Scale Up Milwaukee, an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, is launching its sixth growth accelerator program.
Operated in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Lubar School of Business, Scale Up Milwaukee offers programming designed to teach business owners practical skills to grow their ventures.
Since 2013, the Growth Accelerator program has graduated 71 participating companies, resulting in more than 800 hires, and generating revenues above $330 million.
To kickoff the next class, Scale Up will host a party June 13 at Central Standard Craft Distillery in Milwaukee, where the organization also plans to announce a $430,000 grant from the Surdna Foundation.
This latest grant supports Scale Up’s diversity initiative, called Rising Tide, which was created to advance wealth, revenue growth and opportunities in communities of color, and provide resources for minority business owners.
Rising Tide received an initial grant of $175,000 in 2018, bringing total funding to more than half a million dollars.
“By leveraging Scale Up Milwaukee’s experience and success working with local business owners, the Surdna grant and Rising Tide program will allow us greater opportunities to work with minority business owners, helping them unlock the tools and tactics correlated with building generational wealth through business success,” Scale Up Milwaukee Executive Director Elmer Moore said in a statement.
In addition to Lubar School of Business faculty members, Scale Up Milwaukee works with investors, banks, professional services firms, universities and other public stakeholders to support business growth.
