MILWAUKEE – Near West Side Partners (NWSP) is thrilled to announce CeLani Skin & Wellness has been named the winner of the Rev-Up MKE small business competition. The winner was announced last night, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the conclusion of a “Shark Tank”-style live pitch event in which all five finalists presented before a panel of judges and members of the Near West Side community at The Rave/Eagles Club.
“CeLani Skin & Wellness will make a wonderful addition to the Near West Side!” exclaims Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, NWSP Executive Director. “Small businesses make up our neighborhood of neighborhoods, and we are excited to welcome a holistic, woman-focused, and woman-run spa to our community.”
CeLani Skin & Wellness will provide healing and holistic modality at an affordable rate for working-class individuals in the Near West Side. CeLani Skin & Wellness will be a place to access wellness methods that promote mental and physical health, addressing the mental health disparities in the community. This will be the first spa and wellness center of its kind in the Near West Side.
“[Winning Rev-Up MKE] means everything. CeLani Skin & Wellness is really my heart, and I can’t wait to expand my business,” shares winning business owner Brittney Rodriguez, moments after hearing the good news.
A number of other awards were given out to finalists, including:
- Ambrosia Cafe, LLC was awarded as the 2023 Rev-Up MKE runner-up and recipient of $4,000 in start-up funds;
- Culinary Education Program was awarded as the Town Bank Audience Choice winner and recipient of a $1,000 cash prize to support their growth; and
- Sodexo awarded $1000 to each of the food-oriented finalists:
- Backyard Flava
- Culinary Education Program
- Ambrosia Cafe, LLC
“Over the last few years, members of our Town Bank team have had the pleasure of hearing dozens of excellent business pitches from Rev-Up MKE finalists,” says Marylou Schirpke, Senior Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank. “This year’s finalists kicked it up a notch and I know my fellow judges and I are incredibly optimistic about the future of the Near West Side business community. I’d like to extend my congratulations once again to CeLani Skin & Wellness – Town Bank is proud to support you.”
As part of the evening, guests enjoyed the Taste of the Near West Side, which included complimentary food samples and drinks from Near West Side businesses, including Daddy’s Soul Food and Grille, Deco Catering Co, Gray Jett Cafe, A Goodman’s Desserts, The Pink Bakery, Pete’s Pops, Sodexo, Central Standard Craft Distillery, and Molson Coors.
Background on the Competition
Leading up to this announcement, all five finalists have been participating in hands-on business training, with technical assistance and mentorship from Marquette University.
“Even after six years, the Rev-Up MKE small business competition injects so much joy, hope, and optimism into our community,” says Kelsey Otero, senior director of community engagement at Marquette University and project lead for the Rev-Up MKE competition. “All five of this year’s finalists worked tremendously hard and prepared top-tier business ideas for our panel of judges and neighbors in our community. At the end of the day, they would all make a great addition to our neighborhood. We are so excited for CeLani Skin & Wellness.”
CeLani Skin & Wellness will receive significant resources to support its venture, which will be located in a Near West Side storefront, including:
- $10,000 start-up business funding from Town Bank;
- Over $25,000 in in-kind services (architectural renderings, small business consulting, legal audit, and communication support); and
- Advertising and recognition from Near West Side Partners.
2023 Rev-Up MKE judges included:
- Marylou Schirpke, Senior Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank
- TrueMan McGee, Founder and Owner, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls
- Eryn Horton, Sr. Studio Engineer, Harley-Davidson
- Celia Benton, Economic Development Director, Milwaukee County
“The Near West Side has been home to some of Milwaukee’s greatest entrepreneurs – from William Harley and Arthur Davidson to Fredrick Miller,” says Otero. “We are proud to welcome and support the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Near West Side.”
NWSP would like to thank this year’s Rev-Up MKE sponsors for their generous support. In particular, NWSP is grateful to Town Bank, the presenting sponsor for Near West Side Week, and the Rev-Up MKE Live Pitch Competition. In addition, Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, Molson Coors, Mueller Communications, Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC), Quorum Architects, Inc., and Sodexo have generously partnered with NWSP to support Rev-Up MKE.
For more information about the competition and photos from the event, visit us online at: www.nearwestsidemke.org/revupmke/
ABOUT NEAR WEST SIDE PARTNERS, INC:
Near West Side Partners, Inc. (NWSP) is a non-profit organization with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Near West Side as a thriving business and residential corridor, through collaborative efforts to promote commercial corridor development, improved housing, unified neighborhood identity and branding, and greater safety for residents and businesses. NWSP was founded through the support of business and civic leaders, including the organization’s five anchor institutions – Advocate Aurora Health, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MolsonCoors, and Potawatomi Business Development Corp.
