Through its charitable foundation, Brady Corporation addresses community needs at the intersection of its corporate values of unlocking potential, protecting the future and innovation. The Brady Foundation has been a College Possible partner for many years. In 2021, new leadership at College Possible afforded the opportunity for a more strategic reconnection and dialogue with Brady.
A key value for Brady Corporation is “Protect Our Future.” Said Brady’s Director of Corporate Communications Kate Venne, “Protecting our future is ensuring that we have a future — as a corporation and member of this community. Supporting future college students and graduates is a perfect alignment.” Through this partnership between College Possible Milwaukee and the Brady Foundation, our work with scholars on University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s campus aims to unlock the potential of underrepresented and first-generation college students.
For Venne, it is important that Brady associates engage with these values and their connections to build the pipeline of future talent locally, with a mind toward racial equity. Building the pipeline also includes a focus on educating potential members of the workforce so these young people can ultimately achieve success.
We get a lot of employees who engage and share what their career path has been,” said Venne. “Many [employees] have benefited from similar programs to College Possible and understand the importance of sharing their journey and engaging with young people in that way.”
Brady has been targeting outreach on UW–M’s campus, working with the college and career readiness offices to recruit more diverse candidates for internships. “That’s a campus where we have had really good success getting some strong interns,” said Venne, “especially strong interns from diverse backgrounds.” College Possible is one more resource Brady can use to connect with candidates. “Our philosophy is that we really hope [interns] stay. We try to turn these opportunities into careers with Brady,” says Venne.
Employers in Milwaukee, including companies like Brady Corporation, need to have strong, diverse talent. College Possible Milwaukee works to coach and mentor students and youth into and through college. Helping to connect these young graduates with internships and careers in Milwaukee is an additional value that is critical in addressing the challenges in our region. For the Brady Corporation and Kate Venne, it’s as simple as investing in the people here and wanting to see them succeed.
College Possible is grateful for the investment and partnership of Brady Corporation and the Brady Foundation, and for the company’s recognition that developing diverse talent fosters an inclusive workplace, allows it to remain competitive and drives innovation. Strong innovation comes from diverse perspectives. College Possible is proud to partner with Brady to support scholars on their journey to college completion and connect them with rewarding careers and opportunities.
