Success Stories
Fitness and Nutrition Business Finds a Marketing Niche
 UW La Crosse graduate Eric Gramza is passionate about health and fitness. That passion inspired his vision of an ideal fitness and nutrition regimen for the Greater Milwaukee Area. In April 2007, Gramza turned that vision into a business, Fuel Up. GO! Fitness and Nutrition LLC, an innovative health and exercise venue offering customized fitness and training programs.
Inner Compass LLC
 In 2001, Jeff Nerone looked for a greeting card that expressed his inner feelings. He discovered many cards from a woman’s point of view, but nothing from a man. Later at a bookstore, he found sections on women’s issues and ethnic issues, but again nothing for men.
Then it hit him; he would fill that gap. He envisioned a greeting card line, Internet magazines, and an Internet talk radio show. And so began Inner Compass – a media company focused on helping men lead emotionally healthy lives.
SBDC Instrumental in Growing Madison Design-Build Business
 When Dani Michels started her interior design-build construction business, Commercial Interior Contractors, she was a one woman show, working on a laptop computer from her home office and often from her car. Though off to a good start, she was ready to grow her business.
La Crosse Architect Builds on Strength of Whole Trees
 Architect and builder, Roald Gundersen, has been a persistent innovator and developer of eco-friendly building designs and materials in the La Crosse area. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Small Business Development Center (SBDC) first assisted Gundersen in the mid 1990s when he designed and built cold-climate greenhouses. In 2007 the SBDC helped Gundersen to expand his latest “green” venture, Whole Trees LLC.
Success is Sweet for Madison Chocolatier
Gail Ambrosius is one of ten 2008 Dane County Small Business Award winners recognized at a banquet on July 13. For Ambrosius this award is proof that hard work really does pay off.
“It’s not easy starting a business. It’s nice to have recognition that I’m doing the right things,” said Ambrosius.”I’m achieving my goals. I’m able to employ people, give back to the community. All that really feels wonderful.”
UW-Milwaukee SBDC Helps Entrepreneur Stay in Business
 Nigerian born Yinka Adedokun is a serial entrepreneur and small business owner. For 15 years his downtown Milwaukee restaurant, the African Hut, gave diners a taste of African cuisine and an education in African culture. Though Adedokun closed the doors of his restaurant in February, he is still in business at Reynold’s Pasty Shop, the business he purchased in late 2007 with an SBA Community Express Loan.
“D’Bug Lady” Returns To Wisconsin with the Help of WEN Partners
 JUNEAU COUNTY--- Carol Schriver-Kauscher has returned to Wisconsin! Carol, also known as “D’BugLady," was a successful business woman in Cincinnati, Ohio. She planned on starting her second D’BugLady Pest Management Company and had every intention of locating it in Kentucky. The Juneau County Economic Development Corporation has opened many doors for Carol and D’Buglady Pest Management by helping to establish links to the organic industry, introductions to current and future small business owners, future government contracts and even the European Market through a meeting with Jean Pierre.
Eau Claire digital signage company and entrepreneur Mike Strand snag angel investment
 StrandVision, latest business venture of Mike Strand in Eau Claire and a finalist in Governor Jim Doyle's last business-plan competition, has landed $250,000 from the Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network.
StrandVision, formerly Online Kiosks, has a plan to put video screens showing advertising in lobbies where people wait for appointments.
Strand met WEN regional specialist Ayla Annac at a Milwaukee Entrepreneurs workshop of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
"Mike directly searched for help and asked me to work with him," says Annac. "WEN helped him to change his company vision from kiosk to a digital signage business. Nancy Fawcett, another member of the WEN team, did a preliminary market research and provided competitive intelligence and ideas for benchmark."
Deb Malewicki and her team at the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center, UW-Whitewater, helped him to define and put more focus on his key market segment.
As part of the collaboration, Strand also worked with the local SBDC for his financials and some angel connections and with WEN marketing consultant Pat Simms to improve his web site and business communication.
Cornerstone Physical Therapy
Shani Johnson worked as a rehabilitation director for five years before taking the entrepreneurial plunge and opening Cornerstone Physical Therapy. "I wanted the ability to always treat patients the way they should be treated."
Sibby's Premium Organic Ice Cream
Suzanne Huber couldn't find any "really good" ice cream. So she unearthed a recipe, located a processor and made her own. Her resulting product, Sibby's Premium Organic Ice Cream, can be found in more than 50 stores in southern Wisconsin.
Concrete Sawing Company
Paul Konkler had 15-plus years of experience cutting concrete for others and wanted to build a business of his own. He and his wife, Judy, enrolled in the Entrepreneurial Training Grant Program, and picked up the business knowledge they needed to successfully launch Concrete Sawing Company.
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