The second annual On the Table MKE event begins tomorrow, with group discussions being held at various locations around the city.
Organized by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, On the Table aims to address important issues facing greater Milwaukee by bringing community members together for mealtime conversation. More than 5,400 people participated in hundreds of gatherings across 73 zip codes on a single day in the inaugural year. New this year, On the Table participants (one individual per table, or a group or organization) can apply for small grants between $500 and $2,500 to take action on the ideas developed during their conversations by visiting onthetablemke.org starting Oct. 10.
Among the hosts are:
- Brinn Labs, which is hosting a lunch and book discussion focused on Milwaukee as a maker city. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at Brinn Labs, and the discussion will center on the book “Maker City: A Practical Guide to Reinventing Our Cities,” which demonstrates examples of changes in industry, education, workforce development, real estate and civic engagement in more than 100 U.S. cities.
- Marcus Hotels & Resorts, which is holding a “Super Chat” from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Hilton Milwaukee. It is open to the public with prior registration, and includes a complimentary breakfast. Speakers include: Greg Marcus, president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corp.; Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21; Ellen Gilligan, CEO of Greater Milwaukee Foundation; and Marcus White, vice president of Greater Milwaukee Foundation. More than 30 individual table discussions will be led by “community influencers.”
- Milwaukee Urban League, which will host a lunch and conversation centered on education. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. at Milwaukee Urban League. Dr. Howard Fuller, founder and director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University, will moderate the discussion on “Education Emergency: Action, Not Excuses!” Guests were asked to RSVP by Oct. 5 for limited seating.
- NEWaukee, which will host a “mega-table” community dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall. The event is open to all interested in collective discussion about improving the quality of life in the community. A variety of food will be available for purchase, and guests are asked to pre-register.
