Milwaukee County is launching a concerted effort to strengthen its small business sector with a newly approved program known as Building Bridges – a small business development initiative designed to rejuvenate commercial corridors throughout the area. According to an announcement by the Milwaukee County Executive's office, the County Board of Supervisors has greenlit the legislation that underpins this vision, giving the local business landscape a potential shot in the arm.
The Building Bridges program is not just about handing out grants; it establishes a new small business liaison role to offer technical support, despite the challenges of bureaucracy, the complexities of infrastructure and the myriad trials that running a small enterprise demands. County Executive David Crowley articulated this synergy-focused strategy, saying as per Milwaukee County website, "During my State of the County address, I called on my administration to build bridges between small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business support organizations, and municipalities seeking to fill commercial corridor spaces." Crowley further emphasized the multipronged impact he envisions, highlighting job creation and economic growth alongside the bolstering of neighborhood vitality.
In the engagement with the program's financials, $200,000 in backing arrives from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) targeted at providing $10,000 grants to eligible businesses, as detailed by the County Executive's press release. Such funding is a catalyst, with the expectancy that it will stoke the fire of economic activity and serve as a cornerstone for future investment and development in Milwaukee County's business infrastructure.
At the helm of administrative execution sits Celia Benton, Director of Milwaukee County Economic Development, who is charged with taking the Building Bridges program from blueprint to bricks-and-mortar reality. Under Benton's guidance, the program will not only hand out grants but also cement relationships, and communicate intimately with municipalities which is critical to fostering a thriving business community that extends its roots deep into the county's economic fabric, the comprehensive support encompasses marketing, branding and digital outreach as the program proceeds to accept grant applications and onboard the liaison set to bridge gaps and champion the county’s entrepreneurial spirit.
