President and CEO
Madison Region Economic
Partnership | Madison
Jason Fields leads the Madison Region Economic Partnership, the economic development agency representing the eight counties in south-central Wisconsin. He was named the president and CEO of MadREP following six terms in the state Legislature representing Madison’s north side. Previously, Fields worked as a financial advisor, investment advisor, personal banker and credit union branch manager. Fields serves on the boards of Destination Madison, Wisconsin Technology Council, MKE Tech, Competitive Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packer Mentor Protégé Program and the Convergence Resource Center. He is also president of the Regional Leadership Council.
Education: Bachelor’s, Cardinal Stritch University; master’s, Concordia University
One decision to do over: “I would have stopped day trading stock and stuck to my strategy on one particular day. I learned that the saying, ‘Pigs get killed, but hogs get slaughtered,’ was true.”
A historical figure you look up to: “A. G. Gaston was the grandson of slaves born into poverty in 1892 in the Deep South. He died approximately a century after his birth with a fortune estimated to be more than $130 million.”
Buzzword you never want to hear again: “Robust.”
Advice for first-time leaders: “Understand that leadership comes at a price and that you have to appreciate the trials as much as you enjoy the successes.”
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Real Estate and Development | Economic Development
President and CEO
Madison Region Economic Partnership | Madison
In early 2021, Jason Fields assumed leadership of Madison Region Economic Partnership, the economic development agency representing an eight-county south-central Wisconsin region. Fields also serves as managing director of Dark Knight Capital Ventures, a venture capital fund he founded in 2017 that is designed to invest in underserved entrepreneurs in the state. Fields represented Milwaukee’s north side in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2005-2013 and 2017-2021. He also founded the Financial Promise Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization that teaches personal financial and business literacy. Earlier in his career, Fields was a stock broker, banker and financial advisor.
Education: Bachelor’s, Cardinal Stritch University
Two business leaders you’d like to have dinner with: “Robert F. Smith and Warren Buffett. When you look at the level of philanthropic dollars they allocate, I would love to know what drove them to put them into a position to not only give but give to the degree that they have.”
What would make Wisconsin better: “Creating a statewide economic strategy based in conjunction with the nine economic regions and working together more often and more efficiently to compete globally.”
As you enter your office, what would you choose to be your walk-up or theme song: “The Verve, ‘Bittersweet Symphony,’ because it feels inspiring, and the lyrics remind me of triumph.”
