Piece of Love
“When a hit-and-run forced my business to shut down for over a year, ThriveOn gave me the support to start again. The funding helped me reopen, rehire, and rebuild, while the coaching kept me focused and motivated as a solo owner.”
Ana Gonzalez - CEO
After a hit-and-run forced Piece of Love to close its cake shop for more than a year, owner Ana Gonzalez and her business entered one of the most difficult seasons in their history. Ana turned to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s ThriveOn Loan Program for support, using the capital to rebuild, scale, and reopen the business as an expanded venture while retaining the mobile coffee truck.
Since its grand reopening in June 2025, Piece of Love has experienced strong growth, quickly returning to pre-closure levels of customer traffic while introducing new service lines such as private events, date nights, and catering. The loan supported early payroll, staff training, inventory, marketing, and the relaunch of operations. With added technical assistance through Legacy Redevelopment Corporation and guidance from Terese and Angelique, Ana strengthened her financial systems, improved operations, and moved forward with renewed confidence and a clear long-term vision.
Business location: West Allis, WI
GMF Investment: $50,000
New jobs created: +5
Projected Growth Rate: 227%
Total employees supported: 9
Legacy Redevelopment Corporation Support: Loan support & Technical Assistance