In Business Madison

The August issue of In Business Madison is live! On the cover, Trek Bicycle CEO John Burke reflects on the power of cycling, the company's enduring values and how he's still striving to move the business forward. Inside, read about Lisa Johnson's tenure leading BioForward, Inc. Wisconsin, Madison's growing quantum industry, the rise of fractional professional services, The Forward Festival 2026, this year's Executive Excellence honorees, workforce development challenges and more. Read here: https://lnkd.in/g3WaZKKR #InBusinessMadison #AugustIssue #MadisonBusiness #WisconsinBusiness Photograph by Sharon Vanorny Photo Illustration by Jess Carter

“I’m kind of a very going-with-the-flow kind of guy, and that’s also kind of how this started,” Rhett Cisler, owner of new coffee cart Radical Coffee, said. “My plan right now is to do this season, and then if it goes well, do next season. I think a little shop would be really cool to have eventually, but yeah, no plans for now for that. Just kind of seeing if it happens.” Radical Coffee launched on April 22, Earth Day. His coffee cart pours espresso, cortados, flat whites and more at the Wednesday Dane County Farmers’ Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Madison, as well as at public and private pop-ups around the city. Cisler’s coffee comes from the idea of showcasing single-origin flavors, using Kin Kin coffee, a small-batch roaster in Madison. When it comes to flavors, he uses syrups made by a friend of his who owns Bouquet, a California company that sells flavors like butter caramel or vanilla fleur de sel. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gApR6FQc

The Forward Festival, an event made by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, returns with 56 events planned throughout Madison the week of Aug. 17-21. Billed as Wisconsinʼs largest technology and entrepreneurship festival, organizers expect more than 5,000 attendees for this yearʼs 16th annual gathering. The five-day festival features locally organized events to connect entrepreneurs and through those connections, inspire innovation. Everyone from business operators to foodies will be part of bringing the technology and startup communities together to interact, share ideas, pursue venture capital and network. As part of a unique structure, the individual events aren’t organized by event planners but by local entrepreneurs who serve as event hosts. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gNjH7MQi Story by Joe Vanden Plas

We're hiring! We're looking for a Sales & Marketing Coordinator to join our employee-owned team at In Business Madison. If you're organized, collaborative and excited about sales, marketing, events and connecting with Madison's business community, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gP-JPfnF

Executive Excellence: Finance & HR Awards will take place Thursday, August 20, at The Edgewater Madison. Join us as we recognize the exceptional finance and HR leaders making a difference across Wisconsin's Capital Region. Current ticket holders are all set—their registrations have automatically transferred to the new date. 🎟️ Tickets are available: https://lnkd.in/gV3etxTw Thank you to our presenting sponsor Forvis Mazars US, major partners Investors Associated, LLP, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., and UMB Bank, and supporting partner Johnson Financial Group.

After the police shooting that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22 rocked the Madison community, the intersection of South Baldwin and Williamson streets was blocked off by the city, and by mattresses, pallets and debris. A makeshift memorial to Ruiz sits in the intersection, with flowers, signs and candles. A giant black fist looms over the memorial, with a red, black and green Pan-African flag waving in the wind. Pop-up tents provide shelter to those handing out supplies. While the city has mourned, the businesses behind the barricades are doing their best to support the community and pay the bills. Whether staying open or remaining closed, many of the shops and restaurants in the near east side neighborhood have offered support to mourners and protesters who have come to grieve and stand vigil at the site of the shooting. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g5Aepciw Story and photograph by Louis Livingston-Garcia

POSTPONED Due to the police-involved shooting in Madison on Wednesday and after consulting with our partners and stakeholders, In Business Madison has decided to postpone tonight's Executive Excellence: Finance & Human Resources Awards at the Edgewater. The event will be rescheduled for a later date. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who was killed, and the broader Madison community as it mourns. Details on the rescheduled event will be forthcoming. Thank you for understanding.

Wisconsin has added small businesses at roughly the same pace as the nation since 2010, but it has added jobs within those businesses at a significantly slower rate, according to a new study from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Joe Peterangelo, research director for the Wisconsin Policy Forum and a co-author of the study “Small Business, Big Stakes: The state of Wisconsin's small businesses,” said Wisconsin entrepreneurs are doing well in starting businesses but find it difficult to grow them into larger ventures. Wisconsin had 37.3% more small business establishments in 2025 than 2010, compared with a 37.2% increase nationally. In 2025, establishments with fewer than 10 employees (“micro-businesses”) accounted for more than three-quarters (77.3%) of Wisconsin’s total small business establishments. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gPh84t2u Story by Joe Vanden Plas Illustration by Getty Images

Wisconsin is where we live, work and raise our families. It’s where we planted roots, found opportunities and built stable lives. For us, Wisconsin is home, but the reality is hard to ignore: Our state is falling behind, and our demographic and workforce trends pose a threat to our future. These forces are reshaping the state’s workforce, economy and long-term outlook. To reverse these trends and save Wisconsin, we must pursue an agenda to retain and attract Wisconsin workers. As elaborated in the WMC Foundation’s recent “Wisconsin Competitiveness Report,” a brief glance at Wisconsin’s demographic and workforce trends paints a bleak picture. The median age in Wisconsin is 40.7 — more than a year older than the national average — and residents age 65 and older make up 19.2% of the population, compared to 18% nationally. While Wisconsin ages, our youth population continues to shrink at an unprecedented rate. Wisconsin lost a staggering 40,000 residents under 18 from 2020 to 2024. If this trend continues, we are on pace to lose a projected 95,000 young people this decade — nearly the population of Wisconsin’s fourth largest city, Kenosha. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpuyXezU Story by Rachel Ver Velde / Associate Vice President of Government Relations and Senior Political Advisor / Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) Photograph by Getty Images

Final days to register! Join us on July 23 at The Edgewater Madison for the 2026 Executive Excellence: Finance & HR Awards. Celebrate the outstanding finance and HR leaders making a lasting impact across Wisconsin's Capital Region while connecting with fellow business professionals for an evening of recognition, networking and celebration. 🎟️ Tickets are available through Sunday, July 19. Purchase your tickets here before registration closes: https://lnkd.in/gV3etxTw The 2026 Executive Excellence: Finance & HR Awards are presented by Forvis Mazars US, with major partners Investors Associated, LLP, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. and UMB Bank and supporting partner Johnson Financial Group.