Milwaukee Has Its First ‘Innovation District’

Steve Glynn speaks at an event at Wantable Cafe in July 2025. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Milwaukee now has an official innovation district.

It’s a “critical first step toward building a 21st-century urban economy,” said Common Council President José G. Pérez.

The Common Council unanimously approved the district’s designation Tuesday.

The effort, championed by Experience Milwaukee founder and Wantable Cafe operator Steve Glynn and Pérez, aims to attract, grow and retain technology-focused businesses in an area centered on Walker’s Point.

“The opportunity is now,” said Glynn to the Community and Economic Development Committee on Oct. 2.

Through his former firm Spreenkler, Glynn has long cultivated Milwaukee’s tech ecosystem. Now, he’s transitioned from hosting nomadic events for creatives to creating a comprehensive platform that enables them to host their own events. Experience Milwaukee, which Glynn started as a podcast about Milwaukee, took over operation of the cafe, 123 E. Walker St., earlier this year. Glynn has expanded the cafe’s programming and its role as a coworking space for tech workers.

Pérez said the city would support the innovation district by reducing zoning and permitting barriers and directing targeted public investment to develop an ecosystem and cultivate equitable growth. “Most importantly, we want to put Milwaukee on the map with national visibility to attract talent and companies,” he said.

“While Walker’s Point has a significant density of tech and tech-enabling businesses as well as many conditions necessary for the foundation of innovation, we recognize that Milwaukee is home to many great emerging companies and thought leaders. Our belief is that this will just be the beginning, and other areas of the city that already have, or later develop, tech-centric identities can follow suit as we work to create a tech-forward Milwaukee where innovation is truly embraced,” said Pérez in a September statement.

Partners in the effort include i.c.stars, the MKE Tech Hub Coalition and the Milky Way Tech Hub.

Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II asked during the committee meeting how the group would address equity concerns. “Why we started was to address the lack of representation in the tech industry,” said Milky Way founder Nadiyah Johnson. She said the organization already partners with My Way Out to go inside correctional institutions to do skills training and create future employment pathways.

i.c.stars also works to provide skills training for a wide spectrum of individuals.

In addition to Glynn’s cafe, which is colocated in a building with online personal styling company Wantable’s headquarters, several other tech firms are already located in the area. Wangard Partners developed the Eagleknit Innovation Hub, 507 S. 2nd St., which has attracted several tech firms, including i.c.stars.

Other notable “innovation” organizations in the district’s boundaries include Rockwell Automation, Rite-Hite, Komatsu Mining, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions, PKWARE, BizStarts Community Market, Digital Bridge and Gateway Capital Partners and The Water Council.

The district is centered on Walker’s Point, but stretches east to include the Harbor District and west to include portions of the Menomonee Valley and Walker Square. It includes the easternmost portion of Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa‘s district.

Included within the boundaries are the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, 600 E. Greenfield Ave., and Milwaukee Area Technical College‘s Walker’s Square location, 816 W. National Ave.

Council members hope to eventually designate other areas as innovation districts.

The resolution was sponsored by Pérez, Zamarripa, Stamper, Scott Spiker, DiAndre Jackson and Marina Dimitrijevic.

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