Riverwest Investment Cooperative

Founded in 2003 by several Riverwest residents hoping to create an investment vehicle through which people could participate in the development of their community, the Riverwest Investment Cooperative was the first cooperative of its kind in the nation. In partnership with the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation, the Cooperative is focused on a “Barn Raising Loan” program, which raises investment dollars from neighbors and other supporters, and then provides neighborhood businesses with $1,000-$100,000 loans that can be used for machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, leasehold improvements, inventory, supplies and working capital.