The African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin today celebrates the opening of its new headquarters and co-working space on King Drive in Milwaukee.
Chamber leaders held a reception for supporters and members Tuesday to show off its new 4,212-square-foot Chris Abele Legacy Co-Working & Innovation space at 1920 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
Chamber employees moved into the building earlier this year, and four small businesses have since moved into office space within the center, including Connect Business Consulting, Maures Development, Jaquilla Ross Financial and Confectionately Yours Bakery.
The building also includes workspace for chamber members and entrepreneurs, a commercial kitchen, a coffee shop, a conference room, a technology room for remote meetings and workspace for chamber employees. The center was designed by Galbraith Carnahan Architects and built by JCP Construction.
“Being located right in the heart of Milwaukee, right on MLK, where everybody can have easy access to us, is important,” said chamber vice president Jona Moore. “It’s exciting to know entrepreneurs can easily come to us and be in this beautiful space to do the work they need to do while also getting the resources they’re looking for.”
AACCW president and chief executive officer Ossie Kendrix Jr. projects its membership will grow 25% annually and plans to help launch up to 80 new businesses at the Legacy space over the next three years.
The chamber raised $1 million to build out the space and build its endowment. Donors to the campaign included former Milwaukee County executive Chris Abele, American Family Insurance, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Greater Milwaukee Foundation, MillerCoors, Brewers Community Foundation, Fiserv, Johnson Controls Foundation, Wells Fargo, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Town Bank & Catholic Financial Life, Evinrude Foundation, AACCW Board giving, Deborah Allen/DNA Network, WE Energies Foundation, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and the 100 for $100 Bronzeville Campaign.
Kendrix has raised more than $3.4 million for the AACCW over the past four years.
