Contributor: Markayle Tolliver, Coordinator, Community Impact

World Business Chicago enjoys spotlighting inspiring Black & Brown business leaders, founders, and entrepreneurs, to help inspire students, entrepreneurs and founders of startups and companies, of others who are paving the way, charting new and interesting paths in business.

Today we spotlight the owner and founder of a Chicago-based IT infrastructure and technological services company, Emmanuel Jackson, Evanston Technology Partners (ETP), a company that specializes in cybersecurity and equips businesses with technology solutions and services. 

Born and raised on Chicago’s Southside in the Bronzeville and Cabrini Green areas through the housing projects, Jackson spent most of time in close-knit Bronzeville. 

Jackson shares his memories of his Southside childhood —- 

“I knew everybody and everybody knew me. We lived in extreme poverty.  We were the poorest family on the block.  When my grandmother died she had 101 grandchildren.  Fast forward to today over 70 of those grandchildren are college graduates, business and homeowners.” 

You Can’t Be What You Can’t See

Emmanuel’s passion to enter the business field comes from the local Black business owners he saw in his community. He shares more about his interest — 

“My interest came from the local Black owned businesses in Bronzeville.  Knowing one’s history is very important.  I came from the neighborhood of John H. Johnson, Johnson Publishing, George Johnson, Johnson Products and SB Fuller. My greatest inspiration came from small local businesses like Baldwin Ice Cream and Johnson’s grocery.  Between 47th and 51st and Indiana there were nine Black owned businesses. These businesses helped me feed myself, buy school clothes and pay fees. Today, I have built a technology business to help people in the community the way these businesses help me.  

We are currently training 160 people in Amazon Web Services Cloud Technology.  We will hire all qualified certified trainees.  Salaries range from $80K to $140K.”

Emmanuel’s advice to future business owners and entrepreneurs is this —–

“Educate and believe in yourself.  Have a purpose beyond your own personal interest.”

For more information about Emmanuel Jackson and Evanston Technology Partners please visit https://evanstontec.com/.