On a sunny and active day in Hyde Park, the SECC’s Women in Business Power Hour Lunch brought together local entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and business partners for a timely conversation on women’s advancement and Chicago’s economic future.
Moderated by Kimberly Jones, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement at Self-Help Federal Credit Union, the panel featured Abigail Ingram of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Roz Stuttley of Choose Chicago, and Hannah Jones of the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. The catered lunch, provided by The Study at University of Chicago, created a welcoming space for introductions, networking, and a practical exchange of ideas.
The conversation focused on how small businesses, especially women-led businesses, can better position themselves for major economic engines shaping Chicago’s future. Key takeaways included:
- The Obama Presidential Center is a major opportunity for Hyde Park, the South Side, tourism, and local business visibility.
- Businesses must be intentional about marketing, partnerships, and showing up in rooms where opportunities are being discussed.
- Strategic partnerships can help small businesses expand capacity and compete for larger opportunities.
- Scalability requires business owners to think beyond selling only their own time.
- Incomplete applications, missing documents, and copied AI responses can weaken or disqualify businesses from funding and support opportunities.
The panel made clear that business growth is not only about access to capital. It is also about access to information, institutional relationships, market visibility, and peer-to-peer learning. Events like the Power Hour Lunch create a rare and valuable space for knowledge transference, where public agencies, tourism leaders, university-based entrepreneurship resources, financial partners, and small business owners can exchange practical insight in real time.
That is why this kind of event deserves continued support from the local business community. The value extends beyond one lunch or one panel. It strengthens the business ecosystem through extended networking, resource sharing, relationship-building, and preparation for opportunities that may otherwise feel out of reach for small businesses.
The next Power Hour Lunch is scheduled for August 19, followed by the larger Economic Development Symposium on October 9, 2026.
SECC Symposium events are supported with creative and production assistance from CEI Media Group.
Business Resources
Self-Help Federal Credit Union
Small Business Loans / Get a Fresh Start (credit)
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Resources
Tech Enablement Workshop Series: Map your AI opportunity / https://tinyurl.com/mtdhedrf
Market Navigator Program / https://tinyurl.com/mpf9up9x
- Who: growth-stage business with existing customers purchasing your product/service
- What: AI-powered current customer insights and growth strategies within new market segments
SBDC at the Polsky Exchange / https://tinyurl.com/ydtj9eu9