Wisconsin has the activity, talent pool and communities to attract and maintain its startup scene, according to a panel at a WARF Entrepreneurons event held Wednesday at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

Though the theme of the event was “Why Choose Wisconsin for Your Business,” the panelists explained the need for Wisconsin cities to combine individual qualities to grow the state into a “serious competitor” within the startup world.

“There is a loss when not combining with other cities in Wisconsin,” Gilson Senior Vice President for Strategic Business Development Kevin Barrett said.

Wisconsin has more to offer than just beer, cheese and Packers, according to BioForward CEO Lisa Johnson, who moderated the discussion. The panel agreed that the state needs to actively display its attributes such as startup community activity, innovative ideas and quality of living to keep and attract residents.

“Startup hubs such as Madison and Milwaukee need to work together to strengthen Wisconsin’s reputation,” Understory Founder and CEO Alex Kubicek said. “The talent pool is here but it needs to grow into a large business scale.”