Boost Fort Atkinson

Boost Fort Atkinson Storefront Pitch Contest winner announced

PRESS RELEASE

DATE:  April 15, 2025
TO:  Local Media Outlets
FROM: Rebecca Houseman, City Manager
RE:  Boost Fort Atkinson Storefront Pitch Contest winner announced

Layla Decoteau and Rose Mansavage unlocked their new storefront at 214 S. Main St. for the first time Monday night after their business, Tidy Tails Grooming Salon, was named the winning business idea of the Boost Fort Atkinson Storefront Pitch competition at a reception held at Café Carpe. 

The City of Fort Atkinson and Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Enactus, a student-led organization that harnesses business strategies for social good, worked together to bring the contest to the City to foster a sense of community between like-minded entrepreneurs. With funding from the City’s room tax funds and the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation, the competition was able to offer Tidy Tails free rent for a year. 

Contestants went through a round of online community voting, with over 650 votes cast during the process. This approach not only empowers local voices but also ensures the selected business aligns with the community’s needs and aspirations. After community voting, entrepreneurs were interviewed by a panel of experts who chose the final winner.

The guidance from subject matter experts and entrepreneurs won’t stop now that the competition is over for the winning business or the runners-up. 

“The reason we did Boost is to create a startup ecosystem, and everyone has a role even if they don’t think they do,” said Dr. Choton Basu, faculty advisor for UWW Enactus and professor at UW-Whitewater.

He said critics and supporters all play a part.

“We will continue to work with the other business owners to help them and try to open up stores.”

Additional workshops will continue this summer to help the entrepreneurs and will be open to the public. More information will be posted when it is available on the learning opportunities. 

City Manager Rebecca Houseman thanked all the participants, the Chamber, the Community Foundation and Enactus for their hard work.

“I’m confident there are more opportunities here for additional businesses from this competition. We just have to keep helping them make connections and giving them the support they need,” Houseman said. 

Megan Hartwick, Community Foundation Executive Director, said the Boost competition was outside the realm of what the foundation typically invests in.

“Three of our core values at the Foundation are engagement, improvement and collaboration. This project tells the story of those three core values,” she said. “Especially the collaboration piece. There are so many folks who played a part in making this project happen.”

Shauna Wessely, Fort Atkinson Chamber Executive Director, discussed the vibrancy of downtowns and the goals the Chamber has for Fort Atkinson.

“Boost Fort Atkinson is about so much more than celebrating one winner. It’s about inspiring people to connect with each other and it’s about investing in a vibrant future.”

Boost Fort Atkinson participants included Haley Kessler, DIY Bar; Dena Tullis, Tattooed Tree Books; Caitlin Kincannon, The Budget Bar; Calvin Ficenec, Hiraeth Media and Jessica Turner, Chroma Art Studio.

Above, left, Layla Decoteau unlocks to door at 218 S. Main St., as business partner Rose Mansavage looks on after the pair were announced as the winners of the Boost Fort Atkinson Storefront Pitch competition winners for their idea Tidy Tails Grooming Salon. Above right, City of Fort Atkinson representatives are seen with the new business owners from left are Council member elect Peggy Huckabee; City Manager Rebecca Houseman, Mansavage, Decoteau, Council member and council member elect Kyle Jaeckel and Pulic Relations Executive Assistant Sarah Weihert.

Above, left, Layla Decoteau and Rose Mansavage hug as Shauna Wessely hands them a key to their new storefront. Above, right, City Manager Rebecca Houseman is seen speaking at the Boost event.

Above, left, Fort Atkinson Community Foundation Executive Director Megan Hartwick is seen speaking at the event Monday.

Above, right, Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shauna Wessley is seen before announcing the winner of the storefront pitch competition. Above, left, Dr. Choton Basu, faculty advisor for UWW Enactus and professor at UW-Whitewater is seen discussing the program.

The Boost Fort Atkinson participants are seen above. From left: Jessica Turner, Chroma Art Studio; Caitlin Kincannon, The Budget Bar; Dena Tullis, Tattooed Tree Books; 

Layla Decoteau and Rose Mansavage; Tidy Tails Grooming Salon, Calvin Ficenec, Hiraeth Media and Haley Kessler, DIY Bar.

The participants have been through the workshops, now see what they've learned by voting for your favorite business idea!

Would you like a dog groomer, book store, craft shop, or something else to come to downtown Fort Atkinson? The winner will receive free rent for a year downtown. Help us decide who that winner will be. 

Watch the videos and vote here: https://uwwhitewater.co1.qualtrics.com/.SV...

Fort Atkinson Boost voting is now live!

You can now download the app "Main Street Pass" on the apple store!

Link to the Apple Appstore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/main-street-pass/id6743419511

OR

You can vote using this link: https://uwwhitewater.co1.qualtrics.com/.SV...

Use this opportunity to choose your favorite store to be a part of downtown Fort Atkinson! PLEASE VOTE NOW

Boost Fort Atkinson Informational meeting to be December 11

The City of Fort Atkinson and Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce are excited to announce a unique business competition in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Whitewater Enactus, a student-led organization that harnesses business strategies for social good. The competition will be called Boost Fort Atkinson: A Business Competition and will offer budding entrepreneurs the chance to win a rent free storefront for a year in downtown Fort Atkinson.A kickoff meeting will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hoard Historical Museum. This will allow interested entrepreneurs to ask questions and learn more about the program.

This innovative competition, backed by a generous allocation of funds from the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation and the City of Fort Atkinson (through room tax funds), aims to foster entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth in Fort Atkinson. The competition will be a platform for budding entrepreneurs to receive essential support and training in business planning and other critical areas. Over several weeks, participants will be guided through a series of workshops culminating in an interview where their business concepts will be evaluated by a panel of judges chosen by the program organizers.

“The City is in full support of small businesses and we look forward to the opportunity to assist a new entrepreneur in establishing their business here in Fort Atkinson,” said Rebecca Houseman, City Manager. “I hope that this program inspires community engagement and creates additional interest in our historic downtown.”

A unique feature of this competition is the entire community’s direct involvement. Alongside a panel of expert judges, interested community members will have a say in the ranking and scoring of the business presentations via web-based application. This approach not only empowers local voices but also ensures that the selected businesses align with the community’s needs and aspirations.

Eligibility for the competition is focused on startups and new business ideas within the downtown area. The aim is to bring innovative and impactful business ideas to fruition, boosting the local economy.

While detailed programmatic aspects will be finalized in upcoming weeks, this initiative marks a significant step towards cultivating a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Fort Atkinson, in collaboration with the dynamic and forward-thinking students of UWW Enactus. Those interested in this program should fill out the interest form here: https://rb.gy/qw1xgq.

The full eligibility requirements can be found here.

See a video of the Boost Kickoff Event here