FRI AM News: Host committee’s Omar Shaikh wants welcome party to ‘set the tone’ for RNC week; WisBusiness: the Podcast with Areli Estrada, Affordable Dental Care

June 28, 2024

— Milwaukee-area restaurateur and MKE 2024 Host Committee member Omar Shaikh wants the upcoming Red, White and Brew welcome party to “set the tone for the entire week” of the Republican National Convention.

“It’s going to be very important,” he told WisBusiness.com. “It’s a party that we really want to show a ton of hospitality to every visitor … it didn’t matter to me whether it’s the DNC or the RNC, anytime we get new people coming into our city, it’s really important that we show them hospitality and make them feel welcome.”

The host committee earlier this week announced a group of local business leaders called the 414 Council will help host convention delegates and other partner organizations on July 14 at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee. The convention will take place July 15-18.

Shaikh said party plans are coming together nicely. Businesses have been reaching out since Tuesday’s announcement to join the 414 Council, which involves pitching in funding for host committee efforts.

“There was a fundraising aspect of this, but it also could be contributing in terms of ‘Hey, I have product I want to donate, or I have strategic advice I want to help with,’” he said yesterday.

Shaikh heads up an upscale steakhouse called Carnevor in Milwaukee, and also led the effort to open the 3rd St. Market Hall, a downtown food court featuring a number of restaurants, bars, retailers, entertainment and other local businesses. He said Carnevor has one party booked during the RNC, though it’s not a delegate party, while the 3rd St. Market Hall will be hosting some delegates at various times that week.

“We have different parties each day, so it really depends,” he said. “Some for breakfast, some for late night, some for mid-shift.”

He acknowledged concerns that local businesses “haven’t booked a ton of parties yet” but said he remains hopeful “that all the places make a lot of money” thanks to the influx of visitors. Organizers expect as many as 50,000 delegates, officials, members of the media and other guests to flock to Milwaukee, with a projected economic impact of $200 million from the convention.

“It’s our opportunity to really shine as a city, and really showcase a lot of our assets, and actually the assets that helped us win the DNC and RNC,” he said. “This is going to set us up to really win large-scale conventions in the future, and so that’s really the big goal.”

See the 414 Council announcement and find more convention coverage at WisPolitics.

— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Areli Estrada, executive director of Affordable Dental Care of Madison.

This nonprofit dental clinic, located on the northeast side of Madison, aims to “close the health care gap” for people without access to dental insurance. Its patients include both uninsured and underinsured people, who can get dental care “at reduced fees,” Estrada said.

Affordable Dental Care raised $1.2 million in grants and community funding over the past year and a half to expand into a larger clinic.

“What we’re trying to do is double our impact and serve more patients,” she said, noting its latest goal is to serve 24 patients per day Monday through Thursday, eventually opening on Fridays as well.

Estrada notes dental equipment is “very, very expensive,” and applauds the Delta Dental Foundation of Wisconsin for donating $200,000 to furnish the new Affordable Dental Care facility. The clinic also gets funding from the state Department of Health Services to cover staffing costs, and previously received more than $750,000 from the state Department of Administration.

“With getting this massive large grant, we were able to double our team, so we went from having six employees to having 12 … We’re looking at having 15 to 17 employees,” she said.

She also discusses the clinic’s growing patient base, noting it’s been growing largely by word of mouth. Some of its patients are traveling more than two hours to reach the clinic, from across Wisconsin as well as northern Illinois.

“In the state of Wisconsin, we only have 26 free and charitable dental clinics … I find so much value in working collectively and collaborating with other practices, because the demand will always be higher,” she said. “The need, it’s massive … We really want to change the narrative, and we are always working to break those extra barriers that people have.”

Listen to the podcast and see the full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— UW-Madison scientists aim to better understand a lethal lung disease through a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— Generac Power Systems has acquired a battery energy storage subsidiary of Canadian business SunGrid Solutions, the Waukesha-based manufacturer announced.

Generac yesterday said it has acquired PowerPlay Battery Energy Storage Systems, which sells these systems for commercial and industrial projects. Battery energy storage systems can be used to support the use of solar energy and increased electrification of facilities while limiting the impact of potential grid instability, the release shows.

Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO of Generac, says the acquisition “supports our commitment to offer a more complete ecosystem of products and solutions to domestic commercial & industrial customers, empowering them to achieve their energy objectives with a strong emphasis on resilience, efficiency and sustainability.”

Following this move, which was finalized Wednesday, PowerPlay will continue operating in Canada, serving as a research and development facility for Generac’s technologies. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

See the release.

— The latest Marquette University Law School poll of Wisconsin voters found they have a slightly more positive view of the state economy than the national one.

Forty-four percent of registered voters had a positive view of the Wisconsin economy, while 54% had a negative one. For the national economy, the split was 34-64.

For their personal lives, 46% of voters said they are living comfortably, while 37% were just getting by and 17% were struggling.

Meanwhile, 45% said the state is headed in the right direction, while 55% said it’s on the wrong track.

See more from the poll at WisPolitics.

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