RIC aims to transform our community by preserving affordability, supporting local ownership, and building equity…
one project at a time.

OUR STORY

Riverwest Investment Cooperative (RIC) was founded on a simple but powerful idea: when neighbors invest in their own community, everyone can thrive.

Our journey began with a shared vision—to preserve the character and affordability of Riverwest and Harambee while ensuring that local residents can shape its future. By coming together as a cooperative, we created a model where everyday people can pool resources, reclaim ownership, and directly impact the future of their neighborhood.

Today, RIC is more than just an investment group—it’s a movement. Through collaboration, education, and shared decision-making, we’re proving that financial sustainability and community values can go hand in hand.

OUR GOALS

Keep Housing Affordable

We invest in properties to preserve and create affordable housing in Riverwest and Harambee. By increasing neighborhood owner-occupancy, we strengthen economic stability and security for residents.

Invest in our Neighborhoods

When investment decisions are guided by the community, they reflect real needs. By fostering locally directed investment, we empower residents to shape the future of their own neighborhoods, ensuring thoughtful and inclusive development.

Empower our Community

Economic empowerment starts with education. We provide resources on community-driven investment, cooperative ownership, and home-buying to help residents take control of their financial future and strengthen local resilience.

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

Riverwest

Nestled along the Milwaukee River, Riverwest is a vibrant, diverse, and proudly independent neighborhood with a rich history of activism, creativity, and community collaboration.

Originally home to Milwaukee’s working-class immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Riverwest was shaped by Polish, German, and Italian families who built modest homes and local businesses. Over the decades, the neighborhood evolved into a hub for artists, musicians, and activists, earning a reputation for its cooperative spirit and grassroots organizing.

Riverwest is known for its cooperative institutions, including one of the nation's longest-running community-owned grocery stores, the Riverwest Co-op, and its many housing cooperatives. The neighborhood thrives on a strong do-it-yourself ethos, hosting events like the Riverwest 24, an annual 24-hour bike race that celebrates community connection and local culture.

With a mix of historic homes, independent businesses, and community spaces, Riverwest remains a welcoming and walkable neighborhood where long-time residents and newcomers alike work together to preserve affordability and foster inclusivity.

Harambee

Harambee, a Swahili word meaning "pulling together," reflects the neighborhood’s deep-rooted sense of unity and collective progress. Located just west of Riverwest, Harambee has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s African American community since the early 20th century.

Originally settled by German immigrants in the 1800s, the neighborhood saw a significant shift in the 1950s and ’60s, when Black families moved in seeking homeownership and economic opportunity. By the 1970s, Harambee had become a cultural and economic center for Milwaukee’s Black community, fostering strong civic engagement and local businesses.

Today, Harambee continues to be a neighborhood driven by community action, with organizations dedicated to homeownership support, economic development, and youth empowerment. With a mix of historic and new housing, parks, and small businesses, Harambee remains a vibrant place where residents are committed to shaping the future of their community.

OUR BOARD

  • Lindsey Tauber

    PRESIDENT

  • Clare Lewis

    VICE PRESIDENT

  • Jerry Patzwald

    TREASURER

  • Matt Schumwinger

    SECRETARY

  • Daniel Bauman

    BOARD MEMBER

  • Patrick Van Horn

    BOARD MEMBER

  • Phil Natkins

    BOARD MEMBER