March PACC Updates!

March 2025 Update

Please click on images and links

for more information & details.

March 20

PACC Annual Meeting

Join us for the PACC Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 20, at the Polish Museum of America Great Hall, located in the PRCUA building.

Learn about PACC’s accomplishments over the past year, our future plans, meet our new board, and of course, network at the annual meeting!

Members: Free

Non-members: $20

RSVP to info@polishamericanchamber.org or (773) 205-1998.

Recap

Meeting with the Consul General of the Republic of Poland,

Regina Jurkowska

PACC reps had an engaging and productive roundtable-style meeting with the new Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, Regina Jurkowska. We thank all who participated, including Vice Consul Agata Grochowska of the Polish Consulate in Chicago and Michal Rzeznik, Head of Polska Agencja Inwestycji i Handlu - PAIH Chicago Office. Full gallery here.

Recap

PACC Business After Hours:

Paczki Day Special

The Business After Hours we hosted on Feb. 27th brought together entrepreneurs and professionals for an evening of networking and RE industry insights. Our speakers, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, Sebastian Walas from LendLink Financial, Jarek Jastrzebski from JRE Group, and Bogus Handzel from Handzel & Associates shared valuable perspectives on the Chicago area real estate market during a lively discussion moderated by Lukasz Handzel. Full photo gallery here.

March

Free Business Education Workshops

Weekly workshops offered by City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP). Useful webinar: Scam Proof: Outsmart Fraudsters and Stay Safe! on 3/6. Americans lose $10 billion to scams each year. In this webinar hosted during National Consumer Protection Week, learn about the latest scams and how to avoid becoming part of the statistic.

March 7-20

The Chicago European Union

Film Festival Spotlight: Poland

Discover the best of Polish cinema, old and new, Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Chicago European Union Film Festival, March 7–20. Enjoy a dynamic lineup of films, filmmakers in person, & a mouth-watering array of Polish treats (pierogi, anyone?). Check out the line-up and get your tickets here!

PACC Member & Partner News

PACC Selected to Receives 2025/26 BACP Neighborhood Business Development Center (NBDC) Program Grant

The PACC is pleased to have been awarded with a grant through the BACP Neighborhood Business Development Center (NBDC) Program as a Place Based Business Specialist.

As an NBDC grantee, PACC will work in partnership with BACP to provide business owners and entrepreneurs expert business consultations, training and resources to support key City priorities. NBDC grantees

will also serve as conduits for sharing BACP business-related information to the business community. Through this program, PACC can help start-up entrepreneurs, and existing business owners, with information about a particular neighborhood, getting a new small business started, connecting businesses to financial resources, networking opportunities, connecting to the local community and more.

Specifically, as a Place-Based Business Specialist, PACC will provide hyper-local business development assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs in Chicago in Archer Heights, Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Brighton Park, Dunning, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, and West Town.

March 12

European Professionals Networking

March 22-23

Loyola Polish American Alumni Network Polish Film Weekend

Join the Loyola Polish American Alumni Network and the Society for the Arts for a two-day Polish Film Showcase at Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus to view four award-winning gems of Polish cinema, in Polish with English subtitles, two per day, with discussions after each film led by a Loyola faculty member and a renowned expert on Polish film Zbigniew Banas. Film list and registration here.

DEADLINE: April 7

OE3 SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL & INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Economic Equity & Empowerment (OE3) is pleased to announce the OE3 Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program.

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $245,000 will support initiatives that drive business growth, enhance operational efficiency, promote sustainability, and create or retain jobs. Click here for more information. Applications must be submitted by April 7, 2025, 5 pm.

April 12-13

Chicago Teahouse:

Tea Festival

Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of tea during our two-day event at the Copernicus Center. Discover new flavors, engage in fun discussions, and taste a variety of teas provided by our vendors. Expand your tea knowledge through workshops and presentations. More info & tickets here.