Doyenne Group, the nonprofit that supports women entrepreneurs in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay through skills development and capital funding, and Milwaukee-based BizStarts, which supports early-stage companies through training courses and consultations, are among nine organizations across Wisconsin receiving a total of $432,000 in grants from the state government to help continue their work.
The grants are being awarded as part of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s Entrepreneurship Program. Started in 2016, the grant program has provided almost $1.5 million in grants to 28 organizations.
“These grants will enable organizations throughout the state to provide more resources to support local entrepreneurial communities that may not have access to other, traditional resources,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the WEDC, in a news release. “Through this program, we are supporting local and regional organizations that understand the unique needs of their communities and can provide key resources to foster a culture that celebrates and encourages entrepreneurs to build successful businesses in every corner of the state.”
The full list of this year’s grant recipients are:
- University of Wisconsin Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic ($50,000)
- Couleecap Inc. of Westby ($80,000)
- Red Letter Grant of Eau Claire ($45,000)
- New North Economic Development Group of Green Bay ($30,000)
- Janesville Innovation Inc. ($36,000)
- Oconto County Economic Development Corporation ($38,000)
- Doyenne Group of Madison ($65,000)
- Indianhead Community Action Agency Inc. ($33,000)
- BizStarts, Riverworks Development Corporation and the Social Development Commission (SDC) of Milwaukee ($55,000)
With its grant, New North will form the NEW Launch Alliance. Among the goals of the NEW Launch Alliance is to lead the implementation of a web-based platform called "Start in Wisconsin."
“The New North region has a number of excellent organizations, programs and resources focused on supporting entrepreneurs,” said Barb LaMue, executive director of New North. “The role of the NEW Launch Alliance will be to connect, scale and further develop these and other initiatives. A common mission to grow the entrepreneurial community will benefit everyone by providing more program participants, more investment opportunities and more source points for innovation and talent.”
Doyenne’s next 5x5x5 Pitch Event takes place in conjunction with Women's Entrepreneurial Week, May 11-16, in Milwaukee. The application for the pitch competition, which includes a $5,000 prize, is open until March 18th.
