Get to know: Jordan Ogden
Senior growth leader, BConnected
At 29, Jordan Ogren has reinvented himself more times than many people twice his age. From hip-hop beat maker to athletic training student to deft marketer, the common thread has been Ogren’s ability to command attention and connect audiences.
It was a skill Ogren discovered as a NWTC digital media technology student producing beats. While other producers simply posted their work online, Ogren took a different approach by creating an album review series highlighting the often-overlooked producers behind songs. The strategy earned him connections with producers who had worked with major artists.
“I didn’t know that was marketing at the time, but I quickly realized I have a skill,” Ogren says. More importantly, he found his true passion was less about making music than getting people to care about it.
That realization sparked a pivotal career decision. After moving to Green Bay in 2017, the Kaukauna native earned a bachelor’s in business administration from UWGB, launched the podcast On Marketing, and began working for a local marketing and consulting firm.
For the past six months, he’s been serving BConnected as senior growth leader, a role he helped define for the social media marketing agency. Unlike traditional business development roles, Ogren’s position focuses on what he calls “growth work” — encompassing both internal company strategy and client consultation.
“Universally, the job of marketing should help the company and its customers make progress,” he says. “Most times, marketing takes on helping the customer make progress, but rarely do they say, ‘how can I help the company make progress as well?’”
Central to Ogren’s approach is the idea that today’s marketplace operates differently than in the past. He believes that markets are conversations, which historically occurred between businesses and customers. But “the internet has decentralized the conversation” across social media platforms, online forums, podcasts and beyond.
“Where buyers go to be informed has changed so fundamentally,” he says. “Too many [businesses] are trying to have conversations in areas at which their customers or prospects aren’t in conversation. My advice is to join the conversation where your buyers are and own part of the conversation.”
— Amelia Compton Wolff
Wisconsin wonder
The University of Wisconsin‑Green Bay hosted the 35th annual Wisconsin Space Conference in August, where scientists, engineers, educators, students and industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of space and energy for space operations. The event featured keynote speaker Lindsay Kaldon, fission surface power project manager at NASA Glenn Research Center, and showcased student research, workforce connections and aerospace innovation. Statewide employers highlighted how Wisconsin businesses are strengthening the regional workforce. As a member of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, UW-Green Bay is part of a statewide alliance powered by NASA and dedicated to advancing aerospace innovation. WSGC connects Wisconsin innovators with the tools, funding and networks needed to drive discovery and economic growth in the space sector.
Festival Foods acquired
The 1939 Group, owned by Schnuck Markets, purchased Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers from the Skogen family. Festival Foods’ 42 Wisconsin stores, and Hometown Grocers’ nine, will keep their names and operate separately from their St. Louis-based parent company. The sale is expected to close this month. Skogen’s Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers will maintain their corporate headquarters in Green Bay and Onalaska, respectively. Schnuck CEO Todd Schnuck will become chairman and CEO of the newly-formed 1939 Group, and will oversee more than 19,000 employees across both grocery chains. “With Schnuck’s shared commitment to nourishing lives, this transition will help expand our impact and continue our tradition of community support across the Midwest,” said Mark Skogen, outgoing CEO of Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers, Inc.
Art opening
The Trout Museum of Art will host a public grand opening at its new College Avenue location Oct. 11. There will be a members-only preview night Oct. 10. Located at the southwest intersection of College Avenue and Drew Street, the 100,000-square-foot, four-story building is a partnership between Lawrence University and the Trout Museum. The museum will occupy the entire 30,000-square-foot ground floor, with academic spaces for Lawrence on the second floor and market-rate apartments on the third and fourth floors. The nearly $40 million building project broke ground in March 2024.
