Wisconsin 2050 Team
Mike Schoenleber
Mike Schoenleber is an entrepreneur and international development expert whose career has spanned high-stakes diplomacy, global food security, and building companies from the ground up. From leading humanitarian negotiations during the war in Ukraine to founding one of Latin America’s largest nonprofits, Mike has navigated some of the world’s most complex challenges. Today, as co-founder and President of Institute 2100, he is shaping long-term U.S. strategy while advising companies across the Midwest. His story blends diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and community leadership in ways that reveal a unique vision for America’s future.
Kaitlyn Ziarkowski
Kaitlyn began her career in tech startups, supporting early-stage growth across a range of industries and helping young companies navigate operational and strategic challenges. She now serves as Chief of Staff at Institute 2100, where she is overseeing project strategy, coordination, and execution.
Institute 2100
Wisconsin 2050 is a project lead by Institute 2100.
What is Institute 2100?
We are local, independent, and focused on solutions. Institute 2100 specializes in strategic foresight—helping decision-makers anticipate and shape the future, not just react to it. Our work connects business, government, academia, and civic society to drive meaningful progress. Our past projects include developing a strategic and tactical plan for the United States enduring leadership and success vis-a-vis China, with many of our recommendations currently being acted upon by national leadership in the Legislative and Executive branches. We are expressly not interested in spending our time on another study that sits on a shelf. It’s a plan to make Wisconsin beer—for today and for generations to come.
Institute 2100 envisions a future where citizens engage in secure, productive interactions with one another and their governments, resilient communities exercise self-determination, and individuals and families flourish personally and economically. We are all entering a period of political volatility and rapid change, driven by macrotrends in demographics, technology, the environment, and the economy. Governments have barely begun to adapt to these realities and may be unable to do so alone. Civic organizations, the private sector, and citizens must become increasingly proactive to meet the challenges of this era.
To learn more about Institute 2100’s other projects, visit the i2100 website.