In tandem with the WBC’s Community Impact team, the Mayor’s Office, and other key partners, this program aims to challenge the access to capital gap and promote equitable economic development. This multi-phased program connects business owners to technical assistance, funding opportunities, and valuable resources to help scale their operations.
The objective of this 16-week program, beginning in January 2023, is to prepare Black or Latino-owned businesses primed for growth to the capital necessary to take the next step to grow their business.
We invite business owners to apply on a rolling basis to our formal application to join the ’24 cohort; the application deadline is November 1st, 2024.
Participating Business Profile
Industry
Retail, light manufacturing or professional services
Annual Revenue
At least $250,000
Years in Business
At least 3 years
Growth Opportunity
Have identified clear development goals that require capital investment
2023 Cohort Section
Program Information
Access to Captial
Technical Assistance
Educational Workshops
Networking Events
On June 1st, 2023 we will be celebrating the finalist of the Black and Latino Excellence Investment Summit. Here we will host the participating businesses, partners, community leaders, and city officials at a private 3-hour event.
If you would like to attend, please use this form below to submit an invitation request. We reserve the right to select attendees that are the most relevant to the programming and advancement of this Black and Latino Excellence Investment Summit’s mission.
We will notify you in May of 2023 if you have been selected to attend the Summit.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to communityimpact@worldbusinesschicago.com
Get Involved
We are accepting applications for our second small business cohort for 2023. Propel your business forward, and join the cohort of 2023.
We seek partners, sponsors, and vendors to work with us on the 2023 summit and for future events.
About the CI Team
The Community Impact Team supports equitable economic development across the city’s South and West-Sides. As part of that work, we actively support the implementation of the Mayor’s signature INVEST South/West initiative, which you can learn more about here.
