Experience Milwaukee

For this episode, Steve interviewed Andrea Sohns, Principal at CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA).

• Andrea has spent 15 years at CLA working with privately held and private-equity-owned manufacturers on audits, company sales and acquisitions, and owner transitions.

• She’s a UW Whitewater grad with a degree in accounting and finance.

• Andrea is also involved in Women in Manufacturing, helping to relaunch its SE Wisconsin chapter.

Steve and Andrea talk about all of the above and her advice for those considering a career in finance, accounting, or manufacturing.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions (SCS) and Digital Bridge.

Plus, Tim’s take on what kind of tech city Milwaukee is and what it could own.

For this episode, Steve interviewed Tim Dickson, Chief Digital & Information Officer (CIDO) at Regal Rexnord.

• Currently, Tim is CIDO at Regal Rexnord where he’s been for the last 3 years.

• Regal Rexnord is a 70-year old industrial manufacturer that began in Beloit, Wisconsin and merged with Milwaukee’s Rexnord in 2021. Regal Rexnord makes products that transmit power and controls motion.

• Tim grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and has spent years of his career in other major tech cities. He came back to Wisconsin to become Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Generac in 2020.

• Tim is one of the most visible tech leaders in Milwaukee, from local meetups to Summerfest TechAI and LinkedIn. Milwaukee runs through his veins.

Listen here and read more on Substack.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge.

Also, his take on AI vs. brands over yet another coffee where I get an inside view.

For this episode, I interviewed Matt Sabljak of SRH, a brand / creative / media agency in the heart of the Walker’s Point Innovation District.

• Matt describes SRH as an agency that helps brands become more memorable, with an in-house media team that gets real results.

• SRH was one of the first tenants in the Eagleknit Building and the team now has 20 more people than when the agency started in Matt’s condo kitchen.

• Matt’s been getting louder on LinkedIn with a video series with a thesis that brands that get remembered get chosen. He wears magenta in all of these videos.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge.

You can also read our Substack here.

For this episode, Steve Glynn interviewed Wes Taylor, Director of Autonomous Vehicle Platform for Komatsu.

• Wes and his team develop Komatsu’s next generation autonomous system for its mining portfolio.

• He studied mechanical engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), started at Komatsu as an intern, and never left.

• His team works across Komatsu’s factories around the world from a base right here in the MKE!

Wes and Steve talk about what's behind what's happening in autonomous vehicles at Komatsu, the talent required, the global perspective, and how it's all happening here in Milwaukee!

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge.

For this article and audio recording Steve interviewed Grady Buchanan, Co-Founder & Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors, a venture capital firm based in Milwaukee.

• NVNG stands for Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained. It comes from the team’s roots at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).

• The NVNG fund is ~$50M and raised from Wisconsin corporations.

• NVNG invests in venture capital managers, not directly into startups.

• The NVNG portfolio includes ~24 venture funds and ~430 startups.

• Grady created +Venture North, an invite only event that brings venture funds, corporate investment groups, family offices, and more to Milwaukee every fall for the past four years. Experience Milwaukee is an invited partner.

Experience Milwaukee (Tech in MKE) is presented by Xorbix Technologies. We are also sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge. Give them all a visit, please.

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.