Madison Region Economic Development and Diversity Summit

press release: This year marks the tenth year of a continued partnership between the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM), hosting a joint event for Madison Region business and community leaders focused on economic development and diversity.

Each year, the Summit builds on previous events in a collective commitment to advancing talent, opportunity, and growth for all the Region’s citizens. Weaving together the important conversations of diversity and economic development, this event reflects the organizations’ shared goal of building this region into a model of economic inclusion.

The day-long Summit will engage, educate, and empower attendees around issues related to economic, workforce, and community development. The event will feature keynote speakers, break-out sessions, and ample networking opportunities.

Participants will represent the entire eight-county Madison Region, with an anticipated audience of 400+ business executives, community leaders, economic development professionals, educators, elected officials, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders.

Watch for updates on registration at https://www.facebook.com/events/723654332600967.

8:00 AM Registration Opens; Registration, Continental Breakfast & Networking

8:30 AM Welcome & Opening Session: Wisconsin Economy’s & What it Means for our Workforce – Laura Dresser; Opening Keynote Presentation – Jason Thompson

10:35 AM BREAK

10:45 AM Morning Breakout Sessions

12:00 PM BREAK

12:15 PM Lunch & Afternoon Plenary Session:  Luncheon Keynote Presentation – Troy A. LeMaile-Stovall; Closing Keynote Presentation - Lela Lee

3:00 PM 10th Anniversary Celebration

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKERS

Jason R. Thompson, Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at WGU, DE&I Executive Coach, Author

Jason R. Thompson is the author of Diversity and Inclusion Matters: Tactics and Tools to Inspire Equity and Game-Changing Performance. Jason has been building and managing DE&I programs for more than 25 years. He has built DEI programs from the ground up in over four industries. From creating the DE&I program for sport organizations like the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to innovative tech companies like Techstars, he has enabled companies to achieve on DE&I.

Lela Lee, Actress/Creator of the “Angry Little Asian Girl”

Lela Lee is a cartoonist, writer and actress whose experiences as a woman of color and as a child of immigrants in America intersect to create an identity that is layered by race, gender, culture, and traditions old and new. Her work investigates where a collective culture creates contradictions with the new generation who want to individuate but still belong. Her weekly comic strip "Angry Little Girls" has become the umbrella name the highly successful "Angry Little Girls" book series which has been published and translated into multiple languages sold all over the US and abroad.

Troy A. LeMaile-Stovall, CEO, TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation)

As the CEO of TEDCO—Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies—Troy leads the organization’s mission to support economic development through the cultivation of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. He brings to bear more than 25 years of experience in investment management, higher education, information/communication technology, and management consulting in this leadership role.

Laura Dresser, PhD Associate Director, Center on Wisconsin Strategy & Clinical Associate Professor, UW Madison

A labor economist and expert on workforce development systems, Laura has written about ways to build stronger labor market systems and worked extensively with labor, business, and community leaders in building them. She has written about low-wage jobs and organizing strategies to improve jobs, care work, inequality and labor market reform. She has co-authored every edition The State of Working Wisconsin and many other reports on the Wisconsin economy and racial inequality in it.

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Haley Moss is a lawyer, neurodiversity expert, and the author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. She is a consultant to top corporations and nonprofits that seek her guidance in creating an inclusive workplace, and a sought-after commentator on disability rights issues. The first openly autistic lawyer in Florida, Haley’s books include “Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals'' and “The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook." Her articles have appeared in outlets including the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Fast Company.

What is talent really looking for? 

Moderator: Mark Richardson, Unfinished Business. Panelists: Clara Tavarez, Promega; Angela Arrington, Alliant Energy; Erin Hillson, City of Madison; Grace Fernando, UW Credit Union

Talent mobility is higher than it’s ever been. And unemployment is lower than it’s ever been. So how do organizations attract diverse talent AND retain them? Answer: Practice Inclusion. We’ll discuss with people who are in the Human Resource trenches every day.

Improving quality of life—not just business—is the best path to Midwestern rejuvenation

Amanda Weinstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Akron. She will explore how America’s industrial Midwest has evolved into today’s reality of two Midwests. One Midwest features communities that have diversified and turned an economic corner in today’s global knowledge economy. In this Midwest, many of the metro areas and university towns have found new economic prosperity. In the other Midwest, however, factory towns that have lost anchor employers continue to languish. Many of these smaller communities rely on traditional economic development strategies, including doling out incentives to attract or retain employers or attempting to create a more “business-friendly” environment with lower taxes and labor costs. Dr. Weinstein will discuss how there is now compelling new data that indicates these traditional economic development tools may be ineffective compared to investments in quality of life and place.

Pathways from Youth to Adult Apprenticeship: Examining UW Health as a Local Model

Moderator: Bridgett Willey, Ph.D., UW Health.

Panelists: Hugh Wing, City of Madison; Seth Lentz, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin; Mitch Staroscik,

Madison Metropolitan School District; Liz Pusch, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

The “earn while you learn” model of apprenticeship is promising strategy for helping underserved populations access good paying jobs while also addressing critical workforce shortages brought on by pandemic related challenges. Recently, UW Health and several of its partners gained national attention when they announced the nation’s first apprenticeship program designed specifically to support racially, ethnically and socio-economically diverse health care personnel advance in their careers to become registered nurses. This builds on their innovative work over the last few years building apprenticeship programs to train and certify Medical, Nursing and Ophthalmology Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, and Cardiovascular Technologists. Join this session to learn more about their work and how a Youth to Adult apprenticeship pathway and how other employers and industries can follow their lead.