The grant total was announced Monday at a press conference held at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, with remarks from Gov. Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett as well as James Popp, president of Chase in Wisconsin, and Rich Meeusen, co-founder and co-chair of The Water Council and chairman, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Badger Meter.

JPMorgan Chase’s new Small Business Forward initiative is a national, five-year grant program supporting small business networks in 10 cities across the country.

“The Small Business Forward Initiative is focused on clusters…that leverage the best things in different communities and the best opportunities to make a difference and make an impact while also facilitating small business and entrepreneurship in communities,” Popp said. “The Water Council was one of those clusters.”

The Water Council plans to use the one-year $225,000 grant to help identify investment firms interested specifically in water technology and then bring them to Milwaukee to educate them about Milwaukee’s water hub as well as connect them with companies in need of funds.

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