As Milwaukee’s tech industry continues to expand, organizations like the MKE Tech Hub Coalition are helping sustain that growth. The hub works to attract talent to the tech industry, build a diverse pipeline and connect with the Milwaukee community.
Jasmin Treske, manager of tech programs and community outreach, joins Lake Effect to highlight the work the coalition is doing and their goals for Milwaukee’s tech future.
The MKE Tech Hub works alongside start-ups and founders, K-20 students and individuals looking to further their tech skills. Recently, the hub hosted a summer-long program called FUSE, where high school students had the opportunity to participate in a summer boot camp designed to build tech skills. Students learned tech modules, and, in partnership with The Commons, they learned about career readiness in the industry.
"The last three weeks of that program, they went into industry challenges, where again our corporate members gave them an industry challenge to solve, and they used everything that they learned throughout the program to solve this challenge," Treske explains.
She continues, "These kids, they came up with things that professionals in the field aren't coming up with right now. There's so much more that they can do. I think it's just important that they have the exposure and that they can see people that look like them in these positions so that they can feel it is actually attainable."
That's part of the MKE Tech Hub Coalition's focus — getting people underrepresented in the tech field connected to the industry.
Treske says diverse voices and backgrounds are critical when it comes to collaboration and utilizing creativity in tech. “In all transparency, tech has been historically very white men driven, and so you know, as other organizations are coming to Milwaukee … the big thing now is hiring diverse talent,” she says. “And so in the tech industry, when you don’t have that, you leave different experiences, thoughts and leadership on the table.”
If you want to get involved with the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, Milwaukee Tech Week is October 3-7.
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