Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce would like to give a big congratulations to Kristina at Kreative Solutions on a successful ribbon cutting at the Whitewater University Innovation Center! Kreative Solutions offers website design and other digital marketing services.

Two client companies highlight the benefits of joining the Whitewater University Innovation Center. Kristen Holtan, the Marketing Director for Blue Line Battery, explains, "“The Innovation Center is such as positive space. One of the best parts about it is the collaboration that goes on with the other businesses,” said Holtan. “Another major perk is the business and professional resources that are available to the clients.”

MobCraft Beer co-Founder and President, Henry Schwartz, will deliver a keynote speech at the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament on Saturday, April 13th. As Jennifer Cook, WiSys associate director, explains “As a UW-Whitewater alum, we hope his story inspires the many budding entrepreneurs from across the UW System who will be coming to compete at this year’s state final in Milwaukee.”

Fifty entries from 24 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest. Chris Roche founded RecruitChute and will represent Whitewater in the semi-final rounds. Chris was previously a Launch Pad Scholar and student at UW-Whitewater. Good luck RecruitChute!

Younger drinkers are either drinking less or drinking differently than their parents. That’s why millennial UW-Whitewater grad Henry Schwartz founded MobCraft Beer. As he explains, "I would say being able to have a couple of beers that are really well-made and really well put together is a much better option for young professionals in today's day and age versus a six-pack over a course of an hour of something light and easy."

Scanalytics is working to grow the company's smart floor footprint while looking ahead to new data applications. As Joe Scanlin adds, "Scanalytics is looking to 'partner up with right companies that help us get that level of distribution and scale while focusing on the value of the end user.'”

The City of Bloomington welcomes resident input to guide choices and now Polco provides another opportunity for residents to share their opinions about important topics, influencing decisions that will determine the look, feel, and functionality of the city for decades to come.

The National League of Cities (NLC) has teamed up with Polco to change the way local elected officials get input and buy-in from their constituents. As NLC's CEO and executive director explains, "We are excited to partner with a company that gives local governments the tools to make smarter, more efficient and more democratic decisions."

A recent episode of "WisBusiness: The Podcast" features Chris Roche, founder and CEO of RecruitChute . The Whitewater startup connects promising high school soccer players with college programs, giving each a chance to create their own pages and search for potential matches. After nearly two years of growing the pilot platform, Roche plans on launching a commercial version on December 15th.

Advocate Aurora Health Inc. has invested $75,000 in Ideawake, a Milwaukee startup and an affiliate of the Whitewater Innovation Center. The new funding round will enable Ideawake to expand from 10 to 13 employees to implement the new products the company co-developed with Advocate Aurora.

South Main Streets' First Thursday ArtWalk will include a new interactive mobile app, StriveOn. The app will incorporate scavenger hunts, quizzes, and will ping you when you walk past a participating business. The StriveOn Launch Party will take place on the lawn of the First Baptist Church from 12:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday, September 29th.

In a city of about 253,000 known both for its civic involvement and tech culture, and at a time when the options for free online communication are ubiquitous, residents have been slow to warm to Polco. The company counts 10 other current or former Dane County clients.

Since its launch in 2013, Scanalytics has become one of the most notable tech startups in the state of Wisconsin. The company has more than 100 clients and its technology has collected over 188 million impressions.

Kewaunee County plans on incorporating an investment into broadband internet access into their budget. Before allocating the budget amount, the county wants to hear from residents through Polco.

“We want fundraising to be a positive experience,” said Platt, co-founder of Classmunity, an affiliate of the Whitewater Innovation Center. Classmunity aims to solve some of the fundraising problems that school districts have been facing.

The village of Lemont recently announced the launch of Polco to make it easier for residents to participate in the community. Polco is an engagement platform where residents can give direct input to the local government decision-making process.