Northwestern Mutual Expands AI Institute, Adds 3 Wisconsin Partners

The institute will boost AI talent and skills in southeast Wisconsin's workforce.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute has expanded its partnerships, adding three new institutions - Milwaukee School of Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Waukesha County Technical College - to its efforts to develop AI talent and skills in southeast Wisconsin. The institute was started in 2018 with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University as founding partners.

Why it matters

The expansion of the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute aims to address the growing demand for AI talent in the region by leveraging the resources and expertise of multiple higher education institutions. This collaborative approach is expected to enhance the development and application of AI skills among the current and future workforce.

The details

The new partners will work alongside the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University, which were the institute's founding members in 2018. The leaders of the institutions participated in a discussion about how each is addressing artificial intelligence and how sharing resources can help train and improve skills of the workforce. The partnership will allow for joint research projects and the creation of a combined talent pipeline.

  • The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute was founded in 2018.
  • The expansion and addition of the three new partners was announced on February 12, 2026.

The players

Tim Gerend

CEO of Northwestern Mutual.

Richard Barnhouse

President and CEO of Waukesha County Technical College.

Eric Baumgartner

President of Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Dr. John Raymond

President and CEO of Medical College of Wisconsin.

Amy Pechacek

Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

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What they’re saying

“We're going to collectively harness some of the best local AI talent that we need for the future. And really importantly we're going to enhance and develop AI skills for our current workforce and for the future.”

— Tim Gerend, CEO of Northwestern Mutual

“In our applied AI lab on campus we actually have a Ph.D. student from UWM, and a master's degree student from MSOE, who are conducting research in the lab on campus to do great things. So this partnership is just getting started. Energy is nothing without talent and the demand for talent is significant and we have the opportunity to deliver that through a combined pipeline here.”

— Richard Barnhouse, President and CEO of Waukesha County Technical College

“I'm really proud of this partnership to bring the assets that we have at MSOE both from our students, faculty and staff to our partnership.”

— Eric Baumgartner, President of Milwaukee School of Engineering

“We have to find ways together to integrate all of the work that we do to create vibrant, flowing arteries of talent that interact and overlap with each other in the community. I'm also really optimistic about the qualities and capabilities of these institutions and the people that we employ and help learn... I want to be able to connect with the technical colleges, we have no direction connections, (the data science institute) is going to provide that opportunity for us.”

— Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of Medical College of Wisconsin

What’s next

The new partners will begin collaborating on research projects and developing joint programs to train and upskill the regional workforce in artificial intelligence.

The takeaway

The expansion of the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute demonstrates a commitment to building a robust AI talent pipeline in southeast Wisconsin through strategic partnerships between industry and higher education institutions. This collaborative approach aims to address the growing demand for AI skills and expertise in the region.