WWBIC 2022 Luncheon Highlights

WWBIC 2022 Luncheon Highlights

Thanks to the over 950 attendees who made our 2022 annual luncheon a resounding success. Clients, funders, partners, volunteers, staff and friends all gathered at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino on November 15th to celebrate WWBIC’s 35th anniversary.

Three industry thought leaders – Connie Evans, Dan Betancourt and Donna Gambrell – discussed the latest trends and opportunities in the world of economic development; and four WWBIC clients – Rafael Escobar, Danielle Goss, Sandra Harvey, and Christye Johnson also shared their success stories with luncheon attendees. Before and after the luncheon, 70 entrepreneurial clients showcased their products in the Small Biz Market. Centerpieces and desserts featuring WWBIC clients were also shared with attendees.

Stay tuned to this page to browse photos from the event and a recorded video of the event livestream as they become available, or follow the links provided below to access our client directory for your holiday shopping needs or donate to WWBIC now online.

DONNA GAMBRELL 

Donna J. Gambrell is President & CEO of Appalachian Community Capital, which attracts and directs investments to CDFIs and other mission-driven lenders in Appalachia. Gambrell serves on several CDFI boards and is the board chair of the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson State University and a Master of Science degree from New York University.

DANIEL BETANCOURT

Dan Betancourt is President & CEO of Community First Fund with over 25 years of experience in community economic development lending. Under Betancourt’s leadership, Community First Fund has grown into a regional Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), attracting multimillion-dollar investments and with nearly $200 million under management.

CONNIE EVANS

Connie E. Evans is President & CEO of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), the national trade association for microbusiness representing over 1700 practitioners and advocates in the United States. With international experience spanning 43 countries, Evans draws on her expertise in developing and implementing strategies to further economic development, health and social change in communities.

Lead Sponsor


Shop Small Sponsor


Stories of Impact Sponsors


Small Biz Market Sponsors


Anniversary Sponsors


WWBIC Makers Sponsors

Associated Bank and Brewers Community Foundation Announce Continued Support of WWBIC Clients

Associated Bank and Brewers Community Foundation Announce Continued Support of WWBIC Clients

WWBIC is thrilled to announce the continued support of Associated Bank and the Brewers Community Foundation for our clients through new funding for 2023.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of these two outstanding organizations,” says WWBIC President and CVO Wendy Baumann. “These funds will help 15 of our clients continue their success in serving their communities and also allow us to continue to serve even more small businesses across Wisconsin in the future.”

Read our press release with complete details here

Clients receiving grants are as follows (photos provided below also):

About You Solutions (Lodi)

Battlebox Studios Limited (Milwaukee)

Chicago’s House of Hoagies (Menasha)

Duncan’s Dog Daycare (Madison)

Esperanza Coffee Collective (Kenosha/Racine)

Fleet Clean (Madison)

I Love Tamales (Racine)

Jamaican Season Island (Milwaukee)

Metric Forrest Studio (Madison)

MOR Foods (Milwaukee)

Mr. Green’s BBQ (Milwaukee)

The Pink Bakery (Milwaukee)

PUSH Fitness MKE (Milwaukee)

ShowTime Alloy Wheel Repair (Milwaukee)

Twisted Plants (Cudahy)

2023 Programs Catalog Now Available

2023 Programs Catalog Now Available

2023 Programs Catalog Now Available

Let 2023 be the year you “Put Dreams to Work” with WWBIC! View our 2023 WWBIC Training & Lending Programs Catalog for your region by clicking on the images provided below. Go to the Trainings tab for more details or to register for a training session today!

[NOTE – Training session registration links are in the process of being populated. If you can’t find a session in our catalog on the website, please try again in a few days]

Greater Milwaukee Programs Catalog (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa & West Allis)

Download/Print
Browse/Link Online

Spanish Catalog

Northeast Wisconsin Programs Catalog (Appleton, Green Bay & Surrounding Area)

Download/Print
Browse/Link Online

Spanish Catalog

South Central Wisconsin Programs Catalog (Greater Madison & Surrounding Area)

Download/Print
Browse/Link Online

Spanish Catalog

Southeast Wisconsin Programs Catalog (Racine, Kenosha & Walworth Counties)

Download/Print
Browse/Link Online

Spanish Catalog

Southwest Wisconsin Programs Catalog (La Crosse & Surrounding Area)

Download/Print
Browse/Link Online

Spanish Catalog

New Video features WWBIC and Our Clients

New Video features WWBIC and Our Clients

New Video features WWBIC and Our Clients

WWBIC’s work is not solo – that is why we rely on all of our partners to help advance the important work of economic development.  We are grateful for our recent partnership with The Kroger Co. Foundation and LISC (National and Regional), who teamed up with WWBIC to provide additional technical assistance to food-based business owners of color affected by the pandemic.  Thanks to the generosity of Kroger and LISC, we are able to share a video featuring some stories of hope and opportunity directly from the clients to help “build it together.”

Make sure to pay a visit to the WWBIC clients highlighted in the video: Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille; Fit4You Mke; Johanna’s Cakes & Desserts Cafe; Lopez Bakery & Restaurant; The Pink Bakery; Triciclo Peru Empanada – Pisco Bar; Tropical Pops; and Twisted Plants.

2021 WWBIC Annual Celebration Highlights

2021 WWBIC Annual Celebration Highlights

2021 WWBIC Annual Celebration Highlights

The Next Vintage | Cultivating a Legacy

Please join WWBIC in celebrating highlights from our 2021 annual celebration!

On Thursday, November 4th we gathered virtually and in person as we looked to the future while continuing to create new ways of garnering support and matching resources with the needs of Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial community.

The theme of this year’s event was: The Next Vintage | Cultivating a Legacy. Our program honored the roots of our past work, but also looked toward the future with intention – cultivating our work, spaces, and places into our shared legacy full of hope. To embrace our nod to the future, we welcomed Cristina Torres, Marimar Estates Director of Sales and Marketing, as our keynote speaker.

 

Watch the 2021 Annual Celebration video using the link provided above. Presentations begin at 35:30.

Shop Small!

Make your holiday purchases this year from WWBIC clients with our 2021 Shop Small Digital Catalog, featuring products and listings for over 200 clients!

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

Cristina Torres is a member of Familia Torres, a fifth generation family business with roots that trace back to the 17th century in Barcelona, Spain. Cristina inherited the love of the vineyard from her family and grew up working alongside her mother and their business namesake, Marimar.

The Torres family business has been handed down from father to son for five generations, but this is the first time that the baton will be passed from mother to daughter.

Cristina graduated from Princeton University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Cristina achieved the WSET Level 3 certification from the renowned Wine & Spirit Education Trust and is in the process of obtaining the WSET Level 4 diploma. She is fluent in Catalan, Spanish, English and French.
Wine from Marimar Estate Vineyard & Winery are now available in Wisconsin! Contact your favorite alcohol retailer for availability, or sign up for the Marimar Estate Wine Club here.

Club ORO — Stories of Impact Sponsors

Club Plata — Small Biz Market Sponsors

Club Cobre — Wisconsin Makers Sponsors

Anonymous

Club Verde – Client Scholarship Sponsors

Andrea & Orendorff, LLP

Baird

Badger Liquor

CIBM Bank

CLA

DirectSupply

Entrepreneurs Coalition

ERC Midwest

Foley & Lardner

Godfrey & Kahn

Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee (HACM)

Hurtado Zimmerman

Ixonia Bank

Marquette University Institute for Women’s Leadership

Landmark Credit Union

Lincoln Property Company

Machare & Associates

Michael Best & Friedrich

Milwaukee Bucks

North Shore Bank

Palermo Villa

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren sc

RitzHolman CPAs

TEMPO Milwaukee

Town Bank

UMOS

WaterStone Bank

WBD

Zizzl, LLC

CLUB AZUL – Corporate  Sponsors

BioForward ~ City of Middleton/Mike Davis ~ City of West Allis ~ Clark Gridley/Carl Trimble ~ Diamond Discs International ~ Grandville BID/EDC ~ Greater Milwaukee Committee ~ Heartland Information Research ~ Hmong Chamber of Commerce ~ Irene Strohbeen & Associates ~ Marcus Hotels ~ Milwaukee Business Journal ~ Milwaukee Development Corporation ~ Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 ~ Milwaukee Northshore Rotary ~ Mueller Communications ~ New Covenant Housing Corporation ~ One Community Bank ~ Realty4Good ~ Self-Help Federal Credit Union ~ SCORE ~ Tri-City National Bank ~ U.S. Small Business Administration ~ Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions ~ Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corporation ~ Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Media Club Sponsors

88 Nine Radio Milwaukee

BizTimes Media (Milwaukee Business News)

El Conquistador Latino Newspaper

Milwaukee Business Journal

Shepherd Express

The City of Oshkosh Micro Enterprise Program (Forgivable Loan)

The City of Oshkosh Micro Enterprise Program (Forgivable Loan)

The City of Oshkosh Micro Enterprise Program (Forgivable Loan)

The Oshkosh Micro Enterprise Program is focused on existing micro enterprises located in the corporate limits of the City of Oshkosh that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a forgivable loan program and qualified micro enterprises are eligible for a forgivable loan of up to $7,500. Funding can be used for assistance with, basic working capital for leasing space, insurance and/or utilities, and staff salaries.

Please download the appropriate fact sheet for your location to view income requirements for this opportunity. To view a detailed map of eligible locations, please click here.


How will this program work and who is eligible?

WWBIC will be handling the application and distribution of the loans, as well as follow up business coaching and mentorship opportunities. Funds will be targeted to for-profit, existing micro-enterprises located in the City of Oshkosh, where the business has five or fewer full-time equivalent employees, including the owner.


Eligibility:

  • Businesses must be in the City of Oshkosh.
  • Businesses must be a Micro Enterprise. (5 or fewer employees including the owner(s))
  • Business needs to be in good standing with State of WI and City of Oshkosh.
  • Business must have a DUNS Number
  • Business owner’s household income is under 80% of the County of Winnebago Median
  • EXCLUDES new businesses started after February 1st, 2020

 


What type of documentation is required?

Businesses must provide all documents to be considered for the forgivable loan below:

  • Executive Summary for the forgivable loan and detailed use of funds for your business
  • Client Information Form
  • Business Information Form
  • Duplication of Benefits Form
  • EIN
  • Business Debt Schedule
  • Interim Income Statement (2022)
  • Business Tax Returns for 2020 and 2021 – two separate PDFs
  • SBA Form 413 – Personal Financial Statement for all owners of the business, including spouses and guarantors
  • Personal Tax Forms for 2020 and 2021
  • W-2 or 1099 for 2021
  • A copy of your driver’s license/photo id

Ineligible Use of Funds

You may not use your loan for the following below items below:

  • Reimburse expenses incurred prior to Feb 1, 2021
  • Pay off non-business debt
  • Purchase personal expenses
  • Direct financing to political activities or paying off taxes and fines
  • Purchase personal items, or support other businesses in which the borrower may have an interest
  • No new business start up costs

When will the application be available?  

The application will remain open until all Forgivable Loan funds have been exhausted. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received (time stamped) and will be equitably considered.

For additional information or questions about applying for The Oshkosh Micro Enterprise Program, please contact Colleen Bies, at cbies@wwbic.com.

The application will remain open until all Forgivable Loan funds have been exhausted. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received (time stamped) and will be equitably considered.