WWBIC names Makeba Butler and Lisa Taylor as Co-Directors of Veterans Business Outreach Center for Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois

Makeba Butler. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.

WWBIC has recently appointed Makeba Butler and Lisa Taylor as Co-Directors for the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program at WWBIC, which covers Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. In 2018, WWBIC received funding from the SBA to host the VBOC, which provides support to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard & Reserve members and families, and military-connected families interested in starting or growing a small business.

In 2019 the VBOC team served 230 clients through outreach and counseling, and 283 clients through education at Boots to Business and Reboot classes. Looking ahead to 2020, there are 14 Reboot classes scheduled throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. In addition, WWBIC will be partnering with the Veterans Chamber of Commerce in Wisconsin to create a new business accelerator program specifically targeting Veteran entrepreneurs and business owners.

VBOC@WWBIC has deployed an innovative model to support its tri-state partners in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota by leveraging the expertise of two Co-Directors to lead the journey to small business ownership. Lisa Taylor, former VBOC@WWBIC Associate Director and most recently Interim Director, will join Makeba as Co-Director. Lisa will be the lead for Wisconsin and Makeba will be the lead for Illinois. Together they will co-lead efforts in Minnesota.

Dr. Makeba Butler comes to The VBOC @ WWBIC with extensive experience, most recently as the Associate Director of Veteran Programs and the IL PTAC at the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago, IL. She is an Air Force veteran and former education professional who is passionate about supporting and recognizing women veterans as key contributors to the military and veteran community. She earned a Doctor of Education degree in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University-Portland and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University.

Prior to coming to WWBIC in 2018, Lisa Taylor was the Founder and Owner of Strategic Partnerships LLC, helping employers create effective employee engagement and retention strategies, as well as the Co-Founder and former CFO of Marten Building and Design, Inc. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Madison Area Technical College. She is a military spouse with her husband currently serving in the Army National Guard.

Lisa Taylor. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.

“We are thrilled to have Lisa and Makeba be part of our leadership team; tremendous talent to jointly lead VBOC@WWBIC to serve our veteran population,” said Kamaljit K. Jackson, WWBIC Vice President for Programs and Operations.

About WWBIC

Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC) is a leading, innovative economic development corporation “Putting Dreams to Work.” WWBIC’s primary focus is on women, people of color and low income individuals, providing direct lending and access to fair and responsible capital, quality business education, one-on-one technical business assistance and education to increase financial capability.   Since 1987, WWBIC has lent over $76 million in micro and small business loans with a current loan portfolio of $22.8 million and over 550 active borrowers.  To learn more about WWBIC visit: www.wwbic.com

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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