Milwaukee entrepreneur
Mercedez Butts and her business,
Joyce’s House Education Center, have won this year’s Rev-Up MKE competition.
Rev-Up MKE, launched in 2016, is a Shark Tank-style live pitch competition hosted by Near West Side Partners for small businesses hoping to move into an empty storefront on Milwaukee’s near west side. Winners receive cash prizes and in-kind services to support their businesses.
Joyce's House Education Center offers a variety of programs in GED preparation and testing, personal development, and career advancement. The minority, women-owned test center offers programs designed to meet the needs of adult learners at different stages of their lives.
“Joyce's House Education Center will join the community of Rev-Up MKE winners and other entrepreneurs who see the value and potential of growing their businesses right here in the Near West Side,” said
Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, executive director of
Near West Side Partners.
After winning Rev-Up MKE, Joyce's House Education Center hopes to bring accessible education classes to Milwaukee’s near west side, connecting with adult learners looking to further their education and Milwaukee employers who are looking to upscale their workforce.
Joyce’s House Education Center will receive $10,000 in startup funding from Town Bank. The business will also receive more than $25,000 in in-kind services and advertising from Near West Side Partners.
Joyce's House Education Center was also named the “Town Bank Audience Choice” winner and will receive an additional $1,000.
“Rev-Up MKE is pivotal to the small business community in Milwaukee,” said
Jay Mack, president and CEO of
Town Bank. “We see the influence that entrepreneurship brings to our community and are happy to continue supporting local entrepreneurs through programs like Rev-Up MKE that provide a renewed sense of hope for the future of the Near West Side, and Milwaukee as a whole.”
