Kyle Stephens
President and co-founder,
Craft Beverage Warehouse
“I’ll be watching international economic policy, specifically trade negotiations. Lack of certainty and transparency in trade developments affect our business more than any specific tariffs that are put in place or removed. As large companies hedge prospective trade developments, it moves pricing on commodities that impact our underlying business costs.”
Amy Lindner
President and CEO,
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
“Our donors trust us to lead solutions to big problems. In 2025, we are transitioning our model to impact based funding. Our goal is to solve important issues faster. Issues like reducing barriers to employment, ending family homelessness, bridging the digital divide, and offering mental wellness support to high school students.”
Tom Sellars
CEO and board chair,
Sellars Absorbent Materials
“We are adding production capacity of our proprietary manufacturing specialty paper technology to support increased demand and future growth. All of the raw materials used in our manufactured products are either made in the U.S. or are presently exempt from tariffs. However, tariffs have had an indirect impact of increasing the costs of our raw materials due to the disruptions, uncertainties, and strong demand for these commodities. Our increased costs are necessitating us to raise prices, which could impact demand.”
Austin Ramirez
President and CEO,
Husco
“Uncertainty is top of mind for a company like ours with an international supply chain and facilities. It’s hard to play a game when you don’t know the rules. With trade and tax policy, geopolitical risk and global economic conditions all becoming more difficult to predict, it represents a significant challenge for us and our customers.”
Abby Hauke
Board chair,
Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors
Vice president of leadership and sales,
First Weber
“It will continue to be a seller’s market. We do not have enough inventory in most price points, but especially for first-time buyers. The market could absorb about 5,000 more homes for sale. The result is prices are going up, but maybe not as fast as in recent years.”
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