Registration now open for New North Summit, June 8 at Lambeau Field
Keynotes from national thought leaders with ties to region highlight program emphasizing ‘Power of Place’
NEW NORTH, March 22, 2023 – The largest regional economic-development event in Northeast Wisconsin – the New North Summit – will be held on Thursday, June 8, at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay. Registration is now open at www.newnorthsummit.com, with an early-bird entrance fee available through April 15.
New North Board Co-Chairs Michelle Schuler of Microsoft and Sachin Shivaram of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry will welcome business and community leaders from across the region. Nicolet National Bank is the Platinum Sponsor of the 2023 Summit.
Three national thought leaders with ties to the New North region – Sharon Glover of Thrivent, Corey Behnke of LiveX and Ben Kvalo of Netflix – will provide keynote addresses as a centerpiece of the event.
New North President and CEO Barb LaMue will highlight many of the organization’s programs and initiatives in her President’s Message. These include the ‘Cool Stuff’ talent-attraction campaign, ‘Power of Place’ video, along with new tools to retain and connect diverse talent and to advance digital skilling. Throughout the morning, talent- and business-development videos will be debuted.
Attendees also will hear from Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Schuler will recap the five-year journey of the TechSpark by Microsoft program, which was piloted in the New North region and since expanded to a national level.
“Great presenters and networking are the hallmark of the New North Summit,” says LaMue, “and we are confident that this year’s agenda will meet the high mark set by prior events. Our three keynote addresses will be provided by national thought leaders in the areas of innovation, community and corporate culture. We also look forward to sharing New North initiatives which are making a tangible impact on the region.”
The initial keynote address will be provided by Sharon Glover, Director of Culture Transformation and Future of Work for Thrivent, a Fortune 500 diversified financial services organization whose operations center is located within the New North region. In her role, she is responsible for building a purpose-based culture that fosters belonging, advances equity, and enables greater flexibility and balance between work and home. Her work with multinational companies gives her a unique understanding of factors that contribute to cultures of inclusion and engagement across a large and diverse workforce. A native of Freeport, Bahamas, Glover holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boise State University and a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Corey Behnke, co-founder and lead producer of LiveX, will be the second keynote presenter. LiveX is a live streaming production company in New York City with a newly built remote production studio in downtown Green Bay. He has been the lead producer of the official worldwide webcast of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, viewed by more than six million people in 200-plus countries, for more than 15 years. Behnke also was the streaming architect for the 2020 Democratic National Convention and the 2020 Presidential Inauguration, along with technical producer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 PGA Ryder Cup and 50 Cent Live in Las Vegas. A Green Bay native who graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Arts and lived in New York City for 22 years before returning to Wisconsin, Behnke also is the co-founder of CheeseheadTV, an online platform devoted to Packers fans worldwide.
The final keynote speaker is Ben Kvalo, an entertainment and video games industry leader at Netflix, one of the world’s leading entertainment services with 231 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries. Kvalo oversaw the global launch of Games at Netflix, working between the engineering, creative production and early game studio management divisions to institute the new platform. Earlier in his career, he worked on some of entertainment’s biggest brands across video games and film. A 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a degree in business administration, Kvalo received Distinguished Recent Alumni recognition in 2016 and currently is a member of the alumni advisory board.
The morning session will conclude with presentation of the New North Workplace Excellence Award, sponsored by Keystone Partners.
Following lunch, two breakout sessions will be held concurrently. One will be a meeting of members of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA), led by Executive Director Ann Franz.
A second breakout dedicated to entrepreneurship in the New North will lead off with the U.S. Venture Mobility and Sustainability Investment Accelerator, powered by gener8tor. Winners of the 2022 NEW Launch Alliance Pitch Event will then provide updates on their ventures. The afternoon session will close with an update on the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program and a current participant.
Entertainment during the 2:30–4:30 p.m. networking reception will be provided by Shawn Connelly, a vocalist, guitarist and producer from the region. An interactive gallery highlighting the ‘Cool Stuff’ campaign will be featured at the reception.
Summit attendees also will receive The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream as a complimentary gift. Written by Steve Case, co-founder of America Online, the book profiles how entrepreneurs across the country are building groundbreaking companies, renewing communities and creating new jobs. It includes a chapter on the entrepreneurial ecosystem built within TitletownTech.
Event agenda updates will be provided at www.newnorthsummit.com on an ongoing basis.
WHERE: Lambeau Field Atrium
1265 Lombardi Ave.; Green Bay, Wis.
WHEN: Thursday, June 8, 2023
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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New North, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non-profit, regional economic development corporation fostering collaboration among private and public sector leaders throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Wisconsin, known as the New North region. The New North brand unites the region both internally and externally around talent development, brand promotion and business development, signifying the collective economic power behind the 18 counties. The counties include Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, Waupaca, Brown, Shawano, Oconto, Marinette, Door, Kewaunee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Florence, Menominee and Waushara. www.thenewnorth.com
Media Contact: Jeff Blumb, 920.328.5454 or [email protected]
