Wisconsin Tech Month spotlights innovation, equity and community statewide

Wisconsin Tech Month returned this October with a packed calendar of meetups, summits, and hands-on workshops aimed at showcasing the state’s tech economy while expanding access and participation. Led by Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech with partners across the state, the initiative bundles Milwaukee Tech Week, Women in Tech programming, Midwest Tech Week, and a newly promoted Dev Week into a monthlong series focused on talent, entrepreneurship, and practical applications of AI and data.

Organizers say the goal is simple: make tech tangible for more Wisconsinites — from students and emerging founders to enterprise teams modernizing their workflows. The calendar combines marquee convenings (economic and industry summits) with grassroots learning opportunities (coding meetups, resume assistance, and digital skills classes), reflecting a statewide effort to cultivate talent and connect communities.

Below is a comprehensive, date-by-date guide to the official Wisconsin Tech Month listings as of Oct. 2, 2025, followed by additional partner events frequently associated with the month.

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Week 1 (Oct. 1–4)

Oct. 2 — Data Privacy Symposium 2025 (Milwaukee, The Westin)
Afternoon forum on regulatory trends and operational privacy practices. 1–4:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 — “Unlocking Growth: From Customer Discovery to Business Success” (Milwaukee Central Library)
A practical session on customer discovery and using library resources for founders. 2–3 p.m.

Oct. 2 — “The Places You Can Go” (Virtual; Women in STEM)
Free virtual panel for middle and high school girls highlighting Wisconsin STEM careers. 3:15–4:45 p.m.

Oct. 2 — WI Tech Month Kick Off Happy Hour (Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, Milwaukee)
Community networking to open the month. 5–7 p.m.

Oct. 2 — Breathe2Recharge (Virtual)
Stress-management and well-being session for tech professionals. 8–9 p.m.

Oct. 3–11 — Digital Connections Class (Milky Way Tech Hub & EveryoneOn)
Multi-day digital-skills course for residents navigating school, work and health online. (Oct. 3–11; Fridays/Saturdays)

Oct. 4 — October Code & Coffee (Wantable Café, Milwaukee)
Networking and a talk on Amazon’s culture of innovation. 9 a.m.–noon.

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Week 2 (Oct. 5–11)

Oct. 6 — NSBE UW–Madison General Body Meeting (UW–Madison)
Scholarship, career and LinkedIn/resume programming for student engineers. 5:30–7 p.m.

Oct. 7 — Midwest Manufacturing AI Summit (co-located with Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show)
One-day program for manufacturers exploring AI use cases. 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 — “AI for Artists” (Gallery 218, Milwaukee)
One-hour talk with Q&A on using creative AI while keeping artists at the center. 5:30–7 p.m.

Oct. 8 — Code + Brews (Wantable Café, Milwaukee)
Community coding night featuring “Life After the Hack.” 5–8 p.m.

Oct. 9 — International Travel Advisor: New Tech Features Launch (Milwaukee, MLK Jr. Dr.)
Product launch/networking for remote-work and digital-nomad tools. 9:30–11:30 a.m.

Oct. 11 — TWIST Girls Robotics Competition (Muskego)
A FIRST Robotics–style day where girls take the controls. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

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Week 3 (Oct. 12–18)

Oct. 12 — NSBE UW–Madison Slack Workshop (UW–Madison)
Customization and optimization tips for student teams. 4–5:30 p.m.

Oct. 13 — Black Sheep Advanced Manufacturing Discussion w/ Matt Kirchner (Milwaukee, Wantable Café)
Perspective on workforce training and Lab Midwest/TechEd Podcast ecosystem. 4:30–6 p.m.

Oct. 13 — MadAI – Hackathon (Madison Central Library)
Talk on cloud/ML/AI with a follow-on hackathon. 5–8 p.m.

Oct. 14 — “Unlock GitHub Copilot’s Full Potential!” (Brookfield)
Meetup on Copilot features and coding efficiency. 6–8 p.m.

Oct. 15–16 — 2025 Wisconsin Economic Summit (statewide leaders; WEDC)
Two-day summit on economic shifts and state competitiveness.

Oct. 15 — FEED MKE Project Dev Sprint + Pitch Competition (Global Water Center, Milwaukee)
City of Milwaukee ECO pilot to reduce food waste; sprint and pitches. 4:30–7 p.m.

Oct. 15 — Summerfest TechAI 2026 Kickoff (Wantable Café, Milwaukee)
Preview of 2026 dates and programming; networking. 5–7 p.m.

Oct. 15 — “Stop Wishing, Start Building” — Vibe Coding Workshop for Entrepreneurs (Milwaukee)
No-code/low-code-friendly session; bring a hotspot. 6–7:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 — ASUG Wisconsin Chapter Fall Meeting (Madison, Pyle Center)
Regional SAP user gathering. 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Oct. 16 — WI Tech Month + Wisconsin Tech Association: The Future of Talent (Brookfield Conference Center)
Panel and happy hour on AI’s impact on sourcing and team building. 2–6 p.m.

Oct. 16 — Level Up Your AI Skills: Fine-Tuning Small Models w/ Synthetic Data (Milwaukee)
Hands-on primer for data-curious builders. 6–7:30 p.m.

Oct. 17 — Uncork & Uncode: A Night of Wine, Puzzles & AI (Wantable Café, Milwaukee)
Social learning event mixing logic games and AI demos. 6–7:30 p.m. (also listed 6–10 p.m.)

Oct. 17 — Code & Canvas (Canni Infusion Bar & Café, Milwaukee)
Mixer bridging creatives and tech to diversify talent pipelines. 6–10 p.m.

Oct. 18 — Hackreation (Hackathon) (Penrod, Milwaukee)
Community hack on “everyday tools reimagined,” with Mitobyte, Latinos in Tech and Milky Way Tech Hub. Free.

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Week 4 (Oct. 19–26)

Oct. 20–Nov. 6 — Level Up! Launchpad (Venture Home cohort, virtual/in-person hybrid)
Four-session program to sharpen entrepreneurial mindset and customer discovery.

Oct. 22 — AI in the Enterprise: Supercharge Your Workflow (Fitchburg, The Great Dane)
A pragmatic look at AI adoption beyond the hype. Noon–1 p.m.

Oct. 23 — Women Tech Trailblazers: Lightning Talks & Leadership (Women in Tech Week)
Evening leadership and lightning-talks program. 4–7:30 p.m.

Oct. 24 — NSBE UW–Madison GE HealthCare Site Visit (Madison)
Industry exposure and AI in medical manufacturing. 3–4 p.m.

Oct. 26 — NSBE UW–Madison Website-Building Workshop (Madison)
Professional development on building and customizing sites. 4–5:30 p.m.

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Week 5 (Oct. 27–31)

Oct. 29 — ASUG Minnesota Chapter Fall Meeting (Minneapolis)
Regional SAP user meetup noted on the WTM calendar; outside Wisconsin but relevant to Upper Midwest peers. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Oct. 29 — “Mocktails & Monetize: Create Your Digital Product with AI” (Virtual/Local)
Hands-on workshop to turn ideas into AI-powered digital products. 5–7 p.m.

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Additional recurring banners and tie-ins

Midwest Tech Week — A cluster of community events running under the WTM umbrella with 13 listings this cycle, including a kick-off with Techqueria Midwest Collective, Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech.

Equity in Tech Summit (Oct. 14, Discovery World, Milwaukee) — A flagship WTM program focused on inclusive growth and equitable pathways into tech.

Data Privacy Symposium (Oct. 2, Milwaukee) — Also featured on the MKE Tech Hub Coalition’s broader ecosystem calendar.

Economic and industry convenings — WEDC’s Wisconsin Economic Summit (Oct. 15–16) is positioned alongside manufacturing and enterprise user-group meetings.

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Why it matter

Wisconsin Tech Month’s statewide approach connects parallel efforts — startup formation, enterprise digitization, student pipelines and civic innovation — under one tent. Organizers emphasize both visibility and on-ramps, pairing high-level conversations about the future of talent and AI with accessible, skills-focused sessions hosted by libraries, universities and volunteer tech groups.

Editor’s note: This guide reflects the Wisconsin Tech Month calendar as published on Oct. 2, 2025. Readers can find updates and new additions on the official Wisconsin Tech Month website.