What one year on the job taught me about technology and Milwaukee

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Me interviewing Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, who appeared in Milwaukee through one initiative's push to build the city's tech and innovation reputation.

Alison Bauter

Reporter- Milwaukee Business Journal

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When I was just a few months into my job at the Milwaukee Business Journal, I wrote a blog based on a staffing agency's unofficial list of "most unexpected cities to find tech talent."

I approached the story somewhat skeptically, and as an opening for discussion ( see here). What followed was an avalanche of shares ("Guys! We're the top city for tech!"), quickly chased by a flurry of skeptical rebuttals putting Milwaukee back in its place as a terrible place for technical talent, (plus one snarky reminder that Internet lists are meaningless anyway).

Never mind that I never claimed we were a "top city" for anything or that a subjective list was somehow conclusive. What this really revealed was how passionate people in Milwaukee are around the subject.

Now approaching my one-year anniversary, I believe I'm at least a little better prepared to write this week's cover story on the tricky topic: "Milwaukee vs. technology."

There's animosity on all sides. There are those who don't think it's relevant to discuss in the first place (we're known for manufacturing, after all — why talk tech?). For those who believe we're a fine place to build technology companies, it's irritating to suggest we're lagging (don't forget Waukesha's GE Healthcare, Brookfield's Fiserv Inc., Quad/Graphics Inc. in Sussex, Milwaukee's Global Water Center and more). And for many working in the weeds to build Milwaukee's startup scene or connect businesses with technologically savvy talent, its apparent dearth is a serious sore point.

Hours of interviews and almost a year of conversations on the topic tell me three things:

Reporter Alison Bauter covers small business, technology, education and banking for the Milwaukee Business Journal.