MILWAUKEE, WI – BizStarts Milwaukee announced the recipients of the Capital Catalyst Grant Program at a celebration event held Tuesday evening at Sherman Phoenix. Five deserving entrepreneurs received a combined $20,000 in grant awards designed to propel their businesses to the next level of growth.
2026 Capital Catalyst Grant Recipients:
Modaheadwraps (Tolu Ojesina, Milwaukee) – $6,000
Tolu is expanding her luxury satin-lined African print headwrap brand into wholesale institutional buyers—cancer support organizations, boutiques, and museum gift shops. With nearly 1,000 customers already served since launch and factory partnerships in Nigeria enabling large-scale production, the grant will support inventory, wholesale samples, and premium packaging to scale this growing channel.
That’s Right Sweetie® (Stacy Jeffers, Racine) – $5,000
Stacy is building a licensed commercial kitchen at her Maltworks location that will enable her chocolate-dipped pretzel and corporate gifting business to scale production while creating a second revenue stream through kitchen rental to other food entrepreneurs. The company has already demonstrated 7.7x year-over-year revenue growth and secured a single $48,000 corporate order, proving enterprise-level demand.
808Today LLC (Dr. Tequila Kurth, Pewaukee) – $4,000
Dr. Kurth is scaling a statewide education technology platform and substitute teacher training program that solves a critical school staffing shortage across Wisconsin. The company is developing a SaaS tool designed to maximize substitute teacher effectiveness while managing Wisconsin PI 34-aligned training contracts with regional school districts.
Carmen Family Cleaning LLC (Carmen Reyes, Milwaukee) – $2,500
Carmen is expanding from a residential cleaning service with ~100 recurring clients to commercial contracts by hiring new employees and scaling her existing fleet. The multi-crew operating model enables revenue growth without founder bottleneck, and Milwaukee’s market offers significant untapped potential—only 10-15% of residential units currently use professional cleaning services.
Diverse Dining Market (Emerald Williams, Milwaukee) – $2,500
Emerald’s food marketplace and entrepreneur incubator is expanding beyond her brick-and-mortar location to reach more food entrepreneurs through enhanced marketing, staff support, and community events that create visibility and sales opportunities for her growing vendor network. The hybrid revenue model—combining vendor fees, kitchen rentals, commissions, sponsorships, and corporate programming—positions her to scale to multiple locations.
“Thank you to BizStarts, Wells Fargo, WEDC, and the many mentors who support my entrepreneurial journey. Modaheadwraps was created to help women enjoy the beauty of African headwraps without the complexity of traditional wrapping. With recent retail partnerships, we are entering an exciting new stage of growth.” Said Tolu Ojesina, Owner of Modaheadwraps. “This grant will help us expand inventory, improve packaging and wholesale readiness. We are honored by this recognition and excited to continue building a company that creates economic opportunity, celebrates cultural heritage, and serves women with products that are both beautiful and practical.”
About the Capital Catalyst Grant Program
The Capital Catalyst Grant Program, administered in partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Wells Fargo, provides funding to early-stage, high-growth companies that have completed the BizStarts Institute and participated in six or more months of mentoring and business consulting. Award recipients use grant funding for equipment, production materials, hiring, and other growth-stage investments.
BizStarts Membership Launch
BizStarts also announced the launch of its new Membership platform, which provides Wisconsin entrepreneurs with stage-appropriate resources and community connections. All attendees at last evening’s celebration received a complimentary one-month Builder membership, giving them immediate access to tools, workshops, and networking opportunities tailored to their business stage.
“The membership model reflects our commitment to meeting entrepreneurs where they are in their journey. From idea stage through scaling, BizStarts Membership ensures our community has the right resources at the right time.” Said BizStarts President, Patrick Snyder.
Gratitude to Partners
BizStarts Milwaukee thanks Sherman Phoenix for hosting the celebration, and Wells Fargo and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for their continued support of Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
