Milky Way Tech Hub Hosts Equity in Tech Breakfast with Mayor Johnson and Community Leaders

On January 20th the Milky Way Tech Hub held its first community breakfast of 2022! Milky Way Tech Hub’s Community Breakfast is held quarterly and is an opportunity for corporate and community members to connect. Discussions focus on tech and equity and how our community can collaborate to find solutions for issues that affect Milwaukee residents. Attendees included representatives from new corporate members, Milwaukee Tool and Northwestern Mutual. Mayor Johnson attended to share his vision for technology and innovation in the city of Milwaukee.

In the community breakfast attendees discussed strategies to increase equitable opportunities in Milwaukee’s Tech Ecosystem. Some of the attendees shared their involvement in improving broadband access and addressing the digital divide in the state of WI. Milky Way Tech Hub’s team outlined the importance of data-driven solutions highlighting the Casey Foundation’s Community Opportunity Map website as a resource for creating equity-based programming and initiatives. It was discussed that leaders need to ensure that the data being used to inform community decisions is accurate, transparent, and available to the public for community curated solutions. Mayor Johnson expressed his desire to continue to support Milky Way Tech Hub in its effort to transform Milwaukee into a tech hub that centers Black, Latinx, and Tribal Nations.

Reggie Moore Director of Violence Prevention Policy and Engagement for the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) stressed that lack of technology is “A form of violence” [relating to deprivation of resources in order to survive in this digital age]. The Milky Way Tech Hub continues to engage with community leaders to address the disparities that currently exist in Milwaukee’s Tech Ecosystem. During the breakfast, CEO of Milky Way Tech Hub, Nadiyah Johnson stated: “To inclusively double the tech workforce in Milwaukee we have to gain a better understanding of why Black and Brown’s people choose to leave the city. This is why the Milky Way Tech Hub centers these populations in the tech hub movement in Milwaukee.”

Lafayette Crump, City of Milwaukee Commissioner, shared that while his role primarily focuses on real estate development he understands the need to support tech workforce initiatives. In an effort to attract and retain talent in the city of Milwaukee, the Milky Way Tech Hub hopes to work closely with the City Commissioner to curate enjoyable experiences and sustainable opportunities for those seeking to make Milwaukee their home or remain home, in Milwaukee.