Top 11 Proposals

Congratulations to the 11 out of 46 teams that advanced to the next phase of the DreamUp WI challenge! Each team received $10,000 to develop their ideas to help 10,000 Dane County households increase their net income by 10 percent by 2020. In December, the DreamUp WI Community-University Review Committee will choose three of these teams to pitch their ideas to Schmidt Futures.

LIFT (Legal Interventions For Transforming) Dane

Proposal Summary | liftdane.org

Provide legal services to remove legal barriers to employment, including partnering with service providers and local employers and using data-driven analysis to target and facilitate take-up and program effectiveness.

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Legal
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Workforce

 

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We Care for Dane Kids: Strategies to Transform the Child Care Sector

Proposal Summary | We Care for Dane Kids website

Multi-pronged approach to transform the early childhood and out-of-school time sectors by launching an employee child care benefit contribution program, increasing operating efficiency though a shared services network, increasing take-up of childcare subsidies, increasing childcare provider wages, and providing at-scale professional development.

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Childcare
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Workforce
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Finance
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Technology

 

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Dane County SkillUp Initiative: A Path to the Middle Class through Skill Building, Degree Completion, & Credentialing

Enroll, coach, and fund potential Madison College students and re-enroll drop-outs, supported by an innovative technology platform and online credentialing options.

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Education
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Workforce
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Technology

 

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10 Steps to Increase Net Income by 10%

10-step financial literacy and holistic financial well-being program to help people reduce banking expenses, consolidate and eliminate debt, improve credit scores, and create emergency savings.

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Finance
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Technology

 

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Closing the Housing Gap & Opening the Door to the American Dream

Multi-sector approach to build workforce housing, install solar energy, develop a sustainable technology training program, and provide affordable local childcare.

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Housing
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Childcare
Energy Icon
Energy
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Workforce
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Technology

 

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Upward Mobility 2.0 Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals

Multi-pronged approach to help workers advance beyond their first job and engage the underemployed in career development and counseling, and financial coaching, including efforts toward systems change (policy change, work support provision, curriculum resources).

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Finance
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Workforce
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Technology
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Policy

 

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Dane County’s Campaign for Working Families

Engage the manufacturing, construction, and service sectors of the economy to identify middle class employment and career opportunities and develop a comprehensive approach to support individuals seeking to advance beyond entry level or low-wage employment within those sectors.

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Workforce
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Technology

 

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JobRide Plus

Use technology and partnerships with local employers to help create a fully integrated transportation system that would allow individuals living in the Madison area to easily access jobs in neighboring communities without having the financial burden of owning a car.

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Technology
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Transportation

 

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Cultivating Dane: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Increase Food System Opportunities & Financial Security

A multi-pronged approach to increase food worker wages, support food system entrepreneurship, provide free meals and expansion of the Farm to School lunch program in schools, and develop regional food system infrastructure.

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Workforce
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Policy
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Food

 

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The Health Wealth Connection: Transforming Medical Debt into a Pathway to Improved Financial Security

Medical debt forgiveness program in which health care providers give receivables donations to local non-profits, and participants benefit from tech-based financial literacy classes and exploration of other debt and investment options.

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Finance
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Health
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Technology

 

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PowerUp Dane County: A Comprehensive Initiative to Advance Solar, Energy Conservation & Electric Vehicles to Save Residents Money, Decrease Health Care Costs, & Create Jobs

Increase jobs in the renewable energy sector and use proven models of social adoption to encourage energy conservation, as well as increased use of solar energy and electric vehicles.

Energy Icon
Energy
Workforce Icon
Workforce
Technology Icon
Technology
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Transportation

 

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