Experience Milwaukee

I took a coffee with NM’s Frank Di Meglio (my guest on this episode) and it changed my perspective.

This episode kicks off a new partnership with Northwestern Mutual’s Downtown Milwaukee office.

Over the next few months, I’ll sit down with Managing Partner Frank Di Meglio for real conversations about Milwaukee, the city’s business scene, and the people behind both.

Frank Di Meglio:

• Born Francesco, he goes by Frank, and moved to Milwaukee from New Jersey three years ago with his wife and daughters.

• His office covers Ozaukee County to Kenosha County and has about 250 advisors and associates.

• He started with Northwestern Mutual (NM) as a college intern 16 years before he moved to Milwaukee.

This episode features host Steve Glynn and Brian Kohlmann, Director of AI, Emerging Technology, and MarTech at Bader Rutter.

• Bader Rutter is a 53 year old, Milwaukee based, business-to-business agency serving agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing and more.

• Brian has worked for Bader Rutter for 15 years and originally launched the AI, Emerging Technology, and MarTech practice he leads.

• Over a 30 year career, Brian has worked in the marketing, data, and technology spaces from the early days of personalized direct mail to today’s multi-agent AI workflows.

Steve and Brian talk all things AI strategy, hype, and anxiety. They also talk about Milwaukee's thriving tech scene.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by AI development firm Xorbix Technologies. This episode is also presented by cybersecurity firm Secure Compliance Solutions and e-waste recycler Digital Bridge.

Is it possible to make cybersecurity fun and engaging?

I sat down for an interview Reshad Alam and Corey Sodes. And I think both would answer the above, in chorus, with a loud YES!

Reshad is VP & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Regal Rexnord. Corey is the CTO and co-founder of Secure Compliance Solutions (SCS).

Both carry an unmatched passion for their work.

Corey and Reshad riffed on a number of topics…

• AI isn’t exposing your data. It’s exposing how much of it is already in the hands of your employees.

• Don’t block. Redirect.

• Innovate with purpose.

• HR is not giving you a free t-shirt.

• How continuous learning is critical to landing a cybersecurity job.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and this episode is also presented by Digital Bridge.

Michael explains what Digital Bridge does and its impact on the community.

This article is the launch of a new paid partnership: Recycled by Digital Bridge. As part of this program, from time to time, I’ll highlight the important work happening at Digital Bridge, Milwaukee’s e-waste recycler. I’ll also “recycle” tech articles from the past. Because good stories deserve a second life, too!

For this article, I interviewed Michael Regione, VP of sales and marketing at Digital Bridge.

• Digital Bridge was founded by Jeff Hanson who started refurbishing laptops from the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

• Michael was in software startups and healthcare technology leading up to him joining Digital Bridge.

• He now leads the growth of Digital Bridge, including programs that keep electronics out of landfills by getting them into the hands of people who truly need them.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and is sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

For this story, Steve interviewed Jeff Hintz, Executive Director of Sports Tech HQ in Indiana and VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp.

• The organization Jeff leads, Sports Tech HQ, works to make Indiana a global hub for sports technology.

• A native of Indianapolis, Jeff has spent his career focused on what sports can do for a community.

• He’s a convener and connector, helping sports tech founders relocate, scale, and grow in Indiana.

Steve and Jeff talk about how cities find their unfair tech advantage and how what they do with that matters.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by  Xorbix Technologies and sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

Kurt Bauer, CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, representing 3,800 businesses across the state, explains more.

• Kurt shares how tech plays out, or not, in the 90% of Wisconsin manufacturers with 100 employees or less. Hint: it’s not about the money.
• He also talks about the “dark factory” but that robots and automation still aren’t solving manufacturing’s biggest problem.
• Every manufacturing job creates four others. Kurt makes a strong case that what keeps Wisconsin manufacturers up at night should keep all of us up, too.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

From robots and vision systems to addressing Milwaukee's severe education gap, Austin believes we can (and should) keep talent from running to the coasts.

The quick snapshot of my conversation with Austin:

• Husco’s nearly 500 degreed engineers design the guts of machines the world’s best-known brands put into the world.

• There’s a staggering amount of data his company collects and doesn’t yet use. The number he threw out surprised me, and it’s exactly why he thinks a US manufacturing renaissance is just getting started.

• Austin also shares something about Milwaukee’s kids that he directly calls out as a tragedy and what his family is doing about it.

Experience Milwaukee is sponsored by SCS,  provider of managed security services, IT managed services and compliance solutions. Learn more at scsprotect.com.

Kristin’s quick bio:

• Kristin Milchanowski, PhD is Chief AI and Quantum Officer at BMO Financial Group leads BMO’s AI, data, and analytics strategy, with 20+ years in the field and past roles at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and EY.

• Author of Return on Intelligence, a 43-principle playbook for scaling AI responsibly so small businesses aren’t left behind.

• Oxford AI fellow with a PhD in Decision Sciences and, off the clock, a licensed race car driver and former Lamborghini board member.

• Connect with her on LinkedIn.

  Quick conversation summary:

• Kristin explains what AI actually looks like inside a bank, whether you see and feel it or not.

• She reveals the exact moment an employee’s job quietly changes the second you hand them an AI “widget” and the deliberate bet BMO made on AI with all employees.

• And she lands on the one trait that lets anyone keep up in the AI race, no tech degree required. Hint: it’s not being the smartest person in the room.

This special edition was sponsored by Cream City Cyber, Milwaukee’s global cybersecurity consultancy helping companies of all sizes navigate digital risk. From AI governance to cybersecurity, they’ve got you covered. Learn more at creamcitycyber.com.

CEO James Marino speaks to the growth story hiding in plain sight.

Quick Bio:

• James Marino is President and CEO of Jackson’s Food Company, the Muskego-based maker of avocado-oil snacks.

• James is born-and-raised a Milwaukeean and is a Marquette High grad.

• Connect with him on LinkedIn.

  Quick Summary:

• Jackson’s has quietly scaled its capacity 20X in just a few years. The reason why comes down to one unusual thing about their factory that most snack companies never get to start with.

• CEO James Marino walks through how a rare autoimmune diagnosis, a Shark Tank investment, and a shuttered brand all led to the “2.0” company making waves out of SE Wisconsin today.

• There’s a reason nobody touches the product from the cutting table to the end of the line and it says something bigger about where Milwaukee’s manufacturing talent fits into the future of food.

  Experience Milwaukee is sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions. Learn more at scsprotect.com.