food Brunch Fundraiser at the Madison Labor Temple from 1 – 3 PM on Sunday, August 17, 2025 to close the week;
  • Amateur Dessert Competition Network Mixer announcing the Madison Black Restaurant Week Winners at the 4^th Floor Rooftop Terrace of US Bank Plaza, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM.  

Quotes from Leadership:
“Black Restaurant Week has proven to be a vital campaign that boosts visibility, drives economic impact, and connects Black-owned culinary businesses with new customers, partners, and media opportunities,” said Camille Carter, President & CEO of the Madison Black Chamber.

About the Chamber:
With over 700 member businesses, the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit member organization that empowers businesses through education, advocacy, promotion, and community building throughout South Central Wisconsin.

For the full event schedule, the list of participating venues, or to purchase $25 Madison Black Restaurant Week gift certificates and $5 Food Taste Jamboree tickets, visit https://mbrw.madisonblackchamber.com

Social media updates available at https://www.facebook.com/MBCofC and https://instagram.com/madisonbcc, #MBRW2025