2025 Enterprising Leadership Awards Announced
The WI SHRM Enterprising Leadership Grant was established in 2008. It awards a chapter or chapters a financial award to support a “partnership” with another Wisconsin-based organization that promotes communication and collaboration between HR and other business professionals and organizations across the state. It funds innovative initiatives that strive to bring business professionals together toward a common cause led by the HR community.
Up to $2,5000 from a pool of $7,500 was available this year for Wisconsin SHRM Chapters to implement an activity or initiative in Enterprising HR Leadership. Criteria included having:
- a partnership with an organization outside of SHRM with goals and objectives that help advance the HR profession.
- a joint planned activity or initiative with that organization that demonstrates enterprising HR leadership, communication, collaboration, and education of business professionals.
This year, we received multiple applications, and each reflected the work that each chapter is either doing or proposing to engage with local organizations and partner on essential initiatives in their respective communities.
While we would have liked to have supported each chapter’s initiatives, we selected three chapters to receive partial Enterprising Leadership Grant awards. We were honored to announce and recognize our recipients at our December State Council meeting.
This year’s Enterprising Leadership Grant recipients, in no particular order, are:
- Central Wisconsin SHRM—This chapter is collaborating with the Central Wisconsin AI Center (CWAIC). CWAIC is a collaborative initiative focused on advancing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption through workforce training, education, and industry integration across Central and Northcentral Wisconsin. CW SHRM is partnering with CWAIC to launch/promote a multi-phase workforce readiness and education initiative in early 2026 that will integrate HR, business, and education leaders to develop responsible, human-centered AI adoption practices in the workplace.
- Green Bay Area SHRM — This chapter has partnered with GB Cares Program. GB Cares program focuses on community outreach, workforce readiness, and non-profit collaborations while connecting local businesses with non-profits that provide essential resources to address key workforce challenges. GB SHRM plans to further integrate GB Cares into its Annual Legal Updates, Silent Auction, and Vendor Fair. This will ensure increases visibility for non-profits, offering a dedicated space at the Vendor Fair and enhanced promotional materials.
- Fond du Lac SHRM – This chapter is partnering with Fond du Lac Area Safety Council, Young Professionals (YPF) of Fond du Lac , and Fond du Lac Agri-Business Council. The partnerships with these organizations are primarily on providing programs that serve professionals across our community to make it a better place and network with others for professional development and contacts. They are partnering with these organizations for programing on Mental Health, AI, and Immigration Reform.
Thank you to all our grant recipients and those who submitted their applications this year. Please consider this grant next year when we open the application process in late fall for your 2027-chapter initiatives.
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