Packers Program Creates 504 Jobs Across 164 Companies

For 15 years, the Green Bay Packers have been playing matchmaker in the business world, and the results just keep getting better.

Since 2010, the team's mentor-protégé program has paired 164 new businesses with experienced companies ready to share their wisdom. The graduation ceremony this week celebrated entrepreneurs who walked in with big dreams and walked out with the systems and mindset to make them reality.

"It's very interesting to see the journey from the very first time they step in, what the thinking is, to graduating," said Anna Steinfest, the program's administrator. "Now they think in systems, now they think how big I can grow."

The numbers tell an inspiring story. These 164 companies have created 504 full and part-time jobs in their communities. Together, they've generated nearly $111 million in combined annual revenue growth.

But the real transformation happens in how these business owners see themselves. They arrive thinking small, focused on survival. They leave thinking strategically, asking themselves how much impact they can make.

The program works because it's built on genuine partnership. Established companies don't just lecture new entrepreneurs. They walk alongside them, offering guidance while staying open to fresh perspectives and new ideas.

The Ripple Effect

Every job created through this program represents a family with more stability and a community with more opportunity. When small businesses thrive, they hire locally, spend locally, and inspire other entrepreneurs to take their shot.

The $111 million in revenue growth doesn't just sit in bank accounts. It cycles through Green Bay and beyond, funding other dreams, supporting other families, and proving that investing in people pays dividends that can't always be measured in spreadsheets.

What makes this program special is its focus on transformation, not just transaction. These aren't one-off workshops or networking events. They're sustained relationships that change how business owners think about their potential.

Green Bay is now home to 164 companies that know how to think bigger, and 504 people who have jobs because someone believed small businesses deserve big support.