As San Jose-based software company OpenGov works toward its goal of having 100 employees in their Milwaukee office by 2023, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is providing a further incentive by authorizing $350,000 in business development tax credits if OpenGov meets its objective.
So far, OpenGov’s Milwaukee location has 38 employees, which does not yet include the 65 people the company is currently in the process of adding.
The company also announced Monday a $400,000 capital investment in offices and equipment.
OpenGov opened its Milwaukee location in 2020 at the Global Water Center through a space-sharing arrangement with Marquette University. The company provides software to more than 1,000 city, county and state agencies across the country, which helps them create budgets and manage accounting and financial operations.
“It is a young, exciting workspace,” said David Reeves, president of OpenGov. “We are building a culture and excitement that’s stereotypical of Silicon Valley.”
When asked what led Reeves to want to open a location in Milwaukee, he cited a familiarity with the area and said the city is on the brink of becoming a hub for all kinds of technology.
“Midwest employees tend to be more loyal. They take their employment seriously. As an emerging technology center, this is a unique opportunity to draw top talent,” Reeves said.
Kathy Henrich, chief executive officer of the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, said Reeves has been a “very vocal advocate on our behalf” within the west coast tech community. She said OpenGov’s expansion in Milwaukee is “a recipe for others that we want to recruit here to the region.”
