Business and Labor Closely Aligned on Madison Common Council Endorsements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 22, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced its endorsements for the Madison Common Council elections taking place April 4. With representation from many prominent and emerging companies throughout Greater Madison, an endorsement from the 48-member Chamber board signals a candidate’s strength on business issues and vision to grow Greater Madison’s economy.

The Chamber’s endorsement decisions closely mirror candidates endorsed by the Building Trades of South Central Wisconsin.

“In contested races for Madison Common Council, the choice for business and labor alike is clear. To have the endorsement of both the Chamber and Building Trades demonstrates a candidate’s understanding of how economies work and how best to foster job growth in our region,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “It is important that we not let up on the economic momentum we are seeing in Greater Madison, and these candidates have the right experience, passion and commitment to help us continue to drive that momentum.”

The Chamber endorsed the following candidates for Madison Common Council:

District 1: Barbara Harrington-McKinney
District 3: Amanda Hall
District 5: Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
District 7: Steve King
District 8: Zach Wood
District 9: Paul Skidmore
District 10: Maurice Cheeks
District 11: Arvina Martin
District 12: Larry Palm
District 13: Sara Eskrich
District 14: Sheri Carter
District 16: Denise DeMarb
District 19: Mark Clear
District 20: Matt Phair

The release from the Building and Construction Trades Council regarding their candidate endorsements is attached here.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

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Madison’s Emergence as Healthtech Hub on Display at HIMSS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 16, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON, WI – Befitting its status as an emerging hub for health innovation, Greater Madison companies will be well-represented at the 2017 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition taking place Feb. 19-23 in Orlando. The annual conference, which brings together more than 40,000 health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world, will feature exhibits and pavilions from a diverse offering of health innovation companies located in Madison.

With a robust healthcare ecosystem of world-class research; the market leader in electronic health records; and a strong network of payers and providers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs, Greater Madison is leading in health innovation. In the shadow of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which consistently ranks among the top universities nationally for research spending and where the first human embryonic stem cell line was derived in 1998, there are three major hospitals and a strong network of insurers. There are cutting-edge biotech companies like Promega and Exact Sciences, device manufacturers including GE Healthcare and Accuray and new and emerging companies like Propeller Health, which was recently named by Fast Company as one of the most innovative health care companies in the world.

This potent combination is helping to set Madison apart in the race to become the next healthtech hub. Forbes has called Madison one of “The Cities Winning the Battle for Information Jobs,” and a new CareerBuilder survey shows Madison with the largest increase in millennial workers among the 100 most populous U.S. cities. Becker’s Hospital Review recently touted Madison as a city “poised to continue to grow exponentially as a player in the national digital health scene.” The U.S. Department of Labor also ranks Madison second in the country for density of software publishing jobs, behind only Seattle, providing a surplus of tech-savvy talent to fuel the growing health IT cluster, and Glassdoor ranks Madison fourth on its list of Best Paying Cities for Software Engineers, with Madison still being below the national average for cost of living.

“Greater Madison’s constellation of industry strength, talent pipeline and entrepreneurial spirit shows our region is well-positioned for continued growth in healthtech – and the world is taking notice,” said Zach Brandon, President of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. “Greater Madison has a tremendous story to tell, and HIMSS will serve as a terrific showcase for our companies that are importing global talent and exporting global solutions to some of healthcare’s biggest challenges.”

Last year saw the launch of HealthTech Capitol (www.healthtechcapitol.com), an initiative led by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce working to position the region as the world-class leader for health innovation. The effort will allow companies to leverage a density of talent, capital and mentoring.

“Greater Madison has been the ideal region for me to build a healthtech business and now venture capital fund,” said Madison HealthTech Capitol Chair Mark Bakken, the founder of HealthX Ventures and co-founder and former CEO of Nordic Consulting. “With the increasing number of innovative companies from our region attending HIMSS, it’s clear there are many people who agree.”

Some recent achievements from Greater Madison companies attending HIMSS include:

• Last week, Catalyze rebranded to Datica. As part of the switch, the company unveiled a complete top-to-bottom redesign of its existing website and introduced a new logo to showcase the company’s fresh look. This latest news falls on the heels of a multi-million-dollar Series B funding round announced last fall.
• Forward Health Group continues its strong presence in California’s large public hospitals, signing two major public health systems in the last six months to extended contracts. PopulationManager® is fast becoming the gold standard for meeting Medi-Cal 2020/PRIME requirements, helping hospitals maximize incentives through trusted population health solutions.
• In the last six months, healthfinch has gone live on athenahealth and is now serving athena, Allscripts and Epic clients, giving them the ability to positively impact the lives of thousands of physicians and their staff. Also, on Feb. 21, healthfinch will receive a Runner-Up Innovator Award from Healthcare Informatics (HIMSS Booth #2003) in the Clinician Workflow category from Healthcare Informatics.
• HealthX Ventures closed its flagship fund in late 2016 and has built a portfolio of seven companies, spanning from Madison to as far away as San Francisco. The firm recently moved into a new office near downtown Madison and is always looking to make connections and new investments from their fund.
• For ImageMoverMD, new features at HIMSS17 include launching ImageMover Mobile from other mobile electronic health records (EHR) apps, as well as a new body region mapping tool to pinpoint anatomy in photos. ImageMoverMD is also introducing ImageMover Media, a zero footprint uploader for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and other medical images.
• Following a $5.5 million Series A financing round led by Safeguard, Moxe is expanding its product offerings and growing its development and sales teams.
• In less than seven years, Nordic has grown into the world’s largest Epic consulting firm, now featuring nearly 700 consultants.
• Propeller Health has now signed partnership agreements with three of the five leading respiratory pharma companies (Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Novartis) for asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This is the fifth pharma partnership signed: Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Novartis, Vectura and Aptar. Propeller also now has 8 devices cleared by the FDA, more than any company in the connected inhaler space.
• With hundreds of applications connected, Redox now supports the largest ecosystem of integrated enterprise healthcare applications. Health systems connect once and can rapidly deploy integrated applications across their organizations.
• In 2016, Wellbe debuted on the Inc. 500 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies with three-year sales growth of 1,200 percent. Wellbe was also recognized by Modern Healthcare Magazine as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, and they were named a semi-finalist in the Triple Tree iAwards for “insight, initiative, and innovation in healthcare.”

Here are the profiles of Madison-area healthtech companies and where they can be found at HIMSS (if exhibiting):

About Datica (HIMSS Booth #8152)

Datica makes digital health in the cloud a reality by removing the risks that prevent its adoption. We turn HIPAA compliance on public infrastructure providers into a solved problem and enable secure clinical data exchange between mission-critical digital health applications and EHR systems. Datica serves healthcare’s complete spectrum, from digital health startups and industry leaders to health systems across the nation. Hundreds of customers and partners trust Datica to ensure their clouds are HITRUST-certified and data securely interoperable. Learn more at www.datica.com.

About Epic Systems (HIMSS Booths #1143 and #9000)

Epic’s integrated software spans enterprise clinical, access, revenue, and analytics functions with a single patient-centered database – and provides an open platform for building on this foundation. The system lets care providers connect directly with patients and other organizations for improved population health. Epic serves large and mid-size physician groups, integrated healthcare organizations, children’s hospitals, and academic facilities. Roughly 190 million patients have a current electronic record in Epic. Learn more at www.epic.com.

About Forward Health Group (HIMSS Booth #510)

Forward Health Group’s population health measurement platforms and data strategies drive success for providers and their patients in the move to value – population health without the wait. Through Forward Health Group, providers can finally measure quality, motivate clinicians and maximize incentives. Learn more at www.forwardhealthgroup.com.

About healthfinch (HIMSS Booth #994)

healthfinch has built a Practice Automation Platform, nicknamed Charlie, that works seamlessly within the electronic medical records (EMR) to automate routine, repeatable, clinical tasks. Charlie helps minimize busywork for busy doctors so they can focus on what matters most – direct patient care. Learn more at www.healthfinch.com.

About HealthX Ventures

HealthX Ventures is a digital healthcare-focused venture capital fund that supports early/seed stage, high-growth companies in all areas of digital health, including companies who are making healthcare safer, more efficient and more affordable. The firm is investing out of its flagship fund and is led by experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who have grown companies and led change across the healthcare system. Learn more at www.healthxventures.com.

If you would like to coordinate an in-person meeting at HIMSS with a member of the HealthX Ventures team, please email them at contact@healthxventures.com.

About ImageMoverMD (HIMSS Booth #6644)

ImageMoverMD connects photos, video and outside medical images with electronic health records (EHR). Learn more at www.imagemovermd.com.

About Moxe

Moxe serves as a clinical data clearinghouse, facilitating the real-time bi-directional exchange of clinical, analytic and administrative data among health systems, health plans and health IT vendors. Learn more at moxehealth.com.

Moxe will not have a booth at HIMSS but will be hosting two happy-hour events, and members of the leadership team are connecting with others throughout the course of HIMSS. If you would like to connect with someone from Moxe, please email Terri Leigh Rhody at terri@moxehealth.com.

About Nordic (HIMSS Booth #903)

Since its founding in 2010, Nordic has evolved from its roots as a leader in EHR staffing to not only the world’s largest Epic consulting firm, but a firm with a broad set of KLAS-proven healthcare IT solutions. Featuring nearly 700 consultants, Nordic has organized those experts to solve healthcare organizations’ most challenging health IT problems with carefully crafted solutions. These solutions were developed and refined over the last few years to meet the evolving needs of Nordic’s client partners, including the shift to value-based care, mergers and acquisitions, Community Connect, upgrades, optimization, revenue cycle transformation, analytics, a suite of managed service offerings (including tier 2 application support) and more. Learn more at nordicwi.com.

You can RSVP for Nordic’s HIMSS17 reception at http://engage.nordicwi.com/himss17.

About Propeller Health (HIMSS Booth #4374)

In 2010, Propeller set out to modernize respiratory medicine, help people minimize the impact of asthma and COPD on their daily lives, and connect them to their physicians, environment and community. Propeller’s information-powered approach to respiratory management guides physicians and patients to the optimal path of therapy for each individual. With connected inhalers, digital interfaces, mobile spirometers and real-time personalized insights, participants receive personal guidance and expert direction anytime. Backed by 3M Ventures (NYSE: MMM), SR One, Hikma Ventures (LON: HIK), Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE: SFE), Social Capital and other investors, Propeller has been used by patients with asthma or COPD in more than 45 commercial programs across the U.S. at major healthcare systems, payers, employers and other commercial partners. The company has been recognized as the recipient of the American Telemedicine Association’s 2016 President’s Award for Innovation in Remote Healthcare and as one of the top “Fierce 15” medical device companies in 2015 by FierceMedicalDevices. Learn more at www.propellerhealth.com.

At HIMSS, Propeller CEO David Van Sickle will be speaking on a panel with Accenture on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 3:00 p.m. at the Accenture booth (#3949).

About Redox (HIMSS Booth #7444)

Redox connects healthcare applications to electronic health records through their modern API platform. Learn more at www.redoxengine.com.

Redox will be hosting a HIMSS kickoff event the evening of Sunday, Feb. 19. Full details can be found at https://www.redoxengine.com/himss17.

About Wellbe

Wellbe’s cloud-based platform facilitates connected care between patients and healthcare providers, enabling high-performing health systems to transform care by improving patients’ experiences, satisfaction and health outcomes while reducing costs and empowering patients to participate as active partners in their treatment.

To learn more or request a meeting with the Wellbe executive team at HIMSS, contact info@wellbe.me.

About HIMSS
HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). HIMSS leads efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology.

HIMSS is a cause-based, global enterprise producing health IT thought leadership, education, events, market research and media services around the world. Founded in 1961, HIMSS encompasses more than 52,000 individuals, of which more than two-thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations across the globe, plus over 600 corporations and 250 not-for-profit partner organizations, that share this cause.  HIMSS, headquartered in Chicago, serves the global health IT community with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Learn more at www.himss.org.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

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Overture Hosts Free International Festival February 25

For immediate release: Friday, February 10, 2017

Contact: Sarah Knab, Overture Center, 608.258.4438 / sknab@overture.org

Overture Hosts International Festival, Celebrates Cultural Diversity in Dane County
Free festival features international performances, vendorswith craft, fair trade and food items for sale

Madison, Wis. – International Festival, a free event that has been hosted by Overture Center for more than 30 years, returns on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. The festival celebrates Madison’s rich cultural heritage with returning and new performers and vendors who call Dane County home.

There is no charge for admission to the Festival, which provides an opportunity to learn about the many local businesses with global connections.  Attendees can enjoy more than 30 free performances throughout Overture by area artists. Vendors will have cuisines from around the world and arts and crafts available for purchase.

“International Festival embraces, supports and showcases cultural arts in our community without having to leave Madison,” said Ted DeDee, Overture’s President and CEO. “We [Overture Center] are a home for the arts for everyone, and this free event really celebrates the diversity among us. We are proud to provide a stage for individuals and cultures from around the globe who now call Dane County home.”

2017 International Festival Schedule

Overture Hall Lobby

10:30 AM | Swiss Alphorn Duet | Traditional 12-foot-long Swiss instruments open the festival.   

10:37 AM | Welcome – Ho-Chunk Nation Color Guard

11:00 AM | Zhong Yi Kung Fu Assoc. | “Choy Cheng:” the lion consumes “lettuce” & transforms it into “fortune.”

11:50 AM | Yid Vicious | Yiddish Klezmer dance music spanning generations from the old world to today.

12:55 PM | Sergio Rico Vacilon | Cuban Guajira, son of the 40s & 50s, takes you to tropical Cuba.              

1:55 PM | LuLu Quintet |Gypsy Jazz, traditional Romany music and French musettes to swing!

3:10 PM |Cris Plata | Indigenous Mexican and South Texas music with European influences.

4:15 PM | Atimevu Drum and Dance | Performing traditional music from Ghana, West Africa.

Promenade Hall

11:15 AM | Kioja Dance Team | Step dances combining military drill & African Welly “gumboot” dances.

12:10 PM | Bi Dana | Irish songs played with accordion, concertina, fiddle, Irish drum, bagpipes & tenor banjo.

1:25 PM | Sadira & the Riad Dance Co | Traditional & contemporary women’s dance of the Middle East.

2:10 PM | Ali Jamnia | A magical carpet ride into the world of Sufi storytelling with loved tales from Persia.           

2:55 PM | Raizes do Brasil Capoeira | Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance of Capoeira & stick dance Maculele.

3:45 PM | Mesoghios Dance Troup | Traditional dances from eastern Anatolia. 

4:40 PM | Tri Bratovchedki | Songs in the beautiful rhythms & harmonies of Eastern Europe sung a Capella.

Overture Hall

11:15 AM | UW Russian Folk Orchestra | Instrumental folk music of Russia & Eastern Europe

12:20 PM | Kalaanjali School of Dance | Bharatanatyam Indian dance with costumes & music from India.

1:10 PM | Last Gaspe | Contra dance band playing Canadian, Irish & American fiddle music that swings. 

2:25 PM | Danza Tradicional Mexicana | Presenting the culture, music & traditions of Mexico through dance.

3:10 PM | Madison Chinese Cultural Association | Performance promoting Chinese culture & traditions.

3:55 PM | Charanga Agoza | European ballroom & Afro-Cuban rhythm blending in a dance oriented sound.

Capitol Theater

11:15 AM | Madison Maennerchor | Traditional German choral music hymns, masters, festival & party songs.

12:10 PM | Mt Zion Gospel Church | Come enjoy songs from one of Madison’s best gospel choirs.

1:10 PM | Madison Pipes & Drums | Bagpipe & drum band playing pipe band music in the Scottish tradition.       

2:05 PM | Zaibas Lithuanian Dance | Popular Lithuanian folk dances performed in authentic national costumes.

3:00 PM | Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance | Fiery dances with rhythmic footwork, castanets & colorful costumes.

3:55 PM | Limanya Drum and Dance | Traditional music & dance from Guinea & Mali under the direction of Mandjou Mara.

Rotunda Stage

1:15 AM | Goongoo Peas | Interactive Caribbean folk music & music from the African Diaspora. 

12:20 PM | Taiwan Puppet Troup | Traditional Taiwanese puppet show promoting Taiwan & Taiwanese culture.

1:20 PM | Veseliyka | Bulgarian dance music from the Balkans played with traditional instruments.          

2:25 PM | Tani Diakite | Funk-Blues fusion music from Mali featuring traditional Malian instruments.

Promenade Lounge

UW Madison – International Reach is a cross-cultural speakers volunteer program placing international speakers in schools, campus venues, & community organizations for presentations, discussions, and/or conversations.  It provides opportunities for international students to share perspectives on their home countries for the purposes of furthering global education & intercultural dialogue.

11:45 AM | Kenya & Malaysia | Demonstration of wedding ceremonies & traditions.

12:55 PM | Turkey & China | Demonstration of wedding ceremonies & traditions.

1:55 PM | South Korea | Demonstration of wedding ceremonies & traditions.

Overture’s International Festival is supported by Madison Community Foundation, CUNA Mutual Foundation, Friends of Overture, Ho-Chunk Gaming, and Dane Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation Inc., the charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in over half a million educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org

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UW Women’s Hockey Team Receives Donation From Conney Safety after Carbon Monoxide Scare

Conney Safety recently made a donation of carbon monoxide monitors to the UW Hockey teams.  Below is the news clip from NBC15-Madison who picked up the story.

http://www.nbc15.com/content/news/UW-Womens-Hockey-Team-gets-donation-after-carbon-monoxide-scare-412348013.html

Chamber VP Named to DCI’s “40 Under 40” List Recognizing Economic Development Success

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 1, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today that Chamber Vice President Kevin Little has been named as one of the Development Counsellors International (DCI) “40 Under 40” for 2017. The list is comprised of 40 people from across North America who have achieved success in economic development before turning 40 years old.

Little is the third person from Wisconsin to make the biennial list, following then-City of Madison Alder Scott Resnick in 2013 for spearheading just the second open data ordinance in the nation and Kenosha Area Business Alliance President Todd Battle in 2015 for his role in bringing in 4,000 jobs, $800 million in capital investment, and seven million square feet of development to the Kenosha area within the prior two years.

“The people chosen by the selection committee represent a bright future for the economic development world,” said DCI President Andy Levine. “They are a new breed of results-driven place makers. We’re very pleased to see Kevin Little among the winners.”

“This honor shows the depth of talent we have in our organization and validates the work the Chamber is doing to drive economic growth in Greater Madison,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “From initiatives like Accelerate Madison and HealthTech Capitol to programming our annual Pressure Chamber pitch competition, Kevin has been a vital asset to the Chamber’s efforts to accelerate business growth for our members, attract world-class talent to our community and position Greater Madison for sustained success.”

In his role as Chamber Vice President, Little leads the Chamber’s external relations, including its political advocacy, economic development, communications, programming and events. He has also served as the Chamber’s Director of Public Policy and Managing Director of Economic Development.

“It is an honor to be named to this list, but the work being recognized is really a tribute to a lot of people – from our incredible Chamber staff to our leadership and community partners,” Little said. “There is an overused expression that economic development is a team sport, but it’s true. We have a lot of collaboration and momentum going on right now in our community, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

DCI officially announced the winners Monday night at an awards ceremony during the International Economic Development Council Leadership Summit in Jacksonville and will feature an in-depth profile of each on its website during 2017.

Considered the leader in marketing places, DCI specializes in economic development and tourism marketing.  The agency has worked for more than 400 cities, regions, states and countries since it was established in New York City in 1960. www.aboutdci.com

For more information on DCI’s 40 Under 40 winners, visit www.aboutdci.com/40under40.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

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