Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Delivers “Building Bridges” Grants for Local Small Businesses
The Building Bridges Program provides grants and resources to support small businesses and commercial corridor activation across Milwaukee County
MILWAUKEE – Today, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced the first cohort of local businesses that were awarded $10,000 grants as part of his Building Bridges Program that supports small business development and commercial corridor activation by expanding access to resources and technical assistance.
Crowley’s Building Bridges Program provides technical support through a small business liaison and administers $10,000 grants to small businesses across Milwaukee County for building improvements that enhance commercial corridor activation efforts. The goal is to expand resources to establish or expand brick-and-mortar businesses in Milwaukee County while fueling commercial corridor revitalization. Milwaukee County Economic Development was awarded $200,000 from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) for this initiative, which will be used to provide $10,000 grants to qualifying small businesses.
“My administration is working to build bridges between entrepreneurs, local governments, and community organizations to fuel real economic development across Milwaukee County. With support from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, we’re putting $10,000 grants and technical assistance directly into the hands of local small businesses so they have the tools to succeed,” said County Executive Crowley. “This initiative will help activate vacant storefronts, create jobs, and uplift small businesses throughout our community. That’s the kind of impact we’re aiming for, because Milwaukee County is committed to building opportunity—one small business at a time.”
“The dispersal of funds through the Building Bridges program is equity in action, investing in the people, neighborhoods, and small businesses that make Milwaukee County special,” said County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. “By equipping local entrepreneurs with the resources they need to succeed, we’re strengthening our commercial corridors, uplifting working families, and ensuring that community institutions can grow and thrive.”
“Small businesses are critical to our state’s success,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “They create jobs, drive growth, and help build a sense of community. WEDC is proud to assist small businesses through innovative programs like Milwaukee’s Building Bridges, and we look forward to watching these businesses mature and thrive.”
As part of the Building Bridges Program, a small business liaison will work to foster communication, collaboration, and partnerships between municipalities and the local business community. Additional County resources will be utilized for commercial corridor activation, marketing, branding, and website development and maintenance. The Building Bridges Program is operated by Milwaukee County Economic Development staff.
The first cohort of Building Bridges Program grants have been awarded to the following local small businesses:
- The Amani Place, City of Milwaukee
- Brim Cafe and Catering, City of Milwaukee
- Plant Joy Deli, City of Wauwatosa
- Cloud 9, City of Milwaukee
- Kismet Activations, City of Milwaukee
- Twelve29 Lounge, City of South Milwaukee
- Redacted Escape Rooms, City of West Allis
- Uplifting Mansion, City of Milwaukee
- The Cactus Club, City of Milwaukee
- All Goods, City of West Allis
“I’m grateful for the Building Bridges program and Milwaukee County’s investment in local businesses. Receiving this grant is more than financial support—it’s a vote of confidence in small businesses and the role we play in our communities,” said Briana Redmond, Owner of The Amani Place. “With this support, I can complete critical upgrades that will not only help The Amani Place grow in a sustainable way, but also create a more accessible and welcoming destination the Near West Side can be proud of.”
“It’s an honor to be recognized by Milwaukee County with this grant,” said Ali Acevedo, Owner of All Goods. “This support not only strengthens our operations today, but also helps secure the long-term sustainability of our business.”
“Receiving these funds is further confirmation that our evolving project, the Plant Joy Deli, is a good fit for economic development in Milwaukee,” said Amberlea Childs, Owner and Head Chef of Plant Joy Deli. “Our deli expansion had been delayed and then restarted, and those few years we’re long and demanding. This grant will help us at a crucial time of buildout, therefore creating opportunity and instant project resources. We’re beyond grateful to Milwaukee County and super excited to bring tasty and healthy plant-based options to Milwaukee.”
“Paul and I are starting this business in Milwaukee because we have a heart for this community. We went into this endeavor thinking about what we could do for our neighborhoods,” said Julie Lukas, Co-Owner of Kismet Activations. “We feel very fortunate that the County sees our heart and has an interest in investing in us and other small businesses that want to create jobs, bring communities together, and honor the legacy of our great neighborhoods like Bronzeville.”
“Brim Café & Catering has been offering modern and authentic café and catering solutions to Milwaukee in corporate complexes since its establishment in 2014. We are grateful the County awarded us with this grant to expand into our first standalone location in the historic Lincoln Village,” said Brittany Wahhab, Co-Owner of Brim Café & Catering. “Building bridges is exactly what we plan to do in the neighborhood by offering coffee and specialty beverages and a first of its kind Mediterranean café menu, helping to create a safe community, and catering for special events in our new space! Our intention is to make a positive impact in the neighborhood by establishing a community café space, welcome to everyone.”
“Our initial budget was created before the increase in the cost of goods. We also had construction delays out of our control. We had to use money budgeted for other items to pay our lease payment,” said Nick Springer, Owner of Redacted Escape Rooms. “Without this grant, we would not be able to have an illuminated sign letting everyone know we exist. Thankfully, we were able to receive the grant, and Redacted Escape Rooms will now have a better presence and increased revenue due to the exposure.”
“I am grateful for the financial support to make significant and lasting improvements to my building and business infrastructure,” said Kelcey Kalumbula, Cloud 9 Workshop. “It’s challenging to maintain business cash flow and also afford updates to a 96-year-old building. This grant was the boost I needed to take my improvement plan to the finish line and positively impact my business, neighboring businesses, and community.”
More information about how the selected small businesses will utilize Building Bridges grant funding is available HERE.
More information about County Executive Crowley’s Building Bridges Program is available HERE.
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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