WWBIC is pleased to share the regional talent and experts that have joined our team this year to further propel our mission of “putting dreams to work!” We are thrilled to continue to provide quality business and financial training, lending and wrap-around services to the small business community – leveraging the talent and expertise of our staff to impact the community across the 72 counties of Wisconsin and also in Illinois and Minnesota through our VBOC@WWBIC programming – one client at a time.

We are one team, one WWBIC, with one mission!

WWBIC Careers • WWBIC Classes • Kiva@WWBIC • VBOC@WWBIC

COLLEEN BIES

Northeast Regional

Project Director

Along with an educational background in finance and business, Colleen has worked with non-profits, large and small corporations and micro enterprises. She came to WWBIC because our mission of helping small business owners aligns with her personal mission.

KRISTA BLEICH

South Central Small

Business Consultant

Krista relishes meeting WWBIC clients "where they're at" and helping them move forward. She has had her own small business in the past and has been in their shoes. She's intuitive, personable and relatable to her clients.

MELISSA BONARETTI

Southeast Loan

Services Specialist

Melissa has over 20 years of retail banking experience - starting out as a teller and working her way up to manager, specializing in lending and underwriting. She chose WWBIC because she knows that her job is making a positive impact on someone's life.

AMANDA BREWINGTON

Loan Officer

Amanda says "WWBIC is doing the work I have a passion for - helping business owners with access to capital and education." Before WWBIC, Amanda owned and operated her own neighborhood coffee shop and also worked with two other CDFIs. She has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs access funding to start and grow businesses.

ED BYRNES

Greater Milwaukee Small Business Consultant

Before WWBIC, Ed had experience working with at risk populations and monitoring the progress of businesses. Service toward others, especially those faced with challenges due to their socio-economic, race or gender status has always been a core value of his. His passion is to walk with others on their journey to achieve their dreams.

BARB CLARK

Southwest Regional

Office Coordinator

Organizational skills, proofreading experience and a passion for newsletter editing are the top qualifications that Barb brings to her position in our brand new Southwest regional office. WWBIC's mission to serve those looking to establish or grow their own small business is what inspired her to join our team.

EDUARDO DIAZ

mercadoMKE Online

Account Coordinator

Working at WWBIC combines three of Eduardo's passions: helping the community, entrepreneurship, and a desire to inspire dreamers. Prior to joining WWBIC he was a Bilingual International Business Program Director specializing in strategic planning, operational leadership and other business improvements.

KELTON DOPP

Northeast Small

Business Consultant

Previously serving as a financial advisor for Principal Financial Group and an Exit Planning Advisor for Epiphany Law, Kelton came to WWBIC for the chance to help business owners and serve those who have been given less. He also enjoys using Excel and reading income statements!

ANGELA DOWNS

Southeast Business

Resource Coach

Angela has personally seen the change brought to the southeast region by WWBIC, and is herself a WWBIC client! In addition to her family food business, she also has experience working in the corporate mega-world of Starbucks which she credits with giving her a firm background in business management.

CLARA GELATT

Southwest Education & Outreach Specialist

Clara believes that small businesses are what makes her hometown of La Crosse amazing. A former business owner herself and an admirer of entrepreneurs, Clara is excited to bring her business experience and community involvement to WWBIC to help others bring their dreams to life.

KRISTEN JACOBS

Northeast Business

Resource Coach

Kristen has considerable banking and credit union operations experience and has started a business which helps businesses become more efficient in project management. She came to WWBIC for the chance to share her experience with new business owners and those striving to start a business.

MARA KEYES

Southwest Regional

Project Director

A background in education and previous small business work are just a couple of Mara's qualifications. She was driven to choose WWBIC because of our clients - who she calls an amazing and diverse group she enjoys empowering through the lifespan of business ownership.

CHRISTINA KNUDSEN

Vice President - Development & Communications

Christina brings leadership experience to WWBIC from numerous nonprofits including the Salvation Army, the YMCA, and the Children's Museum of La Crosse. Her passion is community economic development, project management, and the culture of philanthropy - which makes her a great fit for WWBIC!

TIFFANY MILLER

Greater Milwaukee

Program Manager

Tiffany started with WWBIC in 2020 as a Project Optimize Business Resource Coach before transitioning to Program Manager this year. Miller has been an entrepreneur since 2012, and was also a special education teacher for 10 years. Tiffany appreciates that WWBIC assists people in their entrepreneurship journey and brings their dreams to fruition.

TANIA MOLINA

VBOC Administrative Assistant

As a Hispanic woman from a low income family, VBOC@WWBIC has provided Tania a way to give back, pay it forward and help others in underserved communities. She is organized, open-minded, and flexible - three keys to assisting VBOC with its many veteran clients in Illinois, Minnesota & Wisconsin.

KEITH MURPHY

VBOC Co-Director,

Illinois & Minnesota

Keith sees working for VBOC@WWBIC as more of an honor and a calling than a position. He sees working here as a golden opportunity to serve our nation's veterans. Keith brings 21 years of military leadership training and 15 years of higher educational admissions/outreach experience to our team.

STEVE

NOLINSKE

Loan Officer

With many years of banking under his belt, experience working with small business owners and a deep understanding of the financial system, Steve brings the tools to WWBIC to help clients succeed and will do everything he can to help them. He appreciates that WWBIC delves deeper with our clients and is a firm believer in the "Don't say no, say WWBIC!" mantra.

STEPHANIE ORKOWSKI

Kiva Client Relationship Manager

Stephanie has owned and operated a gymnastics club for over 20 years, so empowering young girls to achieve their potential in all aspects of their lives has long been a passion of hers. Transitioning to empowering female and underserved entrepreneurs through Kiva@WWBIC was a natural next step for her in her career.

CHRISTINE PADILLA

Southeast Regional

Office Coordinator

Christine has been a business owner for 5 years, and knew that WWBIC was the place for her after a friend invited her to apply, told her more about the position and did some of her own research about WWBIC's work online. She loves working with people and is really enjoying the family-like atmosphere at WWBIC.

ALICE PAUSER

South Central

Program Assistant

Having partnered with WWBIC on projects in the past with another nonprofit, Alice has always found WWBIC to offer successful, much-needed programs for entrepreneurs. She has developed workshop programs based on SAMHSA's Eight Dimensions of Wellness and also has experience in disability advocacy.

NICOLE PELLER

Human Resources & Administration Manager

Nicole was drawn to WWBIC because we offer opportunities to those who otherwise face barriers in pursuit of their dreams and economic well-bring. She has an expansive career of over 20 years in human resources, having led and managed multiple facets of HR.

LAUREL PETERSON

Marketing &

Communications Manager

Laurel started out her career in the nonprofit world, but has worked for the last 20 years in the corporate marketing realm. An email and print advertising expert, she is excited to be working in service of others once again and is especially impressed by WWBIC's work with people of color and other underrepresented groups

MARLEIGH

PETRAS

Marketing Specialist

Marleigh founded Support Local MKE, a company that focuses on improving small business strategy through digital marketing. She is very excited to be a part of an organization that would do anything in their power to help small businesses succeed. She believes in WWBIC's mission to help small businesses thrive!

LILIANA

RIVAS-PLATA

Southeast Hispanic Business Assistance Coordinator

Liliana comes to WWBIC after many years of experience working in the banking industry and as a manager of a health corporation. She is passionate about being of service to others, and loves that her position at WWBIC allows her to help clients grow their own small businesses.

DALE REEVES

South Central Business Resource Coach

After 35 years in the banking industry, Dale "retired" early and pursued his passion of working with small businesses and startups. He has always been amazed at seeing the perseverance of entrepreneurs and their desire to reach for their dream. He looks forward to sharing his experience along with the vast resources of WWBIC.

JENN RING

Southeast Small

Business Consultant

Jenn brings over 20 years of adult education and training experience, including previous WWBIC experience, to her new role. She loves that the entrepreneurial path that WWBIC provides can allow someone to create a life of purpose that can improve their own situation as well as provide a legacy for future generations.

KRISTINE SHAWLEY

Southwest Small

Business Consultant

Kristine is 100% an entrepreneur at heart, which made WWBIC a great fit for her. She owned a small business in the insurance industry for seven years and also has experience in sales, marketing and customer experience management. She looks forward to helping small business owners chase their dreams and succeed!

MICHELLE ST. CLAIR

Associate Director of

Grants & Compliance

As a non-profit development professional with experience across grants and funders throughout Wisconsin, Michelle chose to join our team because WWBIC has a strong reputation for getting things done, which is essential to realizing our mission of putting dreams to work.

RYAN THOMPSON

Northeast Business

Resource Coach

Ryan has worked with business owners as an attorney as well as a consultant for 15 years. He has a long history of working with business owners and helping them to thrive, and he is happy to be working in service of WWBIC's mission and contributing towards its initiatives.

AMY VERHAGEN

Northeast Regional

Office Coordinator

Amy fell in love with WWBIC's mission when she applied, especially our commitment to women and low income individuals. She has previous nonprofit experience helping low income students get through college. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is looking forward to assisting with our educational classes.

JACK WARRICK

Credit Analyst

Jack started his professional career as a marketing intern for Kiva in Madison, which evolved into a finance internship with WWBIC, and now his employment as a full-time credit analyst. He loves that WWBIC allows him to positively impact underserved communities by providing responsible capital and enjoys being part of a team of positive, service-minded professionals.

BRIANNA WELCH

Education & Volunteer Program Manager

Brianna graduated from St. Norbert College in 2019 with a degree in Communication. She has worked for the Green Bay Packers in their Titletown District and at United Way of Dane County. She is passionate about providing quality business and financial wellness education to underserved communities. 

TORY WORLD

South Central

Small Business Advisor

Tory has an extensive background in entrepreneurial business planning and consulting, in addition to having experience working with social service agencies like Dane County Human Services and UW Stout's Vocational Rehabilitation Institute. He is also the founder of Isthmus Digital Media Group, LLC and The Bev List.

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JOLYNE ZALDIVAR

Northeast Hispanic Business Assistance Coordinator

Fluent in Spanish as well as English, Jolyne brings 15 years of credit union experience to WWBIC, as well as being the founder of Bridging Language Barriers LLC. She looks forward to having the opportunity to really build relationships with and assist Hispanic business owners in her role at WWBIC

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