By Sharon Verbeten
Blueprint Green Bay is looking to make its mark in the region.
Funded in part by a $150,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., New North, Inc. has partnered with the Greater Green Bay Chamber to launch the accelerator, which focuses on startups led by minorities, veterans and women in Northeast Wisconsin.
“It’s a first-of-its-kind accelerator in Northeast Wisconsin,” says Kelly Armstrong, vice president of economic development for the Greater Green Bay Chamber.
The chamber already has a business incubator (the Startup Hub) and a coworking space (the Urban Hub), and Armstrong says Blueprint “is a great on-ramp to resources.”
Blueprint Green Bay focuses on businesses developing new technology or working in e-commerce or advanced manufacturing. It provides startups the opportunity to secure seed capital as well as entrepreneurial and technology training through two focused cohorts.
“Providing additional opportunities that combine training, mentors and startup capital to minority-, women- and veteran-owned founders was an initiative that was identified through the NEW Launch Alliance,” says New North President and CEO Barb LaMue.
Entrepreneurs accepted into the fall and spring cohorts meet at least four days a week during their 12-week session, ending in a demo day where their products and services will be displayed to secure grant funding. The first 12-week session focuses on ideation and viability of business ideas and creating revenue models; the second cohort focuses on market validation.
Blueprint Green Bay will be based out of the Urban Hub in downtown Green Bay. “(The Urban Hub) is tailored to the entrepreneurs it serves by offering an innovative, collaborative and energizing environment,” Armstrong says.
In addition to New North and the chamber, Blueprint Green Bay will be run by the Young Enterprising Society (Y.E.S.), based in Milwaukee. Y.E.S. was founded by 30-something Milwaukee natives Khalif El-Amin and his brother, Que. When the men returned home from college, they noticed there was a disconnect in social opportunities for young professionals, says Khalif El-Amin.
Y.E.S. was launched in 2012 and started out hosting social and community give-back events and connecting entrepreneurs. The brothers also completed the Midwest Energy Resource Consortium accelerator program in 2014.
“We took a lot of the good and the bad from that accelerator,” El-Amin says. “We are constantly trying to tweak and pivot to give the best product for entrepreneurs.”
The brothers, who have run six cohorts in Milwaukee, will be looking for startups with high growth potential that have been in business for less than five years with revenue of $1 million or less.
“Our main focus is to represent underserved populations, giving them resources to be successful,” says El-Amin, adding that the two call their accelerator a cultivator, as they stay connected with entrepreneurs after the cohorts to track their progress and maintain connections.
Y.E.S. will conduct cohorts this fall and next spring for Blueprint Green Bay and then assess the program going forward. El-Amin is looking forward to entering Northeast Wisconsin, hoping to create an entrepreneurial triangle with Milwaukee, Green Bay and, later, Madison.
“We’re using entrepreneurship as an equalizer,” El-Amin says.
For more information or to apply, visit thestartuphub.org/helpful-links/blueprint. Applications for the second cohort will be due in January 2022.
More cohorts converge
1915 Studios, a new accelerator in the region, has kicked off its first cohort.
According to New North President and CEO Barb LaMue, the partnership between Georgia-Pacific and gener8tor will provide resources for startups in the areas of sensing and hygiene solutions technology.
Participants receive free space within 1915 Studios, which is located at Georgia-Pacific’s Neenah offices, as well as access to prototyping and additive manufacturing, individualized coaching and mentorship from the gener8tor team, and one-on-one meetings with more than 25 mentors, including serial entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and investors.
“All these initiatives reinforce the support for entrepreneurs and the strengthening of our entrepreneurial ecosystem in the New North Region,” LaMue says.
For more information, visit gbetastartups.com/1915-studios.
