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Microsoft and Green Bay Packers Invest $10 Million in Wisconsin Tech Partnership

posted by martyb on Friday October 20 2017, @07:27PM   
from the what?-no-cheese? dept.

takyon writes:

Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers will each invest $5 million in a tech partnership called TitletownTech in Green Bay, Wisconsin:

In an unusual pairing of a giant tech company and a football team, Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers are trying to spur innovation in Wisconsin by forming a $10 million partnership that will make investments, give workspace to startups and encourage innovation among local businesses.

Called TitletownTech and located next to the Packer's Lambeau Field, it will include an 18-week accelerator for companies, a venture capital fund that will invest in those startartups and a lab to help existing business to inject innovation into their firms.

"By combining the Green Bay Packers' deep engagement in this community and our expertise in helping businesses digitally transform, we believe TitletownTech will be a valuable resource for Wisconsin and a model for fostering economic development in other parts of the country," said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, in a statement.

The TitletownTech building is planned to open next fall.

Green Bay Packers press release. Also at Reuters, Green Bay Press-Gazette, and WILX.

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Original Submission

• Diversification is good idea now Diversification is good idea now (Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (3 children)

  by jmorris (4844) on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (#585406)

  Since the Packers probably won't be in the football business a lot longer (No Fans League) it probably makes sense to diversify now while they can.

  Just proves Conquest's Second Law is always going to be a problem.

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• Re:Diversification is good idea now (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:37PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:37PM (#585421)

  They're leaving in droves! Droves, I tell ya! They don't know where they're going yet, because they haven't been told yet, but believe me, their convictions are DEEP and SINCERE. They just need some talking head to tell them what to be outraged about next.

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• Re:Diversification is good idea now (Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Friday October 20 2017, @08:40PM

  by frojack (1554) on Friday October 20 2017, @08:40PM (#585424) Journal

  Packers are different.

  Packer Fans own the club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers_Board_of_Directors [wikipedia.org]

  The NFL does not allow corporate ownership. Instead, it requires clubs to be wholly owned either by a single owner, or small group of owners, and requires that at least one owner owns a 1/3 stake in the team. The Packers are granted an exemption to this rule, as they have been a publicly owned corporation since before the rule was in place. The corporation is governed by a seven-member Executive Committee, elected from among the board of directors.

  Were it not for that unusual structure there is no way a town the size of Green Bay would have a NFL team at all.

  So what are they dicking around with Microsoft for? This whole thing sounds like something Microsoft would buy and pay for and look furiously for local partner to lend their name to the operation.

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  No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

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• Re:Diversification is good idea now (Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:35AM

  by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:35AM (#585494) Homepage

  Hey, any way to get the tech industry the fuck out of California and Boston is a good thing. I hold Wisconsinites in high regard, and fuck those Massholes.

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