Brand Milwaukee Forum to Examine How Local Creatives Can Help Redefine the City’s Image

MILWAUKEE, WI, Thursday, March 5 — Who gets to tell Milwaukee’s story — and who benefits from it?

That question anchors Brand Milwaukee, an ongoing public conversation series exploring how storytelling, branding, and cultural narratives shape economic development, talent attraction, and the city’s national reputation. The series launches this spring as part of the Creative Futures initiative, a small-business technical assistance program developed through a partnership between Culture x Design (culturexdesign.com) and the Milwaukee Mutual Aid Network (themani.org).

Supported by grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Creative Futures is a year-round initiative designed to help artists, designers, makers, cultural producers, and entrepreneurs turn creative ideas into sustainable ventures by connecting them with professional networks, technical training, and institutional platforms.

“Creative entrepreneurs are small-business owners, civic stakeholders, and economic drivers,” said Geraud Blanks, Managing and Creative Director of Culture x Design. “Creative Futures reframes artists not as hobbyists, but as founders building scalable enterprises rooted in culture.”

Brand Milwaukee Series

Throughout the year, the Brand Milwaukee series will convene civic leaders, journalists, and creative professionals to examine how Milwaukee’s identity is shaped and communicated — and how storytelling and branding influence economic development, talent attraction, and the city’s national reputation.

Moderated by former TMJ4 anchor Shannon Sims (Mic’d and Ready), the series launches with a two-part forum held on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Dandy (5020 W. Vliet Street), exploring how narratives shape Milwaukee’s image — and how creatives can leverage storytelling as an economic strategy.

• Part I — “Who Gets to Tell the City’s Story?” (March 17)
  Panelists include Gary Witt (PTG Live), Adam Carr (Independent Journalist & Historian), Genyne Edwards (P3 Development Group), and Jimmy Gutierrez (WUWM), discussing how media, institutions, and cultural leaders shape Milwaukee’s public narrative.
• Part II — “Is Our Sales Pitch Working for Everyone?” (April 21)

The second forum features Tarik Moody (Radio Milwaukee), Peggy Williams-Smith (Visit Milwaukee), Corry Joe Biddle (Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce), and Marcela “Xela” Garcia (Walker’s Point Center for the Arts) examining whether Milwaukee’s branding and economic messaging serve all communities — and how creatives can better position themselves within that framework.

Future conversations will explore narrative strategies for strengthening Milwaukee’s cultural identity, including insights from corporate and creative leaders who have relocated from cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Baltimore on how the city is perceived nationally and which prevailing messages — both positive and negative — most shape their perceptions of the area.

For more information or to register for the Brand Milwaukee series, visit CreativeFuturesMKE.com.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.