A commitment to making the University of Wisconsin‑Green Bay an economic driving force in Northeast Wisconsin helped land $1 million to create the Cheese Wedge Consortium.
The consortium, funded through an Ignite Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, will be led by UW‑Green Bay and New North, Inc. with programming delivered by gener8tor.
“The reason New North is partnering with UW‑Green Bay is to really fuel the region’s strategy to accelerate high‑growth startups, expand innovation capacity and really strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem that the New North has,” says Patti Habeck, New North, Inc. executive director. “This collaboration is not just about connecting organizations; it is about creating a thriving region where ideas flourish, and solutions to the world’s challenges are born.”
Habeck says the goal is to connect universities, corporations, service providers and investors to create a pipeline for entrepreneurship.
UW‑Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander says, “Ecosystems, when you talk about startups, are excruciatingly important. We want to make sure that we are an important part of the ecosystem in entrepreneurship.”
Alexander thinks the Cheese Wedge Consortium efforts will attract entrepreneurs from the region, but also from across the country, becoming a magnet that draws innovators who will start businesses in the area.
New North, Inc. will leverage its experience building regional collaborations within the business community and will have responsibilities for fiscal management and accountability of the consortium, according to Habeck.
Cheese Wedge hopes to capitalize on the future Phoenix Innovation Park’s integration with UW‑Green Bay. The park is planned as a 65‑acre mixed development that would include office space, living quarters and amenities with the aim of becoming a hub for innovation and entrepreneurs.
The Cheese Wedge Consortium will support:
Accelerator programming tailored to regional needs
Pre‑seed bootcamps
Corporate innovation and engagement
Equity investments for startups
Legal and housing stipends for relocating founders
Co‑working space and community‑based outreach
According to a press release, the consortium is expected to support 21 startups, engage 42 participants, directly fund 18 companies, create 46 new jobs and generate $3.4 million in revenue.
UW‑Green Bay has been working in a variety of ways to draw entrepreneurs and startups to the area, and Alexander says the Cheese Wedge Consortium builds on the success of the gBETA pre‑accelerator launched last fall.
That program was a free, seven‑week, no‑equity program that supported entrepreneurs with coaching, mentorship and programming led by gener8tor.
Five companies (Copacati, MyVendue, PhoenixAid, SecAsset and TEST MEKA) completed the program in January with a pitch night.
Joe Kirgues, a founder of gener8tor, says the Cheese Wedge effort will be over a longer period and offer investment opportunities to some of the participants.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this incredible consortium,” Kirgues says. “It really shows that the initial step we took together can continue and be built on.”
At the launch of gBETA in fall 2025, Cofrin School of Business Dean Matt Dornbush said, “We recognize that it doesn’t matter if you are an engineering student, you major in art, nursing or in business — you’re going to have to leave here with an entrepreneurial mindset so you can identify and solve the world’s emerging challenges.”
Ignite Wisconsin
The first round of Ignite Wisconsin funding from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation funded three other programs across Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Frontier Technology Consortium – $950,000
The Wisconsin Frontier Technology Consortium, led by the Wisconsin Technology Council, aims to accelerate commercialization of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced materials and quantum computing.
Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition – $778,000
The Wisconsin Fusion Energy Coalition, led by the 5 Lakes Institute, Inc., is anchored by UW‑Madison’s fusion research strength and commercialization capacity, will accelerate startup formation, supply chain development and community outreach in a sector projected to exceed $350 billion globally by 2050.
The Foundry Factory – $772,000
The Center for Technology Commercialization’s Foundry Factory is a founder‑centric pipeline designed to increase the number and quality of high‑growth startups in Southeastern Wisconsin.
