A Look at What’s Next for the Chicago Startup

WBC is dedicated to driving inclusive economic growth in Chicago. As part of this, our team assists entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners with gaining access to industry leaders to ensure all have a seat at the table. Over the past few months WBC’s Neighborhood and Strategic Initiatives (NSI) team has been assisting an up-and-coming healthcare startup, Millennial Beacon, to gain a foothold in the industry.

Millennial Beacon is a startup compromised of Black business experts, advocates of health equity, and healthcare professionals with practice areas ranging from orthopedic surgery to internal medicine. Their mission is to build a healthcare incubator dedicated to creating solutions that address healthcare inequities, specifically within Chicago’s historically disinvested communities. Millennial Beacon will amplify the impact of ongoing innovation in healthcare by expanding that work to places that were once thought to be impenetrable.

“There are brilliant Black entrepreneurs on the South Side, in Chicago at-large, and around the country that are eager to do this work but may not have otherwise had the opportunity or the resources to do so,” said Founder of Millennial Beacon, Leslie Amonoo. “Millennial Beacon will leverage its connections within the community, actively build a pipeline of innovators, and ensure that there is access to the solutions created by innovators of color.”

The NSI team is working with Millennial Beacon to help shape their strategy and build out their business plan. As part of this involvement, WBC convened a meeting with the prestigious healthcare-specific incubator in Chicago, MATTER Health. Recently, Millennial Beacon was admitted into the incubator program at MATTER where they will receive insight on business development, access to events, introductions to others in the healthcare industry, and more.

“Millennial Beacon’s mission to bridge the healthcare disparities within our city by providing health and wellness solutions for low-income neighborhoods aligns perfectly with NSI goals to support comprehensive economic development,” said Chris Eagan, Business Development Manager at World Business Chicago. “This fit has led to a seamless collaboration. It is a joy and pleasure to support the next generation of companies that serve and unleash the potential of all Chicagoans.”