RACINE COUNTY, WI – The Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) launched the BizStarts Racine program on September 5, 2024, bringing Milwaukee’s BizStarts Institute’s proven success to the Racine community. This year-long program is designed for individuals looking to start or grow their businesses, offering comprehensive support through education, mentoring, and consulting.

The inaugural session occurred at Racine’s Gateway Technical College and included six in-person sessions held Thursdays from September 5 to October 10, 2024. These sessions, led by Dr. Jason William Johnson, provided participants valuable entrepreneurial insights that ranged from marketing, operations, financial statements, and capitalization. The first phase of the program concluded with a graduation ceremony on October 10 with City of Racine Alderman, Terry McCarthy, recognizing the 12 participants who successfully completed the 6-week course. The second phase, one-on-one mentoring with local business leaders, will begin in November. In the third and final phase, beginning in February, each entrepreneur will work with Carthage College students on projects ranging from website development, pricing structure research, or business plan completion.