Our 2026 sessions highlighted new initiatives and ideas for critical economic development topics that impact communities across the region and state. We also helped connect people around building inclusive relationships. Thank you to all who joined us this year for purposeful connection, deep learning, and the exploration of best practices!

Session 3 RECAP: Redefining the Food Access Landscape

Wednesday, October 28 at 9am | At the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin

Food insecurity is not an issue that’s new. Yet, what’s emerging are the recent and significant disruptions in terms of how people access food – for example, the closure of grocery stores in specific areas, an expansion of how we define “food deserts”, major changes to Food Share requirements, and increased economic insecurity for families.

35 attendees joined us to hear from local community and economic development practitioners on how they are approaching solutions and strategies with people and neighborhoods in mind:

Lindsey St. Arnold Bell with Near West Side Partners: How they’ve been working with residents on neighborhood-focused strategies and solutions.

Margaret Mittelstadt with Outpost Cooperative: Insight into the private sector, cooperatives, and navigating the retail grocery space.

Matthew Rejc with City of Milwaukee Dept. of City Development: An update on the progress they’ve made to recruit grocery and pharmacy businesses through the Retail Investment Fund and other programs.

Markasa Tucker-Harris with African American Roundtable and Shirley Tucker, AART Member Leader and Feed the Change MKE Cohort Leader: How AART has activated residents on Milwaukee’s northwest side and developed the Feed The Change (FTC) MKE camapaign, and learn how you can support.

Program slides and other resources/links are coming soon, so be sure to check back!

 

Session 2 RECAP: Public Transportation Matters

Thursday, August 20 | At Concordia 27

How do we get from HERE to THERE?

65 attendees got up to speed on what is going on with public transportation. The program concluded with a moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A, followed by networking. We heard about:
• Launch of the MCTS Transit network redesign
• Transit-related legislative priorities in the coming year
• SEWRPC Transit Benefits study

Transit literally can knit the different parts of our lives together. We featured three of our partners who shared the latest on the state of public transportation in Milwaukee. We learned new information on its economic impact, an upcoming system redesign, and how we can take action in coalition with others.  Our presenters included:

• Jennifer Sarnecki, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) – Transit Benefits Study
• Steve Fuentes, Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) – Launch of MCTS Forward transit network redesign
• Claire Enders, Transit Is Milwaukee – Transit Advocacy & Community Engagement

Access UEDA Slides here. Check out our LinkedIn for photos! Here are some other resources to check out:

• Link to CommuteWISE – Note: they will work with employers to offer this resource to employees.
• VISION 2060 – Southeastern Wisconsin’s next regional plan
• Week Without Driving – October 1-8 – What would change in your life if driving wasn’t an option?
• MCTS Forward Next – collaborative effort to think about the future of public transit in Milwaukee County.

 

Session 1 RECAP: How We Show Up Matters

Wednesday, May 13 | At the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin

This professional development-focused session was led by UEDA member Yes…AND LLC.

In this interactive session, more than 40 participants examined the assumptions and habits they bring into client and colleague relationships that influence trust, collaboration, and results. Through reflection and meaningful dialogue with peers, they uncovered blind spots that may be limiting connection or effectiveness in our work.

Cultural Engagement Specialist Kim Walters and Human-Centered Leadership Consultant Laurice Snyder left attendees with practical tools and simple mindset shifts to apply immediately to improve communication, foster more inclusive relationships, and create better outcomes for clients and colleagues. Because in today’s marketplace, how you work with people is just as critical as what you deliver.

Access the UEDA Slides here, which include information on upcoming events, National Small Business Week and local business resources. Click here to learn more about the consultants.

 

Learning, Connecting & Supporting Our Members

This September, UEDA brought members and community partners together for a series of UEDA Membership Infosessions designed to provide practical information, resources, and connections that organizations can put to use in their day-to-day work.

From navigating employee healthcare benefits to understanding nonprofit risk management and strengthening board governance, each session created space for attendees to learn directly from experts, ask questions, and connect with one another. Interested in learning more or connecting with our presenters? Contact UEDA Member Engagement Director Debbie Knepke.

 

Healthcare Benefits Without the Headaches  

Our first Infosession, Healthcare Benefits Without the Headaches, was held on September 10 with Diversified Benefit Services.

The session brought together business owners, nonprofit leaders, HR professionals, and board members for a practical conversation about today’s healthcare benefits landscape. Attendees learned more about Health Insurance Marketplace updates and the growing role of ICHRA plans, with an opportunity to get answers to questions they’ve had about navigating employee benefits.

Thank you to Diversified Benefit Services for sharing their expertise and helping make a complicated topic easier to understand!

 

Coffee & Coverage: Risk Management for Nonprofits

On September 24, UEDA welcomed Mike Medcalf from the Brehmer Agency, Inc. for Coffee & Coverage, a practical, no-jargon conversation about what risk management really means for nonprofit organizations.

The session walked through five key areas organizations should consider when protecting their people, property, programs and partnerships, reputation, and finances, using real-world examples to make insurance and risk management easier to understand. An important and needed topic for the nonprofit sector!

 

 

Leading Together: Nonprofit Governance

In September, UEDA also kicked off Leading Together: Nonprofit Governance, a three-part series presented with Katie Sanders of One Grove Strategies.

The first session, Boards 101, focused on the foundations of effective nonprofit governance, including board structure, risk management, the nonprofit lifecycle, and transition planning.

The series continued this fall with Activate & Engage on October 20 and Recruit on November 17, helping nonprofit leaders move from understanding board fundamentals to building engaged, sustainable boards aligned with their organizations’ missions.

This training series is supported by capacity bulding and technical assistance grant funds from Bader Philanthropies, City of Milwaukee Community Development Grants Administration, and Zilber Family Foundation – thank you!

 

Together, these infosessions reflect what UEDA membership is all about: connecting organizations with information, expertise, and one another so they can strengthen their work and better serve our community.

 

Thank you to our presenters, partners, and everyone who joined us!

On Tuesday, September 22, we welcomed more than 82 people for an evening of food, connection, celebration, and reflection on UEDA’s accomplishments over the past year and goals for the year ahead. You can view our full program slides here.

We recognized our outgoing board member, Mike Ward. Thank you for your support over the past 6 years!

Thank you to awardees for their contributions to UEDA and its homeownership and financial empowerment programs!

Outstanding Community Partner Award, Adrian Spencer!

We are proud to celebrate Deputy Director Adrian Spencer of Rooted & Rising – Washington Park, whose active engagement and collaboration have supported a number of UEDA programs and initiatives. She has contributed to Carnival Milwaukee, NSP community organizer and Financial Health Network counselor trainings, and other efforts across our network.

Her leadership as co-chair of Take Root Milwaukee’s Home Preservation Workgroup since 2022 especially stands out. Adrian has helped deepen the group’s work to improve the home repair referral system and connect neighbors with needed resources.

She is always ready to partner with UEDA and connect members to other networks and efforts, including the RON Coalition. We are grateful for her commitment to strengthening our community.

Extraordinary Volunteer Award, Victor Frasher!

We are thrilled to celebrate Director of Community Engagement Victor Frasher of Educators Credit Union, whose time and commitment have supported Bank On Greater Milwaukee since its inception. Victor has participated in a number of workgroups and projects over the years, helping advance access to safe and affordable banking in our community.

In particular, Victor’s contributions to Bank On Greater Milwaukee’s work with young people, Earn & Learn, and the Resource Guide stand out. His willingness to consistently lend his time, knowledge, and support has helped strengthen these efforts and move the coalition’s work forward.

We are grateful for Victor’s longstanding commitment to Bank On Greater Milwaukee and the communities we serve.

 

Lastly, we thank our hosts at Dandy and amazing caterers, Fusion & Spice Catering and Green Baked Goods.

Thanks to the support of our funders and sponsors: Associated Bank, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, Goyke and Associates, UW Credit Union and Pyramax Bank.

With full capacity, UEDA staff were able to be present at more member and partner events and activities throughout 2025 – it was a very active year! View our 2025 Impact Report and keep scrolling for a detailed list of the ways we supported the community and economic development sector.

We would like to recognize and thank our outgoing board members Sherri Jordan, Barbara Markoff, and Gisela Ortega for six years of service with UEDA. We appreciate your guidance and support and look forward to seeing you in the UEDA network in 2026. 

This year’s highlights include: 

• We celebrated Adam Bridges’ graduation from the Trinity Fellowship program. Thank you Adam for 2 years of service at UEDA, strengthening our communications and events capacity! 

• UEDA also welcomed Sehiry Tapia, a second year Trinity Fellow, to the team as our Communications & Events Coordinator. Be sure to reach out, say hello & share your upcoming events with her.

• We grew our membership network by 38% and engaged over 2,800 people in ALL UEDA programs and activities!

• Hosted 21 program meetings that educated 1150+ practitioners in our Bank On Greater Milwaukee, Take Root Milwaukee, Membership, and Capacity Building programs.  

• UEDA’s Emerging Topics Series featured workforce needs in construction, the impacts of major street construction on small businesses, and the impact of Latino entrepreneurs on the Wisconsin economy. 

• Our Annual Community Gathering in September was our biggest one yet, with 80+ of our closest UEDA friends in the room. We recognized Jeff Langkamp (Outstanding Community Partner) and Beth Van Gorp (Extraordinary Volunteer) for their support of UEDA! 

• We tabled at 10 community-wide events providing 700+ people with financial education and homeownership resources. 

• We continued to host bimonthly training sessions for City of Milwaukee NSP Community Organizers, tackling issues such as illegal dumping and sharing best practices on resident engagement.

• UEDA continued to partner with other intermediaries to support the growth of Nonprofit Lift, a resource website and consultant directory. 

• Worked with the City of Milwaukee to complete and submit their 2025-2029 HUD Consolidated Plan, setting strategic goals for HUD funds over the next five years. 

• Provided direct technical assistance and consultation to community-based organizations to strengthen operations and strategic planning. UEDA also assisted the City of Milwaukee with developing new administrative processes for CDBG funding. 

• Continued our support of the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center as a fiscal sponsor and with technical assistance to strengthen operations. 

• Our Carnival Milwaukee event brought 330+ people together at The Factory on Barclay to enjoy food from 22 local, diverse food vendors, live entertainment, and raise funds for UEDA. 

• UEDA’s Board & Staff continued to make progress on our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan, achieving key milestones in membership growth, board development, operational planning, and communications infrastructure. 

 

Our Bank On Greater Milwaukee program: 

• In 2025, Bank On Greater Milwaukee engaged 850+ people through coalition activities, outreach events, trainings, and more. 

• Launched a pilot program to help justice-impacted people access banking services and financial education at the Milwaukee Community Reintegration Center (CRC) in partnership with Bank Five Nine. 39 people received 4 financial education sessions and over 70% opened a bank account. 

• Distributed nearly 7,000 English and 2,000 Spanish “Your Smart Money” Resource Guides in the community at outreach events, libraries, and through coalition members. A huge thank you to Quad/Graphics who printed this year’s guides in-kind! 

• Hosted a learning session for the new BOGM Financial Inclusion Map, which went live in January 2025. It includes new features that allow visitors to learn about Bank On certified accounts and the gaps in access to banking. Thank you to our project partner, Data You Can Use! 

• Supported a network of 48 financial health counselors in our community with quarterly professional development sessions and two topic trainings.  

• Distributed nearly 300 books to youth at three schools as part of Money Smart Wisconsin Book Reads. Thank you to coalition members CIBC, The Equitable Bank, and Johnson Financial Group for their participation! 

• Posted 4 new videos in the “Show Me The Money” series, featuring our coalition members sharing their tips on checking your credit, savings accounts, credit scores, and what banks can do for you. 

• In November, we received a Bank On Integration Accelerator grant that will support and deepen the impact of the CRC Project in 2026. 

Our Take Root Milwaukee program: 

• On December 8, Take Root Milwaukee celebrated 15 years of service with 45 members coming together for food, drinks, and cake. The celebration also marked a special milestone as Mayor Cavalier Johnson issued a proclamation officially recognizing December 8, 2025, as Take Root Milwaukee Day! 
• In 2025, Take Root Milwaukee engaged 1,100+ people through coalition activities, outreach events, trainings, and more. 

• Conducted 3 community sessions during Homeownership Month on homeowners’ insurance, legacy planning, and the do’s and don’ts of hiring a contractor. These events continue to spark additional events by TRM in various neighborhoods. 

• Continued to monitor the Take Root hotline and website, making referrals to members and other resources to help people buy, fix, or keep a home. 

• Hosted training on Financial Trauma for 46 practitioners who provide financial counseling and educational services in the community. 

• Supported the professional development of TRM members and practitioners with Information Exchange sessions, coalition meetings, and analysis of annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) lending data. 

• Continued to advocate for strong investments in Down Payment Assistance in the 2026 City of Milwaukee budget.
• Participated in another successful strategic planning session, planning and aligning our goals for the upcoming year.

Check out our Newsletter archive for additional updates, links, and resources. 

Additionally, we thank all of our Volunteers, Funders, Members, and Partners for their continued support of our work in community and economic development – we could not accomplish our mission without you! 

We’ll see you in 2026! 

We gathered over 80 people on Tuesday, September 9th for an evening of food, connection, and celebration of this year’s work at UEDA!

Thank you to awardees for their contributions to UEDA and its homeownership and financial empowerment programs.

Outstanding Community Partner Award, Jeff Langkamp 
We are proud to present the Outstanding Community Partner Award to Jeff, a dedicated individual whose leadership at a local financial institution has been instrumental in launching a Bank On Greater Milwaukee pilot project. In collaboration with the Department of Corrections and the Community Reintegration Center, he has helped justice‑impacted individuals access vital financial services. Their years of sustained advocacy and unwavering commitment have paved the way for future Bank On initiatives, and we are grateful for their dedication to creating financial opportunities for all.

Extraordinary Volunteer Award, Beth Van Gorp
We were thrilled to present the Extraordinary Volunteer Award to Beth, a generous community advocate who has selflessly donated time and expertise to support our programs. As co‑chair of the local Education & Advocacy Workgroup since 2022, Beth person has played a vital role in shaping advocacy structures, boosting community engagement, and advancing the City’s investments in down‑payment assistance. Her leadership has been instrumental in crafting strategies that promote enduring and inclusive homeownership opportunities.

We also recognized our outgoing board members, Sherri Jordan, Barbara Markoff and Gisela Ortega. Thank you for your support over the past 6 years!

 

Lastly, we thank our caterers, Baked Dreams and Catering Co. and Green Baked Goods; and our amazing hosts at Dandy.

 

Thanks to the support of our funders and sponsors: Associated Bank, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, and Goyke and Associates.

 Thank you for joining us for our 2025 Emerging Topics Series!

We explored some great topics this year, including how some of our partners are addressing the construction worker shortage, how the city and other funders can help small businesses thrive during road construction and how Hispanic small businesses play a key role in empowering Wisconsin’s economic health. Keep an eye out for our Emerging Topic Series 2026!

Session 1: Workforce Development: Constructing the Future

June 3 | 9-11 AM | YWCA Training Room

This informative event was designed to address the construction trade labor crisis. Both affordable housing and those with the skills to build it are in short supply. Economists expect this labor shortage to spread as skilled tradesmen retire. Filling this gap is an opportunity to strengthen our communities. Thank you for joining us to hear from experts from two local nonprofits about their workforce development programs – Jackie Weber at Revitalize Milwaukee and Jim Gaillard at Ezekiel CDC, moderated by Lamont Davis from the Milwaukee Community Land Trust.  We began a collaborative discussion on how to effectively work together within our communities in a stronger effort to fill the talent pipeline. Access the slides here. 

 

Session 2: Construction Season: Surviving the Mayhem

August 7 | 9-11 AM | PK Palace

What is in place to help small businesses stay afloat during construction season when transportation/ infrastructure upgrades bring needed improvement to areas that have suffered from disinvestment? Our colleagues from Milwaukee Dept. of City Development, VIA CDC, and lending institutions held a conversation designed to develop a pilot program to provide operating grants to impacted businesses.

Thank you to our panelists:

Natanael Martinez, WEDC, Regional Economic Development Director

Matt Rejc, City of Milwaukee DCD Commercial Corridors team

JoAnna Bautch, VIA CDC, Executive Director

Willie Smith, Northwest Side CDC (NWSCDC), Executive Director

Leticia Muñoz, Orenda Café

Access the presentation slides here!

 

Session 3: Celebrating Entrepreneurship: Hispanic Entrepreneurs Powering Wisconsin’s Prosperity 

November 5 | 9-11 AM | YWCA Training Room

Led by Dr. Nelson Soler titled Celebrating Entrepreneurship: Hispanic Entrepreneurs Powering Wisconsin’s Prosperity, this engaging session highlighted how Hispanic-owned businesses continue to drive job creation, innovation, and community wealth, inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Access the UEDA event slides here and Dr. Nelson Soler-WI Latino Entrepreneurs Slides.

Access the handouts here. The 2025 US Latino GDP report and Small Business Wisconsin 2025 State Profile.