West Side United’s Small Business Accelerator initiative recently celebrated an exciting milestone: the investment of $500,000 in 29 small businesses on Chicago’s West Side.

The Small Business Accelerator initiative was created in 2018 to support small business owners and entrepreneurs who are creating economic opportunities for West Side residents. Community representatives were engaged in defining grant criteria, reviewing applications, and identifying recipients. In late 2018, in collaboration with Northern Trust and Accion Chicago, more than 100 applications were reviewed and $85,000 was invested in seven West Side businesses.

Over the past year, Civic Consulting Alliance worked with West Side United to expand and enhance the Grant Pool for its second cycle. In this cycle, West Side United, Northern Trust, and JPMorgan Chase’s AdvancingCities provided $500,000 to invest. Together with pro bono partner CIBC, we revised the grant application structure, marketing approach, and outreach strategies based on our experience from 2018. For example, seven hands-on information sessions (instead of two) were offered to support applicants.

The response from West Side business owners was enthusiastic. Nearly 450 applications were submitted, quadruple the number received in 2018. Nearly two-thirds of applicants were minority, low-to-moderate income, and women, and 10% were immigrants.

On January 20^th , West Side United announced that 29 small businesses would receive grants of up to $13,000 for start-up businesses and up to $25,000 for established businesses. Recipients included businesses from Austin, North and South Lawndale, East and West Garfield Park, West Town, Humboldt Park, and Belmont Cragin:

• 6978 Soul Food
• A Taste of Nostalgia
• AD HOC PROPERTY SERVICES, LLC
• All The Details Cleaning
• Amazing Edibles
• Back of the Yards Coffee LLC Pilsen Coffeehouse
• BLK Building Solutions LLC
• Chef’s on the Go’Go LLC
• Colemans barbque 2
• DermaPhilia
• DLV Printing Service, Inc.
• FIIT CITY
• It Takes A Village
• La Chilangueda
• LiveEquipd LLC
• Madison Ethos, Inc.
• McCanna Videography
• Metaphrasis Language and Cultural Solutions, LLC
• Rose and Jaad Construction INC
• Salsedo Press Inc
• Smooth and Social Roots
• Strickland Brothers Bbq & Jerk
• Terra Bites
• The Corner Store Deli
• The Lighthouse Cafe LLC
• Thomas Mechanical Corporation
• Twenty Eleven Construction Inc.
• US Veterans Security, LLC
• Worthy One Designs

The Small Business Accelerator is just one of West Side United’s 10 priority initiatives, which together aim to reduce the 16-year life expectancy gap between residents of Chicago’s West Side and the Loop. As the Small Business Accelerator initiative demonstrates, by bringing together community members and stakeholders from across the healthcare and corporate communities, West Side United has the potential to catalyze vital economic changes on Chicago’s historically under-invested West Side.