Sherman Phoenix Foundation

What Sherman Phoenix Foundation does

Sherman Phoenix Foundation is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the wake of civil unrest following a fatal police shooting in the Sherman Park neighborhood. The foundation operates a community-powered physical marketplace at 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave that houses more than 20 locally owned, brick-and-mortar small businesses across food and beverage, hair and beauty, retail/art, wellness, and business services. The core product is the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, complemented by Phoenix Rise MKE, an entrepreneurial and community wellness initiative that integrates business education, capital readiness, mentorship, and wellness programming for Black and Brown entrepreneurs.

The foundation earns revenue through three primary streams: commercial space leasing to entrepreneurs in flexible suites ranging from 122 to 464 square feet; event venue rental for corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, workshops, and community gatherings; and tax-deductible charitable donations processed via Give Lively, including year-end campaigns such as Phoenix Forward. Additional revenue is generated through group tours and community programming. The technology stack is limited to standard SMB SaaS tools (JotForm, Give Lively, AppFolio, Textedly, Square Appointments, Booksy); the foundation does not operate a proprietary software platform.

The organization is led by Interim Executive Director Romero McCants, supported by a board chaired by Dr. Damira Grady with committees spanning Executive, Advancement, Finance, Building, and Governance. Strategic positioning is rooted in place-based community resilience and a strong cultural brand in Milwaukee, reinforced by a Proud Partner relationship with Visit Milwaukee. The operating footprint is single-site in the Midwest, with a 1-10 employee headcount.

Name

Sherman Phoenix Foundation

Legal name

Sherman Phoenix Foundation

Website

https://shermanphoenix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sherman Phoenix Foundation is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that operates a physical marketplace housing 20+ locally owned businesses and supports Black and Brown entrepreneurs through retail space, mentorship, and community wellness programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Marketplace Services

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Community marketplace operations
• Commercial space leasing
• Event venue rental
• Entrepreneur development programs
• Community wellness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial Space Leasing: Revenue generated from leasing flexible business spaces (ranging from 122 sq ft to 464 sq ft) to entrepreneurs, creatives, and service providers in the Sherman Phoenix marketplace. The organization offers both first-floor and second-floor retail/commercial spaces.
2. Event Venue Rental: Revenue from hosting corporate events, non-profit fundraisers, casual get-togethers, presentations, panel discussions, and workshops in their urban venue space featuring an open floor plan, fireplace, skylights, exposed brick, and custom artwork.
3. Donations and Philanthropic Support: The foundation accepts tax-deductible charitable donations to support entrepreneurs, families, and community-centered spaces. They promote year-end giving campaigns and have specific donation pages for initiatives like Phoenix Forward.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sherman Phoenix Foundation operates a 19,000-square-foot physical marketplace in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood that houses 20+ locally owned small businesses. The Foundation leases commercial space to these tenant businesses, rents its facilities as an event venue, and runs the Phoenix Rise MKE entrepreneurial and community wellness program that provides coaching, workshops, and resources to local entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Sherman Phoenix Foundation operates a physical marketplace and hub in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that serves as the core product. The Sherman Phoenix Marketplace is a community-powered space housing 20+ brick-and-mortar businesses across food & drink, hair & beauty, clothing/art, wellness, and business services categories. Alongside the marketplace, the foundation offers Phoenix Rise MKE, an entrepreneurial and community wellness initiative combining business education, capital readiness, mentorship, and wellness programming. Additional offerings include tenant space leasing (122-464 sq ft), event venue rental, community programming, a monthly newsletter, and group tours. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in the Sherman Park neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phoenix Rise MKE: An Entrepreneurial and Community Wellness Initiative of Sherman Phoenix that fuels entrepreneurship, expands economic opportunity, and strengthens community wellness in Milwaukee. It integrates business education, capital readiness, mentorship, strategic networking, and community-centered wellness programming.

Products and services

• Sherman Phoenix Marketplace A physical marketplace in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood that houses more than 20 locally owned small businesses offering food, retail, wellness, and services to the surrounding community.
• Commercial Space Leasing

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ brick-and-mortar businesses supported at the marketplace
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Visit MilwaukeecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Proud Partner of Visit Milwaukee, the region's destination marketing organization. This partnership helps promote Sherman Phoenix as a cultural and entrepreneurial destination within Milwaukee's tourism ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Living Cities: Living Cities is a collaborative of major foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in urban areas. Comparable mission of BIPOC urban economic development and closing racial wealth gaps through place-based and entrepreneur-focused strategies.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a major national nonprofit that finances affordable housing, small businesses, and community development in underserved neighborhoods. Comparable as a similarly mission-driven nonprofit economic development organization operating in BIPOC urban communities, though at vastly larger national scale.
• Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC): ICIC is a nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on driving economic prosperity in America's inner cities through small business support and inner-city investment strategies. Shares the mission of inner-city economic development and BIPOC entrepreneur support.
• Main Street America: Main Street America is a national nonprofit supporting preservation-based community development through downtown and neighborhood revitalization. Comparable as a similarly nonprofit-driven community/economic development organization combining physical-place activation with small business support.

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit association that provides free business mentoring, education, and resources to entrepreneurs through a volunteer network. Comparable nonprofit small-business support organization focused on mentoring and education for underserved entrepreneurs, though without the physical marketplace component.
• Propeller: Propeller is a New Orleans-based nonprofit that supports social entrepreneurs addressing social and environmental challenges through accelerator programming, mentorship, and shared workspace. Directly comparable nonprofit model combining physical incubator space with social-enterprise support for underserved founders.
• Village Capital: Village Capital is a nonprofit venture capital organization that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs through peer-selected investment programs. Comparable as a mission-driven organization supporting BIPOC and underrepresented founders, though uses a virtual/peer-selection model rather than physical marketplace.
• BUILD: BUILD is a nonprofit that uses entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities. Directly comparable as a nonprofit, BIPOC-focused entrepreneurship support organization combining mentorship, programming, and real-world business experience, though focused on youth rather than adult entrepreneurs.
• Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED): CoFED is a nonprofit that partners with students and communities to launch food cooperatives and community-owned businesses. Comparable nonprofit mission of BIPOC/underserved community economic empowerment through cooperative business development and education.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): OFN is a national network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that provides capital and financial services to underserved communities. Adjacent ecosystem player in BIPOC economic development, focused on capital provision rather than physical marketplace operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theshermanphoenix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sherman-phoenix-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sherman.phoenix.marketplace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sherman Phoenix Foundation