Business startup organization aimed at underserved communities lands seed money from AARP

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Notre Dame professor Michael Morris speaks at the first session of the BizStarts Institute Community Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs at the St. Ann Center Bucyrus Campus in 2020. The program seeks to help low-income entrepreneurs move their businesses forward.

Entrepreneurial startup organization BizStarts will begin its third BizStarts Institute program on Saturday, this time in collaboration with AARP Wisconsin.

"AARP Wisconsin has provided BizStarts with $20,000 worth of seed money to help entrepreneurs in the Institute program get their businesses up and running," BizStarts said in a statement.

The BizStarts Institute is a program started in 2020 that teaches entrepreneurs from underserved areas the basics of running a business.

The program seeks to help low-income entrepreneurs make their dreams a reality — and improve Milwaukee neighborhoods at the same time.

The first part of the program takes place at St. Ann’s Center for Intergenerational Care and happens every Saturday for six consecutive weeks. After the entrepreneurs go through the program, they are paired with a mentor and student consultants to assist in getting their business started.

“I can’t tell you how pleased we are to have formed this collaboration with AARP,” said BizStarts’ Executive Director Patrick Snyder, in a statement. “These businesses need just a small amount to get started and to become cash flow positive.

Patrick Snyder is the executive director of BizStarts.

"Most of our entrepreneurs are customer financed — they grow as more people purchase from them," the organization said in the statement. That means that "with just a small amount of seed money they will never feel the pressure of taking out a loan.”

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The boot camp program beginning on Saturday will finish with a competition in which participants will be able to pitch their business plans.

"There will be a $1,000 prize for the winner of the pitch competition," which will be chosen by three judges from the business community, Snyder said. "The rest of the seed money will be split evenly among the rest of the cohort."

For more information on the BizStarts Institute visit https://bizstarts.com/bizstarts-institute/