Dan Panozzo

Dan Panozzo. Photo courtesy of NEWaukee.

Where do you work and what makes your role awesome?

I work at Kohler Co. Currently, I work with a fantastic team that develops and launches new showering products to be sold in home improvement retail stores. It’s always rewarding to go into a store and see the products for sale that you’ve spent so much time on. I also support a sustainability start-up at Kohler named the Kohler WasteLab. We take landfill-bound manufacturing wastes and explore ways to create new products or materials with it. Working with a team so passionate about sustainability is incredibly rewarding.

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and what brought you here?

Cheesy as it is, I moved to Milwaukee 4+ years ago for love. My wife and I had been dating long-distance for a while and decided we needed to be closer if things were going to move forward. Milwaukee was our halfway point between Sheboygan and Chicago. Fast forward to today and we can’t imagine living anywhere else.

What local restaurant is at the top of your list?

My wife and I are big fans of The Diplomat on Brady Street. Great ambiance, excellent cocktails, wonderful owners and staff, and we have yet to find an item on the menu we didn’t like. We love bringing out-of-town guests here.

I would love for the city to continue its current trajectory into the national spotlight. I think Milwaukee is such an underrated city and has so many unique experiences to offer. I hope the city can find ways to utilize the increasing tourist revenue and invest it in the city by supporting our underserved communities. I also hope the city decides to adopt the People’s Flag.

What does your ideal Milwaukee weekend look like?

Happy hour Friday night, hike around the Schlitz Audubon Saturday morning, catch a bar bus to a Brewers game Saturday night, then head over to Summerfest on Sunday for some good music and interesting people watching. I would probably also try to find time for a visit to Eagle Park Brewery.

What neighborhood do you live in and why do you love it?

I live in the Brady Street neighborhood. It’s such a great area with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and unique shops. Not to mention, I think the Brady Street BID and Brady Street Area Association do a wonderful job with all the different events they coordinate, including the Brady Street Festival.