Industry Experts

Missy Hughes is the secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the state’s lead economic development organization. She was appointed to the post by Governor Evers in September 2019. Prior to joining WEDC, she was chief counsel and chief mission officer for Organic Valley, a Wisconsin-based, nationwide cooperative of organic dairy farmers.

In her role at WEDC, Secretary Hughes oversees efforts to attract businesses to Wisconsin and help existing businesses expand, meet current and future workforce needs, promote global trade and investment, support thriving communities and small businesses, encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, address the unique needs of rural residents, and advance the economic well-being of every resident.

Speaking Topics:

• Economic Development
• Rural Economic Development
• Forward-looking economic development strategies
• WEDC Overview

Sam Rikkers is deputy secretary and chief operating officer for WEDC. Prior to joining WEDC in November 2019, he served as strategic economic initiatives director at the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

Sam has an extensive background in rural development, both in the U.S. and internationally. He served in the White House from 2013 to 2014 as director on the energy and environment team in the Presidential Personnel Office, then was administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Before returning to Wisconsin in 2017, he launched and led the Rural Opportunity Initiative of the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.

In Wisconsin, he served as executive director or Tiny Earth, a global initiative based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, harnessing the research of undergraduate students to discover new antibiotics.

A native of Stoughton, Rikkers holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Macalester College. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia.

Speaking topics:

• Rural and urban economic development
• Business attraction
• Business retention and expansion
• WEDC programs and operations
• Sustainability and resiliency

Khadija Mims is chief financial officer for WEDC. In her role, she oversees finance and credit and risk divisions.

Khadija has almost two decades of experience in financial planning and analysis, budgeting, and government grants compliance, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Prior to joining WEDC in March 2021, she was the controller at Breaking Ground in New York City, where she oversaw all nonprofit financial activities and government contracts. Her previous positions include client manager (CFO) at BTQ Financial. In this role, she provided outsourced CFO services for various nonprofit organizations in New York City. Before moving to the U.S., she was the finance manager for Dubai Women Establishment, a government agency in the United Arab Emirates.

Khadija earned her master’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her bachelor’s degree in business, accounting from Edgewood College.

Speaking Topics:

• Governmental and nonprofit financial management
• Financial compliance with WEDC award contracts
• Strategic financial planning and budgeting
• Internal controls

Joshua Robbins is vice president of technology and information systems for WEDC. He joined WEDC in December 2011, and joined the executive staff in September 2015.

In his prior role as IT systems analyst, he was responsible for testing, building, maintaining and implementing WEDC’s IT systems. He also handled asset management efforts and research and development on new product lines; utilized project management skills to implement new software and systems; wrote documentation; was responsible for internal monitoring of all WEDC IT systems; and planned and developed IT security strategies for user security during international travel.

Joshua holds an associate’s degree in computer networking systems and a bachelor’s degree in information systems and cybersecurity, both from ITT Technical Institute in Madison.

Speaking Topics:

• Implementation of SaaS systems, risks vs. rewards
• International travel security compliance: the balance between productivity and security
• Customer service as an IT professional
• BYOD implementation
• Navigating the hardware landscape: picking the right endpoint machines for your organization

Mike Ward joined WEDC in September 2022 as vice president for business and community development. To his work at WEDC, he brings more than 25 years of experience in banking with U.S. Bank and its predecessors. Mike has held leadership positions in sales management, commercial lending, marketing, sales support and underwriting—all focused on small business. Helping and learning about small businesses and the communities they support has been Mike’s passion for his entire career.

Mike has done volunteer work with a number of groups including various United Ways, the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, the Waukesha Redevelopment Authority and the Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation. He is a current board member of BizStarts and the Urban Economic Development Association as well as an active volunteer with Kiva. He also serves as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Wisconsin Economic Roundtable.

A Madison native, Mike received his bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota. He lives with his wife in Waukesha and has three adult children.

Speaking topics:

• Regional economic development
• Business retention and expansion
• Available financial resources

Shayna Hetzel (she/her) is vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation with WEDC. She brings more than 15 years of experience, having led impactful and collaborative teams as a director at a Fortune 300 company and a top public research university.

Shayna led both venture capital investments and catalytic partnerships across the U.S. from 2018-2024 as a founding director of the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, investing in the best and brightest changemakers. Previously, she served as an executive policy and budget analyst for the Wisconsin State Budget Office and as a director leading community engagement and operational strategy for Union South at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Shayna is an imaginative community builder and a strong advocate for collective action. She is a current board member of the Volunteers of America Future Fund Innovation Incubator, a trustee of the Wisconsin Union, and board treasurer for the Village Diaper Bank. Shayna was also named one of the 40 under 40 by In Business Madison and was selected as one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Asian Leaders in 2022 by Madison365.

Shayna is a proud Wisconsinite (having grown up in Wisconsin Rapids) and a double Badger (having attended UW-Madison for both a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s of public affairs degree focused on public management and education policy from the La Follette School of Public Affairs).

Speaking topics:

• Entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Entrepreneurship and inclusive economies
• Fund establishment, management, and growth
• Venture capital as an economic development tool

Vice President of Productivity and Sustainability Francisco J. Sayu leads WEDC’s efforts to support businesses, communities, and people in Wisconsin to take advantage of the economic opportunities the clean energy economy presents.

Francisco has worked in the clean energy sector for more than a decade and has experience in clean energy policy, advocacy, and small business development. Before joining WEDC, he served as emerging technology director at RENEW Wisconsin. Before that, he was program manager for the Focus on Energy® New Construction Solution, a statewide program that helps people and businesses in Wisconsin make informed energy decisions and save money.

Francisco holds a master’s degree in engineering and a bachelor’s degree in biological systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Speaking topics:

• Energy efficiency
• Beneficial electrification
• Electric vehicle infrastructure
• Electric school buses
• The Inflation Reduction Act

Speaking topics:

• Rural challenges and opportunities
• Entrepreneurial ecosystem building
• Small business access to capital
• Wisconsin Environmental Equity Tool
• Collaborative projects with Native American tribal nations
• Financial resources for rural projects