Community Connections Committee - Village in the City

The Community Connections Committee champions the growth and success of businesses in the 19th Ward. We empower them through marketing campaigns that amplify their presence; professional development programs to cultivate their skills; and networking events that foster collaboration and unity.

Black Business Month

August is Black Business Month, a nationwide effort to recognize and support Black-owned businesses. In August 2023, BAPA, the 95th Street Business Association, and the MPBHBA partnered with local businesses to bring this celebration to Beverly/Morgan Park and the 19th Ward! Our goals:

highlighting our Black-owned businesses and their unique offerings.
building community among local Black entrepreneurs so that they can support and promote each other.
helping businesses expand their customer base by sharing information about Black Business Month in print, on social media, and this website.
creating a lasting resource—an online directory—for people to find Black-owned businesses in Beverly/Morgan Park.

Women’s Business Month

Women business owners comprise a large percentage of 19th Ward business owners, and the CCC aims to support them all year long with specific highlights, workshops, and events during Women’s Business Month in October.

Youth Engagement in Businesses

Inspired by Mayor Johnson’s youth initiatives, the CCC is focusing its 2024 spring and summer workshops on youth engagement in businesses. Young people are the future of Chicago, and the CCC would like to find opportunities to engage them with our small business community. In March, we held a youth employment workshop and shared information about internship and job placement programs, as well as city initiatives that pay businesses to employ young people. Future workshop topics include engaging youth on social media; hosting events for children; and interacting with unaccompanied youth.

History

The Community Connections Committee was born out of the Black Business Month Committee, which started in early 2023 and included 19th Ward business and community associations as well as business owners. The BBM committee spent winter months networking and planning a series of events for Black Business Month—workshops, networking sessions, and celebrations. This work brought together a cross section of the Black-owned business community and led to many fruitful discussions about the challenges that Black business owners face.

Buoyed by the success of Black Business Month in August 2023, the organizers decided to continue working together under a more inclusive name, Community Connections Committee, with the BBM group now as a subcommittee.

Committee Members

95th Street Business Association

Beverly Area Planning Association

Leadership EDGE

Live and Believe Nutrition & Wellness

Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association

Mount Greenwood Community and Business Association

Cakewalk Chicago

Join the Committee!

Interested in getting involved with the CCC? We’d love to have you!

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