Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel, Image Studios
Over 11 years with tech incubator gener8tor, Maggie Brickerman honed what she calls her “secret sauce” — the ability to quickly understand complex technical concepts and translate them for non-technical audiences and investors — but developing the skill required putting her ego aside.
“I’m not afraid to look dumb,” she says. “You have to be a little bit fearless and be like, ‘I don’t know about this, so I’m going to ask you these questions.’”
It’s a refreshingly honest admission that speaks to Brickerman’s direct and practical approach to leadership. As the new president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, she’s bringing that sensibility to an organization that has spent 25 years building the state’s innovation ecosystem through advocacy, programming and strategic partnerships.
Brickerman believes the organization is positioned to lead the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem amid advances in AI, quantum computing and other emerging technologies thanks to the foundation laid by her predecessor, past president Tom Still.
“The tech council has a great brand and a great reputation,” Brickerman says. “I think a lot of that is due to the nonpartisan nature of it. Every bill we’ve ever been a part of has had bipartisan co‑sponsors and bipartisan support. There’s just a lot of trust in the organization.”
Brickerman, a Madison native, officially began her role as president in November. She sees WTC’s role as the convener of innovators, investors and policymakers to ensure the high-tech sector is reaching its full potential throughout the state.
“Being at the intersection of all of those different groups to think about what’s coming and how do we capture the opportunity and mitigate against the downsides — no one person can do that alone,” she says. “That’s why the tech council is so important. We can connect the dots amongst all stakeholders to make sure we get the best outcomes for the future that is coming.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison alumna holds a degree in political science and worked in Wisconsin politics running campaigns for about a decade before the grind became unsustainable.
“It’s a really hard lifestyle,” she says. “You get a new job, like, every 18 months.”
She kept asking herself: “What can I do with this weird skillset of raising a bunch of money, building something totally from scratch and then shutting it down 18 months later?”
A mentor introduced her to Joe Kirgues, who had recently co-founded Madison-based gener8tor. While gener8tor helped startups grow, it needed to grow itself.
“I didn’t know anything about startups or venture capital, but I knew how to grow things,” Brickerman says. “And basically, I showed up and they never asked me to leave.”
Brickerman joined gener8tor as its second employee and was one of the founding leaders who grew the company, which to date has supported more than 2,000 companies and raised more than $2.9 billion in total funding.
In her first two months as WTC president, Brickerman conducted 114 one-on-one meetings with board members, stakeholders and partner organizations.
Her immediate priorities include developing a high-tech strategy for Wisconsin, timed for the state’s upcoming election cycle, and positioning the state to compete for federal grants and designations. She’s also working to bring more venture capital “off the sidelines” in Wisconsin.
“I think the anchor for those discussions is around job creation and the multiplier effect that high tech has on the economy,” Brickerman says.
As WTC embarks on its 25th year, Brickerman sees it as the right time to reflect on the organization’s legacy while reimagining it for a new era.
“We aren’t the same as we were 25 years ago,” she says. “It’s a moment of respect for what’s been built, but also a lot of excitement about where we can go.”
As a mother of three, Brickerman admits that her motivation in building a robust tech economy in the state is at times a little selfish.
“Maybe they’ll leave [Wisconsin], but I want them to come back,” she says of her children, “and they will only do that if we have a thriving economy. The high-tech sector has to be firing on all cylinders of that equation.”
Wisconsin’s tech edge
Wisconsin’s tech scene may not grab headlines like Silicon Valley or Austin, but the state possesses several under‑the‑radar advantages that make it attractive to companies and investors, according to Brickerman.
Cost and talent: “Your capital just goes so much further. And we have great people,” Brickerman says. She recounts numerous companies that came to Wisconsin for gener8tor’s three-month program and decided to stay after making key hires.
Access to decision-makers: “You’re two phone calls away from decision-makers. You can get in rooms here because people know each other and we’re generally oriented toward supporting each other.”
Policy innovation: Wisconsin’s Act 255 tax credits (or Qualified New Business Venture program) stand out nationally, offering a 25% angel and venture tax credit on investments up to $12 million (with proposals to raise the cap to $20 million). “I’ve made so many connections for people in other states to the folks involved in passing that originally because they want to replicate it in other places,” Brickerman says.
