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The Economic Development Center @ CMAA
April 2025 Newsletter
| | On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, we held our Women's Roundtable! We kicked off the event with a panel of five powerhouse female entrepreneurs! Attendees walked away with invaluable insights, strategies, and motivation to propel their businesses forward!🙌 | | The Economic Development Center at Chinese Mutual Aid Association is excited to announce the following events! | | May 1: 2025 Chicago District Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Open House | | |
This Open House offers an exciting opportunity to explore U. S. Army Corps of Engineer's latest and upcoming projects, advancements in engineering, and to meet the team driving their mission forward. Our APEX director, Ian Quan, will also be tabling at this fantastic event!
Event Details:
đź“…Date: Thursday, May 1
⏰Time: 9:00 AM
đź“ŤLocation: Chicago District Headquarters (231 South LaSalle Street, Basement, Chicago, IL 60604)
RSVP by April 30th to secure your spot!
This Open House is a wonderful occasion to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the contributions of the engineering community!
| | May 1: AANHPI Heritage Month Kickoff & Business Expo | | May 8: ChiBiz Mixer- Highlighting Small Business Week | | For question "What Organization/Center Invited You?* please select "Chinese Mutual Aid Association." | | |
Tiny’s Spicy Slices, a woman and Black-owned business founded by Teri Payton, is quickly making a name for itself with its delicious, homemade pickles! After years of working a 9-5 job and exploring various trades, Teri decided last fall she wanted to expand her horizons and begin her entrepreneurial journey!
Tiny’s Spicy Slices offers a variety of flavors, including Spicy Dill, Sweet & Spicy, Hot & Spicy Garlic, Polish Dill, and more, catering to every pickle lover's taste! As a new small business owner, Teri reached out to our Center to help grow her brand and expand her reach.
At our inaugural Small Business Expo, Tiny’s Spicy Slices was a hit, selling twelve jars of pickles! Moving forward, Teri aims to up her social media presence, get her pickles into stores and eventually, open a storefront to serve her growing customer base!
Teri’s story is proof that it is never too late to start a business, no matter where you are in life! Tiny’s Spicy Slices is just getting started, and the future looks bright for this flavorful venture!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574737840021
https://www.tiktok.com/@tinyspicyslices
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Verizon Small Business
Digital Ready Program
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We are excited to announce an incredible opportunity in partnership with National ACE and Verizon!
The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program is now available to help small businesses thrive. This free program offers online learning, personalized coaching, and valuable tools for digital marketing, financing, and customer engagement, all designed to empower entrepreneurs to grow and succeed in the digital world.
Topics include:
- Managing Money
- Funding
- Strategy
- Branding
- Online Marketing
- Social Media
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Check out the website for more topics!
đź’ˇSign Up Today and Broaden Your Skillset: https://vz.to/3XBW4ZV
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- PRIORITY
- Remy Martin This Is My City Grant Program
- Amount= $20,000, paired with one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders, to amplify your community impact.
- To be eligible a business must be a for-profit business located in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, or New York City.
- Open to all types of creatives that are contributing to their local culture and communities through various types of entrepreneurship.
- DEADLINE: 5:00 PM on 4/11/25
- Artisan Entrepreneurs Academy
- Amount= $5,000 after completion of program
- Six-week virtual program providing creative entrepreneurs with capital, coaching, and connections to help grow their businesses
- DEADLINE= 5pm on 4/25/25
- Made in Illinois Grant Program
- Amount= Up to $50,000
- Illinois manufacturers (NAICS codes of 31 - 33) with between 5 and 250 employees are eligible.
- You must have operated in Illinois for at least 3 years and had sales revenue in last 12 months.
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- Black Ambition Prize Competition
- Amount= $20,000 - $100,000
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At least one founding member from such a background, including, but not limited to, backgrounds such as Black/African/African American, Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx, LGBTQ, parents with earned income below the poverty level, first-generation immigrants, first-generation college graduates, and those raised by a single parent.
- DEADLINE: 5/2/25
- 36Squared Boost Awards
- Amount= Up to $1,000
- For Illinois small business owners and entrepreneurs with disabilities
- DEADLINE: 5pm on 5/2/25
- All Small Businesses
- Faire Small Business Grant Program 2025
- Amount= $5,000 credit
- This grant program gives select new stores $5,000 to use on Faire to stock their shelves with amazing products.
- The grant is open to independent retail stores who are based in the US, and started their business in the last year, or plan to open this year.
- DEADLINE: 6/30/25
- Secretsos™ Small Business Grant
- Amount=$2,500
- Application Fee= $15
- DEADLINE: 6/30/25 at 11:59PM
- Hustler’s MicroGrant
- Amount= $1,000
- Application Fee= $15
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- The Awesome Foundation Grant
- Amount= $1,000 (monthly basis)
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- Freed Fellowship Grant
- Amount= $500 (monthly basis)
- Application Fee= $19
- Consideration for year-end grant of $2,500
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- Small Business Improvement Fund by City of Chicago and SomerCor
- Amount= Determined by the property and business type (MAX- Commercial- $150,000 & Industrial-$250,000)
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APRIL TIF Districts (check your TIF District)
- 119th/Halsted
- Avalon/South Shore
- Chicago/Central Park
- Lawrence/Kedzie
- Lawrence/Pulaski
- DEADLINE: 5:00 PM on 4/30/25
- Community Development Grant - Medium
- Amount= $300,001 to $5,000,000
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For projects only in Chicago
- DEADLINE: 11:59 PM on 8/15/25
- Community Development Grant - Large
- Amount= $5,000,000+
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For projects only in Chicago
- DEADLINE: Rolling Basis
- Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) Program
- The grant award amount will vary per recommendation identified in the environmental report
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Specifically for dry-cleaning facility, auto body or auto repair shop, metal finisher, metal fabricator or food and beverage manufacturer located in suburban Cook County.
- DEADLINE: Rolling basis
- People of Color & Women
- EmpowHer Grants
- Amount= Up to $25,000
- DEADLINE: 5/2/25
- IFundWomen Universal Grant
- Amount= $10,000
- DEADLINE: Rolling Basis
- Amber Grant Foundation
- Amount= $10,000
- For ALL WOMEN
- Application Fee= $15
- Consideration for year-end grant of $25,000
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Various options, learn more
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant
- Amount= $1,000
- Founder identifies as a mother
- DEADLINE: 4/15/25
- Yippity Doo Big Idea Grant
- Amount= $1,000 (monthly basis)
- Application Fee= $15
- DEADLINE: Rolling Basis
- HerRise MicroGrant
- Amount= $1,000 (monthly basis)
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For under-resourced women, check eligibility here
- Application Fee= $15
- DEADLINE: 4/30/25
- Famous Amos Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative
- Amount= $50,000
- Minimum 90% Black-owned
- In business for 5 years or less
- Short video pitch must be submitted
- DEADLINE: 4/23/25
- Wish Local Empowerment Program
- Amount= $500 - $2,000
- For Black-owned brick and mortar businesses with 20 or fewer employees
- DEADLINE: Rolling basis
- The Well Work x Justworks - Just Thrive Program
- Amount= Justworks Credits up to $6,000
- Must have at least two W2 employees
- DEADLINE: Rolling basis
- Annuity Payment Freedom Black & Minority Marketing Grant
- No cash component, free search engine optimization (SEO) evaluations & advice
- DEADLINE: Rolling basis
- Veteran-Owned Businesses
- Hivers and Strivers Capital Grant
- Amount= Capital Ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000
- DEADLINE: Rolling basis
- Restaurants
- Feed the Soul Restaurant Business Development Grant Program
- 6 months of intentional consultations followed up with educational training services
- Continuous training and services extend to support you with procedures that help you process and maintain your business
- DEADLINE: 4/15/25
- Santander Cultivate Small Business Cohort 12
- Qualifying graduates of the program will receive up to $20,000 in capital grants.
- Helps early-stage entrepreneurs build and sustain businesses in the food industry, with a focus on historically underserved founders.
- Cultivate is a completely FREE 12 week MBA-style program that provides a customized curriculum, access to industry experts and capital grants.
- DEADLINE: 6:59PM on 7/8/25
- DoorDash Restaurant Relief Disaster Relief Fund
- Amount= $10,000
- DEADLINE: 5PM on 5/30/25
If you need any assistance with grants or have further questions please contact us at illinoissbdc@chinesemutualaid.org
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Please schedule a counseling session or ask questions by emailing illinoisbdc@chinesemutualaid.org. Stay tuned for our next newsletter!
Sincerely,
The Economic Development Center at CMAA
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