NEW NORTH, March 19, 2025 – Registration is now open for the New North Summit, scheduled for Thursday, June 5, at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay. The largest regional economic-development event in Northeast Wisconsin, this year’s Summit is themed, ‘Rooted in Resiliency.’ Community First Credit Union is the event’s platinum sponsor.
A centerpiece of the New North Summit are keynotes from national and regional thought leaders, who will share their perspectives on technology, sustainability, entrepreneurship and housing.
A link to register can be found at www.thenewnorthsummit.com; an early-bird entry fee is available through April 15.
The 2025 Summit program opens with a performance of the National Anthem by Franki Moscato, an Oshkosh native and 2019 participant on ABC’s “American Idol.” New North Board Co-Chairs Sachin Shivaram, CEO of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, and Mary Goggans, Encapsys founder, will welcome business and community leaders from across the region and provide an update on New North activities over the past year.
New North President and CEO Barb LaMue will present organizational and regional initiatives, including a video to commemorate the organization’s 20th anniversary.
Attendees also will hear from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes.
“We are delighted by the variety of this year’s New North Summit speakers,” says LaMue. “We will hear from an innovation leader from Plexus, as well as from a panel of corporate leaders about a successful housing initiative in our region. We also are featuring a nationally recognized entrepreneur, who will share his inspiring story.”
The initial keynote will be Oliver Mihm, EVP and Chief Operating Officer at Plexus Corp. Globally headquartered within the New North region, Plexus specializes in innovative product design, supply chain, and advanced manufacturing, helping businesses bring their ideas to life. Mihm oversees the company’s operational model, while advancing its commitment to flawless execution and customer service excellence. He will speak on the sustainability journey of Plexus, and how innovation and technology play a role in resiliency. His keynote is sponsored by Miron Construction.
The day’s second keynote, sponsored by TDS, will feature a panel to discuss the wildly successful Live Work Housing Program launched in Sheboygan County. This innovative initiative was created through the public-private partnership of four family-held companies – Johnsonville, Kohler Co., Masters Gallery and Sargento – with the support of Sheboygan County and the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation. It was designed to increase housing availability for talent-recruitment efforts and to address the lack of entry-level homes accessible to workers seeking to live and work in Sheboygan County. Through this collaboration and funding, the Live Work Housing Program has been recognized statewide and nationally as a best practice in addressing local housing needs.
Panelists will include: Don Hammond, Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation board chair; Steve Westphal, Kohler Co.; Jeff Gentine, Masters Gallery Foods; Louie Gentine, Sargento; and Alayne Krause, Sheboygan County Administrator.
The morning’s final keynote speaker is Akeem Shannon, a story architect and nationally recognized entrepreneur who appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2020. He took a late-night idea inspired by NASA technology and transformed it into a nationally recognized brand – Flipstik – that now is distributed in more than 3,000 locations. Today Shannon helps companies and organizations utilize the power of strategic storytelling, and has spoken on some of the world’s biggest stages, including SXSW and CES, and to leading technology companies. His personal journey includes a lost college scholarship and a $10/hour position at a local cell phone store before he leveraged his sales skills to become the top sales professional at two Fortune 500 companies, subsequently scaling Flipstik from a single mall kiosk to one of the Top 50 Fastest Growing Consumer Brands of Inc. magazine. His keynote is sponsored by U.S. Venture.
New this year, New North has invited alumni of Insight Publications’ ’40 Under 40’ to attend the event as an opportunity for these young leaders to get better connected to the region. This special addition to the Summit is sponsored by USI Insurance Services.
The morning program will conclude with the formal announcement of the New North Workplace Excellence Award, presented by Keystone Partners.
Following lunch and a networking break, two concurrent breakout sessions will be held. One will be a meeting of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA), led by Executive Director Ann Franz.
The second breakout session centers around the NEW Launch Alliance, which supports business discoveries and idea creators in Northeast Wisconsin, and will see Akeem Shannon return to the stage to speak more directly on the entrepreneurial ecosystem and its challenges.
Updates on their entrepreneurial journeys then will be provided by the three winners of the 2024 NEW Launch Alliance Pitch Event: Peggy Sonnenburg of Peggy Bakes, Shawn Brokaw of Creative Crusts Pizza and Kristin Lambrecht of Kristin’s Kitchen Bakery. The afternoon program concludes with information on the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program, featuring protégé Maria Perl talking about her Spark Ops Metalworks company.
The New North Summit wraps up with a networking reception from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Musical entertainment will be provided, in addition to hands-on activities and prizes featuring several of the region’s higher-education organizations to highlight the new ‘Growing Roots – Finding Wings’ campaign.
Attendees also will receive a Summit gift.
Event agenda updates will be provided at www.newnorthsummit.com on an ongoing basis.
Summit sponsorships remain available. Those interested in a sponsorship can contact Renee Torzala of New North at renee.torzala@thenewnorth.comto learn more.
WHERE: Lambeau Field Atrium
1265 Lombardi Ave.; Green Bay, Wis.
WHEN: Thursday, June 5, 2025
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
