Policy ideas for entrepreneurs and small business owners

Raised in Chicago, I completed my lower education at the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where exceptional teachers nurtured my entrepreneurial spirit. After obtaining a degree in branding and communications, and working in various corporate settings throughout Chicago, I established Birkdesign Inc. (now Birk Creative) in 1997. My first client was the Department of Cultural Affairs, working under the late Maggie Daley and former Mayor Daley. Since then, I have had the privilege of collaborating in some capacity with every single Mayor of Chicago, contributing to both my own business success and that of other small business and entrepreneurship initiatives.

The City of Chicago's business sector, including the dedicated staff at the Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), has been a collaborator and vital partner in my business growth. In 2017, I initiated the Google Digital Coaches program in Chicago, which has allowed me to maintain a strong pulse on the feelings, experiences, knowledge gaps and desires of entrepreneurs (just like me) of all ethnicities in the city. This program has reached thousands of businesses, leaders, start-ups, and neighborhood organizations.

Through my agency Birk Creative, I have also had the honor of training and supporting leaders across various departments and creating branding and media buying campaigns for the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Transit Authority, Navy Pier, Department of Planning, and many more, helping them find and activate their brand voice and transform through media activation and knowledge sharing.

I would like to develop a refreshed and updated policy tailored to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Chicago, fostering a more cohesive voice that encompasses community and neighborhood groups, small business development centers, and independent entrepreneurs. This initiative would be distinct from the policies at organizations like 1871 or World Business Chicago, whereas, it would be aiming to serve a broader and diverse community of entrepreneurs, including women of all ethnicities and those who are gender-nonconforming.

If I were in a leadership role during Mayor Brandon Johnson's transition, I would create a robust strategy to enhance the visibility and vitality of Chicago as a hub for authentic networking that drives real results, a place that welcomes and creates inclusive ideation teams, and will provide real talk with anyone that wants to start a business. In my policy strategy, I would also integrate technology mindset, digital skills and financial literacy readiness at every single touchpoint of a Chicago entrepreneur's journey.

The wealth-building progress for small businesses in Chicago has been far too incremental for too long, and I'm eager to lead a focused team dedicated to creating scalable opportunities for underrepresented businesses, which include women, in our city.