About Us

OUR STORY

Oshkosh, WI is the home to many successful start-ups.  Some notable businesses homegrown in Oshkosh include Oshkosh B'gosh kids clothing, Oshkosh Corporation (Oshkosh Motor Truck), Buckstaff furniture, and many others.  Each one of these companies has a rich history of start-up success dating back over a century.   The Venture Project was conceptualized when business leaders in the Oshkosh area noticed that the next generation of talented entrepreneurs were leaving the area.  The root cause seemed to be a lack of resources and community for entrepreneurs. 

Aaron (A.J.) Armstrong founded the Venture Project in 2020 to recruit and retain potential business owners in the Oshkosh and Fox Valley area.  It started with networking groups of people offering advice and encouragement to new business owners.  Later, it bloomed into a brick-and-mortar coworking space and business incubator located in the historic downtown.  The vision is to remind entrepreneurs that big things don't always have to be done in big cities.  Rather, the most important thing is to "bloom where you're planted."  The Venture Project offers a space to do just that.