Media Contact:
Mike Richards, Board Secretary/Treasurer
mmaln@msn.com or info@ifww.org
Phone: (715) 563-2592
(Eau Claire, WI) – The Innovation Foundation of Western Wisconsin (IFWW) is excited to announce the hiring of Mike Finger as Executive Director. Finger will lead the IFWW’s work to help Western Wisconsin businesses destroy barriers to their growth.
“I was drawn to the IFWW’s real world approach to helping businesses grow,” Finger states. “Often growing a business means putting your head down and plowing forward – the problem with that approach is that at some point your business grows to meet a problem that is beyond your own capabilities. To continue to grow the business beyond that, an owner must recognize the need to find new, innovative, outside solutions. The IFWW can provide those solutions.”
Finger is familiar with the challenges that come from business growth, having started, grown and sold two businesses since 1996, employing 50 full-time employees. Finger also brings extensive experience in nonprofit management and helping Western Wisconsin business owners sell their businesses.
Gus Myran, board chair, said the board recognized early on that their Executive Director needed a unique background, “given we serve for-profit companies, but are ourselves a nonprofit, we knew we needed an Executive Director who had spent time in, and could understand, both sectors – Mike’s background was a great fit, and that’s important because we want to bring a business tone to our nonprofit’s work.”
“Our goal is to be quick and straight-forward,” Finger states. “We bring real world growth breakthroughs to companies that lack capital, time, expertise, or the right relationship. We have access to the best business minds in the region, and the matching funds to help cover the cost of their work – all we ask in return is that the owner grow their business – because their business growth is our mission.”
ABOUT THE INNOVATION FOUNDATION:
The Innovation Foundation of Western Wisconsin (IFWW) is a non-profit organization focused on growing area businesses through strategic placement of human and financial capital. For more information contact the IFWW by visiting them on the web at http://www.ifww.org, or contact Mike Finger at mfinger@ifww.org or at 715-894-7209.
