The Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program this week celebrated 12 years of business growth by recognizing the most recent session of program participants with a celebration event.

The entrepreneurs gathered at Lambeau Field to honor the 12th year of pairing established mentor companies with growing protégé companies in the community. The program features pairs of companies throughout Wisconsin, particularly in northeastern Wisconsin, and has recently expanded into southeastern, southwestern and central Wisconsin.

The program matches established mentor companies that can provide technical, managerial, financial or other guidance with protégés that are seeking to improve their competitive standing. The partnerships aim to foster business growth, economic development and job creation in Wisconsin. Created in part to match up minority-owned, veteran-owned, or woman-owned businesses with experienced mentor companies, such businesses account for 88 percent of the participating protégé businesses.

Last week's celebration named this year's Most Valuable Mentor, Most Valuable Protégé and Comeback Player of the Year. Sarah Salisott with The Foster Lane was named the Most Valuable Protégé and Beth Relich with KI was named Most Valuable Mentor. Kiyana Mensah with Back to Basics Tutoring was honored as Comeback Player of the Year.

In the 12 years of the program, more than 407 full and part-time jobs have been created across the 128 protégé companies in 46 different Wisconsin communities. Additionally, participants have increased their annual revenue by a combined $85.6 million.

The partnerships receiving recognition for the 12th session are:

• Chris Seider with Foth mentored Alesia Miller with Soul Brew Kombucha
• Mike Sprang with Foth mentored Julie Waldron with EJ Waldron Transport
• Lori Highby with Keystoneclick mentored Sandra Dempsey with Sandra Dempsey Network
• Beth Relich with KI mentored Kiyana Mensah with Back to Basics Tutoring
• Gregory Martin with SBDC – Milwaukee mentored Rosetta Bond with 1700 Pullup
• Barb LaMue with New North mentored Maiyoua Thao with ABC Staffing
• Steve Barry with Nicolet Bank mentored Kimberly Wigert with Rite Way Consulting
• Barbara Gromacki with Pioneer Metal Finishing mentored Citlali Mendieta with Antigua Restaurant & Catering
• Renita Robinson with Prevea mentored Sherryl Hernandez with City Transformation Center
• Chip Smoot with Schreiber Foods mentored Courtney Spangler with Confluence Graphics
• Evony Caldwell with Stratisphere Healthcare Solutions mentored Candace Spears with Floor23 Digital
• Doug Watson with The Howard Co. mentored Steven DeVougas with Red Snapper Fish Company
• Refilwe Goll with Northwestern Mutual mentored Nyesha Stone with Carvd N Stone and Shayvon McCullum with Secure Bridges
• Mary Hosmer with Vistage mentored Peter Krabbe with Seymour Lumber
• Tara Carr with the SBDC – Green Bay mentored Sarah Salisott with The Foster Lane
• David Stauffacher with the SBDC – Green Bay mentored Greg and Krista Makos with Makos Furniture & Design