–submitted by Ellsworth Brown
Zach Brandon opened his presentation by giving a snapshot of Greater Madison in 1999 and then made some comparisons to where things stand in 2024 before ultimately projecting out to 2050.
He delivered a master statistical, fast-passed, data-driven storyline that mapped fifty years of actual and projected changes.
As an example, a house in Madison was advertised for $173,000. The same house today is listed at $461,000. Epic’s MyChart was in development. Epic’s current annual revenue is valued at $5 billion in 16 countries and MyChart is now the dominant entry point for all medical records.
Madison now ranks third in concentration of software developers and was one of 12 places to receive funding through the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program. Coincidentally, its housing market, even inadequate, and Madison’s amenities help rank the city among the top 20 best places to live that are also technology hubs—no wildfires, hurricanes, or major flooding. It is well-positioned with respect to current climate changes. New rapid transit buses help linear expansion throughout Dane County. Moreover, the addition of key jobs creates a multiplier of complementary services and additional residents.
And so to “Outsight: 2050” . . . For work and living, Millennials’ influx has been followed by Gen Z. Madison ranked 9th in the country, according to data released in 2023, in Gen Z net migration. Brandon uses an estimated projection for Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area 2050 population at 1,000,000, a potential increase of 300,000.
Brandon’s presentation is complex but easily followed in the video recording: https://youtu.be/PFzrZ_WjTU4.
Zach Brandon made an inspiring presentation at our March 24th meeting of the Rotary Club of Madison. As the president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and past Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, he is well qualified to speak to us about Madison’s present and future in his titled address, “There is Light in the Darkness.” He structured his presentation around the intervening years since his prior Rotary presentation in 2018 which was his third.
Zach Brandon, President of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, wants civic leaders to see a great new future for Madison. Today’s perception is that Madison is a place of government and education and not a very good place for business. But that is not the Madison that is evolving before our eyes, he asserted in a spirited talk.
Zach Brandon, President of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, addressed our Club regarding “Madison’s Business Climate,” citing four trends to explain where we are headed.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 