Wisconsin State Council SHRM

What Wisconsin State Council SHRM does

Wisconsin State Council SHRM (WISHRM) is a non-profit professional association and the Wisconsin state-level affiliate of the national Society for Human Resource Management. It serves HR professionals, HR students, and Wisconsin employers through a network of 18+ local chapters plus student chapters across the state, headquartered at 4075 Vilas Road in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. The organization's mission is to share expertise and facilitate thought leadership to advance human capital practices across Wisconsin, acting as a communication link between local chapters, state leadership, and national SHRM.

The core product portfolio consists of five recurring annual conferences — the State HR Conference (flagship), Workplace Policy Conference, Student Summit, Volunteer Leader Conference, and HR Conference Cruise — alongside the Forward HR digital magazine, the WI SHRM Job Center, a vendor directory, a merchandise store, and SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP recertification support via Professional Development Credits. Underlying technology is modest: a membership management system, Cvent for event registration, an online job board, and a FlippingBook-hosted digital magazine. No proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or APIs are disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit revenue structure built on five streams: annual membership dues (subscription/recurring), conference and event registration fees (early-bird State Conference at $650 for SHRM members, $700 for non-members), job board posting fees (transaction-based), merchandise sales (hardware), and partner/sponsor relationships (affiliate/referral). Sponsorship is anchored by four named strategic partners — Boardman Clark (Legislative), J.J. Keller (Compliance), The Hausmann Group (Employee Benefits), and The Alliance (Self Funding) — supplemented by Gold and Silver event sponsors. Operations are volunteer-led through a leadership and officers roster, with one quasi-professional Partnership/Sponsorship Director role as of January 2026.

Name

Wisconsin State Council SHRM

Legal name

Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management Council

Website

https://wishrm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wisconsin State Council SHRM (WISHRM) is a non-profit professional association and state-level SHRM affiliate serving HR professionals, students, and employers across Wisconsin through 18+ local chapters, five annual conferences, certification support, and a job board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cottage Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for HR professionals connecting to state council and national SHRM network
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from annual State HR Conference, Workplace Policy Conference, Student Summit, Volunteer Leader Conference, and HR Conference Cruise registrations
3. Job Board Postings: HR employers pay to post job listings on WI SHRM Job Center
4. WI SHRM Store: Sale of WI SHRM branded merchandise through online store
5. Partner/Sponsor Relationships: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners including Legislative Partner, Compliance Partner, Employee Benefits Partner, and Self Funding Partner, plus Gold and Silver sponsors for events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wisconsin State Council SHRM is a state-level non-profit professional association that provides HR professionals in Wisconsin with membership services, multi-format conferences, certification support, an HR job board, a digital magazine, and Wisconsin-specific employment law updates, delivered through a network of 18+ local chapters and student chapters affiliated with national SHRM.

Product overview

Wisconsin State Council SHRM operates as a state-level professional association serving HR professionals across Wisconsin, offering a portfolio of conferences, publications, and member services. The core offerings include the annual State HR Conference as the flagship event, the Workplace Policy Conference for compliance-focused education, and specialized conferences for students and volunteer leaders. The Forward HR Magazine serves as the official publication providing professional development content. The organization supports SHRM certification through PDC credits and maintains a network of 18+ local chapters plus student chapters across the state. Additional services include a job board, vendor directory, legislative update newsletters, and scholarship programs for HR students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State HR Conference Annual flagship in-person conference for Wisconsin HR professionals offering education, networking, workshops, and SHRM recertification credits; scheduled for October 14-16, 2026 at Kalahari Resorts, Wisconsin Dells.
• Workplace Policy Conference Annual conference focused on workplace policy, legislative updates, and compliance considerations for Wisconsin HR professionals; SHRM-certified for professional development credits.
• Student Summit Annual student conference held at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater connecting HR students with working HR professionals for career development and networking.
• Volunteer Leader Conference Annual conference for SHRM chapter leaders and volunteers focused on leadership development and chapter management best practices; held August 13-14, 2026 at Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, WI.
• HR Conference Cruise Conference event combining HR professional development and networking opportunities aboard a cruise ship; scheduled for March 16-21, 2026 departing Cape Canaveral, FL aboard Royal Caribbean.
• Forward HR Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Excel Award recognition from SHRM for chapter operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf Funding Partner - serves as voice for self-funded employers seeking more control over healthcare costs. Provides Smarter Networks, data mining and analysis, and transparent approaches to network and benefit plan design. Serves 500+ employers and their brokers across the Midwest. Contact: 800.223.4139 or www.the-alliance.org
• The Hausmann GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee Benefits Partner - full-service independent insurance agency with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. Offers wide-ranging insurance and business services to support clients. Website: www.myhaus.com
• J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompliance Partner - most respected name in safety and regulatory compliance since 1953. Over 1,300 associates serving 420,000+ customers including 91% of Fortune 1000. Subject matter expertise spans nearly 1,500 topics including FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, FLSA, and labor law. Website: jjkeller.com
• Boardman Clark LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegislative Partner - Labor and Employment Law Group providing full range of services for employer clients statewide. Services include employment counseling, litigation, policy drafting, workforce training, union matters, workers compensation, and employee benefits. State-wide presence with offices in Madison. Website: www.boardmanclark.com
• Seek Careers/StaffingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference; sponsors SHRM Foundation Purse Pull Reveal fundraiser. Ian Weide serves as Partnership/Sponsorship Director
• BMO BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• GallaghermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• UKGmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• YourcomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• EquitablemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• InCheckmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• SkillupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• The PerkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference; provided closing session speaker Jess Kent-Johnson
• E-Z PromotionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• M3minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference
• Smart InfusionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026 Workplace Policy Conference

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota SHRM State Council: Regional state-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in Minnesota. Direct peer because of geographic and demographic proximity and the same chapter/conference/certification programming structure for a comparable Upper Midwest HR market.
• California State Council SHRM: State-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in California. Direct peer because it delivers the same chapter/membership/conference/certification-credit model in a different large-state market, with comparable chapter-network structure.
• Texas SHRM State Council: State-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in Texas. Direct peer because it operates the same model — membership, local chapters, annual conference, legislative updates, and PDC-certified programming — at state scale for a different geography.
• Illinois SHRM State Council: State-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in Illinois. Direct peer because it mirrors Wisconsin's offering portfolio (state conference, local chapters, certification credit provider, sponsorship/partnership model).
• WorldatWork: Non-profit professional association for compensation, benefits, and total rewards professionals. Highly comparable because it is a membership- and conference-driven association serving an HR-adjacent audience with similar certification, chapter, and content publishing model.
• New York State SHRM: State-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in New York. Direct peer because it operates the same state council model — local chapters, annual conference, sponsorship/partnership tiers, and certification credit programming.
• Florida State Council SHRM: State-level SHRM council serving HR professionals in Florida. Direct peer because it runs the same state-level membership, chapter network, annual conference, and legislative-updates model that Wisconsin State Council SHRM uses.

Broad incumbents

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): National parent organization of which Wisconsin State Council SHRM is a state council. Directly comparable because it operates the same membership, certification, and conference model at the national level, setting the standards the Wisconsin council delivers locally.
• LinkedIn Learning: Large-scale online learning platform with extensive HR, compliance, and leadership course content. Comparable as a broader incumbent providing self-paced HR professional development and certification-relevant content that competes for the same member development budget.

Emerging players

• HR.com: Online HR community and content platform offering webinars, articles, and a vendor directory for HR professionals. Comparable because it serves the same HR professional audience with continuous digital engagement, complementing/replacing some of Wisconsin State Council SHRM's in-person and content offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WISHRM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wishrm
• Instagraminstagram.com/wi_shrm
• Xx.com/WISHRM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin State Council SHRM