Chicago group supporting Black entrepreneurs with coaching, training, and business growth resources.

The Chicago Urban League Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is dedicated to helping Black entrepreneurs launch, grow, and sustain businesses in Chicago. The Center provides essential tools to maximize revenue, reduce costs, increase profitability, and drive job creation while encouraging innovation. It assists businesses in obtaining supplier diversity certifications, responding to bids on public and private contracts, and increasing the number and value of contracts won. To ensure Black entrepreneurs flourish, the Center offers one-on-one coaching in core knowledge areas such as strategy, branding, access to capital, marketing, finance, procurement, and operations. The Center features a first-class faculty of coaches and volunteer subject matter experts to provide superior counsel. Training programs include NextSTARTUP, an intensive six-week program moving founders from idea to launch; NextDEAL, a twelve-week program for professional services firms pursuing large contracts; NextDIGITAL, a free eight-week training on digital marketing; NextLEVELEXCHANGE, a twelve-month mentoring program; and NextONE, a nine-month program designed to help Black-owned businesses scale. Additionally, the Center offers a business coaching program with personalized guidance for aspiring and established entrepreneurs and hosts the WOKE Entrepreneur Summit, an annual event for African American entrepreneurs aged 21-45 to learn, network, and celebrate.