Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Less than two years after debuting their first retail venture, Waterford business owners Vana and Ward Lyon are opening a second gift and accessories shop along the village's Main Street.

National hair salon chain Drybar is expanding into Milwaukee's North Shore. The company this week announced plans for a new...

Milwaukee startup Advanced Ionics, a company focused on tackling the decarbonization of heavy industry, has been selected out of a pool of 420 businesses to take part in the Fondo de Emprendedores accelerator.

Milwaukee-based Sift Healthcare, a data science company that helps health care providers receive increased patient payment and payer reimbursement, has closed a $9 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Allos Ventures and First Trust Capital Partners. The Winnebago Seed Fund is one of several early investors in the company.

Joe Megibow, the newly named CEO of Milwaukee-based Bright Cellars, was blunt in saying most people wonder why he would leave his past role at a $700 million-plus public company for a not-yet profitable startup. He was also matter of fact in his answer: he sees a legitimate opportunity to continue to grow the business.

Portland-based startup Radious is embracing the changing world of work and providing both workers and companies with a bevy of remote working options. The company, founded during the summer of 2020, allows users to rent different types of workspaces.

When the COVID-19 pandemic threw Menomonee Falls residents Alexi and Colin Shepet a curve ball, the couple used the opportunity to launch a business that would quickly grow to service two counties. Dockside Watercraft Cleaners, which was first started in Pewaukee, is now expanding into Walworth County.

Burlington-based Vorpagel Service, Inc., a commercial HVAC contractor, has been acquired by Deerfield, Illinois-based Reedy Industries. Reedy Industries is a commercial and industrial HVAC, plumbing and building controls services company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

James Kyle, founder and CEO of Delavan-based Millennium, was named the winner of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Midwest Award by Ernst & Young.

New Berlin-based The Thielmann Group has been acquired by Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Heartland Home Services, a Midwestern provider of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical home services.