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ICNC Wins SBA Competiton
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The ICNC Incubator was named one of the winners of the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. Over 400 applications were judged by more than 40 business experts and the 80 winners represent 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Marianne Markowitz with the SBA presented ICNC with the check. ICNC received $50,000 to expand its services to food entrepreneurs including providing additional technical assistance and incubator space that is conducive to food manufacturing. Learn more here.
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| HR Lunch and Learn - Affordable Care Act | |
Learn how the Affordable Care Act impacts Illinois small businesses and the self-employed. Geri Aglipay with the Small Business Majority will present on important healthcare updates for 2015 and 2016, and small business friendly provisions. Get the facts about who is affected, how they are affected, and what opportunities there are for coverage through www.healthcare.gov.
Wednesday, September 16
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: ICNC - 320 N. Damen Ave.
Register here. Bring your brown bag lunch.
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Save-the-Date: September 24
ICNC Open House | |
Join ICNC as we provide the opportunity to showcase the Incubator and the businesses in it by having an open house. Businesses in the building will be opening their doors and allowing other company owners and partners in the neighborhood to check out their products and services. Afterwards, ICNC will be hosting a BBQ on the dock for networking and socializing.
Thursday, September 24
Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: 320 N. Damen Ave.
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Attention Members: New Online Membership Platform Launching Soon!
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ICNC members will be able to draw even more value from their memberships as we launch our new online membership platform in the coming weeks. The system, will provide an attractive and interactive member directory, featuring an expanded search function and the ability for members to customize their listings right on ICNC's website. Also, members will be able to make yearly dues payments quickly and easily via email, or even set up automatic renewals if desired.
Please watch your inbox in the coming weeks for an invitation to create your membership login and to customize your profile. Send questions about your ICNC membership to [email protected] or [email protected]. Click here to see a demo of the new online member directory. |
| Exceptions to Fulton Market Plan | 
ICNC Director of Economic Development Ben Spies is quoted in a Chicago Tribune column on development exceptions being made to the Fulton Market Innovation District Land Use Plan. The plan, adopted by the city in 2014 with the support of ICNC and other community groups, is a well-considered set of guidelines intended to steer responsible development in the booming Fulton Market area. Carving out exceptions for certain development projects could end up undermining the plan as a whole. Read the Chicago Tribune article here.
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| Member Spotlight: Chicago RAW |
Chicago RAW is a health-conscious cafe offering over 140 raw vegan  items, including a selection of super food smoothies, sunflower sprouts, vitamins, wheat grass shots, coconut water and rejuvelac.
Chicago Raw was started by two savvy foodies, Carole Jones and Polly Gaza at a small farmers market in New Buffalo, MI. They met at a raw food restaurant and shared a passion for raw food and wanted to share that with the world. Polly researched raw food to further her knowledge on the subject, and to get to know the raw food lifestyle. Carole was a kitchen manager in a raw food restaurant and also taught raw food prep classes.
Carole and Polly have both been exposed to this way of life and have witnessed the healthy benefits first hand. They would like to share with as many people as possible the benefits of incorporating raw living food into their daily diet. For your convenience, a weekly takeaway plan is available so you can have food for one week. Their products can be found online and the Chicago French Market.
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| Development Opportunities |
10,000 Small Businesses: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a no-cost program that provides business owners with practical business education, a supportive network of advisors and peers, and access to capital. Through the program, owners will receive the tools and support to develop a customized growth plan to take the business to the next level. For more information and to apply, click here.
Business Workshops: The Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP) offers workshops every Wednesday and Friday. Workshops vary each month and are conducted by City Officials, experts, and partner business organizations. All workshops are free and open to the public. To view the business workshop calendar, click here.
CASE: Chicago Anchors for a Strong Economy: CASE helps small businesses sell to large institutions, such as universities, cultural institutions, hospitals, government, businesses, etc.). The upcoming cohort, which is open to all industries, will take place on September 3, September 17, and October 1. Congratulations to ICNC member companies, Jarvis Corp., Rags of Honor, Aztec Plastic, and Ri-Del Manufacturing on being accepted into the manufacturing cohort. For more information about CASE or to apply, click here.
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| Welcome New ICNC Incubator Company | |
Chatto Skin and Healthcare - Manufacturers of natural and organic skin care and hair care products. Chatto products can be used by all different hair types and textures, as well as all skin types. Their products can be found online and in their full service eco-friendly salon on the Gold Coast.
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| ICNC Incubator Space Available | Enjoy competitive  rent, a thriving entrepreneurial environment, and immediate access to ICNC's services. Click here to view more available spaces.
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