Milwaukee 2020 DNC Convention Committee
Press Release

Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee Partners with Northwestern Mutual for Three Historic Summits

Host Committee opens community application for “Ensuring Economic Equity” summit, set for Nov. 22

By - Nov 4th, 2019 10:20 am

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee today announced its partnership with Northwestern Mutual for three historic summits that will take place in Milwaukee in the months leading up to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The series of summits will cover topics that are relevant to Milwaukee and peer cities across the country, beginning with Ensuring Economic Equity: An Industry Best Practices Summit, which is set to take place on Friday, Nov. 22. As part of the partnership, all three events will be hosted at the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.

“At the Host Committee, we are working to ensure the benefits of the Democratic National Convention extend into every community in the region and last beyond the four days of the convention. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is intentional, and we are proud to launch our three summits, alongside our community-minded partners at Northwestern Mutual, with an event focused on best practices in those critical areas,” said Liz Gilbert, President of the Host Committee.

Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and targeted networking opportunities, the “3E Summit” will showcase examples of best practices for economic equity and inclusion across various sectors and industries. It will also set a framework for how to advance their adoption in Milwaukee and across the country.

“We are honored to host this summit in the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons,” said John E. Schlifske, Chairman, President, and CEO of Northwestern Mutual and Honorary Chair of the Host Committee. “As part of our commitment to Milwaukee’s success, we awarded small business enterprises more than $127 million in contracts during the construction process for our building, and we are glad to see local small businesses offered potential opportunities related to the convention.”

“From the outset, our goal was to have the Democratic National Convention positively impact all of Milwaukee. Thanks to Northwestern Mutual, we are taking a significant step forward in addressing issues that are of concern to our community,” added Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Co-Chair of the Host Committee.

In order to ensure the event builds on the important work already happening in the city and region, the Host Committee is inviting local community and business leaders to apply to attend the 3E Summit. Interested applicants should send a letter to 3E@milwaukee2020.com by Monday, Nov. 11, outlining what they would both bring to and gain from attending the event in 400 words or less. Applicants will be selected based on their understanding of or experience with supplier diversity, or their perceived ability to generate new perspectives or advance the current model.

Next year, the Host Committee, in partnership with Northwestern Mutual, will host its final two summits at the Tower and Commons.

  • The CommUNITY Growth Summit – set for February 2020 – will be organized with the help of Wisconsin-based start-up accelerator gener8tor and will focus on the future of growth and culture in communities outside of America’s major metro areas. The summit will cover a wide array of shared strengths and challenges, from tech and venture capital to segregation and mass incarceration.

  • The third and final summit, which will take place in April to coincide with National Volunteer Month, will work to curate tactical and sustainable options for increasing civic engagement and volunteerism within Milwaukee and peer communities throughout the country.

“Since the day Milwaukee was selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention, we have worked to ensure this convention is more than a four-day event. We want to create a diverse and inclusive Milwaukee model and legacy that lasts for years to come, and these three summits will help us fulfill that mission,” said Representative Gwen Moore, Co-Chair of the Host Committee.

Sign up to learn more about the summits as information is released at milwaukee2020.com/summits.

About the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee

The Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee is responsible for funding, organizing, and hosting the Democratic National Convention. Through community engagement, grassroots fundraising, and intentional inclusion, the Host Committee works to ensure that the convention builds capacity for and makes a lasting positive impact on Milwaukee and the surrounding region. This is not just a convention in Milwaukee, it’s a convention with Milwaukee. Learn more at

Milwaukee2020.com, or follow the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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.

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