Wisconsin’s Minority Business Development Agency business center has closed following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
In 2022, the Wisconsin North Central Minority Supplier Development Council, a nonprofit organization, was awarded a $1.61 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency to create Wisconsin’s first business center aiming to support minority-owned businesses.
The center, located at the NCMSDC’s Wisconsin office at 9300 W. Heather Ave. on Milwaukee’s far northwest side, closed effective April 18.
On April 17, the Department of Commerce terminated the NCMSDC’s federal grant due to Trump’s executive order #14238, which mandated that the MBDA’s “non-statutory components and functions” be eliminated.
Without that funding, the NCMSDC “made the difficult decision to conclude operations for the center,” said Carolyn Mosby, interim president and CEO of the NCMSDC.
The positions funded through the grant were also terminated. Mosby said the center had two staff members, including the center director and program manager.
“The loss of the center is certainly something that affects the potential economic impact that these minority businesses have and could continue to have in the state of Wisconsin,” Mosby said. “When we talk about creation of jobs and investing in communities and economic impacts overall that these businesses have, the loss of the center and the support that it provided definitely affects the entire state.”
The center provided counseling and mentoring, support for job creation and retention, as well as assistance with access to capital, contracts and grants.
The NCMSDC remains committed to “advancing economic equity and business development for minority entrepreneurs,” Mosby said.
“We will continue exploring new opportunities and funding pathways to serve our communities,” Mosby said.
BizTimes reporter Ashley Smart contributed to this story.
