WI Tech Month, the state’s annual celebration of technological innovation, STEM education and entrepreneurship, officially kicked off this week. The month of events was ushered in by the start of Milwaukee Tech Week here in the city.
The Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition, which previously spearheaded Milwaukee Tech Week, passed the event on to the organizations Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech over the summer.
Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech had already been running another event, WI Tech Month, since 2021. This year’s theme for WI Tech Month and Milwaukee Tech Week is artificial intelligence.
Both WI Tech Month and Milwaukee Tech Week were launched Monday with a panel discussion on AI and advocacy. The panel, moderated by Milky Way Tech Hub founder Nadiyah Johnson, included Benjamin Juarez, co-founder of Latinos in Tech; former lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes; and Dave Berka, project manager for United Way’s Techquity Initiative.
“There are some scary things about AI,” said Barnes. “I’ll tell you there certainly is a practical benefit that none of us will ever be able to escape from, whether it’s our use or participation. This is the space race of now, so as a country or business leader, you must be on the forefront. Every business is a tech company right now. Without it, you won’t be successful.”
Monday’s panel discussion tackled topics including how tech leaders are using AI and emerging technology in their day-to-day lives, how marginalized communities can be included in efforts to become a tech hub, and what radical change would look like for our regional tech ecosystem.
“AI is essentially being used right now to enhance human intelligence,” said Juarez. “A lot of people see it moving toward actual artificial intelligence, meaning the way we think, the way we learn, that’s where artificial intelligence will eventually evolve. The way we see it now is an augmentation of what we already do.”
Mayor Cavalier Johnson was also present Monday to officially proclaim Oct. 2 as Milwaukee Tech Advocacy Day. There are several events planned throughout the rest of WI Tech Month. Some highlights include:
- Meet the Meetups, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m., Radio Milwaukee
- Building Future Forward Tech Ecosystems: Oct. 4 at 5 p.m., Discovery World
- WI Tech Advocacy Day, Oct. 5 at 8:30 a.m., state capitol building
- Tech Trailblazers: Celebrating Women in Wisconsin’s Tech Ecosystem: Oct. 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Nō Studios
- Equity in Tech Summit, Oct. 10 from noon to 6 p.m., Northwestern Mutual
- WI Tech Month Closing Party, Oct. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Nō Studios
The Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition will continue to host its signature events during WI Tech Month including Meet the Meet Ups, Startup Showcase and the Healthtech MKE Pitch Event. A full schedule events is available online.
Moving forward, the Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech want to use Milwaukee Tech Week to create synergies between Wisconsin’s neighboring tech ecosystems.
