Introducing Greater Equity 2030

Become a business partner.
Make a commitment to the challenge of a decade.

The future deserves full participation
Together we are going to increase the diversity of Milwaukee’s creative occupations, and we want you to be involved! Milwaukee’s leading creative businesses and organizations with creative departments are coming together to make a measurable impact on diversity.

It is well accepted that the economic vitality of cities in the U.S. is sustained by the heartbeat of its creative culture. Unfortunately, we also know that people of color are tragically underrepresented in Milwaukee’s creative occupations, and the degree to which was never truly understood.

Until now. 

To help us understand our challenge, we worked  with Dr. Marc Levine and the University of  Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development to create the first report on racial inequities in Milwaukee’s creative occupations.

We started with three questions:

First

What are the racial inequities within Milwaukee’s creative occupations?
The findings are clear: people of color are significantly underrepresented in the Greater Milwaukee creative sector relative to their overall occupancy in the labor market.

Second

What do we need to accomplish in order to get to racial equity? 

The research tells us that it will take an estimated  increase of around 1,600 Blacks and Latinx employed in Milwaukee’s creative occupations for the workforce in those jobs to mirror the share of  racial minorities in Milwaukee’s overall workforce. 

Third

How can we create the1,600 jobs needed?

Introducing Greater Equity 2030

We are building on the legacy of the Greater Together Challenge with the introduction of Greater Equity 2030. The mission of this program is to work with Milwaukee business leaders to build a creative economy where everyone has the  opportunity to participate and prosper. 

A challenge to walk the talk 

Greater Equity 2030 is a challenge to creative leaders to make a real-world commitment to adding 1,600 positions  by the year 2030 focused on greater diversity. 

Business partners will agree to:

1. Assign a Greater Together liaison
2. Work toward recruitment, hiring and cultural best practices
3. Sponsor an open house for students
4. Visit a classroom
5. Participate in the internship program
6. Display pledge in lobby and online
7. Participate in annual planning

Greater Together will agree to:

1. Organize annual strategy workshop to improve effectiveness
2. Work with MPS and strategic partners to facilitate internship
3. Make your support prominent in Greater Together marketing materials
4. Supply a decal, lobby sign and website graphic stating your commitment to Equity 2030
5. Participate in the internship program
6. Display pledge in lobby and online
7. Provide access to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, consulting, recruitment and internship resources

Business partners are asked to make an annual contribution:

• Power Partners: $5,000
• Business Partners: $1,000
• Non-profit: $500

GREATER EQUITY 2030 PLAN OVERVIEW

GOALS

• Creation of infrastructure
• 5 Power Partners
• 25 Business Partners
• 30 Internships
• 30 Businesses pledged and engaged

LAUNCH

• Baseline established by releasing research
• Official launch with panel discussion
• PR & media campaign
• 30 Internships
• 30 Businesses pledged and engaged

BUSINESS BUY-IN

• Build business relationships
• Hire a director
• Sign 2030 Partner Pledge
• Get commitments
• Land financial program support

FOLLOW-THROUGH

• Internship facilitation
• Creation of welcoming cultures
• Intern success
• Ongoing engagement
• Collective impact gatherings
• Industry workshops
• Annual progress report
• Annual survey

BUDGET
$126,000 total

• $50,000 from partners
• $76,000 from sponsors