The HUB

Located at the southernmost gateway into downtown Madison, The HUB is a new state-of-the-art building dedicated to helping entrepreneurs of color.

The $25.5 million facility opened last July, with Tri-North Builders serving as the general contractor on the project. Spanning 78,600 square feet, The HUB supports a variety of enterprises, from retail and startups to local businesses and community organizations.

One of the goals of The HUB is to increase the number of minority-owned businesses in Dane County. Currently, of the nearly 10,000 employers with more than one employee in the county, only 0.4% are Black-owned businesses, according to American Community Survey data. The data also shows that whites are seven times more likely to own a small business than Blacks, and that there is a shortage of Black-led entrepreneurial support services in Dane County.

“Kids who graduate from Madison are leaving because they feel there is more upside for their careers somewhere else,” said Dr. Ruben Anthony, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison.

Funding for The HUB was made possible through a variety of community support and donations, with over $20 million raised. Those efforts were spearheaded by a $2 million contribution from Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. Other notable contributions came from American Girl founder Pleasant T. Rowland ($1 million) and The Farewell Foundation ($500,000).

“The amount of support received by The HUB from private and public entities is truly a testament of how much can be achieved by community,” said Amanda Highlander, marketing manager for Tri-North Builders. “It also exemplifies the importance that the Urban League of Greater Madison’s mission has in creating opportunities where African-Americans and other community members can be set up for success.”