In Beloit, along Sutler Avenue, there’s a building where business plans are written, funding applications are reviewed, and first-time founders sit across from advisors who understand more than just spreadsheets. At Jumpstart South Central Wisconsin, entrepreneurship is treated not as a buzzword, but as a pathway to economic power.
Jumpstart began in 2019 under the name Rock County Jumpstart. It operated for years as a fiscally sponsored initiative, addressing what founder Genia Stevens had seen repeatedly across south central Wisconsin: talented Black entrepreneurs with viable ideas who were stalled—not by lack of effort, but by systems that were never designed with them in mind. In November 2025, the organization formally became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under its current name, reflecting both growth and regional reach.
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