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Progress Lakeshore wins WEDC grant to fund childcare incubator, reports steady small-business support
Summary
Progress Lakeshore reported steady entrepreneur support and said it received a WEDC Entrepreneurship Partner grant of about $133,000 to launch a childcare accelerator that will include a childcare incubator and a revolving loan fund.
Progress Lakeshore reported to the Manitowoc Common Council that it served roughly 100 entrepreneurs annually and secured a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Entrepreneurship Partner grant of over $133,000 to fund a childcare accelerator in Manitowoc County.
The update, delivered by Jamie Zastrow, executive director of Progress Lakeshore, detailed the nonprofit’s work supporting entrepreneurs and workforce development and explained how the WEDC grant will be used. "We are a nonprofit, public, private member investor organization that collaborates, with the city of Manitowoc to help businesses grow and create a vibrant local economy," Zastrow said.
The grant will fund a childcare accelerator whose cornerstone is a child-care incubator that offers mentorship, training and low-cost space to new providers; Progress Lakeshore also plans a revolving loan fund to help providers improve facilities and buy startup equipment. Zastrow said one classroom space in underutilized buildings will be offered at low-cost rent to lower barriers to entry for new providers.
Zastrow reviewed recent program metrics: in 2024 Progress Lakeshore supported about 100 entrepreneurs overall, helped 15 businesses start (7 of them in the city of Manitowoc), and connected with 40 businesses on industry trends and growth plans. She said year-to-date for 2025 the organization had served 56 entrepreneurs and facilitated two business starts. Workforce and technical resources were used by dozens of local firms, and the organization submitted properties for 2024 site-selection requests (26 properties in 2024; 10 so far in 2025).
The presentation also highlighted awards and community investments, including Lakeshore College’s new 37,000-square-foot training facility, which Zastrow said doubled the college’s capacity to train up to 1,500 students annually in fields such as nursing. Zastrow invited council members to review the organization’s 2024 annual report and strategic plan summary provided in council folders.
No formal council action was taken on the presentation; council members did not raise questions during the meeting.
