Thank You Alliance Members

The NEW Digital Alliance would like to thank Heartland Business Systems and New Horizons for their support as General Investors 2021. To learn more about Heartland or New Horizons, click on their names!

Alliance News:

Happy August!

We often hear from members of our community that they are impressed with all the work we do in the NEW Digital Alliance and would like to get more involved in helping to advance collaboration efforts that promote the tech health of the Northeast Wisconsin region. So, we put together a list of several opportunities for you to get engaged with our activities. With summer coming to an end, now is a good time to take stock and evaluate how you wish to prioritize your time this upcoming school year.

Some of our opportunities are open to our investors only. Others are open for all interested volunteers.

Opportunities for engagement

Investors Only

• NEW Connect IT – This is our annual career fair for high school students where we introduce them to IT and digital careers, college pathways to prepare for those careers, and the companies who hire them. Held in person in the past, we connected with over 350 students from the region. Last year we went online and connected with over 600 students across the state.
• IT Career Videos – These “Day in the Life” videos will highlight our investor organizations and their IT departments. They will be shared with school districts to use for their academic and career planning efforts, will be posted on our website and YouTube channel, and shared via social media. They provide an excellent way for our investors to promote their brand to the future workforce.
• 405/1405 CS Licensure Cohort Speaker – Connect with teachers working to gain their computer science licensure and help them understand what the world of IT entails. Invitation only. 1-2 hour commitment.
• TechTalk Speaker – Give a 30-minute presentation about your company and the exciting technology you use to our regional college students. Typically done face to face on campus, this is a great way to connect with college students and let them know about your organization. Network with the students and swap contact information.
• Resume Sharing – We share resumes with our investor organizations. If you have resumes come your way but don’t end up hiring the candidate, send the resume our way so we can help connect the job seeker to other investor organizations, and keep them in the region.
• Ambassador Program – Starting with our IT professionals, this group will help build two-way communication with our investor organizations while building leadership skills within the IT department. This group will help develop the ambassador programs at the college and high school levels as well. With two networking nights, participating organizations will be able to network with upcoming talent. Meets monthly for 1 hour.
• Getting Things Done taskforce – Every IT department has small work items that they struggle to get to because of the business-focused projects that often take precedence. This task force is working to develop a framework for bringing in unskilled and semi-skilled talent from high school thru adults to help with small distinct needs within an IT department. Will meet 1-2 times per month for 1 hour.
• Cybersecurity Roundtable (founding member) – Launching this fall. This group will initially be open for investors only and will provide a forum for cybersecurity leaders to connect and share challenges and resources. We will be bringing in speakers who can speak to specific cybersecurity topics. Will meet 1.5 hours every other month.
• Marketing and Branding Committee – Help develop the marketing and communication materials used by the NEW Digital Alliance. No marketing experience is necessary as long as you have an interest in helping communicate the need for IT talent. Meets for 1 hour every second week.

Open to All

• Upskilling/Reskilling Roundtable – Join the roundtable discussions and share your challenges finding IT talent, or upskilling opportunities for your incumbent workforce. Learn about opportunities in the region, and connect with other IT leaders. Meets 1.5 hours every other month.
• NEW CS Advisory Board – This group is focused on helping K12 understand the needs of the community and helping them close the gaps in their computer science education programs. Meets for 1.5 hours per quarter.
• Talent Committee – Help plan the NEW Connect IT event and define other initiatives we can drive to help grow collaboration and tech talent in the region. Network with other organizations. Meets 1-2 hours per month.
• Event Planning Taskforce – Help identify topics of interest and speakers for our quarterly and other meetings. Network with other organizations. Meets 1 hour per month.

And of course, another way to engage with the NEW Digital Alliance and help out is to become an investor. Everything we do is investor-funded. You can learn more about the benefits of becoming an investor on our website.

If you are interested in learning about how to get involved, either as a volunteer or as an investor, please contact Kim Iversen at Kim@newDigitalAlliance.org.

CS 1405/405 License Teacher Cohort

Are you a teacher looking to obtain your CS 1405/405 license? Register for our Digital Technology & Computer Science Ready 2021 Teacher CS 1405/405 Licensure Cohort. TEALS and NEW Digital Alliance are teaming up to provide a cohort experience where you will progress through a free self-guided program to prepare you for the Praxis exam. As part of the cohort, you will participate in monthly meetings with other teachers, local professors, and IT professionals. Most meetings will be virtual, with a couple face to face to mix things up. For those successfully completing the program and passing their Praxis exam, we will reimburse your exam costs thanks to Microsoft sponsorship.

Learn more about the cohort and apply for a spot on the NEW Digital Alliance website under More Information. Registration will open on August 23.

NEW Faces: Meet the Staff

Get an inside glimpse into the lives of NEWDA employees and investors

Our company is comprised of a director, two interns, an executive committee, numerous investors, and volunteers. Every day these people strive to redefine IT/Digital careers in Northeastern Wisconsin. Everyone on our team is not only dedicated but committed to making a difference in the community. Learn more about the NEWDA staff on our campaign webpage or under the social media hashtag #NEWFacesFriday!

Madi Hilmershausen | Digital Communications, PR, Marketing Intern | NEW Digital Alliance

From DeForest, Wisconsin, Madi Hilmershausen is a senior at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh pursuing a BBA degree in Interactive Web Management – a degree that combines coursework from Marketing, Journalism, and Computer Science majors. She is a member of the Honors College, Information Systems Club, and is the current president and social media coordinator for the IWM club at UWO. Recently, she was presented with the Kim & Jakob Iversen Interactive Web Management Scholarship and made the College of Business Dean’s List the past two semesters. After graduation, Madi wants to move to a larger city like Minneapolis or Milwaukee to kick-start her career in the digital marketing field, possibly as a Brand Manager or Digital Marketing Specialist.

“I love my major because of the many skills I have gained and how well-rounded it is. Because of the IWM program, I found an amazing internship, became president of a club, am developing connections all across Wisconsin, made the Dean’s list twice, and am making an impact in the N.E. Wisconsin community. Not only can I design marketing and advertising materials, but I can code; not many women can say that.”

Some of the things Madi does at NEW Digital Alliance include: 

• developing communication and marketing templates
• creating signage, circulars, mock-ups, email campaigns, online promotion, etc.
• designing our monthly newsletter in WordPress (link)
• managing our Instagram page and creating unique content(link)
• analyzing data and creating visualizations to highlight impactful statistics
• utilizing Google Analytics to find website traffic trends
• designing marketing materials like the annual report, social media posts, email headers, flyers, analytic reports, and brochures 

She is passionate about mental health awareness, her major, traveling, and technology! Outside of school, Madi is a member of Women in Technology WI, volunteers for Susan G. Komen, American Cancer Society, Sandi Paws Rescue, Special Olympics, Saint Albert Church, Westridge Golf Course, and works as a Bev Cart girl at a local golf course. She also occasionally does freelance photography and has a YouTube channel where she posts travel vlogs.

Q: How did you get your start? 

           After a low mental health point in high school, I decided to do better in school and find my passions. I joined DECA in high school and fell in love with Marketing and all it had to offer. Focusing on school was my priority, so I ended up with a marketing internship already my senior year of high school and was determined to get a 4.0 GPA my senior year – and I did! I am very proud of how far I have come. 

Q: What do you love about your current job?

           I am learning so much! Kim, the director, literally calls me her “V.P. of Marketing” because I am gaining experience in all aspects of that field. NEW Digital Alliance is making a huge difference in North East Wisconsin, and I am ecstatic to be a part of it. 

Q: What is one fun fact about you?

           I am a huge risk taker! When I turned 18, I convinced my mom and dad to go skydiving with me. Not only would I go again, but I would also try skydiving alone – without a person attached to me. (Click HERE to watch a video Madi made of her skydiving experience) 

Unemployment Updates

Demand for talent continues to remain strong for Wisconsin and the New North region. National demand for tech talent also remains high, with the tech unemployment rate for June (2.2%) and lower than pre-pandemic levels of 3% in January 2020. National unemployment was at 5.9% for June, with Wisconsin steady at 3.9%, and Northeast Wisconsin data unavailable.

Data Sources: CompTia IT Employment Tracker, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and New North IntelTracker