Why did a nonprofit founded to promote HIV prevention and testing in low-income communities do a hard pivot to become an employment solutions provider?

A Rockford woman wanted to open a soul food restaurant. She signed a lease for a 1,500-square-foot space and hired seven employees but didn’t purchase a POS system.

There’s a popular proverb that says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

It’s a fact that women, Blacks and Hispanics are the least likely to major in science and engineering in college. Even when they do, they aren’t as likely to remain on a STEM career path through graduation.

Think Big!, founded in 2018, helps disadvantaged entrepreneurs overcome barriers to establishing and growing their own businesses.

Melvin Leach, a case worker for the Harvey Brooks Foundation of Joliet, is aware of the lack of grocery stores in the city’s predominately African American neighborhoods. But living in a food desert hits harder some days than others, he said.

A common focus shared by officials and local leaders throughout Illinois is cultivating its communities and infrastructure.