A little more background about the TitletownTech Start-up Draft
The NFL Draft shines a spotlight on the next generation of athletes, and the Start-up Draft shines a spotlight on the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Brad Smith, Microsoft Corporation’s Vice Chair and President, grew up in nearby Appleton, WI, so that at least possibly explains why the global giant had a soft spot for the state and a willingness to invest $5 million in a then-new venture firm named TitletownTech. The Green Bay Packers of National Football League (NFL) fame also invested $5 million, more for community relations than anything else.
Today, that investment first made has reached nearly $100 million with follow-on dollars as the idea and commitment to growing the Badger State’s innovation economy have grown in the ensuing six years. Yesterday, just how important that initiative is to the Green Bay community and the larger State of Wisconsin was evident as the broadcast featured appearances from Green Bay Packers President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy, Smith, Governor Tony Evers, Congressman Tony Wied, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary Missy Hughes, Microsoft Executive Vice President Jason Zander, and Palantir Head of Defense Mike Gallagher.
Their appearance on the one-hour broadcast showcased the powerful connection between innovation, community, and leadership in Green Bay.
As Murphy noted in his remarks, Green Bay is the “smallest community to ever hold (an NFL) draft,” so Titletown Tech and its supporters conceived the idea of a different sort of draft ahead of the main event to draw even more attention to the community and hopefully convince companies to consider moving to the Green Bay area.
“The NFL Draft shines a spotlight on the next generation of athletes, and the Start-up Draft shines a spotlight on the next generation of entrepreneurs,” he added.
Craig Dickman, Managing Partner at TitletownTech, told us after the event that the winners were selected based on several factors, including feedback from those with whom they interacted while in Green Bay, observations that the TitletownTech team made, and the normal due diligence process that venture firms use.
“The TitletownTech Start-up Draft brought together the competitive spirit of sports and the ingenuity of entrepreneurship in a way that only Green Bay could,” he added. “We’re proud to welcome these founders into our community of portfolio companies.”
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