CEO and Founder of Ichor Strategies, the largest Black-owned professional services firm in the U.S.
Earlier this year, the Chicago Recovery Plan (CRP), an equity-based investment strategy designed to reinvigorate Chicago’s economy following the Covid-19 pandemic, announced almost $3 million in grants to help local businesses fill vacant storefronts around the city. Unlike other small business grants that infuse funding directly into a company, the grants are going to community organizations tasked with selecting businesses to participate in the program and receive funding. These local organizations are better positioned than the City of Chicago or the small business owners to understand which local businesses will serve the community best. By giving community advocates decision-making power, the CRP is an exemplary model of community investment — a model that both public and private sectors would benefit from emulating. Leaning on the expertise of these leaders will help ensure the return on investment creates value for individuals and the local economy. https://hubs.la/Q02CMdQm0
