Also, his take on AI vs. brands over yet another coffee where I get an inside view.

For this episode, I interviewed Matt Sabljak of SRH, a brand / creative / media agency in the heart of the Walker’s Point Innovation District.

• Matt describes SRH as an agency that helps brands become more memorable, with an in-house media team that gets real results.

• SRH was one of the first tenants in the Eagleknit Building and the team now has 20 more people than when the agency started in Matt’s condo kitchen.

• Matt’s been getting louder on LinkedIn with a video series with a thesis that brands that get remembered get chosen. He wears magenta in all of these videos.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge.

You can also read our Substack here.

For this episode, Steve Glynn interviewed Wes Taylor, Director of Autonomous Vehicle Platform for Komatsu.

• Wes and his team develop Komatsu’s next generation autonomous system for its mining portfolio.

• He studied mechanical engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), started at Komatsu as an intern, and never left.

• His team works across Komatsu’s factories around the world from a base right here in the MKE!

Wes and Steve talk about what's behind what's happening in autonomous vehicles at Komatsu, the talent required, the global perspective, and how it's all happening here in Milwaukee!

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored in part by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge.

For this article and audio recording Steve interviewed Grady Buchanan, Co-Founder & Managing Director at NVNG Investment Advisors, a venture capital firm based in Milwaukee.

• NVNG stands for Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained. It comes from the team’s roots at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).

• The NVNG fund is ~$50M and raised from Wisconsin corporations.

• NVNG invests in venture capital managers, not directly into startups.

• The NVNG portfolio includes ~24 venture funds and ~430 startups.

• Grady created +Venture North, an invite only event that brings venture funds, corporate investment groups, family offices, and more to Milwaukee every fall for the past four years. Experience Milwaukee is an invited partner.

Experience Milwaukee (Tech in MKE) is presented by Xorbix Technologies. We are also sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions and Digital Bridge. Give them all a visit, please.

I took a coffee with NM’s Frank Di Meglio (my guest on this episode) and it changed my perspective.

This episode kicks off a new partnership with Northwestern Mutual’s Downtown Milwaukee office.

Over the next few months, I’ll sit down with Managing Partner Frank Di Meglio for real conversations about Milwaukee, the city’s business scene, and the people behind both.

Frank Di Meglio:

• Born Francesco, he goes by Frank, and moved to Milwaukee from New Jersey three years ago with his wife and daughters.

• His office covers Ozaukee County to Kenosha County and has about 250 advisors and associates.

• He started with Northwestern Mutual (NM) as a college intern 16 years before he moved to Milwaukee.

This episode features host Steve Glynn and Brian Kohlmann, Director of AI, Emerging Technology, and MarTech at Bader Rutter.

• Bader Rutter is a 53 year old, Milwaukee based, business-to-business agency serving agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing and more.

• Brian has worked for Bader Rutter for 15 years and originally launched the AI, Emerging Technology, and MarTech practice he leads.

• Over a 30 year career, Brian has worked in the marketing, data, and technology spaces from the early days of personalized direct mail to today’s multi-agent AI workflows.

Steve and Brian talk all things AI strategy, hype, and anxiety. They also talk about Milwaukee's thriving tech scene.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by AI development firm Xorbix Technologies. This episode is also presented by cybersecurity firm Secure Compliance Solutions and e-waste recycler Digital Bridge.

Is it possible to make cybersecurity fun and engaging?

I sat down for an interview Reshad Alam and Corey Sodes. And I think both would answer the above, in chorus, with a loud YES!

Reshad is VP & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Regal Rexnord. Corey is the CTO and co-founder of Secure Compliance Solutions (SCS).

Both carry an unmatched passion for their work.

Corey and Reshad riffed on a number of topics…

• AI isn’t exposing your data. It’s exposing how much of it is already in the hands of your employees.

• Don’t block. Redirect.

• Innovate with purpose.

• HR is not giving you a free t-shirt.

• How continuous learning is critical to landing a cybersecurity job.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and this episode is also presented by Digital Bridge.

This article is the launch of a new paid partnership: Recycled by Digital Bridge. As part of this program, from time to time, I’ll highlight the important work happening at Digital Bridge, Milwaukee’s e-waste recycler. I’ll also “recycle” tech articles from the past. Because good stories deserve a second life, too!

For this article, I interviewed Michael Regione, VP of sales and marketing at Digital Bridge.

• Digital Bridge was founded by Jeff Hanson who started refurbishing laptops from the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

• Michael was in software startups and healthcare technology leading up to him joining Digital Bridge.

• He now leads the growth of Digital Bridge, including programs that keep electronics out of landfills by getting them into the hands of people who truly need them.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and is sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.

For this story, Steve interviewed Jeff Hintz, Executive Director of Sports Tech HQ in Indiana and VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp.

• The organization Jeff leads, Sports Tech HQ, works to make Indiana a global hub for sports technology.

• A native of Indianapolis, Jeff has spent his career focused on what sports can do for a community.

• He’s a convener and connector, helping sports tech founders relocate, scale, and grow in Indiana.

Steve and Jeff talk about how cities find their unfair tech advantage and how what they do with that matters.

Experience Milwaukee is powered by Xorbix Technologies and sponsored by Secure Compliance Solutions.