We provide regular webinars free of charge and open to all. Our webinars cover a wide range of topics related to community economic development and include approaches to research, theory, and practice.
Building on the data sources described in Part 1, this session explores how to use data once you have extracted it. Real-world examples will be shared to demonstrate how data can be used in applications related to commuting patterns, retail surplus and leakage, workforce development, housing analysis, and industry expansion and retention.
This session provides an overview of data sources to help guide community economic development efforts at the local and regional levels. Topics covered include labor force characteristics, demographics, measures of industrial concentration, sales tax collections, and housing data options.
Hotels provide an important service to our communities and represent a significant economic engine for jobs, business income, and taxes. They often serve as a gateway to a community, influencing perceptions of the local community. During the pandemic, the hotel industry experienced significant challenges, including changes in travel behaviors, both in the US and in Wisconsin. In this webinar, we discuss the hotel industry during and after the pandemic with three industry experts, Michael Lindner, Bill Elliott, and Richard Sprecher.
Summary June 2022 — Dr. Tessa Conroy discusses entrepreneurial activity in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurship is a key part of any healthy economy but ensuring that new business activity leads to significant economic impact by creating high-quality jobs can be difficult. Learn about entrepreneurial activity in the state and hear discussions on what […]
Summary April 2022 — Dr. Alejandra Ros Pilarz discusses the early care and education landscape in Wisconsin, how it has changed over the past 15 years, and the implications for children and families. She describes the current state of the early care and education workforce, as well as challenges and opportunities for supporting the workforce […]
In this webinar, we discuss how city leaders, businesses, property owners, and others can “shape their city” for the betterment of all and how Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can be used as a tool in that process. The focus of the webinar is on leadership and partnerships that help create an effective downtown organization.
Summary October 2021 — Peter Kilde, CCAP, Executive Director of West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency (West CAP) discusses the successful development of high-quality, affordable multi-family housing that integrates cutting-edge clean, renewable energy. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Integrating Affordable, Multi-Family, Energy-Efficient Housing, PowerPoint About the Project On a clear day, the sun rising over River […]
Summary September 2021 — Real estate development professional and creative entrepreneur, Heidi Zimmer, discusses affordable housing in rural communities and shares her experience and perspective as a developer. Webinar Recording Additional Materials A Developer’s Perspective, PowerPoint About Our Presenter Heidi Zimmer is the founder of Wild Rice Retreat in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and President of Zimmer Development, LLC. […]
Summary August 2021 — In the final session on entrepreneurship, Tessa Conroy, Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW–Madison and Community Economic Development Specialist, discusses “how to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem”. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Entrepreneurship 101, Part 3, PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
Summary August 2021 — In part two of a three-part series on entrepreneurship, Tessa Conroy, Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW–Madison and Community Economic Development Specialist, discusses the “what” of entrepreneurship in economic development. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Entrepreneurship 101, Part 2, PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
Summary August 2021 — In part one of a three-part series on entrepreneurship, Tessa Conroy, Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW–Madison and Community Economic Development Specialist, discusses the “why” of entrepreneurship in economic development. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Entrepreneurship 101, Part 1, PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
Summary July 2022 — Stephanie Gutierrez, co-founder of Hope Nation, LLC, and author of “An Indigenous Approach to Community Wealth Building: A Lakota Translation”, and Cecily Englehart, Indigenous Community Wealth Building Coordinator with Hope Nation, LLC and the Advancement Director with the new nonprofit, Seven Fires, share their work on the transformative practice of building […]
