WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl announced that the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) of Madison and Milwaukee will each receive a $119,879 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. In January, Kohl sent a letter to the US Small Business Administration supporting the grant applications.  

"This federal funding will help the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation meet the continued demand of business education and assistance and continue the hard work they have begun in Madison and Milwaukee," Kohl said.            

For more than two decades, WWBIC has provided business education, as well as financial and technical assistance to entrepreneurs. The non-profit development corporation is a leader in mentoring small and micro business with an extensive knowledge of this field, which remains the backbone of our economy. The benefit of WWBIC's programs can be measured by the start-up or expansion of 200 businesses in our state and the creation of 500 jobs in 2008 alone. Even during difficult economic times, WWBIC was able to leverage funds to offer loans up to $100,000, which is $65,000 over the SBA microloan.