Entrepreneurs drive the economy much more than people think; the Kauffman Foundation noted that startups create over 3 million jobs in the United States yearly. Successful entrepreneurs rely on a culture and environment (we call it an ecosystem) where they can gather inspiration, ideas, and resources to launch their businesses. We know in the Chippewa Valley that our economy’s future lies in their ability to be successful. Every day, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) works to strengthen the Chippewa Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem. One way we do this is by spending the month of November celebrating National Entrepreneur Month and partnering with other local organizations to highlight our entrepreneurs. This year, the CCEDC joined Eau Claire, Menomonie, and Altoona to bring the community Startup Chippewa Valley Week, happening November 15-19, 2021. Startup [...]

There are absolutely no words that can express CCEDC’s gratitude which we have for our veterans. Currently, there are over 21 million veterans that have sacrificed for our freedom, but on Veterans Day, November 11, it is a special day to particularly stay focused and be remined of their continued positive impact that veterans have on our American economy. A recent SBA study also found that military service exhibits one of the largest marginal effects on self-employment, and veterans are 45% more likely to be self-employed than non-veterans. According to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF), 25 percent of veterans say they want to start or own a business. There is no doubt that skills learned through military service can directly translate to business, and IVMF research confirms it. [...]

On November 3rd, a small group of eager business owners gathered at the Chippewa Valley Innovation Center to continue on their learning journey in the Creating Value series of BEAR Lunch & Learn workshops. Two weeks ago they learned about business value, and the factors of it that relate to a business's operating system. In this workshop, Bob Oliver led an interactive discussion on the structure of a business and the purpose that each compartment serves. Oliver illustrated this with a pillared building, with the pillars being the operating system, a roof of measurement, all built on the business value and model. Attendees gained a wealth of knowledge while enjoying a meal from a local restaurant, and the CCEDC will continue to provide this resource to existing businesses for years to come. We [...]

On October 19th from 11 am to 2 pm, Chippewa Valley professionals and noteworthy community figures had the opportunity to tour the Chippewa Valley Innovation Center (CVIC) in celebration of Manufacturing Month. The CVIC is an incubation center for entrepreneurs and startups who have an in-progress business plan and need a physical address to continue their business journey. The facility allows them to accept customers and form their business plan while they save to purchase their own business space. "Showing people what the CVIC does is an important step towards giving startups, especially manufacturing startups, the reach that they need to succeed. The CCEDC will continue to support these efforts." states Charlie Walker, CCEDC President and CEO. Manufacturing Month focuses on the education and advocacy for young, aspiring manufacturing professionals. The Chippewa County [...]

On October 9th, Martino’s Pizza held their annual Pizza and Prevention event, fronted by Ron Haas, owner of Martino’s and CCEDC Board Member. Martino’s Pizza and Prevention Event is a collaboration between the restaurant and the Stanley and Boyd fire departments. Martino’s donated 100 percent of their proceeds for that day to the two stations, and firefighters volunteered to work in the restaurant and make pizzas. Since its inception over ten years ago, Martino’s has raised thousands of dollars for the fire departments. This year, they raised $8,500. “It was a busy night and a total success,” stated Haas. “The community really does come together for events like this, it’s a really cool thing.” Emergency personnel are incredibly important to the safety of our community, and events like this help them get the [...]