Innovation DuPage

Congratulations to the 10 small businesses that have successfully completed the 17th cohort of our Owner-2-CEO business accelerator program! Your dedication, hard work, and commitment to growth have equipped you with the skills and knowledge to elevate your businesses to new heights. Temi Ajayi - Hallmark Healthcare Staffing Brenda Bickett - Local Glass Studio Melissa Carter - Kameo Vintage Sumera Galvez - Aura Holistic & Metaphysical Wellness Nicholas Hudson - Eno Home Care Tony LaPalio - Senior Tech Support Paco Orozco - Techno Ltd Chirag Patel - Blue Kite Wellness Bethany Prignano - Vitality Tax & Advisory Jules Wilhelm - Capacity Leadership Center, Cardia Counseling Center, and EQ-niversity We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated instructors, whose expertise and guidance make this program a success, and to our sponsors—U.S. Bank, Bank of America, and Sikich—for their unwavering support. Interested in taking your business to the next level??You can sign up here for one of our next cohorts: https://lnkd.in/gm2A9sun Construction O2CEO, starting January 6th O2CEO, starting April 15

Holiday innovation took the spotlight last week on WGN Radio AM 720's?Your Money Matters?with Jon Hansen! ID member Chris Hohenstein, from City Tree Delivery, Inc., joined Jon and Dan Facchini, MS, CFRE to discuss City Tree's delivery, setup, and removal services—offering a convenient and sustainable solution for your Christmas tree experience. Catch the full segment here:?https://lnkd.in/g63nzWGR

Innovation DuPage is proud to partner with Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) to present Construction Owner-2-CEO, a no-cost, business accelerator program designed specifically for construction industry professionals. This intensive 10-week virtual program will provide you with the network, knowledge, and tools needed to grow your company. You'll gain critical insights into: -Project Management -Contract Bid Process -Leadership & Strategic Planning -Marketing Strategy -Human Resources and more Application Deadline: January 6th, 2025 To learn more and apply:?https://lnkd.in/gVNwU8JV

We're still beaming from the inaugural Midwest Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit. Our gathering of 250+ entrepreneurs, academics, executives, and innovators represented an incredible day of connection and insight. We hope these photos offer a glimpse of the day's energy and the boundless potential of our regional innovation ecosystem. College of DuPage

Tune in to WGN Radio AM 720's "Your Money Matters" with Jon Hansen this Wednesday at 6:30pm! This month, Innovation DuPage member Chris Hohenstein from City Tree Delivery, Inc. will join Managing Director Dan Facchini, MS, CFRE to discuss City Tree's unique approach to Christmas tree delivery and service in urban areas. Learn how this local company is making holiday traditions more convenient and sustainable by delivering, setting up, and recycling premium Christmas trees for city residents.

College of DuPage’s (COD) business incubator and accelerator Innovation DuPage (ID) hosted the Midwest Innovation and Entreprenuership Summit on campus this past Wednesday, November 13. Specific details for this past summit can be found at this link: https://lnkd.in/gfuKim7x. The morning began with a session moderated by Ileen Kelly, Ed.M., Ph.D., Director of COD’s Business Developmeht Center that showcased the entrepreneurial successes of local local veterans in business, government contracting and not-for-profit veteran support. Panelists included Homer Bizzle, Angel Torres of Veteran Engagement Solutions and Kevin Flowers. Sheri Gross, COD Manager of Vereran Affairs was also present to introduce the college’s veterans program at the start of the session. A guest of the summit included long-time COD BDC APEX Accelerator client and highly successful veteran business owner Peter Stephenson of Innleadair, LLC pictured with Dr. Kelly. The event drew a variety of influential business leaders, entrepreneurship influencers, professional media and ID partners to the well-attended day-long summit sessions and exhibitor tables. Illinois APEX Accelerator Business Development Center at College of DuPage Innovation DuPage.

The Midwest Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit was a huge success! Thank you to the more than 250 innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and partners who joined us for an inspiring day of conversations and connections. Together, we’re shaping the future of innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the region. Greg Bedalov, Choose DuPage Michael Bell, Everspring Partners Meena Beyers, Nicor Gas Larry Blackburn, Datatelligent Hilary Burkinshaw, Business Development Center (BDC) Kate Calabra, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition Joe Cassidy, MBA, EdD - Innovation DuPage, College of DuPage? Christina Castillo - PMP, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association Bob Clark - College of DuPage Megan Clifford, Argonne National Laboratory Dr. Rebecca Corbin, The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) Jen Cumpston, College of DuPage Kristi Dula-Ferguson, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Maureen N. Dunne, Ph.D. and CEO - UQ Life, The Neurodiversity Edge Dan Facchini, Innovation DuPage Ron Farnum, Forge Brandworks Christine Fenne, AlphaGraphics Wheaton Mark Franz, Village of Glen Ellyn Michael Fumagalli, Glenbard School District 87 Jennifer Givens, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Christine Hammond, College of DuPage Theon Hill, Wheaton College Jon Horek, PhD, PE, Invenergy Nick Howard, Bantix Technologies & QuikStrike Walter Johnson, College of DuPage Janice Kaushal, MFA, PhD, College of DuPage Ileen Kelly, Ed.M., Ph.D., Business Development Center (BDC) Nancy J. Lai, EigenStrat David Lezondra, Business Development Center (BDC) Diane Moca, MomSub Eileen Murphy, ThinkCERCA Amit Patel, Plug and Play Tech Center Bill Payne, POLSKY Center Joan M. Phillips-Hernandez, Northern Illinois University Dwayne Pickett, Constellation Eduardo Salgado, LEED AP BDC, MBA, Architectural Woodworking Gary Schoeniger, The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage Jeannette P. Tamayo, Illinois Innovation Network Keith Tyrka, College of DuPage Mike Varon, Innovation DuPage Melissa Villanueva, Brewpoint Coffee David Virgilio, CPA, College of DuPage Arden Warner, Natural Science, LLC Sonia Watson, Ph.D., College of DuPage David Weksel, Panduit, College of DuPage Steven Wightkin, PhD, Datatelligent Eric Wasowicz, Greenbrier & Russel Patrick Y., Elmhurst University

Wow! For an inaugural event, the 2024 Midwest Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit was a runaway hit. I was happy to participate in this exciting, high-energy event, and thank you Innovation DuPage and College of DuPage for hosting such a great Summit. I hope they decide to have it again in 2025 based on the fantastic participation numbers. #garyschoeniger #collegeofdupage #entrepreneur

I’m usually the last one to leave, and it’s often worth it. I was proud to join fellow members Nancy J. Lai and Steven Wightkin, PhD of the AI Foundations Collaborative from Innovation DuPage on a panel discussing how to leverage AI to enhance efficiency in a company. I decided to stay for the rest of the Midwest Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit at the College of DuPage, and - wow - was it a good decision! I connnected with a VC who offered to introduce the MomSub child care benefits platform to some of his portfolio companies. I learned about multiple grant and loan programs from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Illinois Small Business Development Center right in my region that could provide needed funds to fuel growth of my business. And I encouraged Laura C. Munoz, who brought her adorable 9-month-old to the conference, to keep showing up as a business owner even with a little one in tow. The more we normalize that children are part of life - and sometimes part of our work life - the easier it becomes for working parents. And working parents need all the help they can get! #childcare #children #workingmoms #workingparents #businessowner #entrepreneur #founder #startup #AI #innovation #DuPageCounty #Chicagoland

Thank you to Innovation DuPage and College of DuPage for hosting the 1st Midwest Innovation & Entrepreneur Summit! I had a fantastic time attending a full day of breakout sessions, keynote panels, and insightful discussions—and walked away with valuable insights and new ideas for growth. One of the highlights was listening to Gary Schoeniger speak on his expoeiemce with the relationship between an entrepreneurial vs. a managerial mindset. Fascinating! Thanks Gary. He’s got a new book coming out and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. The event was free, well-organized, and incredibly beneficial for anyone involved in business, entrepreneurship, or innovation. If you’re a small business in the DuPage area, I highly encourage you to check out Innovation DuPage and see the resources they offer to help small businesses thrive. I’m already looking forward to next years event! #MidwestInnovation #Entrepreneurship #DuPageBusiness #Innovation