We brought together faith leaders, neighborhood advocates, and traditional entrepreneurs for two days of rolling up our sleeves and bridging the gap between big vision and real-world execution.
Room Full of Builders
For decades, traditional ministry and business have operated in separate silos. Ministry leaders bring deep community trust and spiritual vision; business owners bring operational discipline and financial modeling.
At The Studio, those two worlds merged under a concept we call Business as Justice—the idea that commercial enterprise can be a force for local wealth creation, equity, and neighborhood flourishing.
Big Visions That Came Out of the Room
Instead of just taking notes, teams built practical blueprints across key community focus areas:
Youth Empowerment & Elder Care: Recognizing the physical hurdles aging residents face in urban neighborhoods, participants discussed vision for practical support for seniors during critical seasonal transitions + connecting youth trained teams directly with elders in need.
Tech & Digital Hubs: Bringing high-speed connectivity, digital literacy, and tech training directly into neighborhood churches and local business centers.
Dignified Pathways for the Unhoused: Moving beyond short-term shelters to combine transitional housing with job skills training, so people can achieve long-term economic independence.
What Attendees Had to Say:
Here’s what participants took away from the two days:
Testimonial 1: Creating Job Sustainability
"My greatest takeaway was gaining insightful information on how I can create job sustainability—not only for myself, but for others.”
Testimonial 2: Moving From Sales to Community Impact
Quote: "As a new entrepreneur, it broadened my horizons on not focusing on what I am selling, but how to impact the community with what I have to offer.”
Testimonial 3: Ministry Beyond the Four Walls
Quote: "It demonstrated how to do ministry beyond the church... to start thinking deeply about economic development and how we can use our sphere of influence.”
The Facilitator Lineup
Thank you to our facilitation and coaching team who brought their experience and passion to this WI+H Studio Experience:
Walter Harvey — Founder & President of The WI+H Movement
Mark Peck — Strategic advisor & WI+H Board Chair
Dr. Peter Battaglia — WI+H leader & facilitator
Dr. Marcus L. Arrington — Senior Pastor at Embassy Center MKE & Marquette McNair Director
John & Cynthia Antrim — Real estate developers, educators, and WI+H Champions
What’s Next?
These blueprints aren't going to sit on a shelf.
The WI+H Movement is walking alongside these teams with coaching, alignment, and resources to bring these projects to life.
Want to get involved or join the next Studio? Join our mailing list and stay tuned for upcoming events www.with.city/contact
