Chicago Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Chicago, IL.

The Chicago Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation supports Black entrepreneurs in launching, growing, and sustaining businesses through comprehensive resources and expert guidance. The Center equips business owners with tools to maximize revenue, reduce costs, increase profitability, and drive job creation while facilitating access to supplier diversity certifications and public/private contracts. Serving entrepreneurs at all stages, the organization offers one-on-one coaching in strategy, branding, capital access, marketing, finance, procurement, and operations. Key programs include NextSTARTUP, a six-week intensive helping founders move from idea to launch; NextDEAL, a twelve-week initiative for professional services firms pursuing large contracts; NextDIGITAL, a free eight-week training on digital marketing; NextLEVELEXCHANGE, a twelve-month mentoring program pairing businesses with industry experts; and NextONE, a nine-month scaling program for Black-owned businesses. Additionally, the Center provides personalized business coaching to navigate ownership challenges and accelerate success. Since 2018, the WOKE Entrepreneurship Summit has served as an annual conference for African American entrepreneurs aged 21 to 45, fostering learning, networking, and celebration among Chicago's top business leaders. For more information on specific programs or to schedule a coaching session, interested parties are directed to the Center's official resources.