MILWAUKEE-Gov. Jim Doyle recently announced that seven southeastern Wisconsin organizations will share grants totaling $300,000 from the Department of Commerce to promoted community development efforts. Lt. Gov. Barbara G. Lawton presented the grants at the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation office in Milwaukee.

"My Grow Wisconsin Initiative calls for investing in our communities to promote entrepreneurship and business development in areas most in need of new economic opportunity," Gov. Doyle said. "Today's awards will leverage $1,608,625 in additional investment."

The following summarizes the awards:

Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (Wwbic), Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $102,000 Community-based Economic Development Program (CBED) grant.
WWBIC will use its grant to continue to provide statewide business education and assistance; help small businesses win state and federal contracts; coordinate regional small business partnerships including incubator efforts; partner with small business associations on work and education issues; and provide loans to minority-women-owned, and small businesses.

The Center For Teaching Entrepreneurship, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $30,000 CBED grant.
The Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship will use its grant to help fund an entrepreneurship program begun in 1998 for young adults. The program will train young adults with the goal of placing more young people in their own businesses.

North Avenue Community Development Corporation, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $52,500 CBED grant.
The North Avenue Community Development Corporation will use its grant to assist in the establishment of a food court on an abandoned lot currently owned by the City of Milwaukee. This development will provide space for six food establishments bringing jobs and economic activity to the area and helping to enhance the recently-completed redevelopment of two adjacent blocks.

Wisconsin Technology Council, $62,000 CBED grant.
The Wisconsin Technology Council will use its grant to hold the second-annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference in Milwaukee in June and to sponsor the 18th-annual Life Sciences Venture Fair to be held this autumn in Madison.

Burleigh Street Community Development Corporation, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $22,500 CBED grant.
The Burleigh Street Community Development Corporation will use its grant to plan Phase II of a successful real estate venture on Burleigh St. The project has helped draw several new retailers to the neighborhood and is increasing the economic activity in this once-vibrant area.

Urban Economic Development Association (Ueda), Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $25,000 CBED grant.
The total project cost for this project is $68,225. UEDA will use the grant to assist the City of Milwaukee in promoting federal Renewal Community tax credits as an incentive for investment in the city's distressed areas. UEDA is under contract with the city as a lead training and information agency for many of Milwaukee's local development organizations.

Center For Advanced Technology And Innovation, Racine, Racine County, $6,100 CBED grant
The Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation will use its grant to explore the formation of a county-wide angel investment network to help fund the commercialization of technology projects. The center has acquired 25 patents through donations that it hopes to help commercialize.

The CBED Program is designed to promote local business development in economically distressed areas. The program awards grants to community-based organizations for development and business assistance projects and to municipalities for economic development planning. The program also helps community-based organizations plan, build, and create business and technology-based incubators, and can also capitalize an incubator tenant revolving-loan program. For further information, contact Jim Frymark, 608/266-2742.

-- Tony Hozeny

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