Brooklyn Chamber CEO to help open new BizStarts offices
New BizForge services aiming to foster entrepreneurial growth in SE Wisconsin similar to Brooklyn
MILWAUKEE (April 9, 2014) – Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce CEO Carlo Scissura, who represents one of the nation’s leading areas for innovation and entrepreneurial activity, will be at the grand opening of BizStarts Milwaukee, a nonprofit organization connecting entrepreneurs with business growth resources, at Schlitz Park on Thursday, April 10th from 4 to 7 p.m.
Scissura will help celebrate that grand opening of BizStarts’ expanded office space that includes BizForge, the M7 region’s first collaborative resource hub bringing together entrepreneurs and business leaders of growing companies across a variety of industries to provide personalized coaching, programming and resources.
In addition to attending the BizStarts grand opening, Scissura will meet with Rocky Marcoux, commissioner of the Dept. of City Development, earlier in the day and tour the city.
“We’re very honored to have Mr. Scissura join us for our grand opening and to see some of the entrepreneurial activity taking place in southeast Wisconsin,” said Dan Steininger, president of BizStarts. “He has witnessed firsthand how a strong entrepreneurial culture can revitalize a local economy through business growth and job development. It’s exactly the type of culture our new BizForge collaborative aims to foster and sustain throughout our community.”
Brooklyn is home to a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that has spawned a number of innovative startups, including Makerbot, a builder of desktop 3-D printers that was acquired for more than $400 million last year. It’s also home to software developers who built the innovative database used by President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign to identify and drive new voter turnout.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is also resurging with an influx of entrepreneurial activity and startups, which includes Steiner Studios, New York City’s first Hollywood-style (and scale) production and support facility.
BizForge aims to foster the type of business growth experienced in Brooklyn by providing entrepreneurs with access to the “wisdom of experts” with the goal of substantially increasing chances of success for business startups.
BizForge will have three dedicated offices offering essential resources and coaching from partners including the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which can help with product market assessments; UW-Milwaukee’s SBDC, which provides experienced business mentoring; UWM’s business-friendly faculty and staff across multiple departments; the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Rapid Prototype Center; and the Fluid and Power Institute Waukesha County Technical College Small Business Center.
Other partners include Manpower’s Right Management and Management Resources Association, to assess business teams and supply talent; the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corp., the Small Business Administration; the city of Milwaukee and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Council of Small Business Executives. BizForge also will work with Michael Best and Friedrich, Ernst & Young, American Family Insurance and early stage investors including Silicon Valley Bank, Brightstar, Wisconsin Super Angels, Marquette Golden Angels, Silicon Pastures, Capital Midwest Venture fund.
Both Scissura and Marcoux will speak at the grand opening event, which is open to the public.
About BizStarts
BizStarts Milwaukee works with entrepreneurs, service providers, capital connections and other resources to help launch and grow new companies. From small stores to large, scalable start-ups, BizStarts can provide the coaching and connections that help smooth the path from idea to investment. For more information, call (414) 973-2334 or click or visit bizstartsmilwaukee.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
