BizStarts Milwaukee announced today the appointment of Eric Paulsen as its first executive director.
Paulsen brings a background in startup business and communications to the leadership of the nonprofit organization, which was launched in 2008 to nurture an entrepreneurial culture in the seven-county region of southeastern Wisconsin.
Paulsen has spent the last four years working as communications director for the Greater Milwaukee Committee, as well as handling membership and communications for the Milwaukee Water Council, a GMC-led economic development initiative.
The GMC also played a key role in the development of BizStarts three years ago.
GMC president Julia Taylor said, "Eric is certainly an entrepreneur but also a great team member, manager, writer and visionary. We are certainly pleased for Eric and BizStarts and look forward realizing significant entrepreneurial growth in the region under his leadership. We see this as another extension of the GMC family."
John Torinus, president of BizStarts Milwaukee, said "We've come a long way towards accelerated job creation through a growing number of high-tech startups. We're ready to take this to the next level."
Paulsen was a startup partner and operations director with Columbus, Ohio-based Troy Research, a company that pioneered online music and media research. Launched in 1999 on a $3,300 investment, the company made the Inc. 500 list in 2005 with revenues of $2.4 million. More recently, Paulsen founded Wellstream Media, LLC, which owns the travel website StateTrunkTour.com and an online radio station, hot102radio.com.
"Milwaukee's economic prowess came as a result of great entrepreneurs generations ago starting the big companies of today. We're ready to help the next generation of great entrepreneurs get the companies of the future going." said Paulsen.
"Since we started keeping score in September, 2008, the players in the region have combined to launch 27 high-growth ventures … about one a month," said Dan Steininger, vice-president of BizStarts.
The maturation of the organization, including the hiring of an executive director, will allow for acceleration of that pace, Steininger said.
Paulsen is first executive director of BizStarts Milwaukee
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