Black entrepreneurship has never just been about owning a business. It’s been about building despite the barriers that were built to hold us back. Building when capital was scarce. Building when systems weren’t designed with us in mind. Building institutions when access wasn’t offered. Black History Month always invites a time of reflection. As a founder in this city, I think about how Chicago holds a long tradition of Black founders who didn’t just create companies — they created...

Once accepted into Gray Matter’s program, Emmanuel’s perspective and trajectory transformed.

The Chicago Youth Biz Expo brought together over 225 CPS high school students to celebrate entrepreneurship, leadership and the future of Chicago. The students had the opportunity to attend a workshop, hear from a panel of young entrepreneurs during the keynote address, interact with exhibitors, take professional headshots to use for marketing purposes and share their knowledge with peers.