MILWAUKEE — The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has started a new lab that creates mobile phone apps for school researchers and area nonprofits.

It's called the Mobile Innovation Lab, or the App Brewery, since it's located in a refurbished Pabst Brewery building.

They are currently working on apps for the domestic violence group Sojourner Family Peace Center, the tourism group VISIT Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, among others.

Michael Hostad (HAH'-stad), the school's director of web and mobile strategy, says they don't charge the organizations and are currently funded through the school and donations.

Carmen Pitre (PEE'-tree), director of Sojourner Family Peace Center, says they wouldn't have been able to create the app otherwise since they don't have the expertise and funding.

The lab employs students who have taken the school's app building class.