Revvie pitches hands-on small-business assistance; ECDC moves to closed session to consider application

Michael Aparicio, founder and CEO of Revvie, presented the companys proposal for small-business technical assistance and answered commissioners questions before the commission moved to closed session to consider the application.

Aparicio described Revvies approach as hands-on: staff work alongside business owners to correct bookkeeping and QuickBooks set-up, build projections, produce digital assets and help implement changes rather than only providing training. He said Revvie adapts by project and will use intake conversations to identify which business-stage cohorts are most likely to achieve the programs measurable outcomes, such as job readiness and access to capital.

Aparicio said Revvie measures success through deliverables and regular check-ins, surveys and concrete outcomes (for example, improvements in bookkeeping or qualification for financing). He also described outreach and trust-building steps used in prior work with immigrant and high-need communities, and named Kristen Isaacs as Revvies internal point person for operations and coordination.

Commissioners asked whether Revvies work duplicates Small Business Development Center (SBDC) services; Aparicio said the SBDC network is important and that Revvie intends to complement, not duplicate, existing resources by focusing on implementation and follow-through. Commissioners also asked who on city staff would coordinate with the vendor; staff said two staff members would serve as primary points of contact and that the city would work with Revvie to define deliverables and reporting expectations.

After the presentation and public Q&A, the commission moved into a closed session under Wisconsin statute to consider the economic-development item.