We are proud to curate the Main Stage for the Bronzeville Arts & Cultural Festival once again this year! Milwaukee’s own Bronzeville District is the arts, business, economic and cultural center to a growing number of African American-owned businesses. Milwaukee's return to Bronzeville sparked a creative economic hub where we gather every year for Bronzeville Week; a celebration of cooperative economics. In 2012 concerned business owners, residents and families of "Historica

An important feature of Bronzeville Week is our efforts to stimulate the economy within the arts and along the commercial corridor in Bronzeville. A thriving commercial corridor is promoted by a strong Business Improvement District. Our Bronzeville BID is the Historic King Drive BID No. 8. The King Drive BID mission is to improve the King Drive District by fostering a culture that enjoys a trendy and authentic retail experience while attracting businesses who embrace the comm

I’ve been in the “wilderness” several times in my life story. Three identifiable experiences in the “wilderness” have been defining for me. The time spent wandering and searching for purpose helped shape the person I perceive I am. I am in a particularly sticky “wilderness” period right now. Starting a new brand, leaving several brands behind that defined me, and working through the lies I told myself in my previous stories forced a stillness. I am a strategic person, so I lo

My work as a human resource professional often positions me to work on the development of leaders who shape the organization. The responsibility of helping to mature “great employee” to “amazing boss” always seems to be force me to define the essence of leadership. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines leadership as the ability to lead other people. Based on this premise, one can say that with leadership comes power. The historian and moralist, Lord Acton, in a letter to B

What are pitfalls and principles of practice in effectively integrating community voices into collective impact? How can you involve communities who have historically been left out of decision-making processes? How should funders, backbone leaders, and other collective impact partners engage stakeholders in sensitive conversations about race, class and culture? This session will address these questions and more in a discussion of when and how to confront power dynamics and au

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’ve fallen flat on my face more times than I can count. I don’t always read the instructions before I start building something I buy. I am drawn to do things that people say I can never do. It’s just the way I am wired. I set goals for myself without consulting the so-called experts. And despite all these things, I am happy with every choice I’ve made that led to a failure. Sometimes I hit the detonator button myself because I know