Education Briefs

Startup Milwaukee exits 96Square, launches next class of The Commons
Startup Milwaukee has passed on the management of its 96Square startup co-working space to SSG Properties, the firm that owns the historic Blatz Wash House building in which it is based.
There are currently 15 startups based in the 11,000-square-foot space, located at 1101 N. Market St., for which Startup Milwaukee provided the sales and marketing. Launched in 2013, its goal is to provide entrepreneurs with low-rent space to grow their businesses, and access to other entrepreneurs and mentors.
Startup Milwaukee, a nonprofit, volunteer organization run by its four co-founders part-time, made the move so it could focus on some of its other programs and projects. The organization, which serves as a kind of trade organization for startups, plans to launch a series of events this fall, said Matt Cordio, one of its founders.
“We’re turning to doing more networking events and programs around mentorship and connecting entrepreneurs to talent and capital,” Cordio said.
Meanwhile, Startup Milwaukee has started accepting applications for its fall entrepreneurial skills accelerator program, The Commons, which it conducts in cooperation with Innovation in Milwaukee (MiKE).
The 10-week program is free to students from 22 area colleges, universities and technical colleges, and offers an opportunity for students to receive mentorship and training on becoming an entrepreneur or working for an innovative area company.
Among the companies providing mentorship are Brady Corp., Briggs & Stratton, Direct Supply and Kohl’s. Some of those companies may recruit students they connect with through The Commons.
The Commons launched a pilot program last fall with the goal of attracting, developing and retaining the brightest minds in southeastern Wisconsin.
Applications are due Sept. 9, and the program will start Sept. 19. This semester, The Commons will accept 70 to 80 students and shorten The Commons from a full year to one semester.
Since the program is free for students, revenue is generated from corporations who would like access to the entrepreneurial talent and academic partners whose students will gain skills from The Commons.

gener8tor names 2015 accelerator class
Milwaukee-based startup accelerator gener8tor has announced its latest class of startup companies, which began the 12-week program on Aug. 7.
This is the seventh program led by gener8tor, which was founded in June 2012 and has been ranked among the top 15 startup incubators in the country. The 33 companies who have completed the program, which offers mentorship, training, capital, community and networking, have gone on to raise almost $50 million in financing, and have created more than 300 jobs.
gener8tor invests $20,000 cash in each participating startup. They are also each guaranteed $70,000 in follow-on investment from gener8tor and Angels on the Water. Companies that create Wisconsin jobs are also eligible for another $50,000 from BrightStar Wisconsin. At the end of the program in November, the companies have the opportunity to pitch their startups to community members and potential investors at Premiere Night.
Five companies were chosen for the latest accelerator program, from among 486 applications. They are: Madison-based AkitaBox, which created an SaaS application to digitize, store and index building documentation and facility data; Chicago-based Ezra’s, a national online retailer of rare craft spirits; Toronto, Canada-based needls., an ad platform that allows companies to create, target and optimize digital ads across platforms; Chicago-based Player’s Health, which creates a HIPAA-compliant, mobile, web-based athletic health record for youth athletes; and Minneapolis-based Prescribe Nutrition, which connects members with nutritionists through online, interactive nutrition and wellness programs.

M-WERC gets $50,000 SBA grant
M-WERC (Midwest Energy Research Consortium) has won a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration through its second annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.
The contest targeted accelerators, incubators, co-working startup spaces and other models and aimed to advance the work of accelerators, particularly those located in cities that have limited access to venture capital and investors. About $4 million was distributed through this year’s fund competition.
Grant dollars allocated to M-WERC will support operations of its WERCBench Accelerator, facilitated at the Energy Innovation Center in Milwaukee. Through its WERCBench Labs program, M-WERC gives selected startups mentoring opportunities and resources to help transform their ideas into viable businesses.
“This is great news not only for M-WERC and our more than 80 member companies,” Alan Perlstein, M-WERC executive director and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “It’s great news for our region and the companies working in the energy power and control sector.”
M-WERC won the national grant through an application process and was one of 80 grant recipients total. Applications were reviewed by more than 40 thought leaders in entrepreneurship, investments, startups, economic development, capital formation and academia. The first round of judging whittled more than 400 entries down to 180 finalists.
Along with working to reach accelerators in regions starved for capital, the 2015 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition sought to help accelerators comprised of underrepresented groups and accelerators with an emphasis
on manufacturing.

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