Small Business Growth Program Cohort Announced

The Polsky Small Business Growth Program has announced the Fall 2018 cohort, which is made up of small businesses located in the South and West Side of Chicago. Small teams of University of Chicago students provide hands-on consulting experience to these companies, helping them address key business challenges and determine new strategies for business growth.

With funding from JPMorgan Chase, and in partnership with the Office of Civic Engagement, this program is part of the nationwide Ascend 2020 program, which partners with top universities and institutions to  provide business assistance and opportunities for minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The Fall 2018 cohort includes

Chef Driven Food Tours connect hundreds of guests per year to Chicago neighborhood restaurants on the South and West sides of the city.

Evelyn’s Food Love is a café and caterer serving a variety of fresh foods made from scratch.

Front and Center Construction provides premium affordable construction services in disinvested communities.

Haji Healing Salon is a social wellness enterprise providing yoga and meditation, acupuncture, bodywork, and healing lifestyle education that centers and prioritizes residents of the South Side of Chicago.

Hyde Park Taco is a neighborhood restaurant specializing in authentic Mexican street food.

Lena Rose Beauty is a green beauty retailer and full spa.

ProFit Studio is a wellness and fitness company with individualized nutrition plans, boot camps, private, and semi-private training sessions and supplements

Scott Global Migration specializes in immigration law and help securing visas for people around the world.

S&M Plow Co., is a commercial snow removal and landscaping company.

Ware Realty Group is a full-service real estate brokerage, providing commercial retail leasing and market research.