Milwaukee’s Bright Future: A Vision for Our Tech Sector
This interactive discussion features two leaders who are working to change Milwaukee through innovative programs designed to help diverse people enter and thrive in the Milwaukee economy. Learn about the efforts of the Milky Way Tech Hub and Scale Up Milwaukee as well as other programs in our area. Discuss models used by other cities and what needs to happen to showcase Milwaukee’s attributes and address its challenges. Join the discussion of what local professionals can do to drive innovation and change in our region.
Speaker
Nadiyah Johnson
Nadiyah Johnson is CEO and Founder of Jet Constellations. She graduated from Marquette University with a master’s in computational science and is currently pursuing a PhD with a focus on computational science and mental health. Her research is predominantly geared toward mobile health (mHealth). Nadiyah’s research has granted her recognition at several conferences around the globe.
Nadiyah’s passion for diversity in STEM led her to launch her start-up business, Jet Constellations. Jet Constellations is a local software company that functions to promote STEM education in Milwaukee, consult tech-oriented start-ups and build a nurturing ecosystem of techies and entrepreneurs. As the founder, Nadiyah aims to rebrand Milwaukee as “The Milky Way” – a tech hub representative of Milwaukee’s diverse population.
Nadiyah enjoys painting and teaching computer science in her free time. She currently sells her art in pop-up shops at local art fairs. When Nadiyah isn’t painting or working in the community, she is spending quality time with her family.
Elmer Moore
Elmer Moore Jr. is the executive director of Scale Up Milwaukee, an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. Scale Up Milwaukee works to radically transform the culture of growth in the region using an expanding portfolio of programs including two accelerators and a membership platform that together have reached hundreds of organizations. Scale Up companies have created more than 1300 jobs and generated more than $400M in revenue.
Elmer is also an entrepreneur, founding a venture-backed business called Milwaukee Denim Co. He is an instructor of practice in entrepreneurship at Marquette University and supports the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Elmer is the chairman of the board of commissioners for the Social Development Commission and a trustee for his alma mater, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Elmer also has an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City.
With his wife, Nicole, Elmer is a proud foster parent and encourages others to do so as well.
