This $25.5M Wisconsin Black Business Hub Wants To Launch A Modern ‘Black Renaissance’ – AfroTech
The Black Business Hub in Madison, WI, is on a mission to create a “Black Renaissance” by expanding opportunities for Black-owned businesses in the area.
Opened in August 2024 through the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM), the Hub aims to provide a home and launchpad for Black entrepreneurs, offering everything they need to succeed in one place, The Daily Cardinal reports.
The Hub is a $25.5 million, 80,000-square-foot facility run by ULGM. Home to everything from coffee shops to beauty salons and office suites, it equips small business owners with the skills and resources needed to launch and grow their companies, strengthening their overall presence in the community.
“We’re looking for them to get a strong start, build a strong economic base, and then go out,” Dr. Ruben L. Anthony, Jr., president and CEO of ULGM, told The Cardinal. “We’re not looking for the businesses to stay here forever.”
According to the Hub’s website, entrepreneurs also gain access to resources that enhance the quality and credibility of their businesses. The Hub features a fully equipped commercial kitchen that lets food entrepreneurs produce at a larger scale than is possible in a home kitchen or food truck. The space also offers financial services resources, co-working spaces, and classrooms for training programs and networking opportunities.
Daijah Wade, owner of The Walking Jerk — a Caribbean plant-based eatery — started her business solely as a catering operation. Now, with a permanent shop on the Hub’s first floor, she has been able to expand her menu and reach far more customers than ever before.
“It’s just so nice to be in a place where we’re welcomed, and we can just engage with everyone,” Wade said, per The Cardinal.
Anthony told the outlet, “There is a lot of Black and Brown development going on in this area,” and he hopes the Hub will remain an economic and social engine that helps small businesses find the resources they need to grow.
A $2.9M Donation From MacKenzie Scott
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, since UGLM’s founding in 1968, the organization has aimed to educate and empower the Black community both personally and professionally, serving youth, families, job seekers, and employers.
In 2022, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $2.9 million to ULGM, with some proceeds used to build the Black Business Hub.
“We’re honored and grateful that Ms. Scott and her team have recognized the Urban League’s value and impact to the community,” Anthony said in a statement at the time, per Channel 3000.
“By placing racial equity and social justice at the forefront of her philanthropic mission, Ms. Scott is shining a much-needed spotlight on the nation’s structural and institutional limitations and is helping to build a stronger, more resilient society for everyone,” Anthony continued.
Over the next few years, the Hub is projected to support at least 100 Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, create over 150 jobs, and provide training for Black real estate developers, among other things, as AFROTECH™ previously noted.
