Mayor Johnson breaks down his Milwaukee pitch at South by Southwest
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is back in town after promoting the city as the next tech hub at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.
Mayor Johnson said Milwaukee already has the infrastructure in place, and with a supportive environment growing each day, he said tech companies can be successful in Milwaukee.
He said, "We have a burgeoning startup community, and we have the ecosystem to support startups in our community."
Johnson described Milwaukee as the best kept secret in the tech world but said it's now time for the city to spread the word.
He spoke directly with potential investors at South by Southwest, touting the city's innovators of the past while keeping an eye to the future.
Amanda DoAmaral, co-founder and CEO of Fiveable, said Milwaukee "does check a lot of boxes. And the way the tech community here is growing, it's certainly adding to that."
Johnson touted DoAmaral as a success story to emulate. Fiveable supports students that are taking AP exams.
She's from the east coast and taught on the west coast, but when a development program in Madison ended, she kept Fiveable in Milwaukee. DoAmaral said, "It's definitely a much smaller ecosystem than, say, in Chicago or New York, of course. But I think because it's smaller you get stronger relationships between people."
Milwaukee's business leaders say new startups will succeed when the right people are connected, and that process started at South by Southwest.
Julie Granger, the vice president of MMAC, said, "All people that are ready for that message. And they had a lot of 'aha moments' when it came to Milwaukee."
Granger touted Milwaukee's affordability and quality of life.
The city has the fourth-highest concentration of Fortune 1000 companies in the country, and a significant talent pipeline thanks to several universities.
Granger said, "I think it's a lot about making the right connections. I think we have all the pieces of the puzzle here in place."
Mayor Johnson said, "We have a story to tell, a compelling story to tell, let's bring folks here to be a part of that story. To be a part of our next chapter."