31 Aug Bunker Labs wins $95,000 WEDC grant
By Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bunker Labs Wisconsin, which helps military veterans start and grow businesses, said Tuesday it has received a $95,000 matching grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
The grant will contribute to funding for the Innovator Academy, which will help entrepreneurs across the state, said Michael Ertmer, Bunker Labs Wisconsin’s executive director. The program will accept at least 10 teams and individuals with prior military service into its inaugural class this fall, he said.
The WEDC money matches contributions from JPMorgan Chase & Co., AT&T Wisconsin and University Research Park, Ertmer said.
After World War II, 49% of all veterans started their own businesses, according to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. Today, while 25% of the current generation of veterans say they want to start or own a business, only 6% do so, the institute says.
Bunker Labs Wisconsin is one of 12 chapters of Chicago-based Bunker Labs, a nonprofit that supports veteran-led start-ups. Its Madison operation opened in January. Read more …