On September 24, Wisconsin technology leaders and partners gathered at PinSocial in DeForest for the second annual CIOs Against Cancer Wisconsin Tech Tees Off, raising $64,806 for the American Cancer Society.
Concord was proud to serve as a Gold Sponsor and Wisconsin Corporate Organizer for the event.
CIOs Against Cancer (CAC) was founded in Minnesota in 2020 to unite the technology community and help fund critical cancer research. Since then, CAC has expanded to three chapters across Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Since its founding, CAC has helped raise more than $3 million and supported nine cancer research projects. That includes three pancreatic cancer research projects funded in the past two years, with research ranging from early detection to new approaches to treatment.
CAC works alongside the American Cancer Society to raise funds for research while building engagement within the technology community. The organization also encourages workplace health and wellness through prevention and early detection.
Tech Tees Off is one of the ways the Wisconsin chapter puts that mission into action.
The afternoon brought together friendly competition and plenty of opportunities to give back. Teams took to the golf bays for a round-robin-style competition, with additional challenges for longest drive and closest to the pin. Between rounds, attendees enjoyed lunch and participated in the silent auction.
Throughout the event, speakers brought the focus back to why everyone was there.
Sandi Gardner, CIO at Promega Corporation and Executive Chair of CIOs Against Cancer Wisconsin, welcomed attendees and shared why the work of CAC is especially meaningful to her, sharing her own recent experience losing a relative to cancer.
Following golf, Kathleen Callaghan, Senior Individual Giving Director at the American Cancer Society, spoke about the work being done to advance cancer research and support patients and communities. Adam Erickson, Managing Director at AHEAD, also shared remarks on behalf of the event’s Presenting Sponsor.
Impact Speaker Maribeth Achterberg brought the mission of CIOs Against Cancer to a personal level.
Maribeth is an AI and digital transformation executive who has spent decades leading technology initiatives within Fortune 500 organizations, most recently as a technology executive at The Boldt Group. Today, she works with mid-market and private equity-backed companies to help strengthen their technology, data, and governance foundations.
She is also a 14-year breast cancer survivor.
Maribeth shared her breast cancer story, from her diagnosis and treatment to the lifestyle changes and lessons that followed. She also emphasized the importance of research and continued funding for cancer research.
Tech Tees Off would not have been possible without the organizations that supported this year’s event.
AHEAD served as Presenting Sponsor, with Concord as a Gold Sponsor and nvisia as a Silver Sponsor. ThoughtFocus, Tanium, and CDW joined as Bronze Sponsors.
Everpure served as the Food & Beverage Sponsor, and F90 Solutions sponsored Awards & Prizes. Abbott, Connective, Dell, Elisity, Infoblox, Mouri Tech, and Vervint supported the event as Bay Sponsors.
Thank you to each of our sponsors for being part of Tech Tees Off and supporting the work of CAC Wisconsin.
Months of planning went into Tech Tees Off. Members of the Planning Committee contributed their time and expertise to everything from securing sponsors to shaping the event program.
The 2026 Planning Committee included Sandi Gardner of Promega Corporation; Natalie Sheffield of Concord; Adam Erickson and Peter Campbell of AHEAD; Nassar Nizami of Exact Sciences; Megan Schreck of the American Cancer Society; Mike Cleary, formerly of Sentry Equipment; Myron Braun of Renodis; Dan McLean of F90 Solutions; Konda Reddy of Red Wing Shoe; Nate Lefebvre of Vervint; and Lucabella Beason of CIOs Against Cancer.
As Marketing Chair for CIOs Against Cancer Wisconsin, Concord CMO Natalie Sheffield led marketing efforts for the chapter, with support from Concord Marketing team members Kate Huber, Aubrey Northrup, and Steve Bubb. Together, the team developed the communications and creative used to promote Tech Tees Off before and during the event.
The Wisconsin chapter launched in 2025 with the first Tech Tees Off, raising $43,500 for cancer research. Since then, the chapter has continued to grow, including hosting its first membership event with a behind-the-scenes lab tour at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research.
This year, Tech Tees Off raised $64,806, an increase of nearly 50% from its first year.
For Concord, supporting CIOs Against Cancer Wisconsin is an opportunity to contribute to a cause that reaches far beyond the technology industry and work alongside leaders from across the state who care about its mission.
Thank you to everyone who attended or helped make this year’s event possible. With a spring membership event and Tech Tees Off already planned for 2027, we’re excited to keep building on this year’s momentum.
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