Bernita
Feature Spotlight
Jaime di Paulo Zozaya, President and CEO, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Watch the Spotlight Interview with Jaime di Paulo Zozaya
Jaime di Paulo was selected as President & CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), the leading Hispanic business networking, advocacy and development organization in the Midwest in January 2019. In his short tenure, Jaime has doubled its membership and secured a $2.5 million dollar grant from the State to find a home for the IHCC to create the first of its kind “Center for Hispanic Entrepreneurs".
As CEO of IHCC, he has established four priorities:
In association with “1871” – named as one of the best business incubators in the world–, it has sought to strengthen the LATINXIncubator program, enabling young Hispanics to develop as innovators in technology and present their ideas to prominent capital funds. He promoted, from the Chamber, the first Roundtable of Women CEOs, bringing together influential Hispanics to connect, collaborate, and create a lot of new opportunities. Jaime has sought to multiply the networks with Latin American Chambers of Commerce, helping to bring new investments to Illinois. Recently, on January 21, 2020, he made an old dream come true: establish a critical alliance with the Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois (BCCI) to bring together the Congressmen of our state in a conference and participate more actively as minorities in the 2020 political agenda.
Previously, Jaime served as the Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce (LVCC) for five years, transforming the chamber into a true business development center and advocacy organization.
During his tenure there, Jaime worked closely with local businesses, community leaders, corporations, government agencies, and elected officials to address the issues that affect the Latino business community. Jaime is a recognized expert in economic development and has helped open and grow hundreds of businesses in his community and grew the LVCC membership from 30 to 900 members.
Jaime was invited to participate in the Advisory Council for Diversity and Inclusion for Sterling Bay as it relates to the Lincoln Yards Project.
He was also appointed as a member of the Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females and Persons with Disabilities (BEP) commission in September 2018. In addition to Jaime’s success in Chicago he also served as Business Development Director for the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and worked in his beloved Mexico as the Director of the Mexican & American Thinking Together Foundation, a bi-national Non-for Profit organization where he was in charge of finding quality employment for returning and deported immigrants.
Jaime received a Bachelor’s in Public Administration & Political Science from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City, Mexico. He is married and the proud father of four brilliant young men and daughters.
Jesse Iñiguez, Co-owner and Director of Operations, Back of the Yards Coffee Co. Watch the Spotlight Interview with Jesse Iñiguez
The Back of the Yards Coffee Co. is a woman and latinx owned coffee company headquartered in the Southside of Chicago. They strive to honor the immigrant working class tradition of the Chicago Stockyards through their mission - referred to as their SEED - which stands for Social Impact, Economic Development, Environmental Responsibility, and Direct Relations. Everything Back of the Yards Coffee Co. does, from where they source their coffee, to choosing their packaging, to where they're located and to the people they hire, is guided by these four principles. The goal of Back of the Yards Coffee Co. is to eliminate coffee deserts, particularly in Latinx communities, and change the way people understand and experience coffee.
In the Community Chicago Funding Opportunities Available Now
Apply for the Polsky Center's Small Business Growth Program
In partnership with JPMorgan Chase and the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement, the Polsky Small Business Growth Program pairs teams of highly-skilled University of Chicago students with small business owners located in the South and West Side of Chicago. These businesses receive hands-on consulting support aimed at addressing specific business challenges and determining new strategies for growth.
As clients, business owners receive free consulting services from teams of student consultants, supervised by Chicago Booth faculty. This work will be organized into a three-month engagement that includes in-depth research and analysis, regular touch points between client and team, and the development of a final report. Clients will also receive complimentary access to the Polsky Center’s 34,000 square foot co-working facility and its resources.
Companies that have been in business for at least one year and have annual revenue exceeding $150,000 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given for minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned small businesses that are located on the South and West Side of Chicago. Owners seeking to grow their business, either in terms of increasing revenue or entering new markets are encouraged to apply.
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Facebook Launches New Features to Support Latinx Small Business Owners
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Ascend's Network Small Business Playbook
Apply for the Women's Business Development Center's ScaleUp Program
ScaleUp is an award winning multi-week cohort-based program that is designed to assist established, Chicagoland businesses that are experiencing sustainability issues due to COVID-19. ScaleUp equips entrepreneurs with business knowledge, financial tools, resources, and networks necessary to maintain profitable businesses that retain and create jobs, fuel economic growth and build strong communities. To be considered for acceptance into ScaleUp, you must be in business for at least two years, have at least two employees, have revenue of at least $50,000 (in 2019), and are working on your business full time.
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