File not found
Community

gener8tor Reaches Alumni Milestone, Promotes New Director of Startup Community

gener8tor? More like gener800tor, amirite?

…sorry.

Anyway, gener8tor, the startup accelerator operating in Minneapolis and Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has announced the crossing of a new milestone — more than 800 startup alumni served by its programs.

Founded in Wisconsin, gener8tor has grown to more than 77 programs (14 in Wisconsin alone) across 31 cities. The organization says 242 of the more than 800 alumni have completed a program in the last year. In total, gener8tor says it has helped startups raise more than $800 million and create more than 7,400 jobs.

gisela ortega gener8tor

Gisela Ortega

In addition to the 800 milestone, gener8tor announced a new role — the organization’s first Director of Startup Community. Gisela Ortega, who has been with gener8tor for more than two years, is being promoted to the new position.

“Gisela has brought a sense of community building to every bit of work she has done within gener8tor to date,” Abby Kursel, Partner at gener8tor, said in a release. “We are thrilled to be able to promote her to this role at this critical time as we think about what the next iteration of alumni support looks like for our startups.”

Ortega has more than 15 years of community building experience in various non-profit roles including VIA CDC and the City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development. As director of startup community, gener8tor describes her role as, “[building] new resources, spaces and networks for gener8tor alumni to connect, learn and grow.”

“The gener8tor network already has an amazing community that works side-by-side with us supporting these incredible startups,” Ortega, said in the release. “I’m excited to implement grassroots community organizing strategies to further build a stronger foundation of support for startups that will bolster their growth.”

To learn more about gener8tor, the new milestone, and the new role, read the release below.

MILWAUKEE – Nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor has hit over 800 startup alumni served across its accelerator programs. While gener8tor was founded in Wisconsin and continues to have a strong presence in Milwaukee, Madison, Beloit and Northeast Wisconsin with 14 active programs, it has expanded to serve entrepreneurs in over 30 cities across the country and internationally.

242 (30%) of these 800 startup accelerator program alumni completed gener8tor programs in the last year alone. Recent expansion includes the addition of programming in San Antonio, Chicago, and even an international expansion to Luxembourg. With over 77 programs in 31 cities, gener8tor has helped startups raise $800M+ in follow-on financing and create 7,400+ jobs.

With this growth, gener8tor is providing additional support for its alumni with its first Director of Startup Community. This role will support and build further community among gener8tor’s network of over 800 alumni, and beyond.

Gisela Ortega, who has been a part of the gener8tor team for over two years, has been promoted to the Director of Startup Community role. Gisela is a community organizer at heart, with over 15 years of experience building community through her own personal grassroots efforts growing up in the Bay Area and in Milwaukee at various non-profit/ government organizations such as VIA CDC and the City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development, where she was able to build out sustainable strategies that have driven strong engagement in underestimated communities and economic growth.

“The gener8tor network already has an amazing community that works side-by-side with us supporting these incredible startups,” Ortega said. “I’m excited to implement grassroots community organizing strategies to further build a stronger foundation of support for startups that will bolster their growth.”

As Director of Startup Community, Gisela will build new resources, spaces and networks for gener8tor alumni to connect, learn and grow. With this critical mass of startups across industry, stage and geography, there are a plethora of opportunities for this community to support one another.

“Gisela has brought a sense of community building to every bit of work she has done within gener8tor to date,” said Abby Kursel, Partner at gener8tor. “We are thrilled to be able to promote her to this role at this critical time as we think about what the next iteration of alumni support looks like for our startups.”

Those interested in getting connected further with the gener8tor network or looking to connect with Gisela can email her at gisela@gener8tor.com or visit www.gener8tor.com to learn more.

###

About gener8tor

gener8tor’s turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, investors, corporations, universities, job seekers, musicians and artists. The gener8tor platform includes accelerators, upskilling, corporate programming and conferences with content on community growth, impact investing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and innovation across education, agriculture, insurance, healthcare, and more. Recently, gener8tor was named one of Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators. For more information, visit gener8tor.com.

Alex Skjong
Alex oversees the content produced for BETA, Twin Cities Startup Week, and tech.mn. When he’s not writing or editing, there’s a good chance he’s enjoying a refreshing brew and explaining the merits of heavy metal (of which there are many).