conducted by CREATE Portage County. The name is a tribute to the Upper Wisconsin River Basin in which we all reside. Like the Wisconsin River collects the water of all its tributaries to create a larger, more powerful river, the Build the Basin project will gather the efforts of all the partners in the region to create a powerful, impactful ecosystem to collectively serve our entrepreneurs. This collective effort resulted in a second workshop in October 2024, with 60 more individuals from across three counties (Portage, Wood, Marathon) coming together to answer the question “Imagine if Central Wisconsin was an irresistible magnet for people with amazing ideas. What would that look like?” The second workshop added new projects to the ongoing work from the first workshop. Although not without its challenges, the second workshop continued the momentum from the first workshop, bringing the project to where it is today. Build the Basin Projects and Outcomes The expectation under the Strategic Doing framework is that not every table group will successfully complete their project. The idea, however, is that many tables will. The accumulative effect of all the individual efforts contributes to the creation of a more dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Central Wisconsin. Despite many table projects failing, several notable achievements took place which are outlined in more detail below. Emerging Entrepreneurs Nights One of the first table projects to come to fruition was an Emerging Entrepreneurs Night which was first held in October 2023 at the Timekeeper Distillery in Wausau. In addition to inviting both new and established entrepreneurs, the event also brought in entrepreneurship partners and resources such as Central Wisconsin SCORE, SBDC, the cities of Wausau
across 10 counties in Central and Northern Wisconsin. This wide-ranging representation included stakeholders from business chambers, entrepreneurial ventures, educational institutions, tourism organizations, the Small Business Development Center, and small nonprofits. The diverse assembly was driven by a commitment to inclusivity and collaboration across different sectors and regions, as well as a recognition that an ecosystem cannot survive without all its members. Participants in the workshop were divided into seven small autonomous groups, each seated at a different table, working together under the umbrella structure of the project. Each table had a different theme addressing different elements of the project: brainpower/talent development, innovation and entrepreneurship, quality places, regional stories and culture. To guide the discussion, the core team posed an overarching hypothetical, “Imagine we joined together as the many diverse communities in Northcentral Wisconsin to become a hotbed for collaborative innovation and creativity.” The purpose of the hypothetical is not to prescribe a particular outcome, but to loosely guide conversation, with each team identifying a project to be completed within the 90 days that would help achieve the project’s goals. The groups then decide whether to continue or modify the project, discontinue it, or hand ownership over to someone else. The first workshop yielded several positive outcomes, with several projects moving forward. Although not all groups successfully completed their project (which is the norm given the loose nature of the workshops), the successful projects provided significant momentum and progress. Next, the group decided that their collaborative efforts needed a name and identity to better brand the collective activities and successes produced by the work. After discussion, the Build the Basin name was chosen based on earlier work
Central Wisconsin Report - Spring 2025
25
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog