REV-ing up rural entrepreneurship

Matthew Day

Staff

January 5, 2026

LANGLADE COUNTY – A new taskforce is working to further develop the economy across the Village of White Lake, Town of Wolf River and Town of Evergreen – an area otherwise known as Langlade County’s Wolf River Territory. 

Angie Close – executive director of the Langlade County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) – said the taskforce is comprised of herself and a cross-section of professionals representing the region’s economic sector, as part of a new cohort of the Wisconsin Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV). 

REV, Close said, is a three-year program that provides tailored coaching, technical support and resources to help rural communities grow their entrepreneurial landscape – “specifically designed for rural populations between 1,500 and 10,000, with a focus on building diverse and resilient local economies.” 

“We are excited the Wolf River Territory was chosen for the second cohort of the REV program,” she said. “This initiative will help us support entrepreneurs and develop a stronger economic future for our local communities.” 

With REV’s first cohort successfully underway, Close said the “community-economic-development initiative” is a proven entrepreneurial development program designed to advance small town economies through a targeted business approach.

Led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, she said REV was developed in partnership with Compeer Financial – the cooperative which also funds the effort – alongside Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) and e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. 

According to the UW-Extension’s website, go.wisc.edu/wirev, each Wisconsin REV community is provided: 

• A trained coach to work one on one with the community leadership team for up to three years 
• The tools to identify and expand the local leadership base to support entrepreneurial activity now and into the future 
• A greater understanding of new business opportunities 
• Long-lasting processes and resources that support the needs of growing small businesses 

The region 

Though her work with the LCEDC covers all of Langlade County, Close said for the REV program – with its aforementioned population parameters – the LCEDC needed to limit its REV application to the Wolf River Territory. 

Since the LCEDC operates out of Antigo, the county seat, she said REV offers us a chance to “show that we are part of a bigger team.” 

“[This initiative] is one more step in making sure we can continue to bring our communities the development and resources that may not otherwise be there,” she said. 

Close said the 180-square-mile Wolf River Territory, which corresponds to the White Lake School District, has a relatively small population – about 1,500 – but has big economic potential. 

“We’re really focusing on an area in our eastern part of the county that is about a 25-minute drive from Antigo,” she said. “There are a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities out in that area that [consumers, tourists and others] come to Antigo for, and [creating] more of these opportunities so they don’t have to drive as far is our goal.” 

Close said the Wolf River Territory is filled with rural attractions, largely related to its namesake waterway.  

“There are a lot of tourism opportunities there and community development pieces that go along with entrepreneurship within the community,” she said. “Within the school district, some of our goals are to create a youth entrepreneurship program and focus on the youth and what they would like to see there within that community, and how they could help grow that.” 

Close said she and the REV taskforce have sought, and will continue to seek feedback from local residents as a strategic plan is developed. 

The taskforce 

Close said the REV taskforce was intentionally selected to contribute a breadth and depth of knowledge and perspectives from the Wolf River Territory.  

Beyond herself, she said the other members are: 

• Andi Gretzinger – business consultant with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Small Business Development Center, small business owner 
• Carol Blawat – Village of White Lake clerk treasurer, White Lake School Board member, business owner 
• Patsy Listle – Village of White Lake trustee, Wolf River Territory tourism ambassador 
• Lisa Taylor – Wisconsin Rural Entrepreneurial Venture program lead 
• Jerri Hidde – White Lake Area Christian Food Pantry director 

Close said the taskforce was assembled and submitted its REV application in January 2025, ultimately earning a spot in the new cohort with pre-planning beginning last summer. 

The team’s official kickoff meeting, she said, was then held in September. 

“We’re getting some momentum going right now,” she said. 

The strategy 

The momentum for REV, Close said, has picked up considerably as of late – particularly after holding its first open house event in White Lake. 

“That was our first event to gather more information and surveys so we can continue down the path we’re going to,” she said. “We are in the next stage of holding another open house, so we’re really focusing on getting as much feedback as we can to help guide our strategic plan and what we need to implement moving forward.” 

Close said 40 people attended the first open house – an encouraging turnout that yielded an initial wave of valuable feedback. 

Residents, she said, were surveyed regarding the future of property the Village of White Lake had purchased to redevelop, as well as the following queries: 

• “What would you like to see here? What do you currently travel outside the area for that you wish were available locally?” 
• “If there were a local space for rotating pop-up businesses, how often would you like a [given] pop-up to provide their product and service? How often would you like them to be here?” 
• “Do you own a small business?” 
• “Do you have a hobby?” 
• “What makes you proud to live here?” 
• “If you could see one positive change or a new addition in the next five years, what would it be?” 

Close said the questions aimed to help determine what residents would support the most, as part of creating “a business plan for the community.” 

“[The survey] really helped us solidify what we thought would happen or what we thought people were looking for,” she said. “It really helped us to know that, yes, we’re on the right path.” 

Close said this approach is informed by the REV program’s coaching, resources and connections, while building off of REV successes in other communities of comparable size since 2024.

“There have been some proven models, so we were able to follow some of those recommendations,” she said. “That’s where the coach comes into play – to help us put some of this together so we’re not reinventing the wheel, but getting it to our own customized way, knowing our community.” 

More details on the next open house, Close said, will be announced soon. 

“It’s all about community prosperity,” she said of REV, “and how we can help improve that together as the taskforce can come up with ideas and hopefully have a strategic plan at the end to implement.” 

The outlook 

In regard to economic development, Close said the small-community feel and the “ruralness” of the Wolf River Territory present some challenges.

“It’s hard to attract someone who would live in Green Bay, [for example], to come here to open a business and live here…,” she said. “Building within, growing what we do have and expanding that is probably our best bet moving forward.” 

Fortunately, Close said of the varied responsibilities her work entails, brainstorming solutions is one of her favorites. 

The Wolf River Territory community, she said, seems to share her zest for boosting regional entrepreneurship – enthusiasm she finds all the more encouraging since the REV program is in its early stages. 

“[Local residents] are very interested to see exactly what it is we’re doing, and they’re excited having seen some steps toward that,” she said. “The community is ready for some growth and opportunities.” 

Close said the initiative is off to an ambitious start, partly due to the efforts already accomplished by the LCEDC, including its business incubator and its entrepreneurship program, which has graduated 140-plus students and started 56 businesses. 

Though the Wolf River Territory is eligible for up to three years of REV programming, she said the coach assigned to the territory estimates the taskforce is “already almost a year ahead,” thanks to its thorough work mapping its assets and surveying residents.  

“We have very knowledgeable people in the area, and we’re putting everything together – we’re not starting fresh like some [REV cohort] communities maybe are,” she said. “[Our REV coach] said the work we’re doing is already in an advanced stage, so we may not need the full three years.”

Close said she’s also encouraged by one of White Lake’s major employers, Robbins Sports Surfaces, having recently invested in new equipment at its facility. 

“There’s a lot of momentum that’s happening through their new investment that they’re doing, and through the village itself purchasing some property and making a business improvement district,” she said. “A lot of things are happening there.” 

Close said she’s grateful for the opportunity the REV program is affording the county. 

But as eager and optimistic as the taskforce may be, she said they’re setting reasonable goals for 2026 and are patiently focused on the day-to-day tasks en route to their vision. 

Close said that vision includes showing residents that in “a smaller community, people can thrive and do everything that they can in a bigger community” – progress she hopes can help continue a trend of the territory’s former residents choosing to move back to the area. 

The early returns on REV, she said, have already paid off in the form of more and better organized community engagement. 

“It’s truly a great opportunity to have a plan to bring people together to talk about your community, what you love and what you would like to see – and seeing progress,” she said. “[Even] just little [examples of] progress at a time means a big impact, so we’re excited about that.” 

Follow the LCEDC on Facebook for more information on the REV program, the upcoming open house and more.