Gurnee Entrepreneur Tristah Romero-Kelly , Medical Aesthetics, Graduates from U.S. Small Business Administration T.H.R.I.V.E. Initiative for Growth

Seventeen southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois entrepreneurs graduated from T.H.R.I.V.E., SBA's intensive growth program for small business owners on Dec. 14. T.H.R.I.V.E, which stands for Train. Hope. Rise. Innovate. Venture. Elevate is a six-month executive development program geared for CEO's of existing companies who are preparing for their next phase of growth.

The program allows participants to work with community and statewide experts in core business topics. Cohort members hail from locations throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois and met virtually and in person to boost their expertise and develop their three-year growth plans. After six months of working together and gaining expertise, they presented their plans to to SBA's Wisconsin District Director Eric Ness and the director of the Small Business Development Center at UW-Milwaukee, Athena Agoudemos.

"The growth plans these entrepreneurs created throughout this program give them a guide for growing their businesses' revenues, employment, and markets," said Eric Ness. "I look forward to seeing what they accomplish as they build on their successes in T.H.R.I.V.E."

Since 2008, SBA's Wisconsin office has hosted the predecessor to T.H.R.I.V.E., the Emerging Leaders initiative. The two programs have graduated over 150 Wisconsin entrepreneurs. Nationally, it has trained over 5,000 small business owners, creating over 11,000 jobs, generating nearly $1 billion in new financing, and securing over $4 billion in government contracts.

The 2022 T.H.R.I.V.E. graduates include:

Basil Bearer Big Frog Custom T-Shirts and More of Mequon Saukville

Renata Bitoy Bunger Lean Design Werks Beloit

Gerado Chapa Art & Sons Monona

Vanessa Costanzo NaviCu LLC Madison

Adam Fritsch Advanced Professional Healthcare Education LLC Dousman

Jane Knoblock Raphael Industries Waukesha

Richard Muma Floclaire Group LLC Sun Prairie

Faviola Munoz Vital Insurance Services East Troy

Lisa Netterville New Hope & Destiny Home II Milwaukee

Katie Oilschlager Think Pawsitive Dog Training LLC Watertown

Ilke Panzer Assurance Drug Testing Laboratories LLC Fredonia

Morgan Phelps Colorful Connections Milwaukee

Kathryn Reithel Edmund Mitchell Corporation Madison

Tristah Romero-Kelly Renew Medical Aesthetics Gurnee

Polly Sackett Accurate Pattern Wauwatosa

Courtney Skinkis Confluence Graphics, Inc. West Bend

Tyshun Wardlaw Wardlaw Productions Milwaukee