Chicago Community Ventures Blog

CCV Client Bronzeville Coffee and Tea in the News!

Check out the Chicago Tribune article by Charles Osgood about CCV Client Bronzeville Coffee and Tea below!

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A cup of optimism ‘Where coffee meets community’ in Bronzeville neighborhood By Charles Osgood January 24, 2010 It is hard — make that impossible — to imagine how vibrant that area of the city known as Bronzeville once was or comprehend how it might have been called the “Black Metropolis” or know what a significant place it has played in Chicago’s history. You can look it up in various Internet places and, among many interesting things, learn that when the poet Gwendolyn Brooks, a child of the neighborhood, published her first collection in 1945, she chose to title it “A Street in Bronzeville.” If you are a more adventurous and less computer-bound sort, you would do better to take a trip to 528 E. 43rd St. Yes, on your way there you will see desolate streets and more vacant stretches than any neighborhood deserves. But then walk into Bronzeville Coffee and Tea and meet a young writer named Ytasha Womack, who has just published her first book, “Post Black: How a New Generation is Redefining African American Identity.” She is working on her computer, not an uncommon coffeehouse pursuit, but this is not an ordinary coffeehouse. It has all of the familiar drinks, along with pastries and other light foods. And there is free Wi-Fi. But the floors are polished wood and the artwork on the walls is not generic but joyful and real, and conversations are lively and loud, especially at the stools set tavernlike along the coffee-making area. “That was the whole idea,” Trez Pugh says. “We wanted to create a place that would remind people of the scene at ‘Cheers,’ but without the booze.” That notion makes him smile. His business partner, Richard Chalmers, does too. They opened this spot in 2005, and they remember the toughest times. “Some people thought we were crazy and some people called us pioneers,” Pugh says. “But for those first few months, nobody came.” Now, the place is a Bronzeville oasis, often hosting comedy and jazz events, some in the pleasant outdoor garden behind the shop when the weather is kind. “Our slogan has always been ‘Where coffee meets community,’” Chalmers says. “And we want to watch this community grow around us.” The two partners are not of this place, having met in kindergarten at the Franklin elementary school (now known as the Franklin Fine Arts Center) in Old Town. “Growing up on the North Side, we had everything: coffeehouses, cafes,” says Pugh, who also works as a postal inspector, a job that entails wearing a firearm, as is evident in the photo. Chalmers, after a career in the airline and homebuilding industries, now works full time for the business. “We saw this area and we sensed how underserved it was, and had been for a long time, and thought we could do something about that.” Late last year, in a leap of optimism and checkbook risk, they opened Regents Cup in the handsome Regents Park apartment building at 51st and the Drive. This spot is less lounge-and-linger than the other operation because this healthy Hyde Park area is not beleaguered Bronzeville. Some days, especially weekends, you might find Pugh or Chalmers behind the counter making coffee. But most of the time they are on a street in Bronzeville, where they have firmly planted their dreams.

43rd Chicago Business Opportunity Fair Set for March 29-31

In Economically-Challenging Times, CBOF Provides Success Solution

CHICAGO, IL - February 19   - The 43rd Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF), which has served as a catalyst for creating billions of dollars in contracts and opportunities for minority-owned firms, will continue its legacy of forging connections between MBEs, corporations and government agencies on March 29, 30 and 31 in Festival Hall “A” of Navy Pier.  The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC), whose president/CEO is Shelia Hill, sponsors the event.  The presenting sponsor is Allstate.  The event will be driven by the theme:  “Rebound 2010: Connect, Drive, Thrive.”

According to Hill, entrepreneurship is the key to economic growth. She says the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair is the premiere event for forging opportunities that strengthen minority firms, which in turn, create job opportunities that address the nagging unemployment problem plaguing the nation.  It boasts a documented track record of success in achieving its mission.

CBOF, the oldest, largest minority procurement show in the nation, is devoted exclusively to developing partnerships between minority and majority-owned corporations and government agencies. Founded in the wake of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination and as a way of addressing the paucity of opportunities for minority-owned firm, CBOF is credited with attracting viable minority-owned firms, forging relationships with corporations and government agencies, and using the Fair as a vehicle for connecting the two. Serving as a foundation for CBOF is the strength of the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, which has enjoyed phenomenal growth due to the educational opportunities, it offers minority firms, networking events and the signature procurement show, the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair.  CMSDC was the impetus for the development of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc., a network of nearly 40 regional councils in major cities nationwide, Puerto Rico and Canada.

CBOF provides a rare once-a-year opportunity for minority entrepreneurs because it features a host of benefits including:

• Opportunities for MBEs and Buyers to meet in a business setting
• Industry-specific segments
• Networking events attended by decision makers and “power” prospects
• Information-filled workshops
• One-on-One Meetings

Presiding over the Fair are four leaders with a proven commitment to minority business development including:

• Thomas J. Wilson - Chairman/President/CEO  - The Allstate Corporation - Honorary Chairman - CBOF 43 Planning Committee
• Margaret Klinsport - Director, Supplier Diversity - The Allstate Corporation -Co-Chairperson - CBOF 43 Planning Committee
• Arthur Miller - President/CEO - MZI - Co-Chairperson - CBOF 43 Planning Committee
• Travis M. Powers - Senior Executive Partner - Escendent, LLC Chairperson, CBOF 43 Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee's Awards Dinner

The day-by-day events that comprise the success foundation for CBOF include:

Monday - March 29

• Corporate Sponsored Networking Reception

Tuesday - March 30

• Dynamic workshops conducted by outstanding leaders that cover critical areas for business success
• CBOF 43 Dinner Dance

Wednesday - March 31

• Sponsors Breakfast - Keynoted by a nationally-acclaimed leader
• Flagship CBOF Trade Fair - MBEs showcase products and services before corporate and government leaders attending for the sole purpose of making valuable connections that will lead to business opportunities.
• Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee Awards Luncheon - honors MBEs, corporate and government buyers and organizations that have exhibited exceptional commitment to business development
• Topping Out Reception - final networking event

In announcing the 43rd anniversary of the Fair, Hill, emphasized the importance of CBOF in boosting the economy.  “With the economy so fragile and jobs being lost at a record pace, entrepreneurship is the key to strengthening the economy and to boosting self empowerment.  CBOF is an ideal venue for boosting minority firms and creating the employment opportunities.

Latin American Chamber of Commerce Presents: Marketing, Marketing, and More Marketing! !

Learn how to market your company through emarketing, website, and other outlets. This workshop is great for businesses that are starting and want to introduce their company name or existing businesses that want to expand their target markets. 

No company can survive without marketing. This workshop is instrumental for your company. Do not miss it!

Date:  Wednesday, March 17, 2010 

Presented by:  Steve Robinson, Constant Contact                                        

Location:   LACC Office                   
                 3512 W Fullerton Ave       
                 Chicago, IL 60647         

 Time: 9:30 am    Meter Parking!  

 Cost:   Free for LACC Members 
            $5 for Non Members  

  
To RSVP call 773-252-5211 or email workshop@latinamericanchamberofcommerce.com

How to Start a Small Business in Illinois Workshop - February 24!

 

How To Start A Small Business In Illinois

Starting A Small Business In Illinois - This workshop will acquaint you with the basic procedures for opening a business in Illinois. You will also receive information that is designed to answer some of the questions about the regulations, requirements and aspects of operating a business.

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Time: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Location: JVS, 216 W. Jackson Blvd., #700, Chicago

Price: FREE!

To Register Contact Pam Lipton by phone at 312.673.3429 or by email at pamlipton@jvschicago.org

CCV Client Salazar Packaging in the News!

New Corrugated Box Design Is Dramatic Step Forward in Reusable Packaging The patent-pending Globe Guard ® Reusable Box is a corrugated shipping container that can be quickly inverted after use to form a clean, like-new shipper. The breakthrough design, developed by sustainable packaging innovator Salazar Packaging, Inc., supports the multiple reuse of corrugated containers - while reducing overall cost in packaging and shipping operations. Plainfield, IL (PRWEB) February 10, 2010 -- Salazar Packaging, Inc. announced today the availability of its new patent pending product, the Globe Guard® Reusable Box - an RSC style box that can easily be turned inside-out to create a like-new shipping container. The innovative design makes reuse of corrugated containers a practical option for the first time. “Shipping boxes are typically still structurally solid after their first use,” said company president, Dennis Salazar, “but they are thrown away or recycled because of how they look. Our design enables the clean inside of the box to quickly and easily become the new outside, at least doubling the box’s life cycle. Essentially, the Reusable Box does the job of two boxes, possibly more.” The Globe Guard Reusable Box The Reusable Box is ideal for warranty claim and replacement shipments, repair and return operations, e-commerce returns, parts exchanges, product loaners, intra company and intra office shipments, and other applications where more than one shipping container are used for shipping products back and forth.  Our design enables the clean inside of the box to quickly and easily become the new outside, at least doubling the box’s life cycle. In addition, firms committed to supporting the environment can use the Reusable Box to communicate their sustainable values and encourage packaging reuse. Beyond strengthening a firm’s sustainable packaging profile, the Reusable Box can produce cost saving by reducing material costs, streamlining procurement, eliminating SKUs, and conserving warehouse space. In addition the shipping boxes can be custom printed inside and out to make returns processing more efficient. The Reusable Box can be custom made in a wide range of sizes and board strengths as well. Minimum order quantities vary depending on box size. For small business and entrepreneurs, Salazar Packaging –anticipates eventually adding standard sizes to its online green packaging store, GlobeGuardProducts.com. For additional information and inquiries, please contact Salazar Packaging at www.reusableshippingboxes.com. About Salazar Packaging, Inc. Headquartered near Chicago, IL, Salazar Packaging is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) specializing in packaging design and development, sustainable packaging products and services, and automation of high volume packaging operations. Its product lines include industrial polyethylene and polypropylene shrinkable and non-shrinkable films, stretch wrap films, box sealing tapes, and eco friendly corrugated products including Globe Guard 100% PCW recycled content boxes. The firm sells and services a full line of high-speed equipment to shrink, bag, and seal industrial films of all kinds. It represents leading industry manufacturers including Bemis Clysar® shrink film, Autobag® automatic bagging systems, Rennco® vertical packaging equipment, and its own line of environmentally friendly Globe Guard® packaging products.