The Sista Collective
2/26/25, 6:00 PM
Beloit sisters repurposing former gentlemen’s club to uplift underserved communities
BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — There’s an effort in Beloit to repurpose a former gentlemen’s club in order to uplift members of underserved communities.“In the ground here, it’s so funny, it still says the world-famous Bear Chest gentlemen’s club,” said Regina Hendrix.The former Bear Chest, at 1901 Wisconsin Avenue, is no longer a gentlemen’s club thanks to Hendrix and her sister, Michelle Hendrix-Nora.
“When we came in, there were lots of things left over. We were trying to get a lay of the land. We had never been in here, so just trying to figure out what was what and it could be,” said Regina Hendrix.She said the building was purchased by Michelle and Michelle’s husband.“You talk about passion, we talk about labor of love, we’re doing this out of pocket,” she said. “Her husband and herself, their company bought this building for the nonprofit with the support of CBI Bank here in Beloit.”
Hendrix said the plan is to convert the old club into something the community can rely on as a resource for many things.“We purposely chose this neighborhood as one of the most underserved neighborhoods in the Beloit community,” Hendrix said. “A lot of people are scared to build here, to be here. The suggestion for the building was to be a store or a laundromat and we’re like, ‘no.’ This needs to be a space where people can come, where they can get resources, where they can grow and learn. The juxtaposition of what it was to what it’s going to be… we’re so excited about it.”
“Oh, the passion behind it makes it so much more meaningful. This corner used to be known for filth and drunkenness and objectifying women,” Hendrix said. “The space that we envision here is going to be empowering for women, for children, for youth.”
The new center will be called the SISTA Collective.“Our initiatives are Sisterhood, Innovation, Service, Tenacity and Achievement. That’s what SISTA stands for,” Hendrix said. “We envision it to be a space for young people, for women who are looking to build their careers, to go into education, to further their education.”
The sisters will run their nonprofit Virtuoso’s Mind, Inc. and will have offices in the building once it’s opened.“We want to focus on the arts, focus on music, and have workshops and collaborate with different organizations and nonprofits for the things that they offer,” Hendrix said. “Working together with the Beloit community to be able to offer some different opportunities for women, young people. Men are allowed, but the focus will be on women and youth. We want people to be able to grow here, to invent here, and young people alike as well as adults, to think about what they would like to see for their future, for their community.”
Hendrix said their organization is accepting donations, monetary or other items, to help build and furnish the center.“We’re just so excited about this,” she said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes, but any help that we can get is welcome.” Hendrix said she hopes to have the center ready to open by this summer.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.